Tempeh has a definite affinity for lemon and other citrus. This interpretation of a classic Middle Eastern dish will have your guests asking for more! Simmering the tempeh in broth before frying it results in a subtle yet rich flavour. To reduce the sodium further in this dish, be sure to rinse the brine from the olives, as instructed. You could also use fewer olives or use a low-sodium brand, if it is available.
3 cups (750 mL) low-sodium vegan “chicken-style” broth, divided (see recipe here)
2 - 8 oz (230 g) packages tempeh
1/2 cup (125 mL) whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp (15 mL) nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 tsp (1 mL) fine salt
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) dry white wine or white vermouth
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 2 medium lemons
1/2 cup (125 mL) large cracked, pitted green olives, rinsed and drained well
1/2 cup (125 mL) large pitted kalamata olives, rinsed and drained well
1/4 cup (60 mL) Italian parsley, chopped
Bring first 2 cups (500 mL) broth to simmer in wide skillet or sauté pan. Add tempeh and simmer over medium-low heat, covered, for 10 minutes. Lift out tempeh using wide spatula and place on plate. Rinse out pan and dry. Quick-cool tempeh in freezer while you assemble remaining ingredients.
Mix together flour, yeast, and salt in shallow bowl. Remove tempeh from freezer and cut each rectangle horizontally in half, and each half into 3 rectangles. Coat rectangles all over in flour mixture.
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in same pan used to simmer tempeh. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add coated tempeh and brown on both sides. Remove tempeh from pan to plate and add onions and garlic to oil remaining in pan. Sauté onions and garlic, stirring vigorously and adding drops of water as needed to keep from sticking, until softened. Add wine and cook until almost evaporated. Stir in oregano, cumin, lemon juice and zest, remaining broth, and olives.
Slide in browned tempeh pieces and cook down until tempeh is coated and sauce has thickened to your liking.
Serve tempeh and sauce over steamed brown basmati rice, bulgur, or quinoa, and sprinkle each serving with parsley.
Serves 6.
Each serving contains: 318 calories; 18 g protein; 19 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 22 g carbohydrates; 3 g fibre; 590 mg sodium
source: "Tempeh for Dinner", alive #358, August 2012
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.