Lemon Picatta Redemption

My favorite dish to prepare in my past (meatatarian) life was lemon chicken (much like Debra in "Everybody Loves Raymond"). I loved the process of making it, I loved the smells as it cooked, I loved sneaking bites during the preparation. I loved how it looked on the plate and especially loved it the next day, cold and straight from the fridge. It was one of the dishes that truly gave me pause when I thought about cutting meat from my diet.

So, it was the very first recipe I attempted to veganize. I knew I could use vegan "meats" from my freezer, but I wanted to try a healthier alternative. It wasn't until I tried tempeh that I felt I had a winner. Tempeh is a great substitute for the chicken and takes on the wonderful flavors in the skillet. Tempeh is so dang good for you and I was really pleased to find another way to get the stuff in my belly. This will make your mouth happy!


Prepare the tempeh a few hours or the day before as follows:

1 package (8 ounces) of tempeh
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Enough water to cover tempeh in sauce pan

For marinade (put in a non-reactive dish or Ziplock bag):

½ cup white wine or cooking sherry
1 tablespoon dark miso, dissolved in 1 cup of hot water
1 cup Imagine No Chicken Broth
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon capers
½ tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon rosemary (fresh is ideal and -of course- I didn't have any fresh)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon minced onions
1 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper- your choice)



1. Slice tempeh into about 12 equal pieces (see "step-by-step" picture).
2. Place tempeh in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and enough water to cover; simmer for 10 minutes.
3. While it’s simmering, prepare marinade. When tempeh is done and still hot, remove from water and place in marinade (marinate at least 2 hours; overnight works best).


STRAIN AND KEEP THE MARINADE FOR TOMORROW'S POST- IT WILL BE WORTH IT!


Now you’re ready to prepare the picatta!


Prepared tempeh
1 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
Egg Replacer (equivalent of 2 eggs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Earth Balance
½ cup water
1 cup sliced mushrooms (I like them a lot and usually add more)
Juice and zest of 1 small lemon (more if you like it über lemony. When I made it today I was out of fresh lemons, and had to use bottled juice. Not the same, People!)
½ cup cooking sherry or white wine
1 teaspoon capers, drained
½ cup fresh parsley



1. Dredge tempeh in Egg Replacer then dust in flour seasoned with salt, pepper and nutritional yeast.
2. Add oil and Earth Balance to a deep skillet. Brown tempeh in skillet over medium heat (about 3-5 minutes each side). Remove tempeh and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, add water and mushrooms; cook for 1 minute, using spatula to pick up all the brown bits and cooked flour in the bottom of the skillet.
4. Add wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, capers, and parsley, bringing to boil.



5. Return tempeh to skillet, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, turning tempeh half way through. The liquid will get pretty thick. Keep an eye on the pan so the liquid doesn’t completely boil away; when the tempeh is good and hot and it's all thick and yummy-looking in the pan you're ready to eat! Serve with vegetables and pasta or grains. I served it with whole wheat orzo.

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In the Midst of Unspeakable Fruit Carnage, Dinner is Born

When the lights went out on our clean kitchen last night, we had oranges, apples, bananas and a lemon all sharing counter space. Each in their own decorative bowls, they sent out their fruity vibes through the whole house. We had a window cracked and with the curtain pushed aside it was a lovely summer tableau: the sky turning purple, crickets singing as fireflies danced above our pond, and our fruit on the counter, barely lit by the moonlight.

This morning, after an apparent suicide pact, all the fruit was over-ripe and squishy. I can't bring myself to describe what happened to the apples, but suffice it to say they were well on their way to becoming gelatinous goo. The lone lemon was left, inexplicably unfazed by the carnage around it. That lemon had to go.

Note: I don't really think of this as a recipe since I just threw it together. I literally stood in the middle of the kitchen, lemon in hand, thinking, "what am I going to do with this thing?" It was so good, though, and looked so pretty on the plate that I felt it was worth sharing. I absolutely love lemon in anything, and when I made this tonight I used a pretty heavy hand with the zest and juice. Adjust it to your taste. Amounts are approximate but, as written, should serve four people. Get the quinoa started before you prep and cook everything else, since that will take the longest.

Gardein Scallopine with "Butter" on Seared Spinach, Lemony Asparagus with Shallots, and Red Quinoa with Garlic

1 cup red quinoa
2 cups Imagine Low-Sodium Vegetable Broth
2 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 small shallots, peeled and sliced
1 lemon
1 bunch fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons Earth's Balance No-Soy spread, divided
4 generous handfuls of fresh spinach
1 package Gardein Chick'n Scallopine (4 cutlets), thawed
1 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning
Sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste



1. Put quinoa, 1 tablespoon of garlic and broth in a pot and bring to boil. When boiling, reduce to a low simmer and cook until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is al dente (about 15 minutes).

2. While quinoa is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When oil is ready, add remaining garlic and the shallots and toss to coat. Sauté until they begin to soften up, about 3 minutes. Zest the lemon over the shallots, then cut lemon open and squeeze in some fresh juice (use your judgement- a little goes a long way).

3. Add in the asparagus, tossing to coat, and heat until asparagus is tender (about 5 minutes for thin spears). Add salt and pepper to taste, then put in a covered bowl to keep warm while you finish the spinach and "chicken."

4. Using the same skillet, melt one tablespoon of the Earth's Balance over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook down, tossing often. Add salt and pepper to taste. You want it to start to dry out a bit and get a few crispy edges. Put cooked spinach in another covered dish to keep warm and prepare the cutlets.

5. Use the same skillet. (I know- it's a hassle. But it's worth it because it develops the flavors in my opinion AND there are fewer dishes in the end!) Heat up the remaining oil over medium heat. Sprinkle the cutlets with the lemon pepper seasoning and cook about 3 minutes per side.

6. By now the quinoa should be done. Plate all your ingredients then quickly melt the remaing Earth's Balance in (surprise!) the same skillet, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Drizzle the melted spread over the cutlets.

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