Hands down, this is my new favorite way to prepare and eat tempeh, and lime is now my new favorite citrus (I know, shocking, since lemon seems to star in so many of my other recipes!). 

Cubes of tempeh are marinated in a mix of orange juice, maple syrup, soy sauce and sriracha, with a little squeeze of lime for acidity. 

After marinating, the tempeh is then cooked to a golden brown and then glazed in the sticky, sweet and slightly spicy marinade, making it both the marinade and sauce. 

Quick, easy, and delicious!  If tempeh is not your thing, don’t despair, I imagine the marinade/glaze would be equally delicious on your protein of choice; tofu, shrimp, chicken, etc. 

I serve this tempeh with a side of greens and black rice or aside spicy peanut noodles, or as I have it here as a topping for Super Simple Kale Salad with Orange & Almonds. Also delicious with my Kale Salad with Creamy Cashew Dressing or Raw Root Asian Slaw. It’s delicious any way you choose!

Maple Orange Tempeh

Author: Sweet Green Kitchen’s Jen Jones

Adapted from “Salad Samurai” by Terry Hope Romero

Ingredients:

1 pound Tempeh – 2 packages

¾ cup Orange Juice

3 Tablespoons lite Soy Sauce (Organic or non GMO)

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 ½ teaspoons Sriracha Sauce

Zest & Juice of ½ Lime

Plus Coconut Oil for cooking

Directions:

Cut the tempeh into small bite size cubes – I cut each block into 10-11 strips and then cut each strip into 4 cubes – and place into a sealable container.  Mix together the remaining ingredients, except the coconut oil, and pour over the tempeh.  Seal and marinate for at least 20 minutes to an hour, or overnight if you plan ahead.

After marinating the tempeh, heat a large skillet over a medium flame and put a spoonful of coconut oil in.  Once the oil has melted and coats the bottom of the pan, remove the tempeh cubes from the marinade, (save the marinade!) and place in the hot pan.  Don’t crowd the tempeh, you will probably have to cook it in two stages.  Cook the tempeh for a few minutes until it gets golden brown and caramelized on one side, then turn and brown another side.  Once the tempeh is golden brown on at least two sides, pour in the reserved marinade and toss the tempeh cubes until they are fully coated in the marinade.  Continue cooking the tempeh until the marinade begins to reduce and turns to a nice sticky golden glaze.  Turn off the heat, and serve. Delicious served with brown rice and sautéed veggies or topping a salad (like the one below). Leftovers can be refrigerated and are great straight from the fridge.  Enjoy!

Tagged: Kale, Lime, maple syrup, tempeh