When I want to prepare a WOW meal to impress carnivores, I make this wonderful, gourmet tasting dish. "You Won't Believe It's Vegan" by Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty includes many more gourmet sounding plant based creations. Check them out.  (This recipe is one of my very favorites!!) Tempeh, a fermented soy product, is extremely versatile. I always steam tempeh for 15 minutes before using in any recipe.

Ingredients: This recipe can be doubled or tripled for a crowd.

8 oz tempeh (I like to use three grain tempeh.) (Cut in half, then each half in triangles, so you'll have 4 pieces.
4 cups filtered water
1/2 cup low sodium tamari (preferably gluten free)
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 three inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
1 tsp dijon mustard (or any other spicy mustard of your choosing)
1 vegan veggie cube

Put the cut tempeh and all the ingredients in a medium size sauce pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. You can let the tempeh sit in the broth after cooking for another 1/2 hour. Then remove the tempeh from the broth and allow it to cool before coating and a pan browning. (I strain the broth and freeze for use later on.)

Tempeh Coating:

2 cups crushed blue corn tortilla chips (Try to dine chips that are low in sodium and baked.)
1/2 cup hempseeds
1/2 cup almond flour/meal or other gluten free flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsps dried thyme

Crush tortilla chips in food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
Mix 1 cup almond milk with about 2 T Dijon mustard. Mix well.

Take each piece of cooled tempeh, dip in liquid, then in crushed chips/hemp seed mix. In a non-stick skillet that has been lightly coated with canola oil, brown the tempeh on all sides.

Notes: I usually serve this meal with a hearty brown mushroom gravy (check out recipe on this site) or you can use the reserved marinade from the tempeh to make a gravy, and thicken it with either cornstarch or arrowroot. I also prepare cauliflower mashed potatoes with this and a side of greens - sauteed kale and Swiss chard. Your friends and relatives won't believe this is plant based. It is so good and tasty!