Marinated Peanut Tempeh

Recipe from Minimalist Baker

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Well, this was just beyond good.  It was a big hit with the husband too.  I served this with Buffalo Cauliflower Salad, but now that I’ve made it, I’m excited to try it in other dishes, like spring rolls.

Tempeh:

8 ounces tempeh

Marinade:

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh or dried bird’s eye chili, minced

1 ½ Tablespoons sesame oil

2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter or almond butter or cashew butter

2 Tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (plus more, if desired*)

2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons maple syrup

To remove bitterness from the tempeh, add to a rimmed skillet or saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a low boil over medium heat.  Cover the pan and steam the tempeh for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point.  Then rinse, pat dry on a clean towel, and cut into thin, bite-size pieces.  (I cut the tempeh in half lengthwise and then cut it into small triangles. The smaller the pieces, the better they can soak up the marinade.)

Mix the marinade ingredients with a whisk until smooth and thoroughly combined.  Taste and adjust the flavor as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, or tamari for saltiness. 

Put the tempeh in a shallow dish and pour the marinade over the tempeh.  Flip the tempeh pieces to ensure each piece is coated with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably for 24 hours.  While marinating, carefully flip the tempeh over to ensure even coating. 

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Place the tempeh on the parchment lined baking sheet, leaving a little room between the pieces.  There should be some marinade left in the shallow dish.  Add about 1 Tablespoon tamari* to what’s left of the marinade and stir.  Brush this over the top of each tempeh piece. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 22 to 30 minutes or until caramelized and deep golden brown. 

Serve this tempeh as the protein for a meal or add it to spring rolls, salads, stir-fry, and noodle dishes.  Store leftovers in the fridge, covered, up to 3 days.

Nutritional Info: 250 calories; 15.2 g fat (2.8 g sat. fat); 463 mg sodium; 19.3 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 10.2 g sugars; 13.4 g protein