POM Tempeh

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I will tell you the epic story of my crazy car repair later, but now for – let’s focus on THIS:

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After hunting for canned pumpkin (specifically, Libby’s brand – the best) all over Charlotte for weeks, I FINALLY found a ton at a grocery store in Knoxville.  And I stocked up.  Clearly. 

 

Let’s also talk about this:

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I’ve written before that I used to find tempeh to be kind of terrifying.  It looks weird and smells funny.  But cooked – it’s amazing!  You just have to prep it correctly.

tempeh is scary IMG_2700 

The secret is using a citrus and a sweetener to pan-frying the tempeh.  The citrus and sweetener neutralize the tempeh’s naturally bitter taste and create a wonderful glaze.  So simple – you cannot screw this up!

 

The star of today’s tempeh was POM Wonderful juice.

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POM Tempeh

 

Ingredients (for two servings):

  • 1 package tempeh
  • 3/4 cup POM juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

  • Slice tempeh width-wise in half, and then slice to create tiny triangles.
  • Heat a skillet to high and grease with cooking spray.
  • Pour in 1/2 POM juice and place tempeh triangles in liquid.
  • Drizzle 1 tablespoon honey on top.
  • Let cook for 3 minutes.
  • Flip tempeh, pour in rest of juice and honey, and cook until all liquid boils off and tempeh begins to brown.
  • Salt and pepper and serve.

 

With quinoa (which my mom calls "kwuh-NO-uh" – it’s "keen-wah"… so cute!) and broccoli.

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Other fun ways to cook tempeh:

 

 

Full car story later but the upshot is – car is not fixed, but I’m going home!

{ 61 comments }

 

  • Caitlin October 13, 2011, 4:56 pm

    My fiance calls is “Kuh-No-No” 🙂

  • deva @ deva by definition October 13, 2011, 4:58 pm

    I used to pronounce it “kwinn-oh-a.” I like how it is really pronounced, quinoa is keen!

  • Jenn's Adventures October 13, 2011, 5:01 pm

    BWAHAHAHAHA!!! My Mom says it that way too, so precious! That recipe looks uhh-mazzing!! Definitely gonna try it:)

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife October 13, 2011, 5:07 pm

    My mom says it that way too! Haha.

    How are you getting home then?! Ahhh best of luck with your journeys!

  • Julia H. @ The Petite Spiel October 13, 2011, 5:15 pm

    Whoah, I thought that was steak on top of your quinoa at first! Hah, that was a confusing moment. I’m intrigued by tempeh..I’ve never seen anyone eat it (and am pretty sure I’ve never heard of it until I started reading your blog). I’m not a vegetarian, but I’d still be interested to give tempeh a try anyway!

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:07 am

      It does kind of look like steak! That purple color from the POM juice.

  • Sweet and Savvy October 13, 2011, 5:36 pm

    Pom tempeh? How cool does that sound!

  • Michelle (The Runner's Plate) October 13, 2011, 5:36 pm

    Bummer about the car not being fixed. I hope you make it home safely!

  • Johanna B October 13, 2011, 5:40 pm

    Yay pumpkin. I hate that some parts of the country only carry it seasonally. I eat it year round.

  • Destini October 13, 2011, 5:40 pm

    Oh wow this looks great!!!!!!!!! I never thought to use something like pomp in tempeh

  • Molly @ RDexposed October 13, 2011, 6:21 pm

    You can always come to central Illinois where it is the pumpkin capital of the world…and where Libby’s is located!

  • Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga October 13, 2011, 6:28 pm

    that looks sooo good! About a year ago I was given a ridic amount of Pom. Wish I had made something this yummy looking with it all!

  • Rosa - Fitness, Food, Fulfilled October 13, 2011, 6:28 pm

    I’ve always wanted to try tempeh but have been too scared. This looks like it would be so simple and pretty delicious. I love the idea of cider vinegar with agave, since I have both of those ingredients. 🙂

  • Army Amy* October 13, 2011, 6:35 pm

    Pom tempeh, eh? I’ll have take your word for it. Tempeh freaks me out.*

  • kathleen @ the daily crumb October 13, 2011, 6:41 pm

    love this tempeh recipe!! i was too chicken (no pun intended) to try it until HTP showed me it wasn’t as scary as it seemed!!

    can’t wait to hear the car story…

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:08 am

      Yay! Glad I helped you learn the joys that is tempeh!

  • Tee @ She Writes, Bites, and Window Shops October 13, 2011, 6:58 pm

    Hi Caitlin – I’ve been reading for a while but this is the first time I’ve commented! I’ve had a package of tempeh in my fridge for a few weeks, and- having never prepared it before- have been stumped on what to make it with. I’ll definitely try out the POM recipe, it looks so good! Also – I live in Los Angeles and my grocery store has been out of pumpkin every time I’ve gone! Can’t wait to stock up like you!

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:09 am

      🙂 I think you an order pumpkin online on Amazon!

  • Lauren October 13, 2011, 7:14 pm

    I fell in love with tempeh a few years ago. I adore the nutty texture and taste. I actually like it raw but I can see why some people only prefer it cooked.

  • Jillian B. October 13, 2011, 7:23 pm

    I guess I’ve been saying quinoa wrong this whole time… That recipe looks wonderful.

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin October 13, 2011, 7:31 pm

    I prefer tempeh cooked with a sweet flavour too. I love using a marinade made with orange juice! I never thought to use POM before, but it sounds fantastic. 🙂

  • Corrie @ Blurb Column October 13, 2011, 7:41 pm

    May I suggest to those of you wanting to make this that you opt for an alternate brand of pom juice? The owners of Pom and Fiji Water … well read the articles.

    http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/Pom-Fiji-Lynda-Resnick-robert-a/10/21/2010/id/30623

    http://www.mediafreedominternational.org/2011/04/04/water-for-profit/

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:15 am

      Interesting articles, Corrie. Thanks for passing this along.

  • Tami October 13, 2011, 7:55 pm
    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:16 am

      AH! Pumpkin shortages!

  • Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun October 13, 2011, 7:56 pm

    That looks really good! I have never tried tempeh. I’m always too afraid of it.

  • kate October 13, 2011, 9:27 pm

    If you simmer the tempeh in a broth for 15-30 minutes before frying/baking/whatever, the bitter flavor will go away! Try simmering it in a kombu dashi and then frying in sesame oil. Yum.

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:16 am

      great tip, kate!

  • Kim October 13, 2011, 9:30 pm

    I’ve been a vegetarian for about five years, and I like to cook, but I’ve never ever had tempeh. That recipe looks simple but really good though!

  • BroccoliHut October 13, 2011, 9:50 pm

    Ooh! I love pom-glazed tofu, so I bet the tempeh version is even better.

  • Katy (The Singing Runner) October 13, 2011, 9:50 pm

    Looks amazing! I’m always looking for new ways to make tempeh!

    Oh, and my parents call it “kwuh-NO-uh” too….I’m just too afraid to correct them. 😉

  • Marcella October 13, 2011, 9:55 pm

    The key to removing the bitter flavor of tempeh is steaming if for about 10 minutes before cooking with it.

  • Dani October 13, 2011, 10:31 pm

    I agree- tempeh is some what daunting, ive grown to love it raw-but i know thats not for everyone…ill definitely be trying this version!

  • Nancy @ Beyoutiful Fitstyle October 13, 2011, 10:51 pm

    What exactly is tempeh? I’ve never heard of that before.

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:17 am

      Fermented soybeans!

  • immi October 14, 2011, 12:05 am

    I was googling around and found your site. And your ‘tempeh’ caught my attention. fyi, I’m Indonesian & tempeh is like our common dish, you can find many choices of how to cook & serve tempeh here. And it very very cheap. Anyway, we call it ‘tempe’ without the ‘H’ here.
    Come and visit us and you can have tons of tempeh :)).

    btw, I love your blog. It’s easy to read and easy on the eyes too, great graphics.

    Cheers.

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:17 am

      Thank you so much immi!

  • Khushboo October 14, 2011, 1:51 am

    I know it’s keen-wah but I am guilty too of calling it kin-o-ah! This reminds me: I need to reintroduce it in my life, I forgot how much I enjoy it!

  • Sarah@The Flying ONION October 14, 2011, 8:18 am

    I love tempeh! Most recently, I made a soy sauce/molasses glaze which was heavenly. I plan on recreating it soon so that I can share it on blog land (since I honestly wasn’t expecting it to come out so good the first time around and ended up eating before documenting…haha!)

    Your meal looks fabulous! I’ll have to try this. 😀

  • Megan@frizzybaker October 14, 2011, 8:34 am

    I LOVE pumpkin! Good find 🙂

  • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 9:14 am

    Interesting articles. Thanks for passing this along.

  • Kierstan @ Life {and running} in Iowa October 14, 2011, 9:21 am

    I bought my first black of tempeh the other day and this would be a great recipe to follow when I prepare it! The first time I had it, I swore I would never touch the stuff again. After I gave it a few more tries, I like it more and more!

  • katie @ KatieDid October 14, 2011, 10:14 am

    ahh safe travels now, that must have been such a headache :/ This glaze looks so wonderful! (no pun)

  • Sarah October 14, 2011, 10:51 am

    When I see Pom now I can’t help but think of Morgan Spurlock’s most recent movie – the Greatest Movie Ever Sold. C and I watched it a few weekends ago and laughed so hard through the whole thing…but it was also really interesting to see the “behind the scenes” side of product placement. Pom was the “$1 million above the title sponsor” so they were really prevalent in the movie.

  • Tiff @ Love Sweat and Beers October 14, 2011, 11:30 am

    A wonderful thing about tempeh is that the hubs and I actually prefer TJ’s tempeh to LightLife brand. Woohoo for having cheap taste!

  • marian @ marianwrites October 14, 2011, 11:54 am

    this looks delicious! I’m always looking for good tempeh marinades! aaaand i’m super jealous of your libby’s stash.

    • marian @ marianwrites October 14, 2011, 11:55 am

      confession: I almost just wrote “libbys stache” – it’s definitely friday.

  • TeenyLittleSuperChef October 14, 2011, 11:58 am

    Yay for tempeh! This sounds so easy and delicious to make. I love serving tempeh to people who are skeptics and opposed to eating it, and them actually loving it and wanting to know where they can pick up a package too. Thanks for a great recipe. I bet this would work really well with tofu too, don’t you think?

    • Caitlin October 14, 2011, 12:03 pm

      Yup! Just press it first!

  • Amber K October 14, 2011, 12:48 pm

    Well since I finally gave in and tried tofu, I guess tempeh is next! My best friend recently went vegan (after watching Forks Over Knives) and she has been trying all sorts of new foods. I’ll have to send her a link to this!

  • Eliza October 15, 2011, 2:20 am

    This might be a lame question, (I am Australian) but do you guys get fresh pumpkin over there, that you buy in pieces and cut and cook? Or is canned it?

    • Caitlin October 15, 2011, 5:41 am

      Both 🙂 I like the way the canned stuff tastes though! What do you do?

      • Eliza October 15, 2011, 4:25 pm

        I have never heard of canned pumpkin before! But it sounds like it would be convenient!

  • Emily @ Write Twenty Eleven October 15, 2011, 10:19 pm

    yum! i also enjoy tempeh with a soy sauce mix.

  • Emily @ Relishments October 16, 2011, 7:11 am

    I love tempeh. In my opinion, it’s much much tastier than tofu. I’ve never tried POM, so I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe. Thanks!

  • Becky October 17, 2011, 11:29 pm

    Hi Caitlin- I gave this recipe a go tonight and my juice and sweetener blackened the bottom of the pan before it was able to glaze the tempeh. I cooked it on high heat as you mentioned and used cooking spray but was wondering if you used a non-stick pan? I hope I can work out the kinks because it was a GREAT flavor but I wanted more! Thanks for sharing it!

    • CaitlinHTP October 18, 2011, 8:32 am

      Hmm I do think my ma had a non stick pan. Definitely bring the temp down, then, and sloooowly glaze! 🙂 Glad you liked it 😉 🙂

  • Sophie @ threetimesf October 21, 2011, 11:17 am

    Quinoa is so difficult to pronounce!

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