Tempeh is a delicious plant-based protein powerhouse that marries well with any recipe. It’s meaty, firm, and almost nutty in flavour. It is versatile and lends itself well to any marinade. We’ve given it a bit of a “bacon” overtone by adding a little smoke flavour to our recipe.
No chili miso?
Chili miso can be found in most popular grocery stores or fine food shops. If your search is unsuccessful, substitute with a little miso and chili garlic oil.
Make-ahead cheats
Smoky tempeh can be made ahead. Since it’s so delicious, you might want to double up the recipe and freeze. To serve, simply remove a few cubes from the freezer and reheat in oven. Serve on tacos, veggie chili, tossed on salads, or tucked in a pita.
Per serving:
In saucepan, bring 1-in (2.5 cm) water to a boil. Place cubed tempeh in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and reduce to simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In bowl, combine tamari, maple syrup, stock, liquid smoke, and seasonings. Stir to blend. Add steamed tofu cubes and stir in to evenly coat with marinade. Set aside and marinate for 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 F (220 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In dry saucepan, toast millet over medium heat just until grains are pale golden and they begin to pop and smell aromatic, about 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in boiling water and return to a boil. Be careful as water will sputter when it hits the pan. Stir in Chili Miso. Cover reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat; keep covered; and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
While millet cooks, place marinated tempeh cubes in an even layer on prepared baking sheet reserving excess marinade. Bake tempeh in centre of oven for 10 minutes. Brush with remaining marinade and continue baking for 10 more minutes until cubes are slightly charred on the edges.
When millet has rested, stir in remaining u201cconfettiu201d ingredients. Season to taste. Serve confetti millet with smoky tempeh cubes scattered over top. Excellent served with Detox Salad.
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.