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Oh my  goodness these were so good! So good, in fact, that we made the entire recipe again the next day. Yup, it's true. Anyway, this was my latest post for One Green Planet, to view the entire drool-inducing recipe, click here.

Also, we've finally created a Hungry Birdie Facebook page! Check it out for photos, updates and more. Be sure to 'like' us if you want to show your appreciation!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

A pretty penne

photo by pwisenberg

Happy Sunday! This recipe is my take on pasta with meat sauce, except in lieu of the meat I opted for crumbled tempeh. The tempeh holds its firm texture and makes the sauce hearty and filling. I also happened to have some Daiya pepperjack cheese (so good!) lying around so I threw that in and it proved to add just the right amount of rich creaminess to sauce. Comfort food at its best!

Penne with tempeh tomato sauce
Serves 4-6

1 package whole wheat penne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 package tempeh, crumbled
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 tsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp each of dried thyme, oregano and crushed chilli flakes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 18-0z can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded non-dairy cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste

Begin by heating the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot, add the onions, garlic and bell pepper, season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly soft. Next crumble the tempeh by hand and add it to the pot, stirring it gently until it starts to get brown and crispy. Add the tomato paste, thyme, oregano and chilli flakes and stir until all the flavours have combined. Deglaze the bottom of the pot with the balsamic vinegar and allow the liquid to cook off, this takes a couple of minutes. Next, simply pour in the crushed tomatoes and allow the sauce the simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it becomes thick and rich, about a half hour. Add more salt and pepper, if needed. Meanwhile, add the penne to a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook the pasta until al dente and then add the noodles to the sauce, stirring in the cheese until it gets melted and gooey. Garnish with fresh ribbons of basil and enjoy!

P.S. Forks over Knives comes out this weekend, I can't wait to see it!

Going green

photo by pwisenberg

Last night's dinner. So good. I used this drool-inducing sauce and remixed the recipe by serving the tempeh with a medley of healthy green veggies- broccoli, bell peppers, green onions and kale. All I can say is yum!

Asian tempeh with green veggies
Serves 2-4

this sauce recipe
1 package tempeh, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 cup brown rice (I'd make 2 if I were serving 4 people) and necessary cooking liquid
1 green bell pepper
1 head broccoli, including the stems
1/2 bunch of kale, chopped
4-6 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
lime wedges for garnish

Begin by brining your rice and cooking liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Split it into 2 bowls- in one bowl, coat the tempeh and in the other, the pepper, broccoli, kale and onions. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high and add the tempeh cubes (no oil required). Cook until golden brown and crispy on the outside, turning often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside until later. Add the veggies t0 the wok and cook over medium until the sauce has reduced and the broccoli is fork tender (about 15 minutes). Re-add the tempeh, as well as the bean sprouts and heat everything thoroughly. Rectify the seasoning if necessary (it willl likely only need a bit of fresh pepper as the sauce is quite salty). Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges. This dish is seriously satisfying!

I don't know about you guys, but we are finally getting some nice weather here is Toronto, could this really be spring? I hope you all get to enjoy the sunshine over the weekend, I know I will! I am going to brave the St. Patty's Day crowds later to catch up with my sister over a glass of wine. Tomorrow it's lunch at my favourite vegan cafe Fresh with my parents, who are visiting. And Saturday, I get to cook dinner for one of my dearest friends who I haven't seen in far too long. I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and highly recommend picking up a bunch of fresh tulips, as they're sure to brighten anyone's day.

xo Robin

Tempted by tempeh

photo by pwisenberg

I made this dish two days ago and I have literally been daydreaming about it ever since. If the picture doesn't do it justice then you'll all just have to trust me on this one. I'll admit I was something of a tempeh virgin (shameful for a vegan, I know) until a couple of weeks ago. One Sunday, Paul and I decided to eat lunch at The Big Carrot and upon realizing that the tempeh dish I'd ordered was insanely yummy, I did what any respectable food blogger would do: I surreptitiously lingered at the counter and typed the ingredient list into my iPhone. Attempting to recreate this meal at home was quite the adventure. I had no recipe to follow and I took a few liberties with the ingredients by adding some snazzy items of my own (sriracha, lime juice and even a splash of gingerale). The tempeh has a nice meaty (although I hate to use that word) texture and it browns beautifully over high heat. Combined with the sweet bell peppers, onions and salty peanuts, it's perfection. But the best part of all is the sauce. Oh man, the sauce! It's sweet, sour and spicy all at once... it reminds me of a hip Asian barbecue sauce. I don't eat greasy Chinese take-out but I'd imagine it would taste like this. Only this is way better. And not greasy.

Sweet and sour tempeh over sautéed veggies
Serves 2-4 (if you're lucky)

1 package tempeh (it's a whole soybean product), cut on the diagonal
2 bell peppers, any colour, chopped
1/2 a large onion, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup salted peanuts
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
vegetable oil for sautéing

Sauce

3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce would work too)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
splash gingerale

Preheat oven to 250. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients and split into two separate bowls. In one bowl, stir in the tempeh so that it's fully coated in the sauce. Do the same with the peppers and onions in the second bowl. Heat the veggie oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Nestle the tempeh wedges in the hot oil and crisp until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and keep warm in the oven until serving. Next sauté the peppers and onions in the same pan, be sure to use a spatula to get every last bit of sauce, until cooked through but still slightly crisp. Serve the tempeh over the veggies and sprinkle with peanuts and fresh cilantro. Give each serving a generous squeeze of lime and you're ready to eat!

This meal is fabulous on its own but would also be great over brown rice. I strongly encourage everyone to take the plunge and lose your tempeh virginity. You'll thank me later.