Decay States

This dish may seem a bit arduous, but really isn’t. The combination of flavors is just fantastic. Amanda even asked for seconds (the ultimate seal of approval). A wonderful mingling of sweet, sour, spicy and savory that would be great alongside a nice IPA or chardonnay on a hot summer night.

Jerk(ish) Marinade

1/2 C tamari
1/4 C red wine vinegar
juice of one lime
1 T canola oil
1/2 t onion powder
1 t allspice
1/2 t nutmeg
dash of clove
1 T fresh thyme (or 1 t dried thyme)

Coconut-Cilantro Glaze

1 can light coconut milk (you can use reg, but the cashews here really beef up the consistency - and fat content)
1/4 C whole raw cashews
two whole cloves peeled garlic
1 whole red chile (or serrano/jalapeno pepper)
1″ piece of ginger, peeled
1 C fresh cilantro, tightly packed
1 T red chili paste, dissolved in water
1 t tamarind extract, dissolved in water (or juice of one lemon if you don’t have tamarind)
juice of one lime

1 C quinoa, rinsed
1/4 C whole goji berries
1/4 c whole raw cashews

1 pack tempeh (wild rice or flax would be nice)
1 red chile, diced
3 cloves garlic, microplaned
1″ piece ginger, microplaned
1 T canola oil

1 T corn starch, dissolved in hot water

1 med papaya, peeled, de-seeded and cut into chunks
sea salt (himalayan would be nice) to taste
zest of one lime

Whisk together the marinade ingredients first in a large bowl, then cut tempeh into 1″ chunks. Place tempeh in marinade and allow to marinate for at least 30 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the coconut-cilantro glaze. Combine coconut milk through lime juice in a blender and blend on high until smooth (~2-3 mins). At this time, get your quinoa going. Combine rinsed quinoa, goji berries and cashews in a med. pot (or, better yet, a rice cooker). Add 2 C water and cook until quinoa is tender (~12-15 min). Heat 1 T canola oil in a deep pan and add grated garlic and ginger. Saute for ~2 min over med. heat, until fragrant. Add red chile and saute on med.-low for an additional 5 mins, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the papaya. Add tempeh and about 1/2 C of the jerk-ish marinade and saute until sauce thickens and reduces. At this point, add coconut-cilantro glaze. Saute for 8-10 mins, stirring every minute or so - sauce will thicken. When quinoa is finished, slowly add corn starch to the tempeh and sauce mixture, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken considerably. Serve tempeh/sauce over quinoa alongside papaya. Enjoy!!

This recipe is a veganization of a traditional Italian cacciatora. “Alla cacciatora” translates to “in the style of the hunter.” A breeze to throw together, my version, titled with the help of Babel Fish, would be “in the style of the gatherer.” Cheezy? Yeah, for sure. I’ll let the dish, which is killer, speak for itself.

Serves 4-6

2 lb “chicken” style seitan (store bought or home-made)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 cubanelle (banana) peppers, cored and seeded and cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded and cut into thin strips
1 C white wine
1.5 C cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 C onion, diced
2 C No Chicken broth (or good tasting veg broth)
4 C crushed tomatoes
1/2 t oregano
1/4 t marjoram
1 t red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

Heat oil in a deep skillet and saute over medium heat until browned.  Add peppers and cook until softened, drain oil. Add white wine and saute for an additional minute. Add broth, tomates and spices and bring to a boil. Lower heat and allow to simmer 15-20 mins, or until sauce has thickened. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Marinade:
1/4 c mirin
1/2 c dry white wine
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T olive oil

Tofu Rub:
1/2 c unbleached flour
2 T nutritional yeast
1/2 t dried oregano
1/4 t ground cumin
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t sea salt

3 T olive oil, divided
2 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 1″ triangles
1 c asparagus, roughly chopped
2/3 c cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c dry white wine
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 T fresh thyme, minced (or 2 t dried thyme)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Wrap tofu in paper towel and place under a heavy object for 10 minutes, flip over and press again for another 10 minutes. While tofu is being pressed, prepare veggies. Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until well mixed. Add tofu and marinate for 20 minutes, stirring after 10. Combine rub ingredients in a soup bowl and mix well with a fork.

Add 2 T olive oil to deep pan and heat on medium-high. Remove tofu triangles from marinade and dip in rub, rotating to cover all sides. One by one, place tofu triangles in olive oil and reduce heat to medium. Saute until all sides are brown, remove tofu from pan and place on paper towel. Add shallots, garlic and 1 T olive oil to the same pan, stir well and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often.  Add asparagus and stir to combine, saute for another 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, wine and lemon juice, stir well, reduce heat and cover, leaving lid slightly ajar. Saute until most of the liquid is absorbed and the asparagus is tender but firm. Add thyme, salt and pepper and stir well. Saute for another minute. Carefully fold in tofu, being sure not to remove the “breaded” exterior. Remove from heat, garnish with parsley and serve over rice.

Makes 3-4 servings.