Growing up in California, one of my favourite meals was scrambled eggs with Mexican chorizo sausage. Now I enjoy tempeh “chorizo” crumbled into scrambled tofu every bit as much. The “chorizo” can be made up ahead and frozen, then browned, crumbled, and added to recipes, rather than eaten on its own like a sausage patty—delicious in tacos, burritos, quiches, and empanadas.
8 oz (230 g) tempeh 1 tsp (5 mL) dark sesame oil 1 tsp (5 mL) extra-virgin olive oil 4 oz (115 g) firm tofu, mashed 2 Tbsp (30 mL) red wine vinegar 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) low-sodium soy sauce 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) cornmeal 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tsp (10 mL) paprika or sweet smoked paprika (pimenton) 2 tsp (10 mL) mashed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, or chipotle or ancho chili powder (see sidebar below) 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) brown sugar 1 tsp (5 mL) onion powder 3/4 tsp (4 mL) dried oregano 3/4 tsp (4 mL) ground cumin 3/8 tsp (1.8 mL) cinnamon 1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine salt
Cut tempeh into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) cubes. Heat oils over medium-high heat in medium seasoned cast iron skillet. When oils are hot, but not smoking, add tempeh and brown on all sides. Transfer browned tempeh to medium shallow bowl. Mash tempeh roughly with fork or potato masher.
Add remaining ingredients to bowl. Mix everything together well with clean hands. Form into 8 small patties.
Place patties in steamer basket or rack lined with cooking parchment. Steam, covered, over gently boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove patties to plate and cool.
Wrap well and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Patties can also be frozen on plate and, when fully frozen, placed in airtight container and frozen for future meals.
To brown before using in a recipe, cook patties in covered cast iron skillet, greased with a little olive or dark sesame oil, over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side.
Makes 8 patties or 4 servings.
Each serving (2 patties) contains: 174 calories; 14 g protein; 10 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 11 g carbohydrates; 6 g fibre; 353 mg sodium
Storing canned chipotle peppers for future use After opening the can and using what you need, pop each remaining chipotle pepper into a cavity of a plastic wrap-lined ice cube tray (the tray with smaller, round cavities work well for this), distributing the remaining sauce evenly among the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze solid. Then pop the frozen peppers into a freezer container and place back in the freezer. The peppers can be mashed to a pulp with a fork when frozen, making it easy to measure out the right amount.
source: "Tempeh for Dinner", alive #358, August 2012
While sablefish’s texture and fat content stand up admirably to the heat of the grill, this firm fish is also delicious poached. For this recipe, sablefish’s luxurious taste is combined with a light fragrant broth of lemongrass and ginger punctuated with the heat of Thai chili. Sustainability status Sablefish, also known as butterfish or black cod, is a rich and satisfying fish, plentiful in omega-3s and sourced sustainably from the Pacific Northwest. Skin and bones Sablefish has large pin bones. Ideally, your fishmonger will remove them, but if not, before you begin, locate them along the fish’s centreline and, using a pair of needle nose pliers, grasp them firmly to remove. You can leave the skin on for this recipe, which may help the fish hold together a little better while cooking, but it can be tricky to peel the skin away from the cooked fish and discard before plating. I opted to remove the skin first and simply keep a close eye on the cooking time, being careful to remove the fish from the poaching liquid before it flakes apart.
These mildly spiced salmon tacos served with sweet and spicy pumpkin seeds will bring a party together. Make a small quantity of salmon go further when you pair it with a fresh red cabbage slaw featuring citrus and cilantro. Drizzled with some bright lime yogurt, the flavours come together perfectly. Sustainability status Wild salmon from the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are considered among the most sustainable, as the fishery is subject to limited harvests. With salmon stocks in decline, supporting managed fisheries such as these can help maintain populations into the future. That may also mean eating salmon less often than we do now. Salmon is a favourite Salmon is the most popular variety of fish in Canada and the second most popular in the US.
B12-rich mussels are a very good and economical source of protein and iron. Steamed mussels are a classic way to enjoy seafood—and so is this rich, aromatic broth of tomato, fennel, and saffron. Be sure to allow saffron to fully infuse to get the full flavour benefit, and finish off the dish with the fragrant fennel fronds. Sustainability status Farmed mussels are considered highly sustainable due to their low impacts on the environment. They are easy to harvest, require no fertilizer or fresh water, and don’t need to be fed externally, as they get all their nutritional requirements from their marine environment. Mussel prep Selection: Look for mussels with shiny, tightly closed shells that smell of the sea. If shells are slightly open, give them a tap. Live mussels will close immediately. Storage: Keep mussels in the fridge in a shallow pan laid on top of ice. Keep them out of water and cover with a damp cloth. Ideally, consume on the day you buy them, but within two days. They need to breathe, so never keep them in a sealed plastic bag. Cleanup: In addition to being sustainable, farmed mussels tend to require less cleaning than wild mussels. Most of the fibrous “beards” that mussels use to grip solid surfaces will have been removed before sale. But if a few remain, they’re easily dispatched: grasp the beard with your thumb and forefinger and pull it toward the hinge of the mussel and give it a tug. Afterward, give mussels a quick rinse and scrub away any areas of mud or seaweed, which, with farmed mussels, will require minimal work.
The delicate flavour of shrimp is highlighted with just a touch of lemon and a hint of mustard, while radish and celery give some fresh crunch to this dish. Eat it in lettuce cups, on top of greens, or served on whole grain bread for a filling snack. Sustainability status Both wild and farmed shrimp can be sustainable depending on where they’re caught and how they’re raised. See our article “Sea Change” for more information about choosing ethical shrimp.