This post is the result of an exciting new experiment.  Having tasted tempeh at a restaurant, we decided that we had to attempt something with it.   For those who do not know what it is, tempeh is a soy product which originated in Indonesia.   Unlike its cousin tofu, it is not highly processed, but is grainier, consisting of soy beans held together by a fermentation process.  It is extremely tasty, has a crunchy nutty characteristic, and is also quite healthy, and is a vegetarian dish that would satisfy many meat-eaters.    It can be found in the vegetable section of many supermarkets, near the tofu.   Despite never having cooked it before, we decided to create a brand new recipe, which while using some techniques we found in other recipes, is wholly our own.    It came out extremely good.  We can’t wait to cook with tempeh again.

Ingredients:

• 2 8-ounce packages of Tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 small onion, diced
• 4-5 cloves of minced garlic
• Sesame oil
• small handful of sesame seeds
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup chopped baby bella mushrooms
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 red bell pepper finely chopped
• sea salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Heat  the sesame oil in a dutch oven, and sautée the tempeh chunks, turning regularly for about 5-8 minutes, or until brown on all sides.  Add 1/4 cup of wine and the soy sauce, and quickly stir in until it has been absorbed or evaporated, or approximately 30 seconds.  Remove the tempeh from the pan and coat with sesame seeds.  In the oil (maybe add a little more) add the onion until it starts to be come translucent.  Add the garlic and the mushrooms, and sautée for a few minutes.   Add the snow peas and the bell pepper, and the rest of the wine, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Add the tempeh back to the mixture, salt and pepper, cover, add a splash more wine (if needed for moisture), stir,  and simmer for 5 more minutes.     We served it over rice and with kale and mushrooms on the side.  Bon appetit!