Mar 28

Mar 28 Vegan Sheet-Pan Springtime Tempeh Dinner for Two

Comfort Food, Meals, Quick, Recipe, Weeknight Dinner

Garlic peppercorn tempeh with potatoes and asparagus

When we started Power Plant, we heard from friends time and again that they wanted easy weeknight meals with minimal clean-up that are also filling and satisfying. (And, like, same.) Sound familiar? This meal is for you.

Sheet-pan meals have been on-trend in the food-blog-world for a while now… But it wasn’t until recently that we tried our hand at cooking original sheet-pan dinners! (To be honest, we usually tend to over-complicate our home cooking more than that.) Now we’re hooked! One of the biggest reasons? It’s so easy to clean up as-you-go, meaning that at the end of the meal the only dishes left to do are your plates and the baking sheet. A dream come true!

This particular recipe was inspired by classic American steakhouse-style “meat and potatoes” meals, as well as Pacific Northwest bar-and-grill fare. With its balance of protein, fat, starch, and veggies — It’s a vegan meal that, without any imitation-meat in sight, achieves a classic plate that even an omnivore could recognize.

Savory marinated tempeh with roasted garlic and black pepper is the main event of this dinner. Tempeh is a true staple food in our house — It’s also perfect during this time because it’s so nourishing and long-lasting. If you’re on the fence about tempeh or haven’t enjoyed it in the past, we urge you to give it a chance!! When prepared properly it’s nutty, versatile, and satisfying. We have turned plenty of omnivores and picky-eaters into tempeh-lovers — It’s all about how it gets cooked. In this case, the tricks are cooking it thoroughly and using a marinade that soaks into the tempeh, flavoring it while keeping it moist and tender.

Sauce-wise, this recipe went through many iterations. Chimichurri, romesco… But it was talking to a friend about recipe development that finally helped us realize mustard was the perfect complement to the meal’s flavors! Whole grain dijon already has a great sweet-spicy-acidic balance. Combined with sweet maple syrup, fruity olive oil, and bright Italian parsley — It becomes the perfect springy, sweet herbal blanket to balance the tempeh’s savory, peppery vibes

With the beginning of spring comes the peak of asparagus season. Add it to your grocery list! During our “new normal” of limited trips to the grocery store during social/physical distancing and shelter-in-place orders, spring produce is perfect for cooking the first few days after a grocery trip. We’re trying to limit our grocery trips to less than once a week if possible, and having a few days where we’re relying on fresh foods before dipping into pantry staples helps us feel a sense of normalcy and vibrance in our kitchen. Asparagus makes the perfect bright, fresh, and delicate pairing to the earthy and hearty flavors of roasted tempeh and potatoes.

Baby fingerling potatoes roasted with salt and thyme are a classic steakhouse-style side dish. Potatoes also last a long time if kept in a cool, dark place — They’ve been a year-round staple the world over for this reason, and are a perfect choice if you’re stocking up on versatile ingredients during your limited grocery trips. If you can’t find baby fingerling potatoes in your store, or you’ve already invested in twenty pounds of Yukon Golds to get you through this crisis, check out our tips for some help.

This meal makes exactly a Mars-and-David-sized amount of food, making this ideal for a date night. It’s easy-but-refined enough that it will be a perfect dinner no matter what you’re doing. Feeling fancy? Break out the linens, light some candles, and dust off the wine glasses (probably to be filled with a dry white in our house, but a young red would go well here too). Feeling quarantine-casual? Take your plate to the yard or balcony, crack a beer, and enjoy the fresh evening air. Not cooking for two? More for you! Now you don’t have to make lunch tomorrow. You can also divide or increase this recipe easily to adjust for the number of diners.

That all might be a lot of detail. We like food. But sheet pan dinners aren’t meant to make you think too hard, they’re meant to soothe your nerves and make your life easier. So put on some tunes, dip into the wine a little early, and you’ll have a delicious meal in less than an hour.

Sheet pan meal ingredients: tempeh, asparagus, potatoes, lemon, mustard sauce, garlic peppercorn marinade.

Tips & Info

Asparagus not your thing? Not in season where you are? Have everything else already? If you can’t cook with the veg that you want, reader, cook the veg you’re with! Broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, green beans, and carrots would all be excellent roasted in place of asparagus here. Braised kale, a green salad, wilted spinach, salted tomatoes… Get creative. Think of the sides menu in a steakhouse. Trust yourself.
Keep your whisk handy! Both the mustard sauce and tempeh marinade will separate a fair amount after sitting for a few minutes. That’s okay! Just give them a whirl with the whisk again before spooning them over the tempeh. No whisk in your kitchen? Don’t sweat it, just use a fork.
Be flexible with herbs. Parsley and thyme are faves of ours and work to balance the flavors on the plate in this meal. That said, use whatever herbs you prefer or have on hand! Dill or chives would work in the mustard sauce for an extra springy vibe. Dried oregano or fresh rosemary would be great on the potatoes.
Sheet pan too small to fit everything? Don’t worry! Just split things between 2 pans. Cook your asparagus on a second pan, for example!

Vegan Sheet-Pan Springtime Tempeh Dinner for 2

Power Plant | David Griffin-Luna | March 28th, 2020
Time: 45 minutes | Feeds: 2

Equipment:

Cutting board & knife

Measuring spoons

2 small mixing bowls

Tupperware or another marinating dish for the tempeh (not necessary if your marinade mixing bowl is large enough)

Sheet pan (½ sheet size is ideal)

Whisk (or fork)

Ingredients:

Thyme Fingerling Potatoes:

¾ lb baby fingerling potatoes (no larger than the size of your thumb — if using larger potatoes, cut in half/quarters as necessary. Think two-bite-sized!)

2 tsp neutral, high-heat oil

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)

Garlic-Peppercorn Tempeh and Marinade:

8oz package of tempeh, cut into 4 triangles (in half, then in half again diagonally)

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp semi-refined olive oil (or other high-heat oil)

2 tbsp soy sauce/tamari

1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp very-course-ground black pepper

¼ tsp smoked paprika

Roasted Asparagus:

8oz trimmed asparagus

2 tsp high-heat oil

Pinch of salt

Few grinds of black pepper

Two lemon wedges for serving

Herby Maple Mustard Sauce:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard (or another whole grain mustard, or regular Dijon — use the mustard you’ve got)

1 tbsp water

1 packed tbsp minced Italian flat-leaf parsley (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tsp maple syrup

Pinch salt

Instructions:

1) Preheat your oven to 400°F with a rack in the lower third. Place the cut tempeh into a dish or container just-big-enough to place the pieces in a single layer. Mix together the marinade ingredients, then pour over tempeh in your marinating container and set aside. Scrub potatoes and place them on your sheet pan. Drizzle with oil, salt, and thyme then toss to coat.

2) Once the oven is preheated, the sheet pan with potatoes goes in for 10 minutes. While they cook, make the mustard sauce! Simply combine all ingredients other than oil, whisk, and stream oil in slowly while whisking. It is a loose sauce, so don’t expect it to emulsify too much — Whisk thoroughly and set aside for the flavors to combine.

3) After 10 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Toss the potatoes and move them so they occupy only about ⅓ of the pan. Place the tempeh on the pan, with each segment close together but not-quite-touching. Spoon about ½ of the remaining marinade over the tempeh. Return the pan to the oven for 10 more minutes.

4) After 10 minutes, remove the sheet pan again. Toss the potatoes and flip the tempeh, spooning the remaining marinade over the latter. Add the asparagus to the pan, adjusting other ingredients to make room as necessary. Drizzle the asparagus with oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Return to the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender and developing roasty edges.

5) Once the asparagus is done to your liking, remove from the oven and plate! Serve with lemon wedges for the asparagus and the herby maple mustard sauce spooned over the tempeh.