Anyway, here are the tofu and tempeh wonders that my classmates at the Natural Gourmet Institute and I created.

BBQ Tofu

Tempeh kabobs

Tempeh Scallopine in Red Wine

Tofu Burgers

Tofu Stir Fry

Today, I’m going to talk about tempeh. People often ask me what it is and I tell them it’s a soy product. “Oh, like tofu?” they ask, understandably. Well, yes and no.  It is related to tofu in that is is made with soybeans but it differs completely in taste, texture, and production.

Created in Indonesia, tempeh is made by binding partially cooked soybeans in a fermentation process until it forms a solid, firm cake. A white substance is usually interlaced throughout the soybeans. This substance is mycelia. (Okay, this is where is gets slightly creepy.) Mycelia is fungus, basically. Um, I’ll just quote Wikipedia here for the definition: “Mycelium (plural mycelia) is the vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like hyphae. The mass of hyphae is sometimes called shiro, especially within the fairy ring fungi. Fungal colonies composed of mycelia are found in soil and on or in many other substrates.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycelia)
(Photo source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tempeh_uncooked.jpg)

But, seriously, don’t let that creep you out from trying it because it is a delicious product and fun to cook with. It is also a vegetarian’s dream. Way more versatile than tofu, it can be used in anything. And I mean anything.  Even meat-lovers who have tried my tempeh dishes have been won over.

Because of the firm texture, vegetarians use it often as as a meat analogue (a substitution for meat that looks/feels/tastes like meat). Okay, it doesn’t really taste like meat, but in dishes where meat is prominent, you can substitute tempeh and not feel like you’re missing anything. In fact, it is often referred to as “Javanese meat,” as it is particularly popular in Java as a source of protein.

Speaking of protein, tempeh is a higher source of protein than tofu, as well as a good source of calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, and B vitamins.

There are different types of tempeh—such as wild rice, 5-grain, flax seed, vegetable—and you can find different preparations of tempeh on the market. Some are marinated in barbecue or teriyaki sauce, while others are prepared as ready-to-heat-and-serve meals, such as tempeh kebabs and tempeh cubes in lemon sauce. I’ve used it in chili, casseroles, and sushi. It can also be used in sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and stews. It can be grilled, broiled, jerked, sauteed, and sauced. The versatility of tempeh is amazing. One of my favorite ways of eating it is cut into strips, breaded, and baked into crunchy sticks and dipped in dressing. I can’t share my recipe for it just yet because it’s part of my cookbook-in-progress and I don’t want to have any future copyright problems (the publishing industry is so weird about stuff like that). Here’s a photo of it, though.

Tempeh is available in health food stores and places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. But because of the rise in healthy eating, vegetarianism, and global cuisine, you can also find it in many large, well-stocked supermarkets. (For info, try LightLife and SoyBoy.)

So, give tempeh a try. If you’ve been wanting to cut meat out of your diet but were afraid of not getting your protein, this is a great way to start. A couple of good places for recipes are VegWeb and Tempeh Info. Let me know what you think about it.

Get out and enjoy the warm weather (if you have it where you are) and have a great week, everyone!