Testing out Tempeh (vegan, easy, 20 minutes)

While I am not vegan I realize that it does have some advantages and the occasional vegan meal helps me follow my philosophy that we should live in harmony with the world around us.  I believe your diet should be one that is healthy for you and your environment. This means everything good in moderation. I also believe you are what you eat. This means if you’re getting your meat from a stressed out, hormone-pumped cow; and you’re eating this frequently, you probably aren’t the optimum specimen of health. That's why whenever I buy any meat products I make sure they are organic, pastured and/or grass-fed.  This allows the animals to live in a normal, humane environment, so they can have a good life and pass on those benefits to you. I still eat meat because I believed we we’re designed to and it can me mighty tastyJ I also think that if you’re following a vegan diet you should either have an expert guiding you or have done a lot of research yourself. You should also be cautious of how much soy you eat since it’s a popular meat substitute. Not only is having acres and acres of soy crops bad for the environment it also isn’t great for you. Soy is one of the highest GMO crops and if prepared incorrectly can be an anti-nutrient, robbing your body of the nutrition it needs.

You may counter argue that with the health of many Asian cultures that depend on the stuff. That is due to how they prepare it. It is often fermented; this allows your body to access the vast amount of vitamins without having any stolen. Two of these organic (non-GMO) products are featured in the recipe below.

This was my first time working with tempeh and I must say i was pleasantly surprised. It was reminiscent of a nutty, yeasty bread and the lemon cuts through just enough to lighten it a bit. This pairs well with sauteed bell peppers and red onions on a bed of mixed greens.

Ingredients:

·         1 packaged organic 3 grain tempeh from trader joes(or any organic tempeh)

·         Juice from ½ lemon

·         2 tbsp organic tamari

·         Pinch of salt and pepper

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a pan, big enough to fit the tempeh.  Place tempeh in the pan and drizzle remaining ingredients on top. Place pan in the oven and bake for 15-20min (until golden brown). Eat warm and enjoy!