Savory Tempeh Puffs (Recipe)

These are so good. And easy. As an added bonus, a lot of it you can make-ahead. As an extra special added bonus, it makes great leftovers, too!

I borrowed the "roast everything" technique from Voluptuous Vegan. It makes things so simple and it really brings out the flavors of the vegetables. Once the chopping is done it comes together quickly. I hate to do this to you, but it's yet another one of my recipes that looks more complicated than it is. If you read it through, you'll know just what I mean.

Savory Tempeh Puffs
serves 6

1 8 oz package tempeh, steamed and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tamari
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Vegetables
1/2 cup cut carrots, (1/2 inch rounds)
1/2 cup cut parsnips (1/4 inch rounds)
1/3 cup cut green beans (1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup cut red pepper (1/4 inch pieces)
1 cup mushrooms (I prefer creminis), quartered or cut to about 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsp brandy (or white wine)
2 Tbsp vegetable broth)
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

All together now:
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup sliced shallots
2 Tbsp diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup broth
2 Tbsp brandy (or white wine)
2 Tbsp soy cream or soy milk
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

6 pastry shells (Pepperidge Farm)

Really, it's easy. First off, toss the tempeh with the other ingredients in that section and set aside for at least an hour. When it's time to roast, place them in a parchment lined baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 375.

For the vegetables, combine the liquid ingredients. Line two small baking dishes with parchment paper. Mix the carrots and parsnips in one and the green beans, peppers and mushrooms in the other. Put 3 Tbsp of the liquids in each vegetable pan. Toss them around.

When the hour is up, roast everything at once, stirring every 10 -15 minutes or so. The tempeh needs to roast about 1/2 an hour, til it starts to get a little crispy. The carrots and parsnips take 1/2 an hour, too. But the mushrooms/peppers/green beans only take about 15 minutes. You want the vegetables just done, so keep an eye on them as oven temperatures come into play here. When they're done, just take them out and set aside.

Start baking the pastry shells about 20 - 25 minutes before you want to eat.

When everything is roasted, heat the oil in medium size pan. Saute the shallots and celery for a few minutes, then add the garlic, stirring until fragrant. Then add the all the rest of the ingredients (including all the roasted stuff) and let simmer about 10-15 minutes until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed. Check the seasonings.

To serve, pop the tops off the shells and fill with about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the tempeh mixture. Place the top back on and serve. We also like this over baked potatoes or israeli cous cous, too.

This would be a great dinner party dish, too. Since so much can be done ahead of time, you could even enjoy your company!