|
|
| i found a new tempeh supplier and i have been doing some crazy kitchen tests.
last night i made tempeh souvlaki with pita and tzatziki. i swear it was like being in greece it was so good! greek food is one thing i crave on a regular basis and this recipe is a keeper.
1) slice tempeh into finger sized pieces
2) make a marinade of EVOO, tamari, heaps of oregano, the juice of one lemon and a splash of white wine. **i would have added garlic too but my tzatziki was over-the-top garlicky!**
3) make the pitas (or open a bag of pitas  )
4) grill the tempeh
5) stuff salad into pita, add tempeh and top with gobs of tzatziki.
eat! enjoy!
|
|
| |
|
| what's evoo and tzatziki? |
|
| |
|
| zoebird - 2005-08-16 9:49 AMwhat's evoo and tzatziki?
Yeah, I feel like I just wandering into a conversation where words are randomly replaced with random groupings of letters. fnord! What's tempeh?
|
|
| |
|
| EVOO is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and I believe tempeh is smoked tofu.
I think tzatziki is a greek dish but I can't remember! Google can help us! |
|
| |
|
| tofu is the process of fermenting the soy milk made from soy beans. Essentially, mash and boil the beans, then strain it to get the beans out. Then, you take that and ferment it--and that's tofu.
Tempeh is fermented soy beans. you take the whole soy beans and you boil them. remove the water (strain), and then chop the beans (some will mash) and then ferment the 'patties' (which is how i make it, when i make it). It has a nuttier flavor and is richer than tofu.
ah, E.V.O.O. i should have guessed.  but the other thing, i dunno what it is. i want a recipe, see? a recipe. |
|
| |
|
| Sorry!! 
Tempeh (pronounced TEM pay) is a traditional Indonesian food. This chunky, tender cake of soybeans is consumed daily in Indonesia, usually with rice as part of the main meal, or sometimes by itself as a snack. In Indonesia, tempeh-making is a household art that varies somewhat from home to home. Whole soybeans are usually mixed with a grain such as rice or millet. A "starter"- usually a piece of tempeh from a previous batch - is added to begin the fermentation process. In traditional home-based tempeh-making, the mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and left to ferment for 18 to 24 hours. In Western tempeh factories, commercial starters are used to produce tempeh, and the fermentation process takes place under carefully controlled conditions. Whatever process is used, the result is a cake of soybeans with a rich flavor sometimes described as smoky or nutty. The flavor also has been compared to that of mushrooms.
EVOO is Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ttzatziki (pronounced za-ZEE-kee) is a Greek cucumber sauce made with yogurt, grated cucumber, olive oil, minced garlic, and fresh mint or dill.
You will find that Turkish/Iraqi/Syrian cooking has a similar dish with a different name.
Here is my recipe:
1 container (16 ounces) plain lowfat yogurt or whatever you prefer
1/2 English (seedless) cucumber or three Japanese cukes, grated or finely chopped
1/1-2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or dill
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1) Salt the cukes and set in a colander to drain liquid (this step is important! -if you dont do it, you end up with some pretty tasty cucumber soup!  ) I usually leave it covered overnight but an hour is probably enough.
2) Squeeze the cucumber in kitchen towels or cheesecloth to get out all the excess liquid (cucumber soup sentiment here too!)
3) Throw all ingredients in a bowl, mix well.
4) Chill for minimum two hours.
**if you like chilled cucumber soup - make the above recipe without reserving liquid. toss the lot in the blender and puree. serve cold.**
you can totally play with this recipe to get the flavours you like - i add extra garlic and i dont always use red wine vinegar.
it is a nice side with middle eastern dishes.
enjoy! |
|
| |
|
| thanks ES.
now i know what tzatziki is. i eat that, but never called it by it's name. i don't make my tempeh with grain, i should consider it--maybe millet would be good. |
|
| |
my new obsession with tempeh
