Teriyaki Tempeh with Mushrooms and Green Beans

This was such a delicious dish! The recipe comes from one of those check-out cookbooks that I just love and have a ton of. They are so fun to flip through and have great pictures that really make you want to try the recipes. The original recipe called for beef but I switched it to tempeh. Tempeh is an Indonesian soy food made from fermented soy beans. It is really easy to find in just about any large supermarket. I buy it at Meijer.

Tempeh is a great substitute for the meats in lots of recipes that I want to try. I'm always picking up a cookbook and seeing a delicious looking recipe and trying to figure out what I can sub the meat with and tempeh is a great pick. It is firmer than tofu, kind of like a nutty veggie burger consistency, and really soaks up whatever flavors you are cooking with. Lots of recipes recommend steaming the tempeh 'cake' for about 10 minutes before cooking it to take away some bitterness. You don't have to though, and I didn't when I made this meal.

1/3 cup teriyaki sauce (I was finishing off a bottle of kikkoman but would like to try to make my own at some point)
2 tablespoons dry sherry (I used some cheapie white cooking wine, I bet the sherry would be much better)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 tablespoon oil
1 standard size package of tempeh (I bet this would work great with tofu too, the recipe originally called for 3/4 lb sirloin steak cut into strips)
7 ounces fresh mushrooms
2 cups frozen green beans or sugar snap peas
1 cup vegetable broth (this was my addition since I wanted a saucier dish)
rice to serve with (jasmine rice is my favorite, but brown would be a nice healthier alternative)

In small bowl combine teriyaki, sherry, cornstarch and ginger root; blend well (a fork works perfectly to dissolve that cornstarch) and set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium high heat until hot. Add tempeh strips, cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes until browned. Remove from skillet, cover to keep warm.

In same skillet, combine mushrooms and beans. Cover; cook over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes until beans are crisp tender, stirring once or twice.

Stir cornstarch mixture until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and tempeh strips to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens. Add vegetable broth and continue cooking until sauce is thickened to desired consistency. Serve over rice.

I'm always so nervous posting about a recipe that is a little different because I don't want anyone to try it and hate it and be mad at me :) I hope that if you get a chance to try this and you are not already a tempeh fan this will make you want to cook with it again. It is so versatile and great for those who don't like tofu texture but want a meat alternative. I personally love tofu but I know lots of people can't stand it, like my husband.

Happy cooking, see you tomorrow for Tuesdays with Dorie -- Corn and Pepper Muffins, yum!