Texan Skillet Tempeh Recipe

Texan Skillet Tempeh Recipe

 

I hail from Houston, Texas, though Seattle has become my home for the last 9 years. As the saying goes, ‘you can take the girl out of Texas but not the Texas out of the girl.’ While I enjoy incorporating flavors and ingredients from all over the world into Northwest cuisine, occasionally I harken back to my Texan roots. Smokey flavors especially weaken me at the knees and remind me of hot summer BBQ days and campfire nights.

 

Please enjoy this healthy take on a southern-inspired skillet dish to bring out your inner cowboy or cowgirl. You can easily convert this into a vegetarian or vegan dinner by leaving out the bacon and using a vegan butter like Earth Balance or Smart Balance. If you’re more of an omnivore, swap out the tempeh cubes for pre-cooked chunks of chicken, pork, or stirfry beef. This recipe is packed with lots of nutritious yum-yum’s, flavor, and healthy love. Go big or go home, right? Wash down with some Shiner Bock suds or a refreshing glass of dry riesling, chardonnay, or syrah.

 

Yields: 4 servings

Cooking time: From grocery bag to kitchen table in less than 45 minutes

 

Ingredients:

8 oz tempeh, cut into ½” cubes

1 ½ cup roasted corn, fresh or frozen

4 oz peppered turkey bacon, approx. 4 strips,

cut in half lengthwise then sliced into small strips

1 red bell pepper, diced into ¼” pieces

1 jalapeno, diced into ¼” pieces

1 large shallot, minced

5 garlic cloves, minced

12 oz bag frozen cut okra

2 stalks celery, sliced thinly

4 Tbsp butter, divided

1 Tbsp liquid smoke

2 Tbsp rice bran oil (or other high-heat oil, not olive)

Fresh-squeezed juice from 1-2 limes

1 Tbsp ground cumin

Italian parsley, minced, for garnish

 

Directions:

In a small bowl, mix oil, liquid smoke, cumin, and lime juice. Add tempeh cubes and stir to marinate. Set aside.

 

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced turkey bacon and raise heat to medium. Sauté until slightly crispy. If you choose to use full-fat bacon, then reduce or eliminate the butter in this step.

 

While bacon is crisping, cut the red bell pepper, shallot, garlic, and jalapeno. If you want your mouth to taste like it stepped in a Texas-sized pile of fire ants, then keep the jalapeno seeds. Otherwise discard or use sparingly to your taste preference. Add veggies to skillet and sauté another 4-5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.

 

Next, add sliced celery, roasted corn, and marinated tempeh cubes to the skillet. Increase temperature to medium-high heat and stir ingredients occasionally for another 2 minutes. If you’re feeling gutsy, try your wrist at the skillet-flipping action to toss ingredients.

 

Add in frozen okra and final 2 Tbsp of butter. Continue sautéing and stirring for another 5 minutes.

 

Remove skillet from heat and dish up hot. Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley then lasso your family around the table to enjoy!