A CITY IN ARIZONA?

This was a week of Jewish New Year celebrations.  By Friday, I was determined to get back on track and  listen up for non-scale victories that might be doable.  As Walt Disney once said "If you can dream it, you can do it".  If I wasn't eating and hosting lunch or dinner, then I was preparing food.  One woman asked me today if I was in the food business.  I said I wasn't but knew in my mind that I was, am and always will be food obsessed.  The difference this time is when I find myself face-to-face with a buffet table, I navigate it better and am more portion-vigilant.  When I weighed in this morning I was pleased that I maintained the status quo and was on the right end of the spectrum when I lost .2 of a pound.

You may ask about the weird title of "A City in Arizona".  Well there is a City in Arizona called Tempe but that is as far away as people explaining the word "Tempeh".  Last night I had the privilege of going to an intimate dinner to welcome the 2011 Canada's Walk of Fame Inductees at the Windsor Arms Hotel.  The main course had three options:  Beef Tenderloin, Alaskan Black Cod, or Tempeh Stir Fry.  I asked the server what "tempeh" was and she said it meant "crispy".  I said what do you mean crispy?   Do you mean deep fried and she said no it wasn't deep fried. I think she was mixed up with the word Tempura though and she might have said a city in Arizona, she was so far from the truth.

It was really tasty and I didn't have to endure the carb-laden sides that went with the other two choices.  I knew it had to be the vegetarian option since there was already a meat or fish one.  The menu explained it included steamed broccoli, bok choy and sweet potato and was served on a bed of brown rice but I think it was actually mixed with wild rice.  Anyway, even if I didn't know what tempeh was, I knew I liked all the rest of the ingredients in this stir-fry.  To me, tempeh tasted like a roasted chestnut in texture and had a little bit of a nutty quality. 

When I arrived home, I checked out the word "Tempeh" on the computer.  It is a tasty and nutritious protein-loaded staple of vegetarian cooking.  It is one point in the Weight Watchers program for 1/4 cup of it and here are ten things I found out about tempeh.

1.  Made of whole soybeans that are soaked, dehulled, and partially cooked
2.  It's the only major soy-based food that did not originate in China or Japan
3.  It is created through fermentation
4.  Loaded with vegetable protein (20 grams per serving)
5.  Easy to digest
6.  Often used as a meat substitute in vegan and vegetarian cuisine
7.  A staple food Indonesia for over 2000 years
8.  Great source of fibre
9.  Very good source of manganese
10. It tastes great!

...  and if I were to add a #11, I would add that it is low in calories and will help you lose weight.

In my definition studies of tempeh, I also found that it is often formed into a patty, similar to a very firm veggie burger. Many commercially prepared brands add other grains such as barley and also add spices and extra flavours.  Although tempeh is made from soy, it has a unique taste and is mildly flavourful on it's own, unlike tofu.  It actually tastes nothing like tofu and has a textured and nutty flavour sort of like quinoa or as I had said before, roasted chestnuts.

If you would have asked me last night, I would have said I wouldn't buy it and make it into a stir-fry.  After a little studying and finding out it really isn't tofu nor does it taste like it, I am now going to look for it in the supermarket or maybe the health food store.  I am not exactly sure where it is available.  I commend the Windsor Arms for making a vegetarian dish that is tasty and actually has protein, a complaint of many vegetarians when asking for a vegetarian meal at a dinner.  It is also nice to know that there are numerous ways it can be prepared other than stir-fry like tacos or chili or burritos, Jamaican spiced nuggets, breakfast tempeh hash, Cajun marinated or barbecued, baked or instead of chicken in salads.  Tempeh has opened up a whole new world for me as a Flexitarian who eats meat, dairy and vegetables but not fish.