I can’t believe it’s taken me this many years to post my #1, “go-to” competition prep-friendly tempeh recipe.

Perhaps it’s because this recipe has been made sooooo many times, it’s now become an ingrained part of me that I don’t even think about it anymore? Or perhaps it’s because this tempeh recipe is just so damn easy that I figured it’s not even worth sharing? Or perhaps it’s because my fave tempeh recipe is just sooo damn good that I wanted to keep it all to myself? I guess we’ll never know…

And who really gives a crap anyway because today, my vegan brethren, I’m finally sharing the recipe with all of you! (PLUS the horrible photos I took that really don’t do this tasty vegan protein any justice whatsoever…)

Nevertheless, I’m finally sharing my recipe simply because I’m getting REAL sick of having to copy and paste it into an email for every single client who always asks “WTF do I do with tempeh?”

Apparently tempeh is a foreign (and scary) vegan protein option to most new vegans. And let’s be honest – it looks repulsive. I’m pretty sure all of us thought we got ripped off when we purchased our first-ever “this must be expired” moldy package of tempeh. Am I right? 🙂

But nope, moldy and rotten is precisely what we want from a good piece of tempeh. And that’s because tempeh is fermented soy.

Yes, I know there are probably some soy-hating vegans reading this right now. But I, for one, feel awesome eating lots of soy and I have for many, many years. Gluten (or seitan) on the other hand, makes me feel like a farty, bloated whale. So as a vegan bodybuilder, when I’m trying to consume copious amounts of protein, I prefer to make tempeh a staple in my diet.

Soy always gets a bad rap because it contains phytoestrogens (chemicals that possess hormone-like properties.) Differing views/studies exist on soy consumption (which I will not get into here.) All I know is that I’ve been consuming it almost daily for 26 years and have never had any health or hormonal issues arise EVER.

Soy is high in protein and fiber. It’s also good for bone health, lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases HDL (good) cholesterol levels. And it is especially high in vitamins & nutrients when consumed in a fermented state.

As mentioned earlier, “tempeh” is fermented soy bean originating from Indonesia and has a nutty taste and meaty texture. I dig it.

And for any soy-haters reading this post, you can at least be comforted in knowing that the fermentation process actually neutralizes phytoestrogens AND improves digestibility of the soy beans.

So eat that shit up I say! And let’s get onto the recipe, shall we?

It’s super easy to make this tempeh and is both sweet and spicy. I guess you could say it has an Asian-inspired taste to it. Whatever it is, it’s frickin’ delicious and I never get tired of it.

Let me know what you think!

My #1 Prep-Friendly Tempeh Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package tempeh (8 oz.)
1 tsp. coconut oil (or tiny spritz depending on how strict you’re being)
1 tsp. minced garlic (or 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder)
1 small piece of fresh ginger, grated (about the size of a finger tip) or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger)
1/2 tsp. dried chili flakes
2 Tbsp. Bragg liquid aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce)
1 – 2 Tbsp. peanut flour (or PB2 or even real PB or almond butter if not being super strict)

Method:

Cut your tempeh into strips or chunks (I usually make one package into eight squares) and set aside. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a cast iron skillet (or non-stick pan if you don’t want to use any oil but at least read this post on toxin exposure and consider ditching your non-stick/Teflon!) 🙂

Once the oil is hot, toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for a minute then throw in the tempeh and remaining ingredients. If tempeh seems dry, you can add a bit of water to it.

Cook for 5 – 10 minutes until golden brown on each side then enjoy.

And again, my sincere apologies for the awful food pics on this one. Not that ANY of my recipes ever look THAT good. But this one in particular, is especially bad seeing as I couldn’t even “plate it” properly. Zero points for effort, I know. But if you’re a meatless meathead, we both know you don’t give a crap about appearances… food appearances that is. 😉

Happy lifting, vegan fit crew!

-Sam Shorkey, Jacked on the Beanstalk