Aug 25, 2010

bbq tempeh on focaccia


African-Inspired Night

This was another recipe from Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry, 'Open-Faced BBQ Sandwich on Foccacia with Cayenne Coleslaw.' Tempeh is what is being barbecued. I don't know if I've blogged before that my hubby has a few culinary dislikes, tempeh being one of them.

I haven't been able to convince him to give tempeh a try after he had it in a few times in restaurants, but I know that he just hadn't had it prepared the right way. He had the same dislike of Brussels sprouts until I made them and thereby convinced him that Brussels sprouts are not supposed to be bitter balls of blues.

Same deal with tempeh. If you've had bland tempeh, you need to cook it differently. Terry and I concur.

For flavorful tempeh, choose one:
(1) simmer on the stove in a flavorful broth
(2) bake in a marinade or sauce
(3) fry in fat and sprinkle with salt

Most people steam tempeh, to make the it more ready to absorb marinade or to reduce the bitterness. However, if you will be cooking it using method (1) or (2) for at least 20 minutes, steaming it is not necessary - in fact, it's overkill. Save your time!

Since this recipe called for focaccia, I was on the hunt for a whole wheat version. I found it! Super easy to make, especially in the bread maker. Not super low in fat, though; it can't really be focaccia without the 1/4-1/2 c of olive oil. Of course, if you'd like to omit most of the olive oil, I would omit it from the dough completely and drizzle a half teaspoon on a slice just before eating . Maximize the flavor.

This was a great meal, both men in the house loved the tempeh and the focaccia was an all around hit.

Cost Breakdown:
focaccia: $2
tempeh: $6
lime, tomato paste: $1
cabbage: $2
tamari, Dijon, maple syrup: $1
Total to make 7 sandwiches:
$12.00



Focaccia, Whole Wheat Recipe
(coming)

6 comments:

  1. Look super tasty and vibrant. Well done convincing hubby!Your an awesome cook.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I made BBQ tempeh recently - I just stir-fried it with BBQ sauce and my meat-eating family really liked it. I haven't really ever noticed that steaming is necessary - it seems to taste good whether I steam it or not. (Mine is here - http://healthandhappinessinla.blogspot.com/2010/08/light-and-fresh-pasta-salad.html) I was actually surprised that they liked the tempeh better than the seitan.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love tempeh and I love bb-q sauce. For doggone reason I haven't made them together for a while, probably because I do a lot bbq tofu-tofu (not your fave I know) but it's pretty good though. Anyway the old tastebuds are just aching for the tempeh bbq now.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You should so bbq! Tempeh!

    I must have given you the wrong impression about tofu - I love the stuff!! It's the soy I am trying to make sure the family doesn't OD on and become allergic or something. I feel that overdoing on anything, really, can make your immune system consider it a foreign body and begin to attack it - therefore making it an allergy.

    I do not feel that soy is bad in any way - in fact, I am the first to stick up for the lovely little bean, I just worry. My kids call me paranoid. Not about soy. About teen things. Nevertheless, you get the idea.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ...and thanks Erika and Sweetums. Nice to have you two comment as well :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh noooooo now I'm going to have nightmares about tofu...i just know it. I do understand though. That makes sense. Really. Sorry about misconstruing your feelings about tofu.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for your comment! I'll check if it's spam and post if it is not. I appreciate your time and effort for commenting! ~ Zsu