Trying New Things - A Smothered Tempeh Sandwich

You know, it's funny, but in all my years of health food eating, I bypassed tempeh every time I saw it in the health food refrigerated section. I think I was intimidated? Worried it would taste like feet?

But, left with a packet after Abby's visit, I was curious. I read a little more about it (thanks Wikipedia) and found out that tempeh:
Like tofu, ...is made from soybeans, but tempeh is a whole soybean product with different nutritional characteristics and textural qualities. Tempeh's fermentation process and its retention of the whole bean give it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamin.
I convinced Mik to try it too, and we were both pleasantly surprised! Because it has whole beans, it has a pleasant, firm texture (think the opposite of tofu) and kind of a nutty, mild flavor. Nice! I highly encourage people to try it out for something different!

Smothered Tempeh Sandwiches
Adapted from Eating Well

INGREDIENTS
1 8-ounce package tempeh (we had one called 5-grain tempeh)
1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 small shallots, thinly sliced (the original recipe called for 1 red onion, but we had shallots on hand)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry red wine
4 ounces sliced provolone cheese
8 thin slices whole-wheat bread, toasted (we used a great whole grain tuscan loaf from the bakery at the supermarket- yum!)

PREPARATION
Our tempeh came in two thick, rectangular pieces. We cut them in half lengthwise and down the thickness of the pieces so we ended up with 8 thinner pieces. Set aside.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan on medium. Add mushrooms, onions and salt and cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Now the fun bit- splash in the wine and drink what's leftover (with your meal or while cooking. I know what I did!). Give everything just a minute to soak in the wine, and then add your tempeh slices. Spoon some of the mushrooms and onions over each slice, make sure that each piece gets thoroughly coated in wine. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until you've warmed everything through and the wine has evaporated. Get out your cheese slices and lay over each slice of tempeh and remove from the heat. Cover the pan and let stand until the cheese melts (won't take long). Meanwhile, slice and toast your bread.
When the bread is toasted and the cheese has melted, make your sandwiches! Put 1-2 slices of tempeh and cheese on each one and cover with onions and mushrooms. Serve while your cheese is still melty and enjoy!

We ate this with some leftover vegetables we had on hand and black beans, but I bet this would be awesome with a spinach, goat cheese and balsamic salad if you want.