In this episode, Amy and Nate talk to Dorrie Nang from the Humane Society’s “Forward Food” project about why eating less meat and animal products is important for addressing climate change. We talk about the impact of the methane that cows produce, the resources it takes to grow meat, and some ideas for non-meat dishes that we can try.
Resources for this episode:
Smokey Tempeh
Adapted heavily from “Veganomicon” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
We make this recipe once a week on average – we have it with roasted veggies in the fall, on top of pasta in the winter, and on salad in the summer. Aside from the tempeh, all of the ingredients are pantry staples, so it’s easy to pull together. It does need time to marinate, so we usually make the marinade in the morning before work if we’re having this for dinner. It doubles or triples well if you’re serving a crowd – just use two pans for the last cooking step.
Serves 2-3
1 oz package of tempeh
2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs liquid smoke (usually found near BBQ sauce in the store)
2 tsp honey or maple syrup
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed (we often use the pre-minced garlic-in-a-jar for speed
veggie broth or veggie broth cubes
Simmer the tempeh:
Put a small sauce pot of water on to boil. Cut the tempeh in to cubes (1 or 2 inch). When the water comes to a boil, drop in the tempeh, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. This step helps the tempeh absorb the marinade and gets rid of the bitterness that tempeh sometimes has.
Make the marinade:
While the tempeh is simmering, assemble the marinade in a glass container large enough to hold the marinade and the tempeh (we use a quart mason jar). If you’re using a veggie broth cube, combine it with 1-2 cups of hot water and dissolve. Mix all ingredients in the mason jar. When the tempeh is done, drain it and add to the marinade – add additional water or veggie broth to cover. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to several days.
Cook:
Heat a heavy skillet (ideally cast iron) over medium heat. Scoop out the tempeh (reserve the marinade!) and dump it into the skillet. You shouldn’t need additional oil since the marinade has oil, but if you’re worried about sticking, you can add a smidgeon. Cook tempeh over medium heat until it begins to brown. Add about a third of the marinade – it will sizzle delightfully. Stir and cook down the marinade until it’s almost gone – stir again and add more marinade. Repeat until you’re out of marinade or too hungry to wait any longer. The repeated cooking down of the marinade gives a lovely brown glaze to the tempeh and helps keep it moist.