I was intrigued by the idea of making a sandwich using tempeh. It seems like this ingredient is a common option at vegetarian restaurants -- and somehow I don't think I've ever actually eaten it! Time to rectify that situation. There were many flavor options; I decided to try out Lightlife's organic wild rice tempeh to make my sandwich.
What exactly is tempeh you ask? According to Ye Olde Wikipedia, "[Tempeh] is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form." Yummy, right? It is an ingredient native to Indonesia, where it has been a cooking staple for over 2,000 years. Here's an excellent summary of tempeh's nutritional qualities.
Tempeh has a high protein content and can be used in a variety of different dishes (typically as a meat substitute). It can be sauteed, grated, stewed, or baked. I opted to saute my slab of tempeh in a little bit of sesame oil, cooking each side until golden brown, or about 2-3 minutes per side.
To make my sandwich, I toasted up two slices of sourdough bread. Then I slathered each slice with some hummus. I topped one bread slice with slices of heirloom tomato (seriously, once you have tasted an heirloom tomato, you can't go back to any other kind, unless, say, you grow your own), and a handful of arugula. I plopped my sautéed tempeh slab on top of the arugula, then popped on the other bread half. Done! And, actually, quite good. Tempeh is kind of like tofu in that it takes on the flavor of whatever it's cooked in; I think next time I'll opt for a plain kind and then marinade it in something yummy before sauteing or baking it.
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