Quick Weeknight Meal: Tempeh Skillet Salad

Let me start with a confession. I don't really know what to call this dish. Because it's all vegetable, some might be inclined to call it a salad. However, it starts in a skillet. Does that make it a stir fry? Can a dish be both a salad and a stir fry at the same time? What is our obsession with categorizing dishes, anyway?

Because I had to call it something, I settled on Tempeh Skillet Salad. I'd love to hear your suggestions in the comments if you have other ideas!

What I do know about this dish is that it cooks up in mere minutes, using a lot of ingredients you probably already have on hand. I also know it's high protein and relatively low carb, and could easily be gluten-free depending on the ingredients you use. This dish is a great solution for a busy weeknight, when you feel like you have no time to cook, but can't bear the thought of eating a cold salad for dinner. Oh, and did I mention it's super tasty? It is.

For simplicity's sake, this recipe is written for one healthy serving. Feel free to scale it up to feed a pair, a group, or even an army. The cooking time won't change. Promise.

Tempeh Skillet Salad 
Yield: 1 serving

1 tsp olive or coconut oil
4 oz tempeh, cut into bite-sized chunks
4-5 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 green or red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 c cooked chickpeas
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
pinch red pepper flakes
handful of mixed baby greens

1. In a medium nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, mushrooms, and bell pepper. 
2. Cook 3-4 minutes before stirring with a wooden spatula, so that everything gets nice and brown on one side.
3. Stir in chickpeas, garlic, and soy sauce, then cook 1-2 minutes until garlic begins to soften. 
4. Remove from heat and toss in red pepper flakes. 
5. Serve over mixed baby greens. 

Enjoy! 

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Vegan Food Swap Reveal! October 2012 edition

Typically, Vegan Food Swap reveals are posted on the last day of the month in which the swap occurred. I broke my own rule for this, the final swap of 2012, by slacking off and waiting to post the reveal two weeks late. Why? No special reason. Just life. We've all been there, right?

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who participated in the Vegan Food Swap in 2012. It was an amazing project, which I began in April, and I had no idea how popular it would become. I'm grateful to everyone who jumped in enthusiastically and stuck with the swap month after month. As the swap participants know, I've decided not to organize a swap for November and December because people will be pretty busy with end of year holidays and, frankly, organizing the swap is a lot of work and I could use a break as well. We'll start back up again in January, so feel free to register now.

My swap partner for October was Alan of The Classy Scavenger. I was excited to be paired with a member of the male minority of the Vegan Food Swap, but also because I already knew of Alan. I started following him on Instagram a while back because he's buds with Sam of The Nail That Sticks Up, who I met at Vida Vegan Con in 2011. It's a small world thing. (Also, they're also both total vegan eye candy... Did I say that out loud?)

So, I knew that Alan gets a portion of his "groceries" from places like dumpsters and salvage grocery stores. I realize that some people might think it's "gross" but I think it's true that one man's trash is another's treasure and, honestly, few things upset me more than wasted food. And many people don't realize how much food is thrown away in this country, especially by grocery stores, that is still perfectly good. This happens with produce just as much as with packaged food. Sometimes, a store just has too much stock. Other times, they dump product because it's been discontinued and the distributor isn't willing to pay to take it back. Obviously, some produce is thrown out because it's started to turn or rot, but I was amazed when I first learned that the rotten stuff makes for a pretty small percentage of the food "garbage" in the US.

I know you're all wondering, now, about what Alan sent to me in the Vegan Food Swap box! I did let him know at the beginning that I had no problem with dumpstered or salvaged foods, and gave him free license to send me whatever he wanted. Ultimately, Alan settled on a fantastic combination of packaged items from the salvage grocery, local vegan wings, and some scones that he made from dumpstered ingredients. Because Alan shopped thriftily for my package, he was able to include a LOT of different products without blowing the $20 spending limit. It's awesome to see how far a vegan dollar can stretch, if you know where to shop.

Here's the proof:

This doesn't even show everything. The vegan wings are still in the freezer! (Yes, those are vegan cupcakes in the background, waiting to be frosted.)

A selection of snacky items, including two kinds of kale chips and my favorite teriyaki sprouted sunflower seeds!

Yes, this bag is empty. I may have ripped it open as soon as I saw it. 

Some Asian sweets. I can't wait to try these!

Rice stick snacks.

A selection of Hail Merry goodies... the lemon thyme pecans are my favorite! (Yes, the almonds were consumed first.)

From savory on to sweet... Some chocolatey goodies and some carob nut butter cups. 

Fine ground black salt for vegan omelets! 

Go Raw is one of my other favorite brands. 

Alan sent several homemade scones (and posted the method here).

Vegan wings made locally in Indiana. These were frozen, so Alan carefully packaged them with a cold pack! I wouldn't normally suggest sending frozen goods, but since we are only 1 state away and he used USPS Priority Mail, we decided it might work. Luckily, the weather was pretty chilly also, so they arrived still frozen! 

I'm really enjoying my explorations through the goodies Alan sent to me, but more importantly, I hope that this helps to illustrate how it can be possibly to eat some really amazing treats without breaking your bank. Maybe you're not adventurous enough to go dumpstering yourself, but many areas have salvage or discount grocery stores that carry all sorts of vegan foods. You can end up saving a ton of money just because a manufacturer decided to redesign their packaging, or discontinue an item that wasn't selling enough, or by buying discounted products that are close to their stamped expiration dates (which I think we can all agree are pretty much irrelevant).

Thanks again to Alan for this amazing swap package!

If you want to participate in the Vegan Food Swap in 2013, we'll start again in January. You can sign up now through January 5 by filling out the registration form here.

For those who swapped in October, please link up your reveal posts below:

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Vegan Food Swap Reveal! September 2012 edition

Thanks to everyone else who continues to make the Vegan Food Swap a big success! September was our SIXTH month and I can't believe how excited everyone is to participate month after month. Each month, our group steadily grows in numbers, and I have received a lot of feedback from participants who love trying new products that challenge them creatively in the kitchen.

My package for this month came from Heather at Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes. Aside from having one of the longest blog names I've ever encountered, Heather also takes beautiful photos of her culinary creations. I've been reading her blog for some time, so I was thrilled to be randomly matched up with her this month!

Heather sent me a combination of sweet and savory treats.

Everybody's favorite, Biscoff cookies... Although, truth me told, I got more excited about the Chimes ginger chews than the cookies.

This toasted Israeli couscous with mushrooms and tomato should make for a great dinner sometime. I'm thinking about pairing it with fried broccoli and tempeh. Yum? I think so!

I love nut clusters like this for a quick pick-me-up at work, so these went right into my office drawer.

Heather also included some canned garlic scapes. I've only ever had scapes fresh (well, and then cooked) so I'm interested to try them like this!

Stuffed grape leaves like this, also called dolmas, are actually one of my favorite Mediterranean snacks. Since these come in a tin, they're great for road trips, so I might have to save these for my next trip!

There are now Vegan Food Swaps in the US (this one), Canada (this one), and the UK (this one). There has been some talk of starting up vegan food swaps in other parts of the world as well, and I'll keep you all updated if that happens!

Word of the vegan food swap is continually spreading. Just a few days ago, Vegan Mainstream did a podcast on the joys of participating in food swaps, and Stephanie posted examples of the items she's sent and received over the past couple of months. If you're curious about what people receive, you should check out the podcast, as well as my previous reveal posts, where participants link up their reveals so you can see what everyone got.

If you want to participate in the Vegan Food Swap in 2012, October is your last chance! Due to the holidays in November and December, I've decided that October will be the last month this year, and then we'll start back up again in January 2013.

So, sign up before October 5 to partake in the Vegan Food Swap for October 2012!

For those who swapped in September, please link up your reveal posts below:

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Vegan Food Swap Reveal! August 2012 edition

Is it really the end of August already? Wow!

I didn't even manage to post any new recipes in August, which makes me feel like the lamest food blogger on the planet. But don't worry, dear readers, because you didn't actually miss anything exciting. I lived August without a working stove, so I really just ate a lot of salads and almond butter sandwiches, for the most part. It was good food, but not very exciting.

The good news is that I'm cooking again, and I'll have some new stuff up for you soon. In the meanwhile, it's  Vegan Food Swap  time again! I've been hosting the US Vegan Food Swap for 5 months now and it's been a blast. Membership has been growing a little each month, and a lot of folks seem to be having a great time with it, so I'm thrilled to make it all happen.

This month, my box of goodies came from Kim S. in Charlotte, NC, who doesn't currently have a blog. Maybe if she decides to keep swapping, she'll start one. (Let the peer pressure begin!)

Kim went with a "Southern Foods" theme for this box and sent me a unique collection of "accidentally vegan" items that represent Southern food culture.

She sent some *very* Southern things, like grits and canned greens, hoppin' john, and boiled peanuts.

As well as tea bags and lemonade, so I can make my own Arnold Palmers:

And then she went off-theme a bit and included a package of spinach channa (an Indian spinach and chickpea stew):

And a collection of tea, including a couple different varieties of green tea and chai, plus some instant black coffee:

Thanks, Kim! My Southern mom would be very happy - and perhaps a bit surprised - to see all these goodies in my house!

If you're itching to be a part of the food-swapping good times, sign up for the September Vegan Food Swap by September 4! Instructions will go out the following day for Month #6 of the Vegan Food Swap!

For those who swapped in August, please link up your reveal posts below:

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Guest Post: Vegan Food Swap Reveal Bonus!

This month, as part of the Vegan Food Swap, I was matched up to send a box to Kyleigh of The Only Vegan I Know. I hope she won't be calling herself that for very long, because she lives just north of Seattle and I know a lot of my Pacific Northwest vegan peoples would be happy to make a new friend! Kyleigh was kind enough to do a little write up on the goodies I sent to her this month, and I'm sharing that here.

Photo courtesy Kyleigh

I was lucky enough to be receiving a gift from the gal that puts this whole amazing vegan shin dig together! And I sure got some yummy new pantry additions! I came home from an extended weekend vacation on the beach and saw this waiting for me on my porch. 


Of course, I dropped everything (okay, so I didn't have to drop anything because my boyfriend did all the hard unpacking work) and opened my package from Cat! And lucky enough, I had never tried any of the items she sent me! So this was a completely amazing box of unknown goodies! 


I have never really had Larabars, so I opened up the Coconut Cream Pie (coconut is my favorite thing ever!) and munched on that while looking over everything and reading my sweet card Cat sent! I'm in love with the Bragg's Organic Sprinkle seasoning and have used it at multiple times since I received it. The Sea Tangle Snacks were delicious and are on my weekly grocery list. Cat also included some [harissa] chili paste that I had never ever tried before. I love that she sent this because this makes me venture out for recipes that this can be used. This package was amazing and had a little bit of everything, which is what I LOVE!

Thank you so much Cat, you really outdid yourself with putting together yummy treats that I had never gotten to try until now! I can't wait till August!


If you're interested in signing up for the August Vegan Food Swap, you can still do so until Sunday, August 5 11:59pm EST. Click here for details and to register. 

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Vegan Food Swap Reveal: July 2012

We're into Month #4 of the US Vegan Food Swap and I'm so pleased to report that it's still going strong! I love bringing together vegans from across the US to share goodies from their necks of the woods. 

This month, I was matched with Mariam of Birdie's Health Chatter. She sent me a nice collection of vegan snack treats: 

I don't think Mariam knew it, but apple chips are one of my favor snacks! 

Vegan jerky. Am I ashamed that I've never tried it? You decide.

I love sesame snacks and seaweed crackers, so I can't wait to try this! 

The icing on the cake. Porcini & truffle oil. I might put this **** on everything.

Mariam did a bang up job putting her box together, and I hope everyone else who participated in July was half as stoked about their goodies as I am. If you haven't signed up yet for August, there's still time! Sign up by Sunday, August 5 at 11:59PM EST in order to participate in August. Be prepared to confirm your participation within 48 hours, and the match list will be sent out on August 8!

For those who participated in July, it's time to link up your reveal posts below...

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Fall in Love with Salad: Part 2

This is the second part of a 4-part series on falling in love with salad. To read about adding variety with different salad greens, check out Part 1 of the series here.

When real hunger strikes, many people think that a salad just will not do.

If that salad is a limp, fear-inducing, iceberg-laden monstrosity like I mentioned in my previous post, then those people are right. Luckily, there's a cure. Actually, there are quite a few.

Falafel Salad with Savory Yogurt Sauce

Chunky Southwestern Bean Salad

Designing a hearty, satisfying salad is incredibly simple. How? Add some protein. Whether in the form of legumes, nuts, or protein-packed grains like quinoa, any salad can feel like a meal when you add a little protein. Protein helps tell your body you're full, and can stave off hunger a lot longer than raw veggies. 

Some ideas for adding protein (choose 1-2): 

• 1/2 cup cooked and cooled chickpeas 
• 1/2 cup edamame, steamed and cooled (or simply defrosted, if frozen) 
• 1/2-3/4 cup cooked and cooled quinoa 
• 1/2-3/4 cup cooked and cooled brown rice 
• 1/4 cup toasted walnuts 
• 3 Tbsp chopped raw almonds 
• 1/4 cup crumbled tempeh bacon 
• 2 Tbsp hemp seeds 

Although having protein-rich add-ons on hand can make your salad-making experience easier, some of them do require a little advance prep. But, rest assured, that's pretty easy too.

Here are some tips for my favorites:

Chickpeas and other legumes
Although canned chickpeas can be fine, cooking dry chickpeas is quite a bit cheaper and is very simple. I use a slow cooker to cook them on low overnight. You could also set them to cook in the morning before you leave for work, and enjoy them for dinner. Simply drain and freeze any that you won't be using within the next couple of days. This method applies to almost all legumes, even lentils.

Quinoa, Brown Rice, and other grains
Larger batches of grains can be prepared in advance. This is a great activity for a lazy weekend afternoon, or even a weekday evening. Since most grains don't need a lot of active attention during the cooking process, it's easy to tackle this task while catching up on Mad Men or revisiting old episodes of The West Wing. Or whatever. Cooked grains will keep in the fridge surprisingly long, but I like to bag up smaller portions to toss in the freezer as well. Another tip: cook your grains in vegetable broth to impart more flavor.

Nuts and Seeds 
I keep mine in quart-sized mason jars and try to keep them close to full at all times. I just keep my favorites on hand, which are whole raw almonds, walnuts, pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds), and hemp seeds. Since they are always "in stock" and easy to see in glass jars, I never forget about them.

Ultimately, as you learn to add-on to your green salads, you'll realize that a salad doesn't actually need to consist of any greens at all in order to be called a salad. Pasta and grain salads are a great way to mix up your salad regime, or provide a slightly heartier dish. They're also the best candidates for potlucks and picnics, and pretty much guarantee that you'll bring home an empty bowl.

For instance?

Warm Quinoa Salad with Roasted Grapes

So far in this series, I've covered how to change up your greens to invite non-salad lovers to partake, and given suggestions on add-ins to increase a salad's staying power. In Part 3, I'll share with you some of my favorite homemade salad dressings, including both sweet and savory, as well as tips on creating your own signature salad dressing recipe. Stay tuned!

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