Give me almost anything that has a bbq flavor and I will love it. Back when I ate meat, I would toss bbq sauce on grilled chicken, shredded pork, turkey meatballs, etc. When I became plant-based I lost the heavy use of BBQ, because what was the point with no meat, right?
Imagine my excitement when I was introduced to shredded tempeh. The texture is not unlike meat and it certainly takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it. Man this stuff is so good! Aside from taste, tempeh is 1. minimally processed, 2. fermented meaning it is a source of good bacteria which is great for our gut health, 3. Is a high source of protein at around 20 grams for 4 ounces (not bad!!),
With all the soy debates though, I was initially hesitant using tempeh as a meat substitute. Like tofu, it also comes from the soybean and like all soy products, tempeh contains plant hormones that mimic some of the same effects of estrogen in our bodies- they are called phytoestrogens. As long as we are not overeating soy (overuse of anything isn’t good anyway), or have been diagnosed with estrogen-receptive breast cancer, eating tempeh should not be an issue. So I’ll just keep on enjoying it and adding my BBQ with it for flavor.
Here’s the recipe to one of my favorite vegan salads to make:
Handful of kale
Half cucumber chopped
Half tomato chopped
Shredded Tempeh with low sugar bbq sauce
1 Oz of almonds
1 tbsp honey mustard
Enjoy!
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