Hot Wings...for vegetarians?

Tempeh Hot Wings with Asian Slaw and Brown Rice

While I haven't been craving meat the past couple of weeks, AJ and I do love hot sauce and decided to try our hands at a vegetarian version of hot wings. I had recently seen a recipe for bbq tempeh on Kim O'Donnel's blog, A Mighty Appetite.  It inspired the use of tempeh as the main ingredient.

I decided to bake my tempeh in the oven, making sure to turn the slices every 15 minutes to achive browning on all sides. The sauce was very simple, requiring a couple tbsp of butter heated with hot sauce and a couple whole cloves of garlic. I tossed the tempeh "wings" in the sauce and they were done.

Tossing the tempeh "wings" in hot sauce.

While celery and carrots are traditional accompaniments, I wanted to serve something a little different. An asian slaw would provide a similar cooling effect, plus I had plenty of cabbage left over from St Patty's Day. I sliced the cabbage real thin and grated some carrot. For a little something extra I added a julienned granny smith apple. This was tossed in a mirin vinagrette.

Asian slaw with cabbage, granny smith apple, carrots in a mirin vinagrette.

The slaw provided the perfect compliment to the tempeh, cool and sweet to the tangy and spicy sauce. The slaw was really great with the fresh ginger, lime, and dill in the vinagrette. I recommend serving the tempeh over brown rice to sop up some of that delicious hot sauce. 

While I would never confuse a tempeh "wing" for a chicken wing, I think this meal really hit my craving for a hot "wing".

Tempeh Hot "Wings"

1 8 oz package tempeh

2 tbsp butter

1/2 cup hot sauce (like Frank's Red Hot - I found a nice organic version at Whole Foods)

3 cloves garlic

pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice tempeh into 8 pieces. Place pieces in baking pan lined with aluminum foil. Grease pan slightly with olive oil. Cover pan and bake in oven for 45-60 min, turning slices every so often to achieve browning on all sides. Remove tempeh from oven. Heat butter, hot sauce, garlic, and spices in skillet. Toss tempeh in hot sauce. Serve over brown rice.

Asian Slaw

1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 granny smith apple, julienned

1 carrot, grated

1/3 cup mirin rice wine vinegar

3 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp honey

1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

1 tsp fresh dill

pinch of salt and pepper

Combine cabbage, apple, and carrot in large bowl. In small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, whisking until well combined. Add vinagrette to slaw and mix until well combined. Refrigerate an hour or until ready to serve.

2 out of 3 JAMs