Maple Grilled Tempeh and Cheddar Corn Polenta

A student-cum-friend of ours, Aaron Goodman, offered us a free cooking lesson with Bangkok Marriot Resort and Spa. The highlight of the event was it was done on the resort boat. Also, this is Aaron's video project with Associated Press, which means you will see Adrian and I dressed in Marriot's aprons in some TV news report very soon! It's 6 and a half minutes of "weight-loss cooking" on the boat aired in more than 20 countries! We are going to be household famous! Woo hoo~

Before we went on the boat, the hotel PR manager and chef took us for a detour at the local market near Saphan Taksin.

Our first stop was at a store where they make fresh coconut milk with machine as pictured. The chef said this is much better than those sold at the supermarket. I bet. On the right is white dessicated coconut, used for dessert. There is also dessicated coconut made with coconut skin, which is more commonly used for curry.


The same store also sells a variety of chili paste made from shrimp, anchovies, etc. You can pick them based on your preferred degree of spiciness.

This lady sells fresh handmade spring-roll sheets. Her skill and ease was fascinating to watch.


Here you see Aaron shooting the man at shrimp shop and a family of beggars patronizing the wet market.


Back on the boat: our chefs showed and cooked for us 5 Thai dishes made the "healthy" way: Pomela Salad with Tamarind Sauce instead of fish sauce; Sour Fish Soup made with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock, and the taste was brought out using tomatoes and pineapples; Banana Buds Salad with shredded Pork; Grilled skinless Salmon served with Thai Chili paste; and Baked Eggplant with Grilled Chicken Breast. Good thing no one made us eat the meats.

We hardly did anything but watched and enjoyed the view as the boat cruise along Chao Praya river. The only thing required of us was to sample the foods and shared our insight into healthy Thai cooking through TV interview. I hope we said the right thing. It was quite an experience for us on a weekday morning for an otherwise 2800THB experience. We live a blessed life :)

Now it takes us back to what I cooked for dinner. After the cooking cruise, we headed straight to the Tops Market at Wong Wian Yai for a quick grocery shopping. I didn't have a shopping list as I usually do. Therefore I picked a few "safe" ingredients that I could play with given what's available back home: I was thinking of polenta and tempeh (again). Having what I wanted as main in mind, I chose asparagus and red bell pepper as side. It really doesn't take much to make a good meal.

Having had tempeh for three meals in two days, I still crave it. Especially with the maple marinate. Adrian was perplexed by the intricate taste: he liked the sweetness that came with a lingering fatty after taste. He asked how much would a plate of this cost. Hmmm... it probably won't go any higher than 100THB (I was thinking somewhere between 50 - 60THB but then I never keep track of food prices). How much would restaurant charge? I'll probably charge 400THB with a nicer looking plate and cutlery, with a napkin, too. Although it is quite laborious to make, most of the steps can be prepared in advance, and in excess for future use. Once prepared, they are ready to go in a jiffy.

Ingredients:

(serve 2)
Cheddar Corn Polenta

This was made based on this and this recipe. Instead of serving the chili-roasted mushroom on the side, I decided to mix them into the polenta to broil. I also added some left over maple syrup-roasted cherry tomatoes from Open-Faced Polenta Tempeh Sandwich. The key in keeping the polenta in shape is "patient". You want it to cool to firm after broiling, before cutting into serving size.
Sauce and Dressing

I had a small bunch of rocket leaves and a handful of parsley that were calling out for use before they wilted for good. I chopped them up with a deseeded orange chili pepper, garlic and pine nuts, as I usually do with pesto except there wasn't Parmesan in it - a small pinch of sea salt adjusted the taste just fine. This pesto went well with the left over Garlic Mayo Spread from yesterday.

Maple-Grilled Tempeh

• Tempeh, cut into strips
• 3 Tablespoons Chili oil (or olive oil)
• 1 glove garlic, smashed and chopped
  
• 3 soy sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Brown rice vinegar (or balsamic vinegar/ rice wine vinegar)
• 3 Tablespoons organic maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Combine everything, except tempeh, together in a small bowl. Place tempeh to a baking dish in one even layer. Pour maple marinate over to cover top and bottom of tempeh. Let it sit in refrigerator for at least two hours, or up to two days.
2. Coat and heat a frying pan with just enough butter. Fry tempeh on both sides until browned.
3. Pour in remaining marinate and let it simmer over low heat. Remove when marinate has thickened.

Open-Faced Polenta Tempeh Sandwich

On the day I was due to come back from KL, Adrian text me and asked if I had any request for breakfast. Having sent him home with tempeh and organic polenta from Country Farm Organics, I replied with "tempeh and avocado sandwich with polenta instead of bread" enthusiastically. I wondered if I should tell him about marinating the tempeh and preparing the polenta in advance?

While we were on the way back from airport, Adrian told me he bought a bunch of stuffs and he didn't know what to do with my request. Ahhhh..... It is actually a synergy of two recipes that I posted before:

1. I used the marinate from this TLT sandwich for the tempeh, and served mashed avocado on the side instead of as spread.
   
2. The polenta was made fries-like using this recipe. The Garlic Mayo Spread was excellent as dressing.
   

So there you go: An open-faced Polenta Tempeh Sandwich! The original TLT Sandwich recipe was the reason I fell in love with tempeh. Therefore my liking of this dish might have been skewed. Also, my eldest sister, Shiang Ting, once mentioned her lack of confidence for Adrian's food taste because he always has good words for the foods I cook. Make this and judge for yourself. Adrian and I will definitely be happy to have this for breakfast again and again :)

Avocado and Tempeh Multigrain Salad

I didn't have much expectation for this recipe. I even told Adrian "it's a very simple dinner" when he came home. Hence the pleasant surprise. Adrian thought he could eat this often (by the way I'm making it again tonight upon his consent). It's a plateful of crunch and creaminess thrown together with an intricate taste that vows to please your gastronomical sense.

I added grains to this salad to make it a complete one-bowl dish. I chose to use black quinoa and amaranth seeds. Although I have read about the nutritious benefits of amaranth but its culinary use was new to me. If you are mystically inclined and want to know why this "never-fading flower" was once banished by the Spanish, or what Aztecs did to harness supernatural power from this plant, click here.

Unlike the more commonly available white and sweet quinoa, black quinoa (although this looks more like a mix of black and red to me) is fruity in taste. I have always liked the way it looks when cooked: with a little white, spiral tail. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is crunchy, which creates an interesting texture combination when eating the grain. You can go here to find out why quinoa is called "mother grain".

In case you haven't heard, I love tempeh. so, how can I not throw in some tempeh to this dish knowing that it is sitting and waiting for me in the refrigerator? I was cooking with organic black bean tempeh before. This time it's traditional tempeh made with whole soy beans. I was a little dismayed when Adrian said he didn't think the organic black bean tempeh was great. This non-organic soy beans tempeh, on the other hand, got his approval. I have to admit, this is better than the black bean tempeh. Oh well, guess I can spend less from now: this non-organic tempeh is 3 times cheaper than the organic tempeh.

I like diversity. It shows in my diet. Although there's only two of us at home, I almost always cook at least two dishes (plus a dessert), with more than a handful of vegetables. No wonder I have problem organizing the refrigerator! I digress.

Making a one-bowl dish is atypical of me. I felt uneasy having just one dish to serve. Therefore, I thought I'd throw in some black beans and wheat berry that I reserved from before. Still uncomfortable, I decided to make a cake. I only felt right and comforted once Adrian proclaimed he wanted to learn to cook this.

Multigrain:

• 1/2 cup organic black quinoa, washed and drained
  
• 1/2 cup organic amaranth seeds
• Cooked, frozen black beans
• Cooked, frozen wheat berry

1. Bring quinoa and amaranth seeds and 2 cups of water to boil. Turn the heat to lowest. Add a generous pinch of sea salt. Let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If there's excess water, you may drain the water away.
2. Take enough of cooked grains that you need to serve. Stir in black beans and wheat berry to mix. Set aside.

Peanut Butter Dressing:

• 1/4 cup organic chunky peanut butter
• 1 glove garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• sea salt to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Add some hot water to thin out the dressing if necessary.
2. Stir 1/2 the dressing to toss with multigrains. Reserve the rest.

To Assemble Salad:

• !/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
• Tempeh, cubed
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• White sesame seeds, toasted
  
• Sunflower seeds, toasted
• Parsley, stem removed

1. Bring balsamic vinegar to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat when reduced to half the volume. Set aside to cool.
2. Fry tempeh on both sides till golden brown.
3. Place tomatoes, avocado and tempeh on top of cooked multigrains. Drizzle with peanut butter dressing. Top with feta cheese, white sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Add balsamic reduction and decorate with parsley leaves to serve.
   

Tempeh and Strawberry Salad with Watermelon Dressing

I thought this was incredible when I read the ingredients list. The only thing I have problem with is the use of Strawberry Basil Balsamic Vinegar. Does it mean the balsamic vinegar comes with such flavor? If it did, I have no doubt I won't find it here. Perhaps I can concoct my own version of this intriguing balsamic vinegar. Besides, I'm seriously eager to cook with the basil that Josh gave us. He planted a bunch of them and gave me a pot that comes with Lemon Basil, Italian Basil, and Sweet Basil.

I like the idea that I can sniff around the stalks and leaves to identify which species is the one I need. How organic!

Strawberry Basil Balsamic Marinade

• 1/2 cup Olive oil
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
  
• Fresh strawberries, halved
  
• Basil leaves
• Salt and pepper

Blend everything together and season with salt and pepper if necessary. Set aside.

• 6 Tablespoons Strawberry basil balsamic marinade
• Organic black bean tempeh

1. Pour 2 tablespoons of the balsamic marinade to a baking pan. Place tempeh over the pan in one single layer. Pour the rest of the balsamic marinade over. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Remove tempeh from the fridge. Melt just enough butter to coat skillet over medium heat. Place tempeh on heated skillet. Pour the marinade over. Cook tempeh on each side until cooked through. Cut into serving size.
   

Watermelon Dressing

• watermelon, chopped and pureed
  
• 3 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon Strawberry Basil Balsamic Marinade
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

Whisk one cup of watermelon puree with the rest of the ingredients.

To Assemble

• Salad greens
• Cooked Asparagus
• Fresh Strawberries, halved
• Onion, thinly sliced
  

Divide and place salad greens onto individual serving plates. Top it with tempeh. Add a thin slice of onion. Layer with asparagus and strawberry. Drizzle watermelon puree over to serve. Sprinkle with a handful of pine nuts if you wish.

Couple Debut to Asian Foods

Adrian has been helping me with breakfast. This, however, was our "official" cooking together, AND it's a venture into unfamiliar territory: Asian Foods. Whatever the outcome, I really enjoyed cooking with my husband. On our second attempt at Asian foods, I was overwhelmed by love and happiness when he sent a SMS to me, saying "wait for me. I want to cook with you. be back in 5." He's the sweetest :)

I forget how it started. I remember asking Adrian "shall we cook nyonya?", followed by "will you cook your favorite Penang Char Kway Teow?" He told me to send him a recipe link. Hence our first Asian attempt began to unfold into a dangerously ambitious project. I am not posting the recipes here as, although there were a few recipes that turned out good, they were not good enough that I would share.

I found enough recipes for two meals. For first meal we had Char Kway Teow, Sze Chuan Vegetarian Balls, and Corn and Zucchini Coconut Milk Stew - the latter was the easiest and simplest to make. With coconut milk and hot spices, how could it go wrong?

The Vegetarian Balls was quite a challenge. Maybe I didn't get the proportion of ingredients right - I kept yelling to Adrian "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO SHAPE THIS MUSH INTO BALLS?" I kept adding flour until the consistency was more or less desirable. They looked pretty good at first. Once baked, they began to lose their shape.

I was quite happy with the taste of the Sze Chuan sauce that I made anyway.

Next came the noodles. These was a tough one . This was the dish that prompted Adrian to ask "how many more days do we have to be in Asia?"

We started with soaking the rice noodles in water, longer than what the sales person told us to do. We even covered the noodles, hoping they would go softer under steam. Still, it's a al dente Char Kway Teow. It's not terrible, it just wasn't Char Kway Teow. I didn't think Adrian was proud of it but the more I ate it, the more I liked it although it was no where close to Char Kway Teow.

Despite the noodle-misadventure, my spirit was still high. I wasn't going to surrender the Pad Thai plan despite the weariness on Adrian's face. Although Adrian was positive that the sales person said to soak the water in water, not hot water, I decided to follow my heart. I soaked the noodles the night before, checked them in the morning. Nope - softer but not good enough. So I put them in boiling water. After 10 minutes, DONE! Good to go!

Once again, Adrian was in charged of the noodles. He mentioned he has not seen Pad Thai cooked with coconut milk (but that's what the recipe uses!), and what makes Pad Thai Pad Thai and not just another fried noodles, is tamarind (but the recipe uses none!). The noodles turned out white, and nothing like the Pad Thai I've come across with. They were, however, good noodles. Quote from Adrian "it's like a GOOD Pad Thai you get in America.". That's a pass?

Last year when we went to see my family for Chinese New Year, I told my father to buy me some Sambal Belacan because I had plan to cook Malaysian foods. It took a good one year to materialize the plan. Better late than never. I have always liked Kangkung (morning glory) Belacan. I thought it would be nice to add my favorite tempeh.

I wonder if it's fortunate or not: 5 minutes before we started cooking I found out I was supposed to make a chili paste to blend the belacan in before I could use it for cooking. Luckily I have a leftover red chili paste from a panang tofu dish that I made long ago. This last minute adaptation must have shaken me quite a bit - I began to get disorganized: I was supposed to fry the tempeh but I didn't. As a result, they sort of fell apart looking like a kind of spicy bean sauce. Sigh. Can't believe I wasted the tempeh.

White Pad Thai and a failed Tempeh? I vouched to make the last dish GREAT! It's a Pineapple Sweet and Sour Vegetarian, like Gu Lou Yok (sweet and sour pork). I will always remember once someone told me when meats (about to) go bad, restaurants will use them in Sweet and Sour recipe. Nevertheless, they were so good especially those with deep fried chicken/ pork. Ahhhh, the good old meat-eating days. I digress. It's incredible how easy it was to make. I used walnut in place of pork. This turned out really good. Not only did we approve of it but our visitor, Jessie, too, liked it a lot.

To me, the challenge of cooking Asians was tasting. I can now taste and adjust western foods as I see fit. Not with Asians; I knew something was missing, but what? how? I thought our debut to Asian foods may be our one and only tribute. However as I'm typing this, I began to feel more drawn to the intricacy of Asians. Yesterday while coming home in a taxi, I announced to Adrian "I think we should get more into Asian foods." I thought I saw a dark cloud hovering over his face.

Dinner and Breakfast Tempeh

I was very surprised not many people know about tempeh. I first heard of it when I was in college. A couple of Indian friends were eagerly anticipating this thing that Hanisha was going to bring back from Indonesia. "What is it?" I asked. My college mates were astonished. "You don't know tempeh?" As if I had committed the greatest sin. Then they went on to describe at length what a delicious delicacy tempeh was. I learned that day tempeh was an Indonesian thing. Period.

Two and a half years ago, when I got married to Adrian and subsequently moved to Bangkok, I started cooking. Back then with little to zilch experience in the kitchen, I visited 101 Cookbooks religiously. Everything I cooked was from Heidi Swanson. I'm proud to say I have outgrown that phase. Nevertheless 101 Cookbooks still serves as my inspiration from time to time.

One of the recipe I took from 101 that I liked very much was this TLT Sandwich recipe. I have always wanted to make it again since then. Unfortunately for reason unknown to me, tempeh was only available during the Thai vegetarian month. I waited. A year later, no sign nor sight of tempeh anywhere. Have they stopped selling? I was very disappointed and frustrated. Local people whom I asked have no clue what I was talking about. Some good-hearted ones directed me to the Vegetarian Society in JJ Market but to no avail. Sigh.

From left: Adrian tucking in to his famous Malaysian foods, mamak-styled. Me savoring local nyonya foods at an antique house in Jonker Street.

(L) Old man preparing teh tarik ("pulled tea"). (R) Haven't seen this boiler for ages!

When Adrian and I went back to KL to visit my family, we took a detour to Melaka - the historical state of Malaysia that was adorned World Heritage site status by the UNESCO in 2007. The trip started in order to satisfy Adrian's curiosity about this place - many people have mentioned it to him. It somehow ended as a history refreshment course for me. There were a few things that upset me, such as the building of shopping malls on the once recreational field near Porta De Santiago (which was wrongly called A'Farmosa by Lonely Planet, said our tour guide at the Red House museum). Its short fall was compensated by the boutique hotel - Courtyard@Heerem - that we stayed a night at, and the guided tour at the museum.

The Geographer Cafe and the curried tempeh.

There was also the sampling of nyonya foods and not to forget a tempeh dish from Geographer Cafe. It was a kind of finger foods, fried with curry powder. It was so good it reignited my desire for tempeh, and I vouched to buy some to bring back to Bangkok.

Unlike traditional tempeh, which is made from fermentation of cooked soya beans, this is of black beans.

Upon our return to KL, our first stop was to Just Life organic store. There, right in front of me, was 5 packets of freshly made, newly arrived organic black bean tempeh! I was ecstatic. I took all of them. Naturally I had been excited to cook with tempeh since then.

I took a quick search in 101 and found a couple other tempeh recipes that I wanted to try. I decided to make the Orange-pan Glazed Tempeh. This recipe features a simple ginger and garlic-spiked orange glaze that smells like a gingered duck dish that my grandmother used to make. Adrian thinks it's just like teriyakki chicken. The beans also make the tempeh looks awfully a lot like meat.

I was so excited about the TLT Sandwich that I couldn't stop smiling the whole night. I even asked Adrian if he could guess what's for tomorrow's breakfast, just to tell him "I'm not gonna tell you. It's gonna be real good."

As Adrian watched me assembling the sandwich, he said "I don't think it's going to make a sandwich." I crudely replied "It's an open-faced sandwich!" No one is dampening my enthusiasm for the breakfast that I'd been waiting for two years!

As it happened, we both loved this two tempeh dishes a lot. Off I go and scavenge for more special tempeh recipes. 3 more tempehs awaiting in the fridge!