Charmoula Tempeh with Forbidden Rice

Here we are in January. The holidays have passed, along with all of their cookies, cocktail parties, and platters of cheese. This first week always finds me, and no doubt most of America, ready to turn the diet around in one way or another. One of my resolutions is to go back to cooking interesting meatless and healthy meals more often. This dish is one of my favorite meals sans meat. Tempeh is often maligned, but that’s because its usually cooked wrong. The key is to infuse the tempeh with lots of flavor and to give the pieces of fermented soy a nice browning. This recipe does both nicely.  Its based on a similar recipe in the Angelica’s Kitchen cookbook and is very simple to put together on a work night.

Charmoula Tempeh
Yield: 8 servings

6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Lemon zest from one lemon
1/2 cup water
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound tempeh, sliced 1/2 inch thin on a bias
Chopped cilantro for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk all the ingredients except tempeh together in a bowl
3. Lay tempeh in a baking dish large enough to hold all the pieces in a single layer.
4. Pour marinade over the tempeh to barely cover
5. Cover teh dish and bake for 35 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until tempeh is brown on top.

Top with cilantro and serve over Black Forbidden Rice, prepared as directed.