Ingredients

For the marinated tempeh

400 g tempeh, cut into cubes
2 tablespoons shoyu
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon ginger juice (from 2-3 cm fresh ginger root, peeled, grated and squeezed)
1 garlic clove (sprout removed), cut in quarters
filtered water

To cook the tempeh

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon shoyu
2 tablespoons filtered water
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 5 minutes then drained and pat dried with kitchen paper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, flakes or powder

For the cabbage

half a red cabbage, cleaned and cored, finely sliced into strips
extra virgin olive oil, to taste
apple vinegar, to taste
a pich of whole sea salt

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

In a bowl, combine the tempeh cubes, shoyu, rice vinegar and garlic. Add some filtered water, just enough to cover the tempeh. Cover with a lid or kitchen foil or cling film and place in the fridge. Leave to marinate for 8-12 hours.

When the tempeh is ready to be cooked, remove the cubes from the marinade (which can be used once more to marinate some extra tempeh). Heat a frying pan or wok over a high heat and add the olive oil, shoyu and water. Stir in the tempeh cubes and sauté for a couple of minutes or until the oil, shoyu and water have been absorbed. Add the raisins and the rosemary, toss and remove from the heat. Let cool slightly (I’d say 2-3 minutes). In the meantime, place the red cabbage strips in a salad bowl, add the olive oil, the apple vinegar and the salt and toss. Add the rosemary-raisin-tempeh cubes, toss again and serve.

Thanks to its high protein levels, tempeh -a soy derivative- is an excellent meat substitute. Because it is a cultured food, tempeh is fairly easy to digest, thus representing a great alternative for people who have problems digesting any other vegetable protein like beans and soy itself. This is a delicious sweet, salty and sour tempeh based dish that can be served alone or paired with whole Thai or Basmati rice.

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

250 g GMO-free, plain tempeh

6 carrots, peeled and sliced

juice of 3 oranges

3 tablespoons rice malt syrup

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch whole sea salt

1 pinch white pepper

1 tablespoon shoyu

1 tablespoon mirin

½ teaspoon dried ginger powder

2 teaspoons dried lemongrass

½ teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

Steam the tempeh for about 5 minutes and cut it into cubes or bite-sized chunks. In a bowl, mix the orange juice, the rice malt syrup, the mirin and the shoyu, add the tempeh and marinate for about 15-20 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a wok, then add the carrots, salt, all the spices and herbs. Stir fry for a few minutes over medium-high heat. Stir in the tempeh with the marinade and cook over medium heat until all the orange juice has thickened. Drizzle with some more olive oil and salt if necessary. Serve and enjoy.