On a sunny, crisp, cool night after a Monday back at work, sometimes you just want to try something new and refreshing. So, before our friends came over for cocktails, I pulled some Tofurky lemon-pepper tempeh out of the refrigerator and got to work for a little pre-margarita meal.
This tempeh was part of a package of items the Tofurky folks sent to me recently to review, so I’ll spend most of my time focusing on it in today’s. First of all, it was easy to cook – always a plus on a busy night! All I had to do was throw the strips in a pan, cook them for two to three minutes on each side, and they were ready to serve! Tonight we choose to serve them on hoagie rolls with some (vegan) mayonnaise, onion slices, tomato, and lettuce leaves from the garden, though I could imagine serving them with pasta, in wraps, or in other dishes as well.
But the proof was in the eating. And by the end of the meal, there was not one tempeh strip left between LeeLee and me! We loved the flavor (LeeLee is especially partial to lemon), and the way they melded with the rest of the meal was great. They seem pretty adaptive, yet also quite able to stand on their own.
I’m still getting used to the texture of tempeh as a whole – I like it and will buy it from time to time at the grocery store, but I haven’t gotten my taste buds to adapt to it the way they have to, say, tofu. But the way this tempeh was seasoned made it MUCH more palatable for me. I think one of the problems I’ve been having all along is a lack of flavoring, because this marinade really popped.
We paired the sandwiches with English peas and vegan mac and “cheese” for a lovely, light summertime meal. It was a treat indeed!
The stats:
Tofurky lemon-pepper tempeh: FREE!
Sub rolls: $2.50/six ($0.42/person)
Mac and Cheez: $2.19 ($1.10/person)
Peas: $1.75 ($0.88/person)
Onion: $1.00 ($0.25/person)
Tomato: $0.79 ($0.40/person)
Lettuce: FREE!
GRAND TOTAL: $8.23 … or $3.05 per person.
:)