Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh

We made this tonight for dinner and it was great! We don’t use tempeh much, so it was good to have a new way to fix it and the sauce is so delicious that we decided to double the sauce next time and try it with tofu, which is a little more universally appreciated at our house. We didn’t have kale, so we added spinach and mushrooms to the brown rice bed and used canola oil and a splash of toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil. Thanks for the great recipe!

We made this tonight for dinner and it was great! We don’t use tempeh much, so it was good to have a new way to fix it and the sauce is so delicious that we decided to double the sauce next time and try it with tofu, which is a little more universally appreciated at our house. We didn’t have kale, so we added spinach and mushrooms to the brown rice bed and used canola oil and a splash of toasted sesame oil instead of olive oil. Thanks for the great recipe!

I made this with tofu for dinner last night and it was excellent. I fudged on a couple things, since our fresh ginger was frozen I just chopped it up and added it to the liquid as is and I didn’t have coriander seeds, but it turned out so well. Thanks!

Never tried tempeh before. Can’t wait to give this one a try!

Looks amazing!…I’ve never had good luck with Temph…I’ll give this one a go for sure.

Like several other posters, my past experiences with tempeh have been pretty hit-or-miss. Generic stirfry? Miss. Vegan picadillo? Huge hit.
I’m looking forward to giving this one a whirl–sounds like a lot of people have already test driven it, with great success. Huzzah!
(By the way, Heidi, in ref to someone’s comment a few posts back, I like the color schemes in your photos. Honestly, for vegetarian mains, you just are going to have a lot of beiges and browns and greens if you are eating whole foods…)

I just made this recipe with some blood oranges that I got at the farmer’s market… It was so delicious! Not too sweet or cloying, vibrant and bright with some greens on the side… fabulous! Thanks for highlighting it.

I did this with lemon juice instead of orange and want people to know that it ends up a bit too tart — you should decrease the juice or increase the maple syrup. For people who don’t like citrus, maybe use apple or cranberry and reduce the sugar?

oh i haven’t had tempeh in so long! makes me so nostalgic just looking at this. i love this recipe – it looks just fantastic.

OMG that looks SO delicious! the tempeh/orange combo sounds incredible… also makes for a vibrant, beautiful photo!

hmm this sounds delicious – the second really delicious tempeh recipe I’ve heard recently. But this sounds a little dry…I wonder if you can increase the sauce or come up with some way to make it saucier.

Oh, how I love tempeh…however, I am an orange-phobe, and not much of a fan of other citrus either. Do you think there’s anything that can be substituted for the orange juice? Considering it’s a whole cup, I’m not too optimistic, but I thought I’d ask :]

Heidi, I made the tempeh for dinner and it was an amazing hit! Thank you. Delicious.

Heidi – this recipe looks fabulous!

That orange glaze sounds like it’s to die for!

Just got a chuckle from Heidi’s comment about no tempeh in sight in New Mexico..on the other hand, I tried this tonite and we were smitten. The sauce has just the right amount piquantness..another one to add to the favorites…

Oops! Threw.

We tried it with tofu, fresh tangerines off a friends tree (we live in Hawaii), sherry instead of mirin, and we just through the grated ginger in without squeezing. It was awesome, my whole family, even the non veges, ate it up!

Yes! I was just trying to decide what to make for dinner so I hopped over here for soem inspiration and voila! I have some extra-firm tofu sitting in the fridge begging to be used. I’ve also been wanting to get some Tempeh and try it out.

Hi Amber–I was wondering how to do this without the OJ because I’m allergic to citric acid. I’m thinking of trying this with pomegranate juice and maybe just adding some sugar or honey to makeup for the lack of sweetness in the juice (as compared to OJ). Don’t know if it will work, but I’ll report back!

Finally!!! I have been looking for something like this for a long time … thanks for the post Heidi, and Jude for the recipe.

Heidi…I just wanted to let you know I’ve been lurking on your site for months and found it to be an omen when the boyfriend brought home extra-firm tofu and fresh OJ for dinner, but didn’t know what to do with it! =) This was the first dish I’ve made from your site (though I’ve printed off many more!) and it was a quick and sweet dish that we served up over some leftover black rice. Delish!
HS Glad you liked it Victoria!

I’ve eaten tempeh only once at an organic food restaurant and I had no clue how to cook or use them even to date. This looks and sounds doable. In fact I have all the ingredients at home except tempeh. I will definitely give it a try. 🙂
By the way, Tartine is one of my favorite bakeries in SF!

We make something really similar only I always simmer the tempeh for about 5 minutes and then marinate mine for at least a few hours… then either grill it or bake it in the oven. Our sauce is really close to this recipe. I will try it this way for sure to see what the differences are! I love tempeh… so much easier on my stomach than tofu.
Oh Heidi! If you could just get an hour up the road you could get fabulous tempeh at the Body Cafe in Santa Fe!

I’ve been experimenting with tempeh lately. This dish looks really delicious. Can’t wait to give it a try.

Tofu and tempeh are the mainstays of my diet – this recipe looks great!

I have yet to try tempeh, but this recipe has convinced me to take the plunge. Thanks for sharing!

Looks amazing!…I’ve never had good luck with Temph…I’ll give this one a go for sure.

I’m glad you guys are liking it. I’m stuck right now in the Albuquerque, New Mexico airport. And trust me – there is no tempeh in sight.

For Michelle:
yes, tempeh is the less processed choice when it comes to soyfoods– much better for you than fake chicken and sausage made from soy, and many people say healthier than tofu as well. Beth

I love tempeh. I have been tempted to try to culture it at home, but I suspect I would have a mess. I am definitely going to try this out.

That looks really tasty. I’ve only made tempeh a few times and didn’t like it very much, but I’m definitely going to try this with tofu.

Heidi, I’m de-lurking to share with you that I love your recipes, your blog and your book. Jude Blereau’s book Wholefoods can be had on amazon dot com for as little as 99 cents, her new book can be ordered from amazon.ca. I’ve found that australian books in english are also easily ordered through either amazon dot co dot uk, or if you are adventurous with language through amazon dot de. you can also just enter an isbn number into g o o g l e and sellers of the book pop up… I’ve got my wholefoods copy on the way now… thanks for the tip.

Mirin, maple and tamari are an awesome combo. They really add oomph to a sauce/marinade. This sounds really, really good!

That looks utterly delicious!

I made this for dinner tonight- delicious! And I finally found a use for that tempeh in the freezer!

perfect! i have a huge bag of greens bestowed fm mom. they are the ones that dimsum shops blanch and serve with oyster sauce but they are baby thin from her garden. we been eating these things for 3 days straight and sweet tempeh sounds like a good match!
i’m still trying to tone down from the holidays…

My tempeh trials are hit-or-miss. Usually miss. But I love the idea of tempeh and can’t wait to try this!
BTW, in terms of processed vs. unprocessed foods, I’m guessing that tempeh is less than tofu or seitan. Is that right, does anyone know how they make tempeh?

Just tried this recipe for dinner tonight and it’s killer! I paired it with just some brown rice and spinach and nearly ate it all by myself. If you’re a fan of spicy, I’d suggest a sprinkle of red chile flakes…spicy and sweet is just up my alley and this recipe is great.

Interesting to see this because I just posted a recipe for Tempeh and I had never cooked with it before. My dish does require that the tempeh marinate for several hours at least? So I will try yours right now. I have plenty of tempeh left in the frig. Thanks and really love your blog. You are bringing us the freshest culinary style for the 21st century! best, s

Yay! I love my wholefoods cookbook, and look forward to looking into her more resent publications. I have a back stock of tofu in the fridge so I plan to try this recipe out with that tonite! Thanks!

I have never known anyone who’s actually tried making something with tempeh before. Thanks for boldly going there. Also, I have been enjoying your inclusion of whole grains.

Heidi,
Thanks for turning us on to yet another fabulous cook/chef/author and blog. I learn so much from your recipes and those that you link to.
Best,
Erica

I will make this soon, especially now that oranges are so inexpensive where I live. Question: do you steam your tempeh before you fry it? I always steam it as I heard that it will help with digestion.

i found these substitutes for MIRIN:
1 tablespoon dry sherry + ½ teaspoon sugar OR sherry OR heat two parts sake and one part sugar OR white wine + sugar to taste OR white wine

Oh wow that looks great!
I actually went to school in Perth and thought it was such a lovely little city!! I have many friends there and plan to travel back one day. I will definitely look her up for a cooking class!!!

Heidi – Thank you for introducing us to Jude and to tempeh (I’ve never cooked with it either). This looks really delicious and crispy…one of my favorite textures.
I’m also quite jealous that you enjoyed her company over coffee and croissants from Tartine (I’m an SF native, transplanted to London for the moment)!

Wow, this looks delicious. I haven’t had tempeh in while this is a great excuse to make something with it! I’ve always wanted to make a good sweet citrus sauce, I bet this would taste great with lemon juice too.
Thanks Heidi.

I have cooked with tempeh, and find I quite enjoy it. We also have a predilection for citrus around here, so I can’t wait to give this recipe a try.

Hi Jennifer,
I too was once troubled by tempeh’s less-than-fresh appearance, so I turned to the massive tome Passionate Vegetarian by the unforgetable Crescent Dragonwagon. She writes that the spots that look like mold in your tempeh reflect how the stuff is made: by culturing soybeans with a mold called Rhizopus oligosporus. The process similar to how milk is cultured into yogurt by the enlisting the aid of bacteria. Now that’s not to say you were eating “moldy” food. Your average American tempeh looks like a cobblestone path: brown spots along with a few darker ones, suspended in a white or slightly grey cake. The brown “stones” are bits of soy; the “cement” is the cake that forms from the culturing process. The darker spots are also part of the culturing, but you only want to see a few of those. Very spotty tempeh is on its way to spoilage. That lighter tempeh you found was less fermented than the darker stuff, probably with a milder flavor.
A note on tempeh – since it is formed from a mold, it’s not to be eaten raw like tofu. Tempeh recipes, like this gem, include a marinating step followed by baking, stir-frying, sauteing, and other cooking methods. I almost always boil a block of tempeh as my first step – it lightens the texture and makes it easier to cook and digest (and Kate, that will lessen the bitterness!). I likely will when I try this recipe! But some people like the firm, meaty texture and full flavor.
Finally, like with any food preserved by refrigeration, follow your nose! If you’re tempeh (or soy milk or yogurt or cream…) is bad, you will smell it into next week. Good luck, and here’s to your culinary adventurousness!

The cookbook looks beautiful. Lucky you, getting a call and then a visit from the cook herself!
-JJ

I love tempeh but I always seem to make the same dish with it. This is just the recipe I needed to change this silly habit of mine. Thanks Heidi and Jude!

I love everything about this recipe! The flavors sound spectacular, and the method is so easy–perfect. I’ve got a block of tempeh in the freezer that was made for this.

Thanks so much for this recipe, I’d love to try it but I’m not sure about using mirin. I don’t want to use anything with alcohol, could you please recommend a substitute?
Thanks!

I’m going to join the other commenters in saying that I’ve never cooked tempeh before but this looks great.

Heidi, I love your recipes and have been a fan for over a year. This one sounds like a winner. I have tempeh in the fridge and am going to try it tonight. Many thanks!

i literally just finished leftovers for lunch of the maple grilled tempeh featured last july. though it’s hard to imagine topping that recipe, i can hardly wait to try the citrus twist presented here. thank you for making tempeh so yummilicious.

Hello Heidi,
The name Jude Blereau sounded immediately familiar to me, too… as I’ve got Coming Home to Eat! I found it and got my copy on Amazon.co.uk but also saw it at the book section in Whole Foods store in London’s South Kensington.
I, too, have never cooked tempeh myself… I think I’ve seen it at some natural food store in Tokyo, but I might give it a try with tofu (over brown rice or maybe even farro or barley). Thanks! 🙂

I tried this recipe out today and did not find that the Tempeh was bitter at all! Actually, it was quite delicious and used up the two packages of lightlife organic tempeh I had stored in the fridge for the past months! Thanks!

Wow, another tempeh recipe :). I love your TLT one and I’m sure this is equally good. I “vegetarianized” a dish that an aunt of mine made while growing up by using tempeh and it seemed quite successful. Perhaps I can share with you once I have the recipe actually written down. I don’t think a bit of this and a splash of that would work very well :).

I love Jude Blereau’s Wholefood– her recipes and attitude toward food and cooking are inspiring. I especially appreciate the care she takes in preparing grains (the porridge section got us through the winter last year, as we were tired of oatmeal by January!).
I’ve never tried tempeh, and after the mold discussion, I’ll probably pass on it for a while longer! But this recipe and the picture are definitely tempting! Thanks for the heads-up on the new wholefood book. 🙂

Thanks Heidi and Jess for the guidance! I am looking forward to trying this!

Heidi, who wouldn’t want to sit down over croissant with you?!

Is there a substitute for Mirin?

Heidi, do you ever steam the tempeh first, before marinating and frying? I’ve only recently started doing this, per Deborah Madison’s advice, and have found that not only is the tempeh less bitter according to my kids (I never mind bitter), but also it slightly increases in volume, and certainly the texture improves, so that it seems to go farther and be more satisfying. Or perhaps you have access to better tempeh than I?

I have cooked tempeh before and found it bitter … this sounds like a perfect remedy! Thanks and LOVE the site 🙂

I had never cooked with tempeh until I attempted your TLT sandwich which was excellent and has become a family favorite (even with the non-vegetarians who request it all the time)! I love the way this dish looks and am anxious to try it – but I have a question about tempeh. When I opened my first tempeh package (months before the expiration date) it looked like it might have become moldy. Since I had no idea what it should look like I bought another package of the same brand which had a lighter color, so I threw the first package away to be safe. Since then I have opened a number of packages that have looked questionable, which makes me wonder if there is a normal color variation in tempeh or if I just happened to get a number of bad packages? Can you tell me how the tempeh should look so I don’t throw away perfectly good tempeh? Thanks!
HS: Hi Jennifer, see the comments Jess made below, she is an earlier riser than I am 😉 But in short, a bit of bloom is no big deal, I usually see it around the corners. If it bothers you just trim it.

I also have never cooked with tempeh but you have inspired me! I’m actually a Wellingtonian and have come across Jude’s books before, so I will be looking out for her new one. I’m an avid reader of your blog and I’d like to thank you for your absolutely beautiful recipes! I also send deferred thanks from friends, coworkers, family and my boyfriend – the main samplers of my cooking. You really are a chef to admire and I hope that you are able to visit this part of the world again soon.
Jo

I have never used tempeh before, but this recipe may spur me into expanding my culinary repertoire! I love any savory dish with citrus flavours in it, and this sounds very flavourful indeed. Thanks Heidi, your recipes always inspire me to try new things. 🙂