A new and healthy twist on a childhood favorite.
After learning about the benefits of blackstrap molasses, I wanted to look up a few recipes using it. I came across this recipe on Allrecipes.com. I wanted to give it a try but I have a different method for preparation of the tempeh itself. In the original recipe, the author calls for crumbling the tempeh directly into the pan without any pre-cooking. I’ve definitely found that I prefer to precook my tempeh to make it creamier and more palatable.
How did it taste?
This was another totally delicious, healthy recipe, which is a good thing because it was a complete experiment and could have been a waste of ingredients. It tastes very fresh and as a wide range of flavors that shift as you chew and swallow. The cumin and cayenne give it a nice little bite but the honey and molasses keep a fullness and mild sweetness to it. The cooking time of the onions and pepper kept them vibrant. The preparation of the tempeh itself gave this dinner a mouthy fullness and creaminess.
While this is, in theory, a sloppy joe style recipe, I’ve been serving it over a bed of rice.
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 (8 ounce) packages tempeh, cubed
1 green bell pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
Instructions
- Place the tempeh and Liquid Aminos into a pot of water and bring to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat slightly and cook at a rolling boil for 10 minutes. Drain.
- Chop the tempeh until it is roughly the consistency of ground meat.
- Mix all the spices into a small bowl for easier addition to the cooking.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Heat the oil in the pan then add the onions and green peppers. Saute until the onions are almost translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the spice mixture and stir well for 1-2 minutes to really activate the spices.
- Add the chopped tempeh, stirring well and cook until the tempeh is golden brown.
- Add the molasses, honey and tomato sauce stirring well.
- Lower the heat to medium/low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
