This falls under the category of a clean, plant based swap where if you call it the thing (pepperoni) you may face criticism but if you call it not-the-thing (tempeh-rroni … which is its own thing … sorta) then people are free to get all excited ’bout how delicious it is, without wasting time on the pesky “does it taste like the OTHER thing” thing.
Know what I mean? 😊
That said, I’m not sure if tempeh-rroni is an actual thing cuz I just made that up but I have to imagine, I could not *possibly* be the only one who’s thought of making pepperoni from tempeh. It’s gotta be out there somewhere, in this big, huge world of amazing and wondrous things.
I’ve heard of it being done with seitan and tofu. The reason I tried making up a recipe with tempeh is that there are some issues with soy but organic, fermented soy (found in tempeh) is a whole nother story.
Organic tempeh is actually good for you! (It’s loaded with probiotics and high in vitamin K2, shown to help build strong bones, support brain health and naturally heal your body.)
Plus … Tempeh-rroni is yum! So we got that goin’ for us too.
There’s a little kick to these so if you like a little spicy-spicy, you’re gonna love them!
………
Tempeh-rroni Recipe
- 8 oz tempeh (original, unflavored)
- 4 drops liquid smoke (optional)
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes, lightly crushed
- 3/4 tsp granulated garlic
- 3/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp paprika, to taste
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp coconut sugar
In medium bowl, mix all ingredients except tempeh to create sauce. Set aside.
Create pepperoni shapes by punching out tempeh into discs with 2″ round mini cookie cutter, then slicing to 1/4″ thick.
Coat tempeh rounds with sauce, including edges, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate an hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400.
Place tempeh rounds on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake til slightly browned on the bottom, about 9 min. Flip and bake 5 more min. Remove from oven, cool and enjoy!
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