Making the Most of Going Meatless

Photo by fotoosvanrobin/Flickr CC

Don't fear tempeh. It looks strange, and its Indonesian origins are so fascinatingly foreign as to be alien, but it could not be more under-appreciated as a meat substitute. I've previously advocated Bryant Terry's barbecue version, and here I'll add a simpler Mexican-inspired use.

Traditionally, fajitas are made with grilled skirt steak or maybe chicken, but these two fajita recipes use finger-sized tempeh slivers instead. But, unlike steak or chicken, the tempeh, absorbs, rather than compliments, the rich Mexican flavors in which it is surrounded.

What it does better than chicken or steak is texture. Fried and then slow-cooked just right, it has a chewy, crunchy feel that cannot be beat by meat. As an added bonus, it contains vitamin B12, which normally is vegetarianism's most cumbersome dietary hurdle.

Click here for a recipe for Spicy Tempeh Fajitas. Click here for one for Sweet Tempeh Fajitas.

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Max Fisher shows how he's
Making the Most of Going Meatless
with recipes and techniques for spicing up vegetarian classics.

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