Coconut-Crusted Tempeh with Pineapple Sticky Rice and Mango Chili Cream

 I used to do a lot of fishing several years ago and I would love to cook coconut-crusted snapper fingers with my little grunt catches. I would bread them in some coconut and serve them with a little orange marmalade/horseradish dipping sauce. Yum! I decided to make a Vegetarian/Vegan version using Flaxseed and Soy Tempeh and the result was crunchy, coconut-y goodness!

 

Tempeh is also a great fish substitute because is it doesn't fall apart when you bite into it like the normal snapper fingers would. I used egg for the breading since it holds better but you could easily substitute to make this dish Vegan. And for those of you non-aspiring vegetarians like myself, you could make this recipe with Tilapia or Snapper and it would be just as delish!

 

 

Coconut-Crusted Tempeh with Pineapple Sticky Rice and Mango Chili Cream

  

 

 

Prep Time: 15 Min

Cook Time: 50 Min (Brown Rice takes 50 Min)

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 package of Tempeh, sliced into 1/2 in wide pieces. I used half Flaxseed Tempeh, half Soy Tempeh

 

For Marinade

- 1/4 cup of soy sauce

- 1 lime

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 2 tsp ginger

 

For Mango Chili Cream

- 1 can of pineapple or 1/2 of a whole pineapple (if you buy canned, be sure to save some for the rice)

- 1 mango, chopped

- 1 plain yogurt cup. I used soy yogurt.

- 3 tbs Thai Sweet Red Chili Sauce (found in ethnic/oriental food aisle at grocery)

 

For Pineapple Sticky Rice

- 1 cup of Sweet Brown Rice (if you can't find sweet rice, regular brown rice will work)

- 1/2 cups of coconut milk

- 1/2 cup of water

- 1 tsp of olive oil

- 1/4 cup of chopped pineapple

 

For Breading

- Coconut. I used dried unsweetened, however sweetened coconut would also be good

- Panko breadcrumbs

- Flour

- 1 Egg. I used egg but you can substitute a mix of flour and water to form a paste to make Vegan

- Salt/Pepper to taste

 

Directions

 

- In a sauce pan, bring the rice, coconut milk, water and oil to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid. Once boiling, reduce to low and allow to cook for 50 minutes until tender. If you substitute white rice you should be able to reduce your cooking time down to 20 minutes.

- Slice Tempeh and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the marinade ingredients and then add just enough water to cover the Tempeh. Place in the fridge to marinate while you prep.

 

 

- When the rice is about 20 minutes from completion start the rest of the cooking.

- Make the Mango Chili Cream by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Place in a small bowl in the fridge until dinner is ready.

 

 



- Remove the Tempeh from the fridge and drain the marinade. Place Tempeh on paper towels and pat dry.

 



- Setup your breading station with flour on one plate, your egg in a bowl and then the coconut and breadcrumbs combined on another plate. Dip the Tempeh in the flour, then egg, then the coconut/panko mixture.

 

 

- In a large pan, saute the Tempeh in a little olive oil until golden brown, turning at least once. About 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set on paper towels to drain some of the oil.

 

 

 

 

- When the rice is done, add the remaining pineapple and stir.

- Serve the Tempeh over the rice and place the Mango Chili Cream in a small bowl for dipping. I would season with a little salt and pepper. Enjoy!

 

 



Pan Seared Tempeh with Lime, Coconut Milk and Avocado Dressing

I am becoming a Tempeh Aficionado. A few weeks ago I barely knew what it was and now it is one of my favorite things to cook with. Not only is the taste and texture great, I also love how easy it is to whip up a quick meal. I had some leftover Soy Tempeh in the fridge from the Tempeh Bacon I made last week. I sliced it into filets, marinated it with a little lime and soy sauce, pan seared it with some coconut milk and then served it over black beans with an avocado dressing. Delicious and ready in no time at all. I had (or at least I thought I had) a can of black beans in the pantry and I also had two ripe avocados. It turned out, I had some Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup not black beans, but it worked out just the same!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 10 Min

Cook Time: 15 Min

 

Ingredients

 

- 1 package of Organic Tempeh (be sure to buy organic because soy is one of the top GMO foods!)

- Lime Juice

- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce

- 1 cup of water

- 2 avocados

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar

- 1 can of coconut milk

- 1 garlic clove, minced

- 1/4 cup of onions, chopped

- 1 can of black beans

- salt/pepper to taste

 

Directions

 

- Slice your Tempeh in half, then slice in half again, cutting lengthwise from the side, so that you have 4 filets about 1/2 inch thick.

- In a bowl or pan, marinate the tempeh with a squeeze of lime juice, soy sauce and water. For about 5 minutes.

- Scoop out the flesh of one avocado into a bowl. Slice the other and set aside for topping.

- In the bowl with avocado, add cider vinegar, a squeeze of lime juice, salt/pepper and 1/4 cup of coconut milk. Mash and then whisk together until you reach a slightly thick dressing consistency. You can also put all ingredients in a blender and puree if you prefer. If the avocado mixture is too thick you can add more coconut milk. Set aside.

- In a small pan, heat up black beans, let simmer on low.

- Meanwhile, in a saute pan, saute garlic and onions with a little olive oil until tender. Add half of the coconut milk and bring to a low boil then reduce.

- Add the tempeh to the pan with the coconut milk. Saute for about ten minutes on medium heat, turning at least once, until slightly golden and coconut milk is reduced.

 

 

- Once tempeh is seared, plate it over black beans and top with the onions, sliced avocado and drizzle with avocado dressing. Enjoy!



 

Coconut Curry Meatballs

Watching the documentary Forks over Knives, a few months ago, changed my life. I knew I would never be able to become a vegetarian or vegan but I knew I could start having more control over the food I was putting in my body. This recipe is a great meatless recipe but can easily be substituted for regular sausage or ground chicken if that is your preference.

Coconut Curry Meatballs over Rice

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min (including cooking rice)

Ingredients

- 1 can of coconut milk
- 2 tbs and 1 tsp of curry powder
- 1 tbs of garam masala (found in the spice section)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 onion, diced
- 1 package of Gimme Lean Sausage (Regular Sausage or Ground Chicken can be substituted)
- 1/4 cup of firm tofu, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- salt/pepper
- 2 cups of cooked rice

Directions

- In a large mixing bowl, mix the sausage, tofu, green pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, salt/pepper and 1 tsp of curry powder. Form into meatballs.
- In a saute pan on medium heat, saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil for 5 minutes
- Add the meatballs and saute until brown and cooked for about 10 minutes, turning to sear all sides
- Once the meatballs are seared, turn the pan down to low and add the coconut milk and remaining curry and garam masala. Let simmer and scoop the milk over the meatballs a few times while turning to coat
- Serve meatballs over rice and pour sauce over top. Enjoy!

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies (Vegan)

These are the most delicious vegan cookies you will ever eat! I have been experimenting with various types of oatmeal cookies for the past few weeks and haven't found a recipe I absolutely loved until I made these.

I got the original idea for the recipe from a blog I like, vegAnn's Kitchen. I made a few modifications to it based on my personal preferences. I reduced the sugar and added a bit more maple syrup. I also added some of my favorite cookie ingredients like shredded coconut, dried fruit, cinnamon and walnuts. The end result is a delicious, nutty and soft cookie with a hint of sweetness.

Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients
2 cups flour
2 cups rolling oats (I used quick cooking oats)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Optional Dry Ingredients (I used them, you could add or omit any of them if you like)

1 tbs cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 cup of dried fruit (I used dried cranberries and apples)

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Dash of flaxseed

Wet Ingredients
3/4 cup safflower oil (I used safflower but you could use any vegetable oil)
3/4 cup almond butter
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice (you could also substitute regular sugar)
2 tbs organic maple syrup
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk (I used unsweetened almond coconut milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

- Heat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

- Combine all of the dry ingredients except the sugar in a medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients including sugar in a separate, larger bowl, with a whisk. Add dry to wet and mix until combined. Use a 1/3 dry measuring cup to measure each cookie. Pop dough out on to baking sheet and press down on the dough forming the cookie until 1/2 inch thick. Repeat for remaining dough until you have 12 cookie shapes.

Combining the Wet and Dry Mixes

Putting the dough into 1/3 cup for cookie shaping

Take the 1/3 cup and tap lightly on top to release dough onto baking sheet

Cookies once shaped, ready to go in oven

- Bake until lightly browned, about 12-15 minutes. The cookies will not firm up until they are pulled out of the oven and allowed to cool. Wait 10 minutes to remove from tray.

Yields 1 dozen large cookies.