Vietnamese Warm Tempeh Salad

MARINATED TEMPEH
- 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger root
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 8-ounce package of tempeh
- 1 heaping cup julienned carrots
- 1 heaping cup deveined pea pods
- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
- 1 tomato, cut in wedges (optional)
- lettuce, washed and trimmed
- 1/2 pound rice stick noodles or vermicelli
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions:
This is a wonderful entree salad that is substantial enough for a cold winter night.
- In a hot skillet with 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, briefly saute garlic and ginger, stirring well. Do not burn. Add mirin, tamari or soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice.
- Place whole block of tempeh in the marinade. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes on each side. Remove tempeh and set aside, and save marinade in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the orange juice to the marinade to thin. Use this as a sauce for the noodles.
- Prepare all the vegetables.
- Boil water with pinch of salt for the noodles (follow package directions for quantity). Before boiling noodles, blanch the carrots and pea pods in this water: First drop in the julienned carrots. Leave them in for 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and run them under cold water until cool. Repeat the procedure with the pea pods, but leave them in for only about 30 seconds.
- Drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook for approximately 6 minutes. Drain. Do not rinse with water. Cool.
- In a hot skillet with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, saute marinated tempeh until golden brown on each side. Cut tempeh into 9 pieces.
- To serve: Dress lettuce with Sesame Vinaigrette. Place some lettuce on each serving plate. Top with chilled noodles. Pour leftover marinade on the noodles. Surround the noodles with carrots, pea pods, cucumber, and tomato wedges. Top the noodles with tempeh. Garnish with scallions, peanuts, and cilantro or mint.