Food for Fitness: The tantalizing Tastes of Tempeh
I have considered life without meat. I have friends who are vegetarian some even that are vegan, and I have eaten their kinds of food with them and enjoyed it greatly sometimes. However, I just do not think that I could live without consuming a thick, juicy, fat infested cheese burger every now and again. With that said, I would say that I have a broad palette, one that spans many different types of foods derived from numerous different cultures. From time to time, my fiancé Jonathan and I will fast as part of our practice of faith. During these times of fasting, we sometimes go without food. Mostly we just abstain from our carnivorous diet and set aside meat consumption in addition to breads and sweets. One time while on this venture, we were introduced to the lovely meat substitute known as tempeh. This fermented food made by the controlled fermentation of cooked soybeans with a Rhizopus mold can be flavored like tofu can to satisfy any palette, however, in my opinion; it has a more desirable texture than tofu does. According to Tempeh.info, tempeh (pronounced tem-?p?) has the following health benefits: High fiber content One serving of tempeh contains more fiber than most people consume in one day. Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive tract as well as preventing many chronic diseases. Tempeh is easy to digest Tempeh is a great choice for people who have difficulty digesting plant-based high-protein foods like beans and legumes or soy foods such as tofu. The process of fermentation makes the soybeans softer, since enzymes produced by the mold predigests a large portion of the basic nutrients. The Rhizopus molds produce an enzyme phytase which breaks down phytates, thereby increasing the absorption of minerals such as zinc, iron and calcium. Ideal for people on low sodium diets Unlike other fermented soy products, like miso which is very salty, tempeh is extremely low in sodium. Contains natural antibiotics Rhizopus molds produce natural, heat-stable antibiotic agents against some disease-causing organisms. Indonesians who eat tempeh as a regular part of their diet recognize it as a medicine for dysentery and rarely fall victim to the intestinal diseases to which they are constantly exposed. Good for diabetic patients The protein in tempeh is excellent for diabetic patients, who tend to have problems with animal sources of protein. The protein and fiber in tempeh can also prevent high blood sugar levels and help in keeping blood sugar levels under control. The same website in which the above information directly came from also offers this great recipe for sweet and sour tempeh: Ingredients 250 g tempeh 1 cup vegetable stock 3 Tbs tamari 2 Tbs oil 1 can pineapple chunks (400 g) 2 green peppers 1 onion 1 Tbs honey 2 Tbs maizena (I just use regular corn starch) 1/4 cup vinegar Directions Cut tempeh into thin cubes of 2 cm. Add the vegetable stock and tamari and let it cook for 10 minutes. Then add peppers, onion, pineapple and tempeh. Serve with hot rice. I definitely prefer instant brown rice to the stuff that comes in the bag, only because it takes half of an eternity to cook rice. I absolutely love this dish, and it is certainly one that I enjoy making while Jonathan and I are fasting. This is a vegetarian dish; however, it is not vegan. So keep that in mind if you are planning on making this for a vegan buddy. For more information about tempeh including recipes and FAQs, be sure to check out the website, that is where I found all of the health information as well as the above, tasty recipe. Fatima Meadows attends Appalachian State University. With various culinary endeavors, she finds herself studying cookbooks more so than her text books. While on her adventure to improve her diet and increase her palette, she has discovered many new favorite foods.
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