Monday, July 26, 2010

Fermented Legumes Anyone?



I love to eat healthy foods as much as possible and don't know why I have never tried tempeh - (pronounced "tem-pay") in the past. The other day while grocery shopping it happened to catch my eye and there were only three boxes of it so I decided to snatch them up. If I didn't like it I could always find some concoction to use it in or feed it to the dogs.So what exactly is tempeh? Originating in what is now modern day Indonesia, tempeh consists of fermented soybeans and a tempeh starter (Rizopus mold). Sound yummy? The brand I purchased, Lightlife Tempehtations, is ginger and teriyaki marinated cubes that take only a few minutes to prepare. The organic cubes have soybeans, brown rice, water & lactic acid derived from plants in addition to the marinade.
I used a tablespoon or so of olive oil and threw in some green onion and water chestnuts then sauteed until golden brown. The aroma had my taste buds excited and I couldn't wait to try it. It was pretty tasty, although a little too sweet for my taste (hence adding wasabi paste), however I was fairly satisfied. Next box I will keep the green onion and water chestnuts and add fresh garlic, mushrooms, soba noodles and some sort of hot pepper to balance the sweetness. I am positive that with the changes this dish will become a favorite!
This is an excellent vegetarian option or perfect for one of those nights you don't want to serve meat, yet want the texture.






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