Tempeh Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

One of my favorite things to do when I’m playing around in the kitchen is to recreate dishes that I’ve had while dining out at restaurants. Restaurants featuring world cuisine are among my favorite places when I’m seeking out new dishes for my kitchen experiments, and the more unusual and exotic, the better. Surprisingly, some of the most seemingly exotic and unusual dishes are some of the simplest. That would be the case for both the satay and peanut sauce components of this recipe.

It was a long time ago that I first tried tempeh satay with peanut sauce, but I distinctly remember thinking it was so amazing and flavorful I’d never be able to recreate it on my own. The name “satay” even sounds crazy and exotic, like it couldn’t possibly mean something as simple as food on a stick.

Food on a stick is exactly what it is though! Okay, food soaked in a super flavorful marinade, then stuck on a stick and cooked, but still pretty simple if you ask me. It’s the marinade that makes it taste out of this world, and even that involves little more than throwing a bunch of ingredients into your food processor. Lemongrass, ginger, shallots and garlic all contribute to the super flavor punch that this satay packs, and happily, these are all ingredients you can get at most supermarkets. Lemongrass is probably the most unusual of the ingredients, but you should be able to find some stalks stashed away in the produce section of most stores, and if not, check the ethnic foods aisle for jarred lemongrass or the spice aisle for dried.

Oh, then there’s the peanut sauce component of this recipe, which is made from all ingredients that are pretty much guaranteed to be in the supermarket, if not already in your pantry.

Traditional satay is cooked on a grill, but since we’re still in April, that may or may not be an option, depending on the weather where you live. If you find yourself wanting to make these on a nice and toasty day, feel free to bust out the outdoor grill. If not, stick with an indoor grill or your oven. Whichever option you take, they’ll be delicious.

Ingredients

For the Tempeh Satay:

1 (4-inch) lemongrass stalk

2 shallots, peeled

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 (2-inch) piece of fresh ginger (about thumb size), peeled

1/4 cup lime juice

2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or any neutral flavor cooking oil)

1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup

1 teaspoon Asian chili paste or 1 Thai chili, stemmed and seeded (optional)

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

4-6 skewers

For the Peanut Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup creamy natural peanut butter

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

About 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

To Make the Tempeh Satay:

If you're using wooden skewers, place them in a shallow dish and cover with water for at least 30 minutes.

Slice the lemongrass stalk open lengthwise and remove the tough outer layers, retaining the light colored inner stalk. Cut the inner stalk into 1-inch pieces and place it in a food processor bowl with the shallots, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce or tamari, oil, agave or maple syrup, chili paste or Thai chili and coriander. Blend to a relatively smooth consistency (some small chunks will remain).

Place the tempeh cubes in a shallow dish. Pour the lemongrass marinade over the tempeh and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, tossing occasionally to distribute marinade.

Skewer the tempeh cubes, alternating with red pepper pieces, placing 5-7 pieces of each on a skewer. Reserve any excess marinade.

Preheat oven to 400ºF and lightly coat a baking sheet with oil. Arrange the skewers on the baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, turning about half way through and brushing with reserved marinade. After 12 minutes, switch the to broil and move the baking sheet to a location under broiler. Broil for about 3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning, until the tempeh and peppers are lightly charred in spots.

To Make the Peanut Dipping Sauce:

Whisk the peanut butter, lime juice, agave or maple syrup, soy sauce or tamari and ginger together in a small bowl. Add water, a bit at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Notes

The tempeh satay can also be cooked on an indoor or outdoor grill. Oil the grill lightly and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, until lightly charred, flipping halfway through.

Source : http://ohmyveggies.com/

Recipe by Alissa

Should I Eat Tempeh?

by : Mandy Oaklander @mandyoaklander

4/5 experts say yes.

Tempeh goes back ages in Indonesia, its birthplace, but the nutty, mushroomy plant protein is fairly foreign in the U.S. to all but the most hardcore of vegans. Still, most of our experts say tempeh is well worth trying.

But first: what is it? Tempeh is a cake of partially cooked whole soybeans aged overnight in an incubator at a tropical temperature, explains vegan food manufacturer Tofurky on its website. During incubation, a “thick, white mat of mycelia”—a kind of fungus—branches over the tempeh, which binds the beans together. It’s then steamed and ready to eat. Other types of tempeh can be made with barley, flax, oats, brown rice and other grains.

Tempeh is mainly used as a meat substitute, and it stands up well to the real thing structurally and nutritionally. A standard 3-ounce serving of tempeh has about 16 grams of protein, while an equal serving of grilled steak has about 26 grams. Plus, tempeh comes with about 8% of the recommended daily amount of both calcium and iron. It’s great for the nutrients it adds to your diet, says David Katz, MD, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center, and for the meat it subtracts.

“If you’re looking to cut meat from your diet but are fearful that protein will be cut along with it, tempeh is a no-brainer substitution,” says Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD, manager of wellness nutrition services at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute. So agrees the author of a 2015 review on the rise of veganism. “Tempeh is a popular source of plant-based protein for vegans due to its versatility, great earthy flavor, and overall nutritional value,” says review author Cynthia Radnitz, PhD, professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. (Her favorite tempeh dish: steamed, mashed and mixed with chopped celery and scallions, plus eggless mayo and lemon juice for a mock chicken salad.)

“Tempeh offers all the health benefits of soy without the drawbacks of more processed soy,” she says. Some soy processing involves hexane, a chemical solvent sometimes used to extract oil from soy in processed products that aren’t organic. By buying organic, you can avoid both hexane and genetically modified ingredients, if that is a concern for you. GMOs are ubiquitous in soy; 94% of soy in the U.S. is genetically modified.

Many experts believe that whole-food forms of soy are beneficial to the body. In a 2015 study by Robert Sorge, PhD, assistant professor in the department of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sorge and his team looked at how certain foods can activate immune cells that spur inflammation in the body and other foods that have anti-inflammatory effects on those cells. Soy proteins, like those found in tempeh, seem to fall into the second group, he found. “Tempeh is a soy product with a decent amount of the isoflavone genistein,” he says. “Genistein is known to have anti-inflammatory and even anti-tumor effects and can be very good for general health, provided too much is not eaten.”

Fermenting whole soy makes it extra special, Radnitz says, by helping nutrients like calcium, zinc and iron become more available for the body to use. According to a thesis on tempeh made from barley, the fermented kind had 2.5 times the iron of unfermented barley. (Unfortunately, though, not everything you do to tempeh gives it a health boost. One Malaysian study found that battered and deep-fried tempeh had about half the isoflavones as raw tempeh.)

Even though it has many fans among these experts, not everyone is aboard the tempeh train. Tempeh is for uninspired vegans, declares Frédéric Leroy of the Research Group of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology in Belgium. His 2014 review of fermented foods concluded that there’s not enough quality evidence to make functional health claims for most fermented foods on the market. “Outside Asia, this idiosyncratic food is culturally irrelevant to most, and will seem odd to the average palate,” he says. “Granted, it contains isoflavones, but scientific evidence in support of true in vivo“—meaning in people—”health benefits of tempeh is far from being solid.”

Leroy is firmly in the more-research-is-needed camp. But for now, says Kirkpatrick, who cooks it several times a week it, “I’m in love with tempeh.”

Refresher Course : How To Make and Cooking TEMPEH

Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Tempeh

We have received many concern from our readers and customers asking about the Salmonella Outbreak in North Carolina in May 2012. 

YES, we admit that the Salmonella Paratyphi B from the tempeh starter has caused the outbreak. But we noticed that starter may contanimated or so called unpasteurized tempeh.

From our experience, cleanliness is the main issue. Handling food production for more than six years, cleanliness is the most important criteria that we look into at all times.

It can happen to anyone and we hope that all of us can avoid such incident by keep the production clean and tidy.

Here are some news and articles related to Salmonella outbreak :

1. Salmonella Outbreak Linked To Unpasteurized Tempeh Sickens 60

2. Tempeh Salmonella Cases Increase From 46 to 60

3. Starter for tempeh tied to salmonella outbreak

4. Smiling Hara Tempeh Salmonella Outbreak (video)

Tempeh Super BBQ Burger

Ingredients

• 1 package organic tempeh
• 1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup zucchini, grated
• 1 broccoli stock, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup brown rice or spelt flour
• 2 Tbs arrowroot starch
• 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 Tbs dried basil
• 1 Tbs dried oregano
• 2 Tbs dried parsley
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 1 egg or egg substitute (1 Tbs ground chia + 1/4 cup warm water)

Instructions

1. Cut tempeh up into cubes and toss into a food processor and process until into small pieces, or finely chop.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together ground tempeh, onion, zucchini, broccoli stock, brown rice, arrowroot starch, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, oregano, parsley, baking powder, sea salt and egg or egg substitute.
3. Mix with a fork until it starts to come together, and is evenly mixed.
4. Take about 1/3 cup mixture, roll into a ball and then flatten into a patty.
5. Either cook on a 350-400 BBQ or in the oven at 350 for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove once lightely browned and firm to the touch.
6. Serve on a bun, wrapped in lettuce and serve it.

Crockpot Cantonese Tempeh

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages tempeh

1 medium onion , sliced

1 green bell pepper , sliced

1 red bell peppers or 1 yellow bell pepper , sliced

16 ounces mixed mushrooms , sliced

2 large carrots , julienned

2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (3 ounce) can tomato paste

2 cups vegetable broth

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce , vegan variety

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons water

What To Do
1. Mix all ingredients, EXCEPT cornstarch and water, together in crockpot.


2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.


3. Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into crockpot to thicken sauce into a glaze. (You may find that you  need a little more or a little less cornstarch to achieve the desired thickness).


4. Cover and cook another 20 minutes or until sauce thickens.


5. Serve over rice.

What Tempeh Can Be

 Tempeh Kebab

 Grilled tempeh

 Milky Tempeh Soup

Fresh Tempeh Salad 

 Spicy Fried Tempeh

 Tempeh with Vegetables

Tempeh Nugget 

 Tempeh Satay

Tempeh Lasagna

Burger

Sandwich

Pizza

There are many other healthy meals you can make using tempeh. 

Tempeh Making Process

Tempeh making video. 

Benefits Of Tempeh

Tempeh is the staple food of Indonesia, which is gradually gaining popularity all around the world, for its distinct nutty taste and nougat-like texture. It is made by cooking soybeans, followed by inoculation using a culturing agent like Rhizophuz oligosporus. 

Finally, the product is incubated overnight, so that it turns into a solid cake. It can be conveniently cooked with a number of dishes, as it easily mixes with the flavor of other foods. Tempeh is a highly nutritious food rich in protein, which has been the traditional cuisine of Indonesia for more than 2000 years. Today, it is widely available throughout the year. 

The Dutch were the ones who introduced it in Europe. In the 20^th century, the food was known to United States as well. Tempeh is extremely rich in protein, fiber and vitamins and is considered as an alternative for meat in vegetarian cuisine. We bring you the health benefits of Tempeh in the lines below.

Health Benefits Of Eating Tempeh 

• Tempeh is a rich source of proteins. The proteins in tempeh have the additional benefit of lowering cholesterol level, unlike the protein from animal sources, which raise the cholesterol level of a person. Thus, tempeh is an excellent alternative to meat.
• Tempeh contains magnesium, which plays a vital role in cardiovascular system and in more than 300 enzymatic reactions. Magnesium is also necessary for the reactions like the control of protein synthesis and energy production.
• Tempeh helps in preventing heart diseases. It reduces the cholesterol level and hence, lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke.
• Tempeh also raises the HDL cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol passes through the body and collects the cholesterols in the arteries to be disposed off by the liver. Tempeh can even lower LDL cholesterol levels, apart from raising HDL.
• Tempeh, like other Soy food, is rich in dietary fiber, which binds fats and cholesterol and prevents their rapid absorption. Also, the dietary fiber binds the bile salts and helps throw them out of the body. As it disposes the bile, liver is stimulated to convert more cholesterol into bile salts, thereby lowering the cholesterol level in the body considerably.
• The fiber present in tempeh lowers the risk of colon cancer, by being able to bind the cancer-causing toxins. It is also preventative against some other cancers, like breast cancer.
• Tempeh is also helpful in treating menopausal symptoms. The isoflavones present in tempeh bind to the estrogen receptors and provide relief from the uncomfortable symptoms associated with the decline of natural estrogen. Also, it helps reduce the bone loss that generally follows menopause.
• Tempeh contains a good amount of the trace minerals, like manganese and copper. These minerals play an important role in numerous physiological functions. They are also the cofactors for the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase.
• Tempeh has a rich content of riboflavin, which is the nutrient required for the transfer reactions that act to produce energy for the mitochondria. Riboflavin is again the cofactor for the regeneration of glutathione.
• Tempeh contains genistein, which plays a significant role in lowering the risk of prostate cancer in men.
• Tempeh is an extremely healthy food for people suffering from diabetes. Its properties to lower cholesterol and blood sugar level prove helpful for diabetic patients. Also, tempeh lowers the triglyceride levels in diabetic patients. 

Caution

• Tempeh can cause allergic reactions in some people.
• Tempeh contains a small amount of oxalates, which if accumulated, can cause several health problems. Because of this, people suffering from kidney and gall bladder problems should avoid eating tempeh. 

Cooking Tips

• To make tempeh, you will need soya beans, few tablespoons of vinegar and tempeh starters like Rhyzopus oryzae or Rhizopus oligosporus.
• Soak the beans for 8-14 hours in water. Take away the hulls by hand and you will see that the beans split into two. Throw away the seed coats.
• Cook the seeds for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water and keep the cooked beans in a dry towel.
• The beans should become absolutely dry; otherwise undesirable bacteria will grow on them and produce bad flavors.
• Place the dried and cool beans in a clean container and put a teaspoon of tempeh starter on them. Mix properly.
• Now place the beans in a plastic bag, perforated with holes at equal distance.
• Press the beans hard, so that their total thickness is not more than 3 cm.
• Keep the beans in an incubator, while wrapped in the plastic, at a temperature of 30°C. You can also keep them at any warm place for a day or two or till you see the plastic completely filled with white mycelium.
• Take out the tempeh when you see that it can be picked up as one piece.
• The fresh tempeh will be warm and carrya pleasant mushroom flavor.
• You can store tempeh in the refrigerator, for around ten days. However, if you keep it in the freezer, it can stay for a few months.

Tempeh "Chicken" Salad Recipe

A vegetarian "chicken" salad recipe made with tempeh as a vegetarian and vegan chicken substitute. To turn this tempeh salad into a curried tempeh chicken salad, add raisins and slivered almonds and increase the amount of curry. This is one of those recipes that will do best made ahead of time, so it has plenty of time to chill in the refrigerator, allowing the tempeh to soak up all the flavors.

Ingredients:

·         1 package tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

·         water for boiling

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         3 tbsp mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise

·         2 tsp lemon juice

·         2 tbsp onion, minced

·         3 stalks celery, minced

·         1 tbsp dried parsley

·         1/4 tsp curry powder

·         dash cayenne pepper (optional)

·         salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

In a pot or skillet, bring a few inches of water to a boil and add the tempeh. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes. Drain.

Fry the tempeh in the oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the cooled tempeh with the remaining ingredients.

Enjoy your tempeh chicken salad on a bed of lettuce, between two lightly toasted pieces of bread or stuffed into a pita bread for a pocket pita sandwich.


Credit to : Jolinda Hackett

Motivation : Garbage Collector With Heart of Gold

Li Yukun has long passed her retirement age of 50 in China.

But the 64-year-old sanitary worker and garbage collector begged to keep her job because she has more than 10 students to support.

Since 1998, Li helped 15 students from poor families.

Kang Yujing is among students helped by Li. She had been receiving 1,000 yuan (RM464) from the kind-hearted grandmother yearly over the past four years.

After finding out the identity of her "angel", the Year Four undergraduate of Qufu Normal University decided to visit her.

When she saw Li sweeping the Wendeng street, Kang ran towards her and held her tightly.

She burst into tears, as she had never imagined that the money given to her was from such hard work.

"I had always thought that the philanthropist was a rich man called 'Uncle Li'."

Li, whose colleagues call "Iron Feet Li", has always spent all her money helping the poor and the underprivileged.

She leads a very simple life and lives in a crude home with an old donated TV set as the only appliance.

Wendeng's construction bureau gave her 50,000 yuan (RM23,220) for living expenses, but she has donated all of the money.

Li had also decided to donate her organs after death.

Source: Xinhua Published Dec 27 2010

Three Important Parameters in Making Tempeh

The three important parameters in making tempeh are:

1. moist or water content
2. tempeh starter or inoculum tempeh
3. incubating temperatures

The moist or water content of substrate

Practically all seeds such as rice, beans, peas, oat, and others can be made tempeh. Each gives a different taste. Each takes a different period of time in boiling to get ready for inoculation.  Soybeans, the main and most common stuff for tempeh takes 45 to 60 minutes, but most peas take fifteen to twenty minutes. After dehulling, soybeans need five to ten minutes of second boiling before being drained and spread drying on towels.  Additional nuking and blowing are sometimes necessary.  The difficult task is to gauge the dryness of the substrate. Too dry means slow or no growth of mycelium; too wet, however, results in myceliolysis and rotting tempeh.  Fortunately, the margin of safety is wide enough.

Tempeh starter or Inoculum tempeh

Using too much and insufficient amount of starter result in myceliolysis or rotting tempeh. The safest way is just following the recommendation of the makers of the starter. Using home made starter needs lots patience in trial and error.  Please see

http://tech.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/TEMPEH/photos/browse/c0ea

and also open and read “Making tempeh starter” from

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/TEMPEH/files/

Luckily, the margin of safety is pretty wide.

Incubating temperatures

For the first ten hours, incubating at 31 to 33 C or 88 to 91 F is safe.  For the next six hours, temperatures around 28 C or 82 F are good.  As soon as the substrate starts generating its own heat (the temperature inside the incubator begins to rise) or some condensation starts, the heating source should be removed.  Rhizopus  keeps on growing at temperatures below 20 C or 64 F, but it grows at slower pace.

Generally, tempeh matures in 24 to 30 hours.