Crispy tempeh with herbs & seeds
No meal plan, no problem.
"Dinner is going to fucking break me" — paid supporter Abigail
Hello! We’re just back from a snowy, sparkly, and spontaneous weekend in Vermont. My boyfriend kept reading Oregon’s snow report aloud, wishfully, so within a week we got a crew together to ski/snowboard closer to home. Well kind of: The group evolved up until the day we left.
That there was no time to hatch a plan made the unpredictability of suddenly throwing snowballs and playing games around the fire all the better. As much as I thrive with a plan, making and then sticking to one just can’t always happen, especially when it comes to whims and cravings. So while meal planning might be helpful — perhaps it’s one of your resolutions — it can also be beneficial to be at the ready with ingredients and dish formats you know well enough to mix and match at the last minute.
One combination I return to often is greens, beans, and grains. If I have a green vegetable (kale or broccoli typically), a bean (including the soybeans in tofu and tempeh), and a grain (including those in pasta and bread) in the mix, dinner will be complete. There’s a way you can cook all three in one pot over at the New York Times, but there are so many ways these three can come together.
Greens, Beans & Grains at 40 Ingredients Forever
Kale salad with dates and Parm (with breadcrumbs or grains)
Skillet fish with white beans and asparagus
One-pot pasta, beans and broccoli
Ginger-scallion broccoli soup (with a scoop of rice)
Uncool braised fennel and white beans
The crew’s also all here in today’s recipe, which is undoubtedly inspired by the jolting flavors and textures in larb, one of my favorite and most-eaten foods. Crispy, nutty tempeh (soybean) and sesame seeds are tossed with fresh and juicy shallots, scallions, lemon, and lots of herbs (greens!), then served over rice or another grain. For more greens, swaddle it all in a leaf of lettuce.
No matter how you eat it, the result is all texture, pop, and fun. It’s not always possible to skip town randomly, but dinner is a chance every day to make your own fun. And if you don’t know where to start, just remember: greens, beans, and grains.
Crispy tempeh with herbs & seeds
Serves 2
1 (8-ounce) package tempeh
1 shallot
2 scallions
1 cup cilantro, mint and/or dill leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lemon
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
Steamed rice, for serving
1. Start by making rice however you make it. Crumble one (8-ounce) package tempeh into pieces no larger than a chickpea and transfer them to a large skillet. Thinly slice 1 shallot and 2 scallions. Coarsely chop or tear 1 cup cilantro, mint, and/or dill leaves.
2. Add the 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the skillet of tempeh. Set over medium-high and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. If the tempeh is burning, reduce the heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper until combined, then remove from the heat.
3. To the skillet, add the juice from half the lemon (1 1/2 tablespoons), 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and 1 1/2 teaspoons honey. Stir to combine. Now add the shallots, scallions, and herbs. If flavors are muted, add more acid (lemon), spice (crushed red pepper), and salt (soy sauce or salt). If the mixture is too intense, add more honey. Eat up.
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Shallot and scallions: You can use just one of these if necessary.
Cilantro, mint, and/or dill leaves: If you don’t have any of these, try fennel fronds.
Toasted sesame seeds: This adds a bit more texture. You could also use toasted rice powder or chopped toasted cashews.
Crushed red pepper: Another source of heat, like finely chopped Thai bird chiles or a drizzle of chili crisp.
Lemon: Lime juice or white vinegar.
Soy sauce: another source of umami, like fish sauce or liquid aminos. You could also use miso, like this recipe.
Honey: maple or granulated sugar would work.
Steamed rice: serve with another grain or in a lettuce cup or over a salad of greens.
FAMILY TREE
(Recipes this one’s related to)