ah, yes, GRILLING tempeh. that might just do the trick for me! or maybe it's the marinating. hmmm. Tempeh always seems like a great idea but then turns out kind of...eh. I clearly need to try something new with it!

My dad uses a fairly similar marinade on salmon, and it's fantastic!

tempeh is a frequent ingredient in my house -- very much a favorite. earlier this week, i made mark bittman's crunchy crumbled tempeh and used the marinade from your cumin-spiked tofu recipe as a sauce. served over brown rice -- yum. easy, fast, delicious, and uses ingredients that i always tend to have on hand. love your recipes, heidi! :)

I agree with what L said/ wrote. It definitely works better if you boil the tempeh for ten minutes first. It tastes much better. I never knew that trick until I read Veganomicon.

I got hooked on tempeh years ago--a restaurant in my hometown had a wonderful tempeh burger. I usually just coat it in a little soy sauce and pan fry, keeping the heat relatively low so it doesn't burn. Also like it cubed in stir fries. Tried a similar recipe the other night (for grilled salmon)---soy, maple syrup and orange juice. A very yummy combo---would be great on tempeh too! Never thought of using chipotle and soy together---sounds interesting!

I hope this analogy may be helpful: tempeh is to bleu cheese what tofu is to cheese. :)

Wow! I have been feeling bored with cooking recently, and really in need of inspiration. Despite a mostly-empty fridge, I happen to have every one of those ingredients on hand, except the green beans - and I was going to the grocery today anyway. Like others, I find tempeh difficult. Occasionally it's exactly what the doctor ordered - but most of the time, not so much. However, my nutritionist strongly prefers it to tofu (because it is not processed), so I am always looking for ideas - hence the package sitting in my fridge right now! Thanks Heidi - I am looking forward to trying this.

I've also sworn never to buy tempeh again because of too many failed dinners. You just might be convincing me, though :)

Tempeh originates from South East Asia, and used in the local Malay-Thai-Indonesian cuisine. Tempeh itself is a Malay word. It is basically boiled soyabeans, left to ferment for 2-3 days, wrapped in banana leaves and paper, the white strands is the fungus, and the brown part is soyabeans. Fresh tempeh in South-East Asia is available wrapped in the original banana leaf, and paper wrapping and still warm from the on-going fermentation process. However for those exported, or made elsewhere, it is hygienically sealed in plastic and the tempeh is slightly cooked to kill the fungus to stop the fermentation process, so that its shelf life is longer. It adds its own unique and tasty flavour, a bit meaty taste and texture to the usual bland soyabean. We usually cut it into thin slices and deep fry or roast it for best flavours, sometimes plain, sometimes with a batter made of rice flour mixed with cornflour, some red chilli powder or paste, salt and just a tinge of sugar, and water, for some crispy and hot tempeh. Sometimes it is cut up and lightly fried and mixed with long beans and red chilli paste as a vegetable dish eaten with plain rice. Or light fried and added to other dishes as an additional ingredient, in stir-fried vegetables, noodles, fried rice, etc.

anniem, tempeh is a soy bean product similar to tofu but less processed which gives it a rough texture.

Lovely recipe Heidi. Tempeh is one of my favourite foods as much for the texture as anything else. Sometimes I just want something chewy - which can be a rare texture in vegie food. And that means tempeh. Never tried a syrupy marinade before though.

What is tempeh? I've never heard of it and would like to know please someone.

wow! the dish looks so gorgeous with all of the little flowers! beautiful and inspiring, as usual ;)

Tempeh is a tricky beast. My new fave quick and delicious cooking method for tempeh is to coat it with dukkah (add just enough oil to make the dukkah into a sticky paste) and dry fry it. Makes excellent burgers :)

Umm... on the risk of sounding ignorant, what exactly is tempeh? And where would I find it? I'm slowly trying to incorporate healthier eating with learning how to cook, and I love your website. While I'm not giving up my meat loving ways, I like that many of these recipes look delicious, and I can see myself using many as lunch meals or side-dishes. I am looking forward to trying these recipes as I get my courage up, and find ingredients I've never heard of, let alone tried... The few recipes I have tried so far have worked out great! Thank you!

I've only had tempeh once in my life and I've never cooked with it, so this looks like a great jumping off point. The flowers make it look far too pretty to eat, but I know it is delicious!

God those oregano blooms are so pretty on there.

This sounds soooo good. I recommend boiling the tempeh in water for about ten minutes - it helps cut some of the "bitterness," and also helps the tempeh better absorb the marinade. Yum!

tempeh has never looked so sexy. i had sworn never to buy it again. now i will.

I'll definitely try this one. Tempeh is always a hit or with miss for me.