Guest Post by Erica of Cult of Kale: Tempeh Tacos with Roasted Artichokes and Spicy Sriracha Dipping Sauce

Today's post is the first ever guest post on The Vegan Kitchen blog! My friend Erica recently started a great blog called Cult of Kale (see details at the bottom of this post) and so I invited her to do a guest post here. She selected a tasty looking recipe from her own collection & I hope you all enjoy it!


I have to admit, I'm a little obsessed with Tempeh. When we lived in
NY, we would buy it in bulk from our local food co-op. When we moved to Arizona,
I was very disappointed that it was not carried by most
grocers in the area. We occasionally find it at an Asiana
marketplace, but mostly I buy it from Trader Joe's.

What is tempeh? Tempeh is a fermented cake or patty like product made
up of soybeans and sometimes grains. You can get them flavored, deep
fried, but usually double sealed in the refrigerated section
of a grocery store near the tofu. 

For this Meatless Monday, I was in a Mexican-food mood, so I decided
to make Tempeh Tacos with Roasted Artichokes and a spicy Sriracha
Dipping Sauce!

Tempeh Tacos

For this recipe you'll need:

• 1 package of tempeh
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
  of choice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper of choice,
  chopped
• 2 tablespoons of taco
  seasoning
• 3-4 flour tortillas or 6-8
  taco shells

Directions:

1. Prepare the tempeh by cutting into crumble size chunks and boiling
   in a small saucepan for 5 minutes with a dash of salt and a bay leaf.
   Dump water and bay leaves when finished.
2. While tempeh is cooking, saute the chopped onion and
   pepper with a little oil of choice.
3. When the onions are just starting to turn translucent, turn down
   the heat to medium and  toss the tempeh.
4. Let the tempeh cook with
   the onions and peppers for a few minutes then add soy sauce and
   seasoning.
5. Toss until tempeh is well coated, cooking a couple minutes longer.
   Turn off heat and place the lid on the pot, allowing it to sit on the
   burner for 5-10 minutes.
6. Stuff your tortillas or taco shells, add additional taco toppings
   like salsa, hot sauce, tomatoes or lettuce and enjoy!

Artichokes

For this recipe you'll need:

• Artichokes, as many as you want! My recipe is built for two, so
  adjust measurements as needed
• 2 cloves of garlic, whole
• 1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 a lime
• oil, for roasting pan

Directions:

1. This is best to start before anything
   else, since you can get back to it while other foods are cooking.
   Place artichokes in a pot large enough to hold them and fill the pot
   with water.
2. Bring water to boil. Add two cloves of
   garlic, a tablespoon of red pepper flakes and a quarter cup chopped
   fresh cilantro.
3. Once boiling, cover the pot with lid and
   turn heat down to simmer. Allow to cook for 30 minutes.
4. Prepare roasting pan with a little bit
   of oil. Turn on broiler or oven up to 500°F.
5. Carefully remove artichokes from water
   with tongs and carefully place on a cutting board. Slice artichokes
   down the middle. 
6. Squeeze juice from the lime into the
   exposed inside of the artichoke halves.
7. Place the artichokes with the cut side
   down on the roasting pan and place carefully into oven. Cook for 5
   minutes.
8. Pull out of oven and allow to cool.
   Serve with favorite dip or some spicy Sriracha dip!

Sriracha Dip

For the dip you'll need:

• 1/2 cup of vegan mayo
• 2 tablespoons of Sriracha
• 1 finely diced clove of garlic (or 1 tsp of garlic powder)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Enjoy!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! You can find me on Facebook
and Twitter, as well as
right on my blog Cult of
Kale!

Erica D. is a longtime vegan studying Urban Horticulture and
Sustainability. Her blog, Cult of
Kale is a green lifestyle blog covering urban gardening, vegan
cooking and general tips on leaving a smaller footprint on our planet.
She lives with three kitties and her husband in sunny Arizona.