Pecan Crusted Tempeh with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce

I had a hankering for some tempeh yesterday. I could have made the usual suspects, a tempeh reuben, or maybe a stir fry...but I wanted something a little different that I hadn't had before. I love tempeh prepared in such a way that it is satisfyingly crispy on the outside...one of the best preparations I have had of it was lightly fried triangles in a delicious orange sauce. So I was thinking, why couldn't I crust the tempeh in some sort of nut, like I do when I make fish? Granted tempeh is quite different than fish, especially in reguards to the coating sticking to the tempeh. But, I tried it, using a four dredge...and it actually worked well with the tempeh! This time I used pecans for the crust, as well as a small amount of cornmeal...sounds like something you would put on catfish, but the tempeh took well to it! Not being one to ever leave produce out of a meal...I decided that the tempeh would need a fruit based sauce, to give it color as well as compliment the pecans in the crust. I had a carton of lovely raspberries in the fridge...and I thought the striking red of the raspberries would look beautiful on a plate with the tempeh, and go well with the pecans. I added a bit of chipotle to the berries as well as a smidgen of balsamic, as well as a bit of honey and some fresh basil. The whole completed dish of the tempeh was wonderful! The triangles were nice and crispy on the outside with the nutty pecans, and the tart sweet raspberries were definately the right choice for the accompaniment. Crusted tempeh is definately going to be made many times in the future for my dinner!


Pecan Crusted Tempeh with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
Serves 2

1 8 oz container raspberries
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp basil, cut chiffonade
a pinch of sea salt

8 oz tempeh, cut into 4 triangles
1 egg, beaten with 2 Tbsp milk
1 cup flour
1 cup finely ground pecans
2 Tbsp cornmeal
1 tsp sea salt

3 Tbsp coconut oil

In a bowl, mash raspberries until a sauce is formed. Stir in honey, chipotle, vinegar, basil, and sea salt, until well blended, and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk egg and milk together. Place the flour in another bowl. Whisk together cornmeal, pecans, and sea salt in another bowl. Dip a triangle of tempeh in eggs, letting excess drain off, then dredge in flour, letting excess drain off. Dip tempeh in eggs again, letting excess drain off, then place in pecan mixture, pressing pecans into tempeh, and when evenly coated, place on a plate while you repeat with the remaining tempeh triangles. Heat 3 Tbsp coconut oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. when hot, place tempeh in pan, and cook for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden, then turn onto other sides to get them brown as well, but only for about a minute or two each of the smaller sides. Remove tempeh from heat, and place on a plate with the raspberry sauce.