A Fresh, Innovative Vegan Recipe

For Meatless Monday, why not break from the usual routine with “Earth Strong” Tempeh over Eggplant with Carrot Puree and Jicama Slaw with Blackberry Coulis? It is a vegan recipe, which means it uses no animal products of any kind–not even honey.

A creation by Forest Hill Hospital’s Chef Gary DeFreitas and Chef Dale Lyons with help from Susan Hoyle, RD, and Elena Valencia-Penagos, RD, this innovative entrée debuted during the 2014 North Shore-LIJ Ultimate Chef Challenge. Here’s the vegan recipe:

Serving Size: 4 oz.

Preparation: 45 minutes. Cooking: 30 minutes

Per Serving: 309 Calories, 11.3 grams of fat, and 59 mg of sodium

Serves four.

Ingredients: Tempeh over Eggplant

16 oz Tempeh (Tempeh is made from soybeans. Find it in the produce refrigerated section.)

½ each Eggplant, sliced into 1 ½ inch cored circular slices

1 each Tomato

2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

5 oz. (about 16 spears) Asparagus

5 oz. Horseradish

½ cup Panko bread crumbs

½ cup Red onion, minced

¼ cup Mushrooms, minced

2 Tbsp Ginger, fresh, ground

1 ½ Tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped

1 ½ Tbsp Basil, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Canola oil

Ingredients: Carrot Puree

1 cup Water

¼ cup Carrots, boiled

½ tsp Molasses

¼ tsp Cinnamon

Pinch Nutmeg

Jicama Slaw

¼ cup Jicama, julienned

¼ cup Mango, julienned

¼ cup Raspberries, chopped

¼ each Lemon, juiced

Ingredients: Blackberry Coulis

1 cup Water

½ cup Blackberries

¼ tsp Cinnamon

1/8 tsp Nutmeg

½ tsp Molasses

Directions: Tempeh over Eggplant

1. Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Sauté onions, mushrooms, and tomato in pan until golden brown.
3. In a separate pan, lightly sauté tempeh until golden brown on both sides.
4. Combine contents of both pans in a bowl and set aside.
5. Re-use pan from sautéing above, to slightly heat eggplant slices on both sides (about two minutes perside).
6. While eggplant is cooking, blanch asparagus in a separate pan.
7. Prepare panko breadcrumb mixture by combining basil, cilantro, garlic and horseradish in a bowl.
8. Lightly bread eggplant with panko breadcrumb mixture.
9. Add remaining breadcrumb mixture to bowl from step #4 above.
10. Top eggplant with tempeh breadcrumb mixture.

Directions: Jicama Slaw

1. Combine jicama, mango, and raspberries.
2. Add one squeeze of lemon juice and mix all ingredients.
3. Carrot Puree:
4. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend.
5. Strain, discard liquid, and set puree aside.

Directions: Blackberry Coulis

1. In a medium saucepan, combine water, blackberries, molasses, cinnamon and nutmeg.
2. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. Transfer to a blender.
4. Puree until smooth, strain, and set aside.

Assembly Instructions:

1. Place 4 spears of blanched asparagus on plate in a diagonal fashion.
2. Add tempeh topped eggplant on top of asparagus.
3. Top with jicama slaw.
4. Place four dollops of carrot puree on plate.
5. Drizzle with blackberry coulis.

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