Monday, July 22, 2013

Tempeh Banh Mi

Hey! Remember when I blogged regularly? Yes, that was long ago. One of my new projects is to remember to blog more not just photo stuff on the business blog, but fun other stuff as well. So, we'll see if I can keep things up!

Anyhow, Vermont winter was beautiful, and then there were crazy adventures in Asia, and then summer exploded with busy. However, I did whip up these sandwiches the other night, and was mighty pleased with how they turned out. So I figured I might as well share them!

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Montpelier has a lovely co-op that we shop at all the time, and they even have a sandwich bar if you're feeling fancy. One of the sandwiches I've ordered from them is the Tempeh Banh Mi. And it's AWESOME. I was a little scared at first, as I sometimes am of weird things, but it turned out to be well worth the fright. I was craving one the other night, but figured it'd be worth trying make on my own.

A little of this, and a little of that, and success! Thus, I give you my sandwich creation, easy and healthy all in one!

Ingredients:

1 Tempeh cake
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 TBS grated fresh ginger
1 loaf fresh baguette or ciabbata
soy sauce
rice vinegar
hoisin sauce
chili sauce
sesame oil
cilantro
grated carrot
sliced cucumber
avocado (I know this isn't normally on banh mi, but avocado is delicious so whatever)
chopped salad greens
spicy mayo (mix the mayo of your choosing with sriracha) 

Make the marinade: (Note, I didn't actually measure any of this, so just go with your best judgement) 
Take a long tupperware or shallow pan and add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of soy sauce, enough to fill the bottom. Add a TBS or 2 of rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, a tablespoon of sesame oil, a bit of chili sauce like sriracha, and the garlic and ginger. Whisk together. I also added a bit of some sweet and sour chili sauce we had in the fridge.

Thinly slice the tempeh and place the strips in the marinade. Swish around so everything is covered with sauce and place in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.

Once the tempeh has marinaded a bit, you can just dump everything into a frying pan and saute for about 4-5 minutes.

Lightly toast your bread if desired, layer with spicy mayo, cooked tempeh, grated carrot, cucumber, and a bit of cilantro and greens or avocado and enjoy!


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