You jerk, tempeh.

Here’s a challenge for you.

Find the biggest meat eater you can find. Maybe it’s your father, maybe it’s your coworker, maybe it’s YOU.

Invite them over for dinner and serve them this.

I can’t imagine that any meat eater would complain. This is the meatless main for meat eaters.

Jerk Seasoned Tempeh

Yield: Serves 3-4.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Jerk Seasoning:
1/4 cup ground allspice
1/4 cup brown sugar
3-5 habanero peppers, seeds removed
3 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bunch (6-8) scallions, whites and greens
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Braggs or soy sauce

Stir Fry:
8 ounces tempeh
1/4 cup jerk seasoning
1/2 pound green beans
1 bunch kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
Dash of soy sauce
Rice, for serving

Helpful Equipment:
Mini Food Processor

Directions:

1) Grind allspice berries or use ground allspice. Roughly chop scallions, garlic, and peeled ginger. Add to a food processor. Add ground allspice, brown sugar, diced habaneros, and other ingredients. Process until it forms a rough paste.

2) Dice tempeh into chunks and coat chunks with about 1/4 cup of the jerk seasoning.

3) Remove tough stems from kale leaves. Chop ends off of green beans and chop them in half. Add green beans to boiling, salted water to blanch. After green beans cook for 60 seconds, add kale and cook for another 15-20 seconds.

4) Drain veggies and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

5) When ready to make the stir fry, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tempeh and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times.

6) Add veggies to stir-fry and cook for another few minutes tossing regularly to mix flavors. Season with a dash of soy sauce.

7) Serve stir fry immediately over rice.

Jerk seasoning mix adapted from a Group recipe.

A Real Jerk

When you walk through the spice aisle at your grocery store, you will almost always find some rub proclaiming itself as a jerk rub.

This stuff works okay, but it really shouldn’t be called that.

Real Jamaican jerk seasoning is more of a paste than a rub. It has some liquid to it along with really flavorful aromatics, spicy habanero peppers (traditionally Scotch bonnet peppers), and a metric ton of allspice.

The basics.

I used whole allspice berries and just ground them up, but you can use ground as well. Just make sure it’s really fresh so the flavor pops.

Very important.

The heat from this paste comes from really hot habanero peppers.

These are the kind of peppers that you want to be careful with… if you cut them barehanded and then touch your eyes or nose or anywhere really, you’ll be in for a long night.

Honestly, you should probably wear gloves when working with them, but I just make sure I wash my hands really well after I cut them.

You’ll want to remove the seeds and then dice them pretty finely.

If I would change one thing about this seasoning when I make it again, I’ll up the pepper count. I used three and it didn’t quite have the heat I wanted. I think I would go with 4-5 next time.

Next time I would use 4!

Add everything for the jerk seasoning to a mini food processor and pulse it until it’s a rough paste.

If you don’t have a food processor you could put all the ingredients in a large bowl and just mash them together really well with a fork, but that will take some work.

Smells amazing.

The Tempeh

It’s official that I prefer tempeh to tofu. It’s more substantial, has more protein and fiber, and just plain tastes better in my opinion.

It’s also a lot easier to work with. You don’t have to worry about pressing it or anything.

The hard part about tempeh is finding it. It’s still not very popular so it can be tricky to find. I only know of one store in my town of 100,000 people that sells it.

If you know you like it, you can order it in bulk from a few places online.

Love this stuff.

Once I chopped up my tempeh, I just mixed it with about 1/4 cup of the jerk seasoning. That was about half of the recipe.

The seasoning keeps for a long time. Just store it in the fridge.

Normally, you would marinate meat in this for a pretty long time, but tempeh isn’t going to really absorb much flavor so just let it sit while you prepare the other ingredients.

Very well seasoned.

The Other Stuff

Tempeh can be a bit on the pricey side. Eight ounces will set you back $ 4 probably.

So I like to use other veggies to bulk up the meal a bit.

In this case, I just blanched some green beans and kale in salted boiling water. I tossed in the green beans and let them cook for about 60 seconds, then I tossed in the kale and cooked it for another 20 seconds or so.

This way, both veggies are done at the same time!

Rinse them with cold water when they come out so the cooking stops.

They should still be slightly crunchy.

Two basic veggies.

I also made a batch of really good rice to serve with the tempeh.

You could use any rice for this, but I found a really delicious rice mix that was nutty and wonderful.

Something to put it on.

Cooking the Tempeh

Typically, jerk style dishes are grilled or smoked.

For tempeh though, I thought a stir-fry would be easiest.

I just tossed a few tablespoons of olive oil in my large skillet (or wok) and once it was hot over medium-heat I added all my tempeh.

After just a few minutes, they were nice and caramelized.

A quick sear.

Then I tossed in my blanched veggies along with a small drizzle of soy sauce.

Toss this all together for a minute or two over the heat so the flavors can mingle.

I just love the colors!

Done deal!

Serve this over some sort of rice and you have yourself a heck of a vegetarian meal.

So good!

If you’re a vegetarian, enjoy this meal. I think it’ll become a staple in your rotation.

If you’re a meat eater, give it a shot. I think you’ll be very surprised.

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4.56 / 5 Stars | 123 Reviews

by MICHELLEC2

“Zesty Southwest flavorings make this creamy chicken dip as unique as it is delicious. Serve with tortilla chips.”

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Under. Rated.

Guys, I’m addicted to sardines.

It’s kind of a weird thing to be addicted to since I’m pretty sure most people are just lukewarm about them.

But they are so good. Sardines are salty and rich and good on a ton of different foods.

They get a really bad rap though and a lot of people find them “gross.” Some of those same people have no issue eating a deep fried piece of strange fish product from a fast food place.

At least this fish looks like fish!

If you think you don’t like sardines, I implore you to give them a second shot. This sandwich is one of my new favorite lunches and I hope it doesn’t scare you away.

Sardine and Avocado Sandwich

Yield: 2 open-faced sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (4 ounce) can sardines in olive oil (about 4 large sardines)
1 avocado, mashed
Red onion, sliced thin
Capers
2 slices thick bread
Olive oil
Black pepper

Directions:

1) Remove pitt from avocado and add to two slices of thick bread. Mash onto bread like a spread. Use 1/2 an avocado per bread slice.

2) Top each half of bread with a few sardines, roughly chopped.

3) Top each sandwich with slivered red onion, capers, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh black pepper.

4) Bake sandwiches at 425 for 5-6 minutes or broil for 2 minutes.

5) Serve immediately!

Adapted from Alton Brown’s sandwich.

Sardines

The sardine section at most grocery stores can be intimidating. There are a bunch of different options and some are better than others. Personally, I like wild caught sardines that are stored in olive oil with lemon.

These tend to be on the more expensive end of sardines. A can will set you back about $ 3-$ 4, but I find that these taste the best.

Shop around though and try a few different kinds until you find one you like.

When it comes down to health, sardines are amazing. They are a great source of vitamins and nutrients and contain a lot of Omega-3s. Because they are really low on the food chain, they also have very little traces of mercury which some larger fish can have.

They may just be the perfect lunch food in my opinion.

Alton Brown agrees with me. He attributed a good chunk of his weight loss to sardines and, in fact, this sandwich idea came from him.

Love these!

Making the Sandwich

I like to make this sandwich in open-face form.

Try to get some good thick and crusty bread for the sandwich that can hold up to the toppings.

Half an avocado per slice.

I used a whole avocado for two pieces of bread.

I suggest you do the same. The avocado works almost like mayonnaise and forms a kind of sauce for the sandwich. A nice thick layer of it really helps.

Pretty green color!

Then just throw a few sardines on each piece. If you have large sardines, you might want to chop them roughly.

I also topped my sandwich with some sliced red onion and capers.

The capers are optional, but I think the red onions really add a nice flavor to the sandwich.

If you don’t use sardines that are stored with lemons, you might want to squeeze some lemon juice on the sandwich also.

Toppings galore.

Drizzle the sandwiches with a small amount of olive oil and toast these bad boys in a 425 degree oven for about six minutes or you can broil the sandwiches under high heat for about 2 minutes.

Serve them immediately!

After a quick bake or broil.

This is really a simple sandwich but probably not something that a lot of people would think to try.

At the end of the day though, it’s really healthy, filling, and very tasty. I can’t get enough of the flavor combo.

So, how do you feel about sardines? Do you love them?

Raise your hand if you’re never reading Macheesmo again because of this sandwich!

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by PIZZA2471

“Chicken wings are baked in a spicy tomato-based sauce. The accompanying rice is flavored with turmeric, cloves, almonds, and golden raisins.”

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Under. Rated.

Guys, I’m addicted to sardines.

It’s kind of a weird thing to be addicted to since I’m pretty sure most people are just lukewarm about them.

But they are so good. Sardines are salty and rich and good on a ton of different foods.

They get a really bad rap though and a lot of people find them “gross.” Some of those same people have no issue eating a deep fried piece of strange fish product from a fast food place.

At least this fish looks like fish!

If you think you don’t like sardines, I implore you to give them a second shot. This sandwich is one of my new favorite lunches and I hope it doesn’t scare you away.

Sardine and Avocado Sandwich

Yield: 2 open-faced sandwiches

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (4 ounce) can sardines in olive oil (about 4 large sardines)
1 avocado, mashed
Red onion, sliced thin
Capers
2 slices thick bread
Olive oil
Black pepper

Directions:

1) Remove pitt from avocado and add to two slices of thick bread. Mash onto bread like a spread. Use 1/2 an avocado per bread slice.

2) Top each half of bread with a few sardines, roughly chopped.

3) Top each sandwich with slivered red onion, capers, a drizzle of olive oil, and some fresh black pepper.

4) Bake sandwiches at 425 for 5-6 minutes or broil for 2 minutes.

5) Serve immediately!

Adapted from Alton Brown’s sandwich.

Sardines

The sardine section at most grocery stores can be intimidating. There are a bunch of different options and some are better than others. Personally, I like wild caught sardines that are stored in olive oil with lemon.

These tend to be on the more expensive end of sardines. A can will set you back about $ 3-$ 4, but I find that these taste the best.

Shop around though and try a few different kinds until you find one you like.

When it comes down to health, sardines are amazing. They are a great source of vitamins and nutrients and contain a lot of Omega-3s. Because they are really low on the food chain, they also have very little traces of mercury which some larger fish can have.

They may just be the perfect lunch food in my opinion.

Alton Brown agrees with me. He attributed a good chunk of his weight loss to sardines and, in fact, this sandwich idea came from him.

Love these!

Making the Sandwich

I like to make this sandwich in open-face form.

Try to get some good thick and crusty bread for the sandwich that can hold up to the toppings.

Half an avocado per slice.

I used a whole avocado for two pieces of bread.

I suggest you do the same. The avocado works almost like mayonnaise and forms a kind of sauce for the sandwich. A nice thick layer of it really helps.

Pretty green color!

Then just throw a few sardines on each piece. If you have large sardines, you might want to chop them roughly.

I also topped my sandwich with some sliced red onion and capers.

The capers are optional, but I think the red onions really add a nice flavor to the sandwich.

If you don’t use sardines that are stored with lemons, you might want to squeeze some lemon juice on the sandwich also.

Toppings galore.

Drizzle the sandwiches with a small amount of olive oil and toast these bad boys in a 425 degree oven for about six minutes or you can broil the sandwiches under high heat for about 2 minutes.

Serve them immediately!

After a quick bake or broil.

This is really a simple sandwich but probably not something that a lot of people would think to try.

At the end of the day though, it’s really healthy, filling, and very tasty. I can’t get enough of the flavor combo.

So, how do you feel about sardines? Do you love them?

Raise your hand if you’re never reading Macheesmo again because of this sandwich!

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4.39 / 5 Stars | 91 Reviews

by HeidiS

“Smoked cheese and green salsa give these crispy chicken taquitos that extra yum!”

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In honor of fixing my grill that I set on fire a few weeks ago, I wanted to do a fun Tuesday treat related to the grill!

After all, it’s summer time and hopefully you’ll get a chance to light up your grill (or make friends with someone who can) at some point soon.

The Giveaway

Most people have the simple grill tools like spatulas, brushes, and tongs, but there are some super-useful tools that a lot of people overlook.

At the top of my list these days is the grill pan.

It basically lets you grill all kinds of foods that might normally fall through the grates in your grill. One of my favorite things to do is dice up some fresh vegetables and make a grilled salsa.

The pan is also awesome at grilling delicate things like fish. It just makes it a lot easier to work with the food.

It’s one of those tools that you maybe don’t have, but once you do have it, you’ll find yourself using it ALL OF THE TIME.

I’m giving away THREE of these bad boys to you lovely readers.

Tuesday Treat Rules

Just a reminder about the Tuesday Treat rules.

The whole idea behind these giveaways is that they are quick. This contest will close at 7PM Eastern time tonight (Tuesday) and I’ll pick THREE winners at random. That means that you have just 12 hours to sign up.

Unfortunately, I can’t ship internationally so just U.S. entries please.

Those three winners will get this sweet grill pan!

How to enter?

It doesn’t get much easier. Just leave a comment and you’re entered!

If you happen to be reading this in an email, you need to comment on the actual post to be entered please.

Good luck everyone!

If you want to make sure you never miss a Tuesday Treat, be sure to subscribe to Macheesmo via RSS or email!

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“If you like spicy, you will love these. Definitely a crowd pleaser. Football season wouldn’t be the same without them.”

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These were better than expected.

I’ve always been skeptical of the lettuce wrap. This is how it usually goes down when I try to eat something wrapped in nothing more than lettuce:

1) I pick up the lettuce wrapped thing.

2) The lettuce rips into a million tiny pieces spilling stuff all over the place.

3) I look like an idiot.

Somehow that didn’t happen with these guys. I tried not to over-fill them which is sometimes the problem and I also used the sturdiest lettuce out there (Romaine).

And yes… I realize that sturdy lettuce is an oxymoron. Just go with it.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Yield: Serves 3-4.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey
1 jalapeno, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin, ground
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon Braggs or soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
Romaine lettuce leaves

Tomato/Avocado Topping:
1 cup tomatoes
2 scallions, minced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 lime, juice only
2 tablespoons cilantro
Pinch of salt

Directions:

1) For the avocado topping, dice the tomatoes, scallions, and avocado. Stir together with lime juice, cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Set aside for later.

2) If you’re using whole spices (cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes), toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant, a few minutes. Then grind.

3) Mix ground spices with ground turkey, minced garlic, and the diced jalapeno. Stir in Braggs or soy sauce and cinnamon.

4) Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Cook turkey mixture until it’s well browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5) Rinse and dry your romaine lettuce leaves. About 10-12 leaves should be enough for the pound of turkey mixture.

6) When turkey is cooked, scoop some into each lettuce leaf. Don’t over-fill them. Then top with a spoonful of the tomato/avocado mixture. Serve immediately!

A Salsa Topping

My goal with these wraps was to make sure the turkey tasted like something. I hate bland turkey more than anything ever.

So I knew I was going to add a lot of wonderful spice to the turkey.

I figured a simple tomato and avocado topping would help balance out the flavors a bit.

Hard to go wrong here…

This isn’t really a salsa and isn’t really guacamole, but it’s really good.

Basically just chop up all the stuff and stir it together with s squeeze of lime and some salt. It’s pretty hard to go wrong here.

Chopped and mixed.

Turkey with Flavor

Ground turkey is super bland on its own.

To fix this problem, I toasted some whole spices like coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes until they were fragrant and then ground them. I figured this would solve the flavor problem.

Toast and grind!

I also tossed in a spoonful of my new favorite ingredient: Bragg Liquid Aminos. The stuff is kind of like soy sauce, but without the sodium. It basically just adds a lot of umami richness to the turkey. (Thanks to readers Maeve and Sean for the Braggs tip.)

Or soy sauce…

A secret ingredient

Besides the ground spices, some minced jalapeno and garlic, and the Braggs I also added in a small pinch of something that you might not expect to see in this recipe: cinnamon.

Special ingredient!

It almost gives the filling some sweetness and just makes all the flavors more interesting.

You might not be able to pick it out as an ingredient if you didn’t know it was in there, but it is definitely a good idea.

Then you just stir everything up!

All mixed up!

Cooking the turkey is pretty straightforward. Just add a drizzle of olive oil to a skillet and cook the turkey mixture over medium heat until it’s browned and cooked through.

It should take around eight to ten minutes.

This will smell amazing.

A Lettuce Dilemma

I’ve never found a lettuce that works for wrapping as well as Romaine. Everything else I’ve ever tried just falls apart.

These guys hold up pretty well though even to a hot filling like this.

I was concerned.

I think you know the rest of the story. Add a few spoonfuls of the turkey mixture to a piece of lettuce and top it with a spoonful of the avocado topping.

Just be careful not to overfill the lettuce cups. That’s how spills happen!

Pretty tasty!

If you’re good, you can eat these with your hands, but I recommend keeping a fork handy just in case.

I found these to be a completely delicious dinner. About four of these was more than enough to fill me up.

They would be great if you’re trying to do the low-carb thing!

Also, if you aren’t into the lettuce wrap idea, you can use the turkey mixture for all kinds of stuff. It would be great in tacos or even in burger form!

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by LYNN STEEVES

“Dip those wings in egg and flour, then pour a basic soy sauce, sugar and vinegar sauce over them and bake to completion. Good to take to a potluck dinner.”

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