Tempeh bacon - the key to a successful vegetarian BLT

 

It's the height of summer garden season. Our first heirloom tomatoes are ripe and we're eating out of the garden every meal. We decided to put our inaugural tomatoes to use this year in TLTs (tempeh, lettuce, tomato, with of course a healthy does of mayonnaise and avocado).

This recipe calls for MSG. DON'T BE AFRAID. If you haven't heard the news, MSG, which is a natural product that's produced by fermenting beets or sugar cane, is perfectly fine for you. The old wives' tale of it being unhealthy were based on totally debunked science from the 1960s (don't take my word for it -- you can find science journal articles and news articles from reputable outlets like the New York Times that say as much). That said, if you're still against the scientific method or avoiding MSG for other reasons, you can substitute mushroom powder (which you can make yourself by putting dried mushrooms through a spice grinder or you can buy the powder on Amazon). 

One fun (but very optional) alternative preparation is to smoke the tempeh before you prepare this recipe and omit the liquid smoke. 

Prep time: 1/2 cocktail 

To saute tempeh:

1 8-ounce package tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch strips (along the shorter side of the block)

2-3 TBSP neutral cooking oil, like canola or avacado oil

Simmer sauce:

2-3 TBSP cup apple cider vinegar
2 TBSP agave nectar or maple syrup or 1 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp paprika

1 1/2 tsp MSG (or mushroom powder)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp ground cumin
2-3 tsp liquid smoke (depending on how smoky you want the 'bacon' to be)
2 TBSP soy sauce

1 1/2 TBSP worcestershire sauce

After you've sliced the tempeh, combine all the simmer sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisk well. Set aside.

Heat a large frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, carefully lay the strips of tempeh in the pan. Cook until the bottom reaches a deep golden brown, roughly 4-8 minutes. Carefully flip with a tongs to the uncooked side and saute with that side down for another 4-8 minutes or until also a deep golden brown. If there's any excess oil in the pan, gently drain it without dumping or breaking the tempeh. 

Now add the simmer sauce and saute for 30-60 seconds before gently flipping the tempeh again. Continue cooking until the sauce is absorbed / cooked off. Transfer immediately to a cooling rack and cool to room temperature and then transfer to the refrigerator (or serve while warm). 

Now build that delicious TLT!