UPDATED: Tempeh Stir Fry, Scallion Pancakes & Peanut Ginger Sauce

I’ve been thinking about these dishes since I posted them back in April because I wanted to be able to provide fully written out recipes, not just links to show you where my inspiration came from! I’ll definitely still do that, as I often find inspo from Instagram and the NYT Cooking section, but one of my goals with this blog is to be able to provide simpler, healthier versions of those dishes.

So, this post is just that. I revisited these dishes and made tweaks that I think will really help! I switched from using tofu to tempeh because I find tempeh easier to prepare & cook, and it’s also fermented soy, which my body handles better.

Also, this peanut sauce… you won’t be able to stop yourself from just eating it with a spoon and nothing else.

Scallion Pancakes:

• 2 large eggs

• 1/2 cup milk of your choice (if using nut milk, use unsweetened/unflavored)

• 1 TBS low-sodium soy sauce or shoyu

• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped finely

• 1 1/4 cup almond flour (or flour of choice)

• 1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1/2-1 bunch scallions, chopped (if you love scallions like me, you’ll use entire bunch!)

• 1-2 TBS coconut oil, for cooking

Method for Scallion Pancakes:

Whisk eggs, milk, soy sauce and ginger together in a large mixing bowl. Add in flour, baking powder and scallions, and mix with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Heat skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 TBS coconut oil to start. Using a 1/3 cup measure, scoop pancake batter onto skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, and flip. You’ll know when it’s ready to flip because little bubbles will form on the edges of the pancakes. Repeat, and remove pancakes from skillet once cooked all the way through.

You may need to re-grease the pan, if your stovetop gets really hot, really quickly like mine does, so that’s why I included the extra 1 TBS of coconut oil in the ingredients.If you’re using 1/3 cup measure, you’ll be able to make 6-7 large pancakes. Totally up to you, but using a measuring cup ensures the same sized pancake every time!

Set aside with foil lightly covering until you’re ready to serve dinner.

Peanut Sauce (inspired by NYTCooking):

• 3 TBS creamy peanut butter

• 1 TBS rice wine vinegar

• 3 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or shoyu

• 3 tsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp ground ginger

• 1/4-1/3 cup water

• 1 tsp Sriracha (optional)

Method for Peanut Sauce:

In a small mixing bowl, pour in peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, ground ginger, and optional Sriracha. Add in a little of the water, mix slowly with a spoon, and continue to add water until desired consistency, which should be thick but pourable. This makes enough to serve 2, with some for leftovers!

Set aside until you’re ready to serve.

Tempeh Stir Fry:

• 1 package tempeh, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 package frozen stir fry veggies, thawed a little bit

• 1 TBS sesame seeds

• Salt to taste

• 2 TBS coconut oil, for cooking

Method for Stir Fry:

In a large pan, heat coconut oil over medium heat.

Add tempeh to pan, and cook to brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes. Add in veggies, sesame seeds and salt, and toss. Cook everything together for another 5-7 minutes, until veggies are cooked and a little browned. Depending on how hot your stovetop gets, this could take longer.

Serve stir fry, pancakes and peanut sauce together and enjoy a healthified takeout meal!

Fiesta Tempeh Wraps (The Runner Up!)

Remember that Instagram poll from last weekend? No? That's OK. I was having some serious takeout cravings but decided to take to the kitchen instead! The beef lettuce wraps won (see the previous post for those delightfully colorful morsels) but I want to help out my non-meat-eaters too!

Here's what you'll need to make my fiesta tempeh wraps [makes enough for a single meal & lots of leftovers!]:

Fillings:

• 2 TBS olive oil (split; for the pan)
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 small zucchini squash, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, diced finely
• 1 tsp cumin, split
• 1 tsp smoked paprika, split
• Salt to taste
• 1 8-ounce package unseasoned tempeh, sliced into 1/2-inch thick pieces (see picture for reference)
• Refried black beans (I bought a 15-ounce can refried black beans and what I didn't use, I put into tupperware for meals during the week)

Toppings:

• Sliced radish
• Sliced avocado
• Chopped cilantro
• Sliced lime

Wraps:

• Any kind you want! I used 2 Siete almond flour wraps per meal—you can find these at Whole Foods or small health food stores

Method:

In a large skillet or sauté pan over low-medium heat, heat 1 TBS olive oil. Add red onion, zucchini, garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, and salt. Cook until the onion and zucchini are soft, about 5-7 minutes, depending on the strength of your burner. When the onion and zucchini mixture is cooked (soft and almost caramelized), transfer into a bowl and set aside. This makes about 1 1/2 cups cooked zucchini.

With the pan still over low-medium heat, add the remaining 1 TBS olive oil to the pan. Place tempeh slices in the pan, close to each other but not touching. If it doesn't all fit, no worries, you can repeat the cooking process with remaining tempeh.

Cook on one side for 3-4 minutes until browned, then with a pair of tongs, flip each slice over and cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until browned. Add remaining 1/2 tsp each of cumin and smoked paprika, and salt to taste. When tempeh is browned on both sides, transfer to a plate and set aside. 

Now it's time to prepare the wraps! Place two wraps on a plate. Spread 1 TBS refried black beans on each wrap, leaving room around the edges. Add as much or as little zucchini mixture on to the wraps as you want, or you can have it on the side. Add 2-3 slices of tempeh to each wrap, and top with sliced radish, avocado, and cilantro. Squeeze wedge of lime over wraps to finish them off!

What's awesome about these wraps is having all of these different components that you can use to make different meals... try breakfast-for-dinner wraps with refried black beans, scrambled eggs, and zucchini; or a deconstructed taco salad with sliced tempeh, refried black beans, avocado, and radishes served over greens. The possibilities really are endless!