So I was a happy Apie when I saw I already had most of the ingredients to make this recipe from the "Oh She Glows" cookbook. Tempeh is one of those weirder proteins that your never quite sure what do with. I am sure people say the same thing about tofu or soy. But for me, tempeh seemed .... unapproachable? I use to just buy it pre-marinated in the store. So I was curious how marinating my own would turn out.
1 8 oz. package tempeh
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons low-sodium tamari
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Rinse the tempeh and pat dry. Slice the tempeh into 8 thin (1/4”) pieces, then halve them on the diagonal to make a total of 16 triangles.
In a large glass baking dish, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, tamari, maple syrup and oil.
Add the tempeh to the dish and gently toss to coat with the marinade. Cover the dish with foil and marinate the tempeh in the refrigerator for a least 2 hours, or overnight, gently tossing the tempeh every now and then.
Preheat the oven to 350 dgrees.
Spread the marinated tempeh triangles in a single layer in the baking dish and cover with foil. Bake the tempeh in the marinade for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and flip the tempeh in the marinade. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes more, until the tempeh has absorbed most of the marinade.
Note 1: I had no tamari. So I substituted low-sodium soy sauce. Which I did have.
Note 2: In the pictures you'll notice two bottles of balsamic. Since I wasn't using Tamari, which has a richer flavour than soy sauce, I used two kinds of balsamic (one a tart cherry) for a more intense flavour
Note 3: I didn't really slice the way the book wanted me too. Ooops.
Note 4: I'm sure you've noticed by now, I don't really do garlic cloves. I just the giant bottle of pre-minced garlic at the store. I use so much garlic in my cooking, this is a big time saver.
I was really impressed at how easy this recipe was. The prep time was nothing. No veggies to chop or sauces to blend. Ingredients are easy to use and easier to find. I started the tempeh on a Friday night. Since I had the weekend ahead of me, I decided to marinate overnight. I had the time. In the morning I tossed the tempeh again and let it sit until lunchtime.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it's a one dish recipe. You make the dish, marinate, and bake all in the same dish. Great for cleanup.
Results: Marinating tempeh yourself is definitely the way to go. The finished product was tastier and less greasy than anything I have bought in the stores. The fact that it was really easy and low stress is of course, an added bonus. It was tangy and sweet, with some good chew. Tempeh is still not my favourite protein. But at least I now have something good I can do with it!
Note 2: In the pictures you'll notice two bottles of balsamic. Since I wasn't using Tamari, which has a richer flavour than soy sauce, I used two kinds of balsamic (one a tart cherry) for a more intense flavour
Note 3: I didn't really slice the way the book wanted me too. Ooops.
Note 4: I'm sure you've noticed by now, I don't really do garlic cloves. I just the giant bottle of pre-minced garlic at the store. I use so much garlic in my cooking, this is a big time saver.
I was really impressed at how easy this recipe was. The prep time was nothing. No veggies to chop or sauces to blend. Ingredients are easy to use and easier to find. I started the tempeh on a Friday night. Since I had the weekend ahead of me, I decided to marinate overnight. I had the time. In the morning I tossed the tempeh again and let it sit until lunchtime.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it's a one dish recipe. You make the dish, marinate, and bake all in the same dish. Great for cleanup.
Results: Marinating tempeh yourself is definitely the way to go. The finished product was tastier and less greasy than anything I have bought in the stores. The fact that it was really easy and low stress is of course, an added bonus. It was tangy and sweet, with some good chew. Tempeh is still not my favourite protein. But at least I now have something good I can do with it!
Organic unflavoured tempeh.
Tempeh in the marinade.
Other ingredients.
After marinading overnight.
Finished product.
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