Saturday, February 06, 2010

Tempting Tempeh Too Good For Words Burgers

Eugene, Oregon has become quite the vegan magnet. It is the long-time home of Turtle Mountain, makers of the most incredible dairy-free ice cream, beverages, and yogurts on Earth, Holy Cow Vegan Cafe on the U of O campus, Lotus Garden Chinese Vegetarian restaurant, The Divine Cupcake, Holy Donuts, which has its own brand new storefront with an impossibly adorable outdoor courtyard, and two new vegan food carts: Viva Vegetarian Grill and Cornbread Cafe. Eugene is also the home of vegan chef extraordinaire Beverly Lynn Bennett, who together with husband Ray Sammartano, is also the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vegan Cooking.

Always on the prowl for tasty vegan recipes I can "McDougallize," when I came upon Beverly's recipe for Tempeh Too Good For Words Burgers, it sounded too tempting to pass up.


Instead of cooking the onion and mushrooms in olive oil, I sautéed them in water. And instead of cooking the patties in a skillet with more oil, I baked them on a nonstick baking sheet in a 375° oven for 10 minutes on each side. For a gluten-free version, you can use wheat-free tamari and garbanzo bean flour instead of wheat or spelt flour. They'll still be just as delicious. Served up on toasted hearty whole grain buns with a side of tasty baked yam fries, this was one quick and satisfying weekend meal. And in case you're wondering if I ate mine naked, I could have, but didn't. I topped my burger with grilled onions and organic ketchup.

10 comments:

Victoriana said...

Sounds simple and delicious and better than any frozen burgers. Thank you for sharing. I look forward to making these.

goodstuffgallery said...

wHAT IS TEMPEH? iF YOU ARE SERIOUSLY TRYING TO EDUCATE US AND HELP US CONFORM TO YOUR WAY OF EATING AND COOKING, YOU NEED TO TAKE THE NEOPHYTE APPROACH. wIKPEDIA WAS NO HELP OTHER THAN IT MADE IT SOUND AS IF IT MIGHT BE RELATED TO TOFU? I AM SERIOUS ABOUT ADDING TOFU TO MY DIET AS A MEANS OF CUTTING OUT CALORIES, FAT, ETC. IN MY DIET. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU WOULD TRY TO RELATE TO THE MASSES AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO MOTOVATE AND EDUCATE A LOT OF US AT THE SAME TIME, AND THANKS.

Vegiegail said...

Hello Caroline. Thank you for stopping by. There's no need to shout. A simple google search of the phrase "What is tempeh" returns hundreds of thousands of hits, this one from Wikipedia:

"Like tofu, tempeh is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins compared to tofu, as well as firmer texture and stronger flavor."

It can also be made with the inclusion of other beans and grains, and you'll find tempeh in the refrigerated case at your local natural foods store. Many large supermarkets carry it in their natural foods section, as well.

It's impossible to describe what it tastes like. It's one of those foods you'll just have to taste. But half the fun of exploring vegan cuisine is trying new foods and surprising your palate with new tastes and textures. What I try to do here is present the most delicious and nutritious ways to prepare these foods, while not making any assumptions about where my readers are in their dietary evolution. I do hope you'll try this recipe along with others you find here that sound appetizing to you. You may find that cooking with whole grains, vegetables, and legumes can be both easy and delicious!

Angel said...

There's nothing like bringing a bit of summertime to these cold wintry days. Burgers and fries always remind me of outdoor BBQs (veggie, of course!) This dish sounds like just the ticket to warm these chilly bones.

Remi said...

Although frozen vegan patties are convenient, in my opinion they are always dry and flavorless. In less than 30 minutes you prepared and served me an outrageous tasting burger that fit into the McDougall plan. I am so lucky to be married to such an amazing culinary goddess.

Anonymous said...

I love tempeh, and your burger looks delicious!

Anonymous said...

I made these burgers last night. They were really good!

Beverly Lynn Bennett said...

Hey Gail,

Reading your post about my tempeh burgers really made my day—thanks! Your photo looks very appetizing and really puts me in the mood for one of these burgers with all the fixin’s. I am so glad that they made for a tasty dinner for you and your hubby. I applaud your efforts in adapting the recipe to make them without any added fat, as well as your tip for making them gluten-free. Coincidentally, I was recently thinking of adapting this recipe to make baked tempeh meatballs as part of an Italian dinner for Ray, which I think I’m now going to make for Valentine’s Day. I wish you and your sweetie a Happy V-Day as well!

Hugs,

Beverly

Vegiegail said...

Thank you so much, Beverly! I am honored that you took the time to visit my blog and leave such a kind comment. What a great idea to adapt this recipe to meatballs! I will try that next time. And I wish you and Ray a lovely Valentine's Day, as well. Sounds like your day is going to be delicious! (What day isn't at your house?)

Anonymous said...

What a great resource!