Let's Make Some Baked Tempeh

It's time to learn how to make baked tempeh! Plus, we'll give you some ideas for what you can marinate your tempeh in before cooking, plus easy sauces to pour over the top.

Tempeh is generally an easy food to play around with. But you're not just going to toss a patty into the oven and call it a day.

So I'm going to give you some ideas of what you can do with your tempeh in order to make dishes that you can be proud of.

First, Prepare Your Tempeh For Baking

There are so many things you can do with tempeh to prep it for baking.

Here are just some ideas for the prep...

Steam it. Now, unless you have completely raw and unprocessed tempeh (meaning it hasn't been packaged), you really don't HAVE to steam it first. That's because it's usually pre-cooked before it gets packaged up. Still, I recommend steaming first because not only will this process remove some bitter overtones, but the tempeh will swell a bit which helps it to accept more flavors.

Boil it. Cut the tempeh in half and boil it in 1 cup of veggie broth. It will pick up the delicious brothy flavor. Perfect if you're going to crumble or grate the tempeh to add to a stuffing, for instance, in which you'd like a little more flavor than regular tempeh provides.

Fry it. You can also cut the patty into cubes and fry in about 1/4 cup veggie broth or a swipe of olive oil. This will add an extra-special crispy coating to the outside of your tempeh. And adding a little organic Tamari soy sauce to the pan "ups" the flavor quotient.

Marinate it. Another option is to marinate your tempeh for several hours before baking it. This can really add a depth of flavor that will push your dish over the top.

Here are some of the best basic marinated tempeh ideas...

• Marinade #1: 1 cup apple cider or juice, 1 cup water, 3 whole allspice, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bay leaf, 2 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 Tbsp. vinegar, 1 Tbsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp. powdered ginger.
  
  
• Marinade #2: 1 cup apple cider, 2 tsp. maple syrup or coconut nectar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
  
  
• Marinade #3: 2 Tbsp. organic Tamari, 2 Tbsp. Mirin, 1/4 cup vegetable stock.

After marinating in the fridge for several hours (or overnight!), remove the tempeh, add your favorite thickener (like arrowroot or cornstarch) to the marinade, place tempeh in an oven-proof dish, and then pour the sauce over the top - the heat from the oven will help to thicken your sauce.

How To Bake Tempeh

When baking tempeh, most of the time you'll cook it for at least 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Always use your imagination and your favorite flavors from the Tempeh Flavor Matches to make your creation. (There's no right way or wrong way to do it -- just have fun.)

For instance, I like to make a delectable easy sauce to pour over the top either before my tempeh goes into the oven, or after it comes out.

Sauces make the meal. Here are some ideas for sauces to get you started:

• Sauté 1/2 cup chopped onions in a pan with a swipe of olive oil. When translucent, add 2 Tbsp. flour and 2 cups veggie stock. Cook until thick and bubbly. Add 2 Tbsp. vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast;
  
  
• Toast 1/4 cup flour lightly in a dry pan. Stir in 2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast and 1/4 cup organic Earth Balance non-dairy butter. Then add 2 cups veggie stock and 1 Tbsp. organic Tamari soy sauce. Cook until thick and bubbly;
  
  
• Cook about 6 ounces of sliced mushrooms in a pan with a swipe of olive oil over medium-high heat, stirring often until browned (7-8 minutes). Stir in 3 Tbsp. flour. Add 2 cups veggie stock and a little organic Tamari, or salt. Cook and stir until thickened. Add 1/3 cup non-dairy sour cream, if desired.

Next:  How To Make Tasty Sautéed Tempeh

Happy cooking!