Delicious Dinners #1

Hot-Sauce Glazed Tempeh, Potato Salad for the Mayo-Phobic and Power Slaw


I know I have been slacking on posting recipes lately. I'm not living on take-out; I've been cooking more then ever. I've just been doing the kind of improvised-dash-of-this-handful-of-that cooking that doesn't translate well to recipes. However, this past Saturday I made the perfect summertime meal that is a snap to put together and full of cool salads that perfectly compliment the rich, spicy protein.



HOT-SAUCE GLAZED TEMPEH
from The Veganomicon

This shit is so delicious. I make it at least once a month. Works beautifully on tempeh, but if you want to use it on tofu, skip the boiling part and drop your rinsed, pressed tofu directly into the marinade.

Ingredients
8 ounce package of tempeh
1/2 cup wine (I used to make it with white wine or dry vermouth but one day I used a cheap house red and HOLY SMOKES. Use red wine!)
1/4 cup hot sauce (I recommend Franks Red Hot or something similar)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 lemon)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Bring a pot of water to boil.

Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl large enough to fit the tempeh slices.

Cut the tempeh (they recommend cutting it into 4 large triangles; I prefer to cut it width-wise into 20 or so thin "slices". It's your call.). When the water is boiling, add the tempeh, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Use tongs to remove the tempeh and then immediately place them in the marinade bowl for 1 hour, flipping them every now again to cover with the marinade.

Preheat the oven broiler. Place tempeh in a rimmed pan (I like to use my cast iron pan for such purposes). Spoon some of the marinade over it and broil for 5 minutes. Flip it and spoon some more marinade over it and cook for another 5 minutes. When the second side is almost done, spoon some of the marinade over the tempeh and let cook for 30 more seconds.




POTATO SALAD FOR THE MAYO-PHOBIC

Like any good country mouse, I love mayonnaise. Matt is a pure-bred city slicker and just seeing the white stuff makes him queasy. This potato salad came from the urge to create something traditional tasting but with a minimum of mayo. I don't mean to brag, but I think I nailed it.

I didn't record measurements but I wanted to give you the gist of it (and everybody likes to personalize their potato salad anyways.) Start with this and add or subtract until you have the almost mayo-free potato salad of your dreams.

ingredients
5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup unflavored full-fat yogurt
1.5 Tbs mayo
yellow mustard
dill (fresh or dried)
apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 cup - 1 cup chopped celery

Peel, chop and boil the potatoes until they are just soft enough to eat. Throw them in a colander and rinse them with cool water. Meanwhile, mix the yogurt and mayo until they are a homogenous white goo. Add in a good spoonful of yellow mustard, a dash of apple cider vinegar and dill (fresh or dried). Finish off with some salt and pepper until it tastes about right. Add in the cooled potatoes, grated onion and celery. Mix, chill and eat by the bowlful.



POWER SLAW

A very rad lady named Emma posted this recipe on a certain PGH-based message board, and it is KILLER. The measurements aren't exact, so throw away your measuring spoons and just taste, taste, taste until you achieve power slaw nirvana. Emma says it makes her feel like she just snorted vitamins(!!!) and I agree.

ingredients
1/2 head red cabbage
3 carrots
2 tart apples
2-3 Tbs olive oil
3-4 Tbs lemon juice
an inch or so of fresh ginger, grated with a microplane
salt and pepper

With a hand or mechanical shredder grate and combine the cabbage, carrots and apples. In a separate bowl combine the rest of the ingredients to make the dressing. Taste and tweak until it gets your taste buds humming. Pour the dressing over the veggies and mix well. Pop it in the fridge for an hour or so to let the flavors meld. Eat a big pile of it and wish every cabbage salad tasted this good.