Citrus & Maple Glazed Tempeh

To marinate, or not to marinate? That is the question.
Recipes for marinades abound but I find myself skipping it because I don't have the time. Here's an option for a glaze that will get your dinner on the table in less than an hour. The citrus and ginger combo really brightens the flavor of tempeh, and the maple syrup caramelizes and adds a little sweetness.
If you're not familiar with tempeh, I encourage you to give it a try. I used organic tempeh from Surata Soyfoods in Eugene. I like the multi-grain, version for its nutty flavor but the original flavor is great, too.

Pair it up with Cream of Curried Pumpkin Soup in the fall, or salads in the warmer months. It's also great inside a wrap year-round.

Yield:  4 servings

Total Time:  45 minutes

Level: Easy

Ingredients:

1 cup freshly  squeezed citrus juice (1 lemon, 2 large oranges, 1/2 lime)

1 tsp ground curry

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1  1/2 tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced.

1 tbsp (or less) olive oil

12 oz package of multi-grain tempeh

Directions:

Making the Glaze

Squeeze all of the citrus into a bowl until it yields 1 cup of juice. 

Grate the ginger.

To the juice, add the ginger, curry, cumin, garlic, soy sauce and maple syrup. Set aside.

Preparing the tempeh

Cut the tempeh into strips and prick the surface with a fork. This allows the sauce to get inside.  

At this point you can either use the sauce as a marinade, or not (That is the question, remember?). If you have other dishes to prepare, it doesn't hurt to let the tempeh sit in the juice but it isn't necessary.

If you don't marinate:

In a frying pan, heat oil on medium-high.  Add the tempeh and cook for  approximately 5 minutes. Turn it over and cook the other side. It's done when it's golden brown.

If you do marinate:

Remove the tempeh from the sauce and cook on medium-low, the syrup will burn very quickly so watch it closely. It's done when it's golden brown.

When the tempeh is done, pour the sauce into the pan and simmer on low until the sauce thickens. Keep spooning the sauce over the tempeh in the pan, it's not necessary to turn the tempeh.

Tips: Freeze ginger in order to make it easier to grate. What a difference! None of the fiber - all of the ginger.

If you can't get oranges, go for a good organic juice.