Meeting Food Intolerances Head-On with Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh

I love having company, and I enjoy cooking for family and friends. After all, I can think of nothing more fulfilling than expressing my love through food. Spending some quality girlfriend time with a dear friend who I never get to see, well, that was just priceless. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun! Here Meryl Ann and I are having a blast at the Opening Fiesta Reception for the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) exhibit, at the Maude Kerns Art Center in Eugene.


Before Meryl Ann came to visit, I knew that she was wheat intolerant, and it was easy to accommodate for that. But I didn't know that she was also allergic to or intolerant of bananas, beans, (so much for those black bean brownies), onions, cucumbers, zucchini, jalapeño peppers, certain spices, and a few other things. This made meal preparation a bit more challenging.

One dish that I was able to pull out of my recipe archive is this simple, yet very tasty Orange Pan-Glazed Tempeh. I lightly browned the tempeh in a dry nonstick pan, instead of frying it in the 2 tablespoons of coconut oil I would have used in my pre-McDougall days. I served it over basmati rice, and the result was just as spectacular as the original. Meryl Ann was treated to a sprinkling of shredded coconut on her dish, but Mark and I enjoyed ours au naturel.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice (3-4 large juicy oranges)
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
3 teaspoons wheat-free tamari
2 1/4 tablespoons mirin
3 teaspoons maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 small garlic clove, crushed
12 ounces of soy tempeh
1/2 lime
a handful of cilantro (optional)

Directions:

Place the orange juice in a small bowl. Squeeze the grated ginger over the bowl to extract the juices, and discard the pulp. Add the tamari, mirin, maple syrup, ground coriander, and garlic. Mix together, and set aside.

Cut the tempeh into thin bite-sized pieces.

Lightly coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray, add the tempeh, and fry over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until golden underneath. (I was able to do this step without coating the pan.) Turn and cook the other side for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Pour the orange juice mixture into the pan, and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a lovely thick glaze. Turn the tempeh once more during this time and spoon the sauce over it from time to time.

Serve the tempeh drizzled with any remaining sauce, a squeeze of lime, and a handful of cilantro with rice or your grain of choice.