Summer Veg Tempeh

The Hipster Veg — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:12:06 +0000

I love the farmer’s market in the town I live. It is fantastic! They have everything you can think of. Besides the amazing veggies, they also have fresh mushrooms, vegan cookies, wine, sandwiches, local meats (not for me but still…they even have buffalo) and more! Of course, you guys know that I would only go for the veg, and boy do they have a variety. I got the BEST heirloom tomatoes, and these beautiful patty pan squash. Along with a local bell pepper, I constructed this little cook-up! It is easy, very refreshing, and with a little rice cheese sprinkled on top, over a couscous, it is a great summer dinner!

Ingredients:

Handful of heirloom tomatoes, cut into halves

A brick of tempeh, cut into small cubes

Two squash, cubed

One bell pepper, chopped

Italian herbs ( I know…it’s a staple in my kitchen)

Cayenne pepper (This too)

Olive oil

Warm a heavy drizzle of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Toss in the bell peppers and squash first, when they start to cook up, and get tender, toss in the tempeh, and when it just starts to brown, add the tomatoes, and sprinkle it all with herbs and pepper. You want to constantly keep this all moving. Shake that pan around, toss it up a bit! Don’t be afraid to really get in there, and move it around! Serve over rice/couscous.

ENJOY!

Fried Green Tomatoes

The Hipster Veg — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:47:27 +0000

MMMM, what a classic. Who doesn’t love fried green tomatoes? Wait…I live in the North now. No one KNOWS what they are! If you haven’t had them before, get ready to become addicted. There is something about a green tomato, when fried, totally crispy and delicious snack. It’s just so damn southern, and makes me think of home every time I make them!

Ingredients:

Green tomatoes (REALLY green…not about to turn)

A cup of “corn flakes”, smashed into crumbs (I used Kashi 7 whole grain flakes)

A cup of flour

Three tablespoons of chili powder

Three tablespoons Italian herbs (or 1 ½ of oregano and basil, respectively)

A cup of Almond milk (or rice or soy)

Veggie oil for frying

**You will also need a wire rack to put them on after frying, as well as three bowls for dredging.

Heat oil in a pan on medium high, and slice your tomatoes about a half an inch thick. You should have your bowls lined up like this:

Bowl one: Almond Milk

Bowl two: Corn flakes

Bowl three: flour, with the spices tossed in

Then take your slices and dredge in milk, then press gently into the cornflakes on both sides, and then into the flour, then drop into the oil. Be careful not to splatter on yourself! They are hot. I like to have mine a nice golden brown, so take a fork and lift after a few minutes, and check the status. When one side is getting a nice, golden brown, take tongs, and flip. If they are browning really fast, turn down the heat a little.

When they are golden on both sides, place on a rack and let the oil drip off. If you are cooking a lot of these, and you want them to stay crispy, keep the oven on 100-200, and place the done tomatoes, after they sit on the rack for a few minutes, on a pan, to keep nice and crispy!

Enjoy!