Food Friday: Success Again, This Time With Tempeh!

 Not long ago I watched Jane, Brian, and Ann Esselstyn on YouTube make plant Reuben sandwiches.  I was so pleased to see this.  I had gotten some tempeh some time ago for some other purpose and never used it.  Now was the time.

This block of tempeh, which is fermented soybeans, was about 3 inches by 6 inches and about one-half inch thick.  I laid it one its side and carefully cut it into two slabs that were 1/4 inch by 3 by 6.  Next I cut it into four 3 by 3 by 1/4 inch pieces.

At this point I put some low salt soy sauce in a flat glass dish and placed the four pieces of tempeh in it.  After letting it sit about fifteen minutes, I flipped them over, put the cover on the dish and put it into the refrigerator to marinate for a while.

When I came back to the tempeh some little time later (maybe two hours because I was distracted by some other project), I pulled it out of the dish and put it into our cast iron skillet that I had barely misted with olive oil from a sprayer I made. Well, used from another food spray, but it worked.

The skillet had been heating for a few minutes on medium heat enough so the tempeh hissed at me when I placed it it the pan.  After covering the pan and letting it sizzle for about 5 minutes, maybe less, I flipped the tempeh pieces and let them cook again with the cover on for 2-3 minutes.  They were lightly browned on both sides.

Now came the best part!  I had toasted some Ezekiel 4:9 bread which I doused with mustard and inserted two pieces of the cooked marinated tempeh.  With bated breath I placed a sandwich on each of two plates and brought them to the table calling Dear One to eat.  

He came to eat, asked what it was, to which I replied, "A sandwich." And he ate it,  When he was done he asked if there was more!  What?!!!  More tempeh sandwiches?!!   You really could have knocked me over with a feather.  I figured he would kick up a fuss at such a "strange thing".  BUT HE DID NOT!

Since then he has asked me if I knew where I got the tempeh so we could have it again.  Actually, I do know and have purchased and prepared more only this time I cut the tempeh smaller so he could have two sandwiches and I could have one.  Success is always sweet!

It is a bit tough to see maybe.  My sandwich had the braised tempeh as well as mustard and sauerkraut.  So yummy.