292: Unlocking the Power of Tempeh: Nutritious, Delicious, and Easy Plant-Based Cooking

Speaker 1: 2:10

Well, hello sunshine. I hope you're having an incredible day. Jared and I are thrilled for you to be joining us for this episode, tempeh 101. You're going to learn what is tempeh, why should I eat it and how do I prepare it. Let's get to it.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Hey sister, welcome to the Power on Plants podcast. Are you tired of staring into the fridge wondering what to eat so you can just feel better? Do you want to avoid spending hours in the kitchen making complicated meals in the name of health? Would you love to leave fatigue behind and finally have the energy to do all the things you want to do? Hi, we're Jared and Anita Roussel, christ followers, healthcare professionals, parents of four and big fans of great tasting food. Professionals, parents of four and big fans of great tasting food.

Speaker 1: 2:56

We, too, tried exercising more, eating natural and clean foods, but we still found ourselves struggling with what we thought were changes that come with age or bad genes, and we weren't finding answers the traditional route. So we dug into the research and created our secret nutritional weapon sustainable plant-based living. The truth is, you can eat more whole plant foods and it's not hard. You just need the way. That's realistic and delicious so you never feel deprived If you're ready to enjoy your meals, no longer be held back by your health struggles and actively live your life, then you're in the right place. So grab your favorite plant based cup of happy pop in those earbuds and let's get started. Oh friend, you are in for a treat.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Today, we are talking about strange food. Well, it's only strange if you don't know what it is right. Strange is what you're not familiar with, and so we're going to break down the idea that tofu is not so strange. Tempeh is not so strange. We really aren't talking about tofu today. Listen, if you want to learn about that, go back and listen to all the episodes where we've talked and shared about tofu. What is it? How to prepare it? Is soy bad for you? You can find all those things inside our free group podcast insiders experience.

Speaker 1: 4:10

Inside this free group, you're going to be able to search every single podcast episode we've ever created, so this is an ever-growing library for you. So if you're thinking I need a plant-based, I don't know what to do. I've been doing this a long time, but it just hasn't worked really well because it's difficult and it takes a long time. And we show you how to make this simple, enjoyable and delicious, and one of the main ways you can learn that for free is to go inside our free group, podcast Insiders Experience, where every podcast episode is searchable for you.

Speaker 1: 4:43

So, again, this is the ever-growing library. I mean it will search down to the exact word that we said in an episode and you can just click it and play it and find exactly what you're looking for. So that's a great place. If you think I need to know more about tofu and is soy really safe for me? Is it healthy? Go and search it inside Podcast Insiders Experience, our free group at powerandplantscom, forward slash P-I-E and right now we are excited to share with you the inside scoop on tempeh.

Speaker 2: 5:12

Now, a moment ago you mentioned tofu. Tofu and tempeh are kind of like cousins. They don't look exactly alike, but they are from the same family. They have many of the same health benefits, but they're different enough that they're each unique, different ways to use them, different flavors.

Speaker 1: 5:26

They taste completely different. The texture is completely different. Most of the time both are made out of soybeans, though, but they don't have to be they can be made out of other beans.

Speaker 1: 5:37

So we've had some that's made out of chickpeas different beans like that, so it doesn't have to be that, but generally it is soy. So what do we recommend? First of all, when you're buying tempeh or tofu, buy organic. This is super important for this bean. I'm not going to go into detail on it, we've talked about it before but by organic. So, yes, they're very different. So with tofu you can get super soft, but we usually work with the firm and extra firm. Again, we've talked about that on our previous episodes. But with tempeh it's just however it comes out from the maker, whoever's making it, it's usually more firm, more solid, because we look at foods like good, better, best. So soybeans are the best. So you eat the whole plant food. That's going to be the best, the most healthy for you. But then tempeh is really good because you still see the beans. You're looking at it, you still see the whole beans very, very minimal processing.

Speaker 1: 6:32

Minimal processing. He hit the nail on the head there. And then tofu is more processed, right? You think about it kind of like the cheese of the soybean. So they process soy milk, basically take out a curd. That's kind of how it happens. You use the soybean to make soy milk, then you take out the curd and you press it and then you get your tofu.

Speaker 2: 6:54

So it's still just soybean, although you wouldn't look the curd and you press it and then you get your tofu. So it's still just soy bean, although you wouldn't look at it and just know it by looking at it, because you don't see the individual bean. So it's still not an ultra processed food, but more processed than, say, a tempeh.

Speaker 1: 7:05

Right, and so tempeh is going to be much more firm and it tastes very different. It has a bit of a bitter flavor and coming from someone who didn't like bitter years ago when we first started this journey, I'll tell you I absolutely love tempeh. It's not a strong bitterness, but it leaves a back-end bitter flavor, unless you prepare it certain ways. I've seen people boil it in broth to take that bitterness out prior to adding spices and things like that, just to take the bitterness out, and they say it works well, it's not that bitter to us. And for the extra step for 20, 30 minutes to boil it in broth and try to pre-season it and all this, I just don't feel like it's a necessary step and I'm all about saving time, so we just don't even recommend that you do that.

Speaker 2: 7:47

Well, you get used to it Once you know that it's there and you expect it. Once you know that it's there and you expect it again, you get used to it. But in the plant world, many times bitterness is an indication of health benefits, like when you eat greens the greens that are bitter, that's actually a sign of a lot of the phytonutrients that are in it that have a lot of health benefit. So I think to boil it to remove that you may actually be taking out some of the health benefit of it.

Speaker 1: 8:13

We definitely need to think about that. If you're losing that bitter flavor and we know from research that bitters are healthy for us then are we removing some of the health benefit if we pre-boil it, and that is possible. That's a great point.

Speaker 2: 8:24

I would say probably.

Speaker 1: 8:25

I just love the texture of it, though you can't get the texture of this with tofu, because it is firmer. It with tofu because it is firmer. It is a bean and it's a firm block and you get this pressed out block of these beans that have been fermented. So tofu isn't really fermented, but tempeh is fermented. So what do we know about fermented foods? They're very good for gut health, there's no doubt about it, and so you have living organisms inside this food that, when you eat it, can take up residence in your digestive tract, not to mention the fact that you have the prebiotics because you're eating a whole plant food. You're eating beans, and so when you get these beans now, you're getting the fiber that feeds those beneficial bacteria, so they have the food they need. Just like, when you have the food you need, you're going to thrive. They have the food they need. Now they're going to thrive Because if they eat fiber and you can only get fiber in whole plant foods and animal products have no fiber then we know that we've removed those animal products and then we've added in the things that have the fiber. Wow, you're just going to thrive. I mean, it's going to be unbelievable what's going to happen with your digestive system. So, since it's fermented, you're getting the probiotics, but you're also getting the prebiotics that feed your probiotics, and you're getting calcium. It's a great source of calcium. Tempeh is also high in protein.

Speaker 1: 9:40

Do we worry about eating enough protein when we eat whole food, plant-based? No, we don't, because all plant foods have protein, but tempeh, because it has beans in it, happens to be very high in protein. So it's a good source, as are all plant foods. And then we're getting phytonutrients. What does that mean? It's a nutrient that's specifically found in plants. There are tens of thousands of nutrients that they've discovered in plant foods that they haven't even named yet, not to mention the however many thousands plus that are in there that the scientists haven't even discovered yet. Think about that for a minute. I mean, and we're worrying about one or two vitamins, nutrients or minerals that we might not be getting enough of. Now we need to be aware if we're missing something, but just eat a variety. So if a blood test shows you're missing something or you're low on something, absolutely focus on getting the foods that will give you higher amounts of those things, but other than that, don't worry about it. Just eat a lot of whole plant foods and eat a wide variety of them.

Speaker 1: 10:43

So you can slice tempeh in a variety of different ways. You can slice it in different shapes. That's what I'm talking about. So you can make cubes, like you might make cubes of tofu. You can put it on kebabs, if you're doing that, make larger cubes, smaller cubes. You can saute or put on a baking sheet, which is my preferred method.

Speaker 1: 11:00

Why would I want to stand over the stove and stir something and have it stick to a pan, when I could put it on a silicone baking sheet, on a baking pan, get it into my oven, save myself time because I don't have to stand there over it and get the sauces on there that aren't going to stick to the pan because they're on a silicone baking sheet that takes me two seconds to wash afterwards. This is the the kind of stuff we're all about. These are the things I'm going to be showing you how to do inside our upcoming course. These are the things that will change your life. They are keys to saving you time, bringing you joy in this process, because we don't have time to be spending hours in the kitchen.

Speaker 1: 11:36

It's like oh yeah, just saute your tempeh. You can do that. But there are so many ways that you can save time that are so much easier, so much simpler and that will bring you joy and ultimately actually make it taste better to you. Because I have to say that when I have not slaved in the kitchen for hours upon end which is what I used to do before you ate plant-based, the foods do not taste as good to you. When you've had to do that, they just don't. Everybody shows up. It takes like 30 minutes max to sit and enjoy a meal together Probably much less than that if you're like a typical family, even if you're sitting down at the table together, right, and so you've spent hours in the kitchen and they're sitting there and they're eating it. Oh, it tastes so good, and it doesn't even taste good to you because you're exhausted.

Speaker 2: 12:18

And maybe you've been sampling the food, but, yes, all the time that you spend in there. That's why, whenever you go out to a restaurant and order something similar to what you make at home, it always tastes better because you didn't have to cook it, you don't have to clean up after it, you sit down, you enjoy the time with the people, that you're there with your family, friends, whatever and that you're having that community with them. And then, oh, your food shows up, and then you enjoy it leisurely, you walk away.

Speaker 1: 12:44

So when you learn how to eat whole food, plant based, the power on plants way, we have a specific method we teach and it involves making it simple and enjoyable and really tastes good. And when you get those things together it's like the trifecta of perfection as far as making you love this lifestyle. And when you love something, you don't have to think how long do I have to do this? How am I going to keep it up? I'm going to fall off the wagon again. I fell off the wagon again. Those things don't become concerns. You forget about cheat days.

Speaker 2: 13:14

They don't happen.

Speaker 1: 13:15

No, you forget about those cheat days and all those crazy methods that you felt like were necessary, that just were not necessary, because now you have the easy way to do things. So I gave you that extra tip there of how to cook your tofu and tempeh. Realize that if you love to cook it on a pan and stand there over it sauteing it, put your sauces on, trying to keep it not to stick, turning it low enough and all those things, you can do that if that's how you want to make it and you think I've got to do this to make a stir fry. But if you want to free yourself up, give it a go in the oven.

Speaker 2: 13:46

And even if it takes a certain amount of time in the oven, there is still time freedom because you put it in there, set a timer and you walk away. And don't underestimate how a couple of minutes here and there on these different aspects that we teach about how much time that will save you.

Speaker 1: 14:03

Oh, it's absolutely huge. Even if you don't leave the kitchen during that time and you go ahead and make a sauce for a salad or you go ahead and make some other part of your meal, your meal is going to come together so much more quickly and you'll be out of the kitchen.

Speaker 2: 14:15

It just brings so much joy, and if you put stuff in the oven then you're not cleaning up your stovetop. From when?

Speaker 2: 14:22

you've been sauteing and stuff splatters out. So there are different aspects, where you get five minutes here, 10 minutes there, and then you realize, oh my goodness, I have saved 20 or 30 minutes, but not just today. Tomorrow and time after time after time. And then what could you be doing with that time? Spending it with family or maybe working on a business idea that you have just anything and if the food still tastes amazing, it fuels your body. Well, there's really no downside to that. You're getting all that you want in less time so that you can free it up for other things.

Speaker 1: 14:51

And Jared has just dropped another gold nugget right there. This is something I want you to think about more than anything, and if you've listened for a while or you're a member of Podcast Insiders, experience, our free group. We talk about this quite often and it's the fact of what makes us different, because we know that this is about making food a resource. Your life is not about food. Your life should not have to revolve around food. You want to be able to enjoy the food, and part of that is making it quick and simple and delicious. Right, it's hard to enjoy a way of living and eating if it's not all of those things. But why do we want to eat good food? Why do we want to feel our body well? All these things are so important and ultimately, that is what it's about. It's about relationships. It's about your ability to think clearly so you can have good relationships. It's about your ability to have the energy you need so you can feel like going out after work with your friends or your spouse to have a good relationship, how you can run around and play with your children and grandchildren. Now, because you feel great, because you have the energy All these things that happen when your body just comes alive when it gets living foods, and that is why we want to learn how to explore and enjoy these new foods. Like tempeh. You're going to be getting things out of your life that are harming you, getting in the things that are going to fuel your body. Well, these nutrients your body's been craving for so long. It makes such a big difference. So this is a game changer learning how to eat these foods that you think what is this? It's foreign to me, I don't know how to what to do with it. And you know you buy it and it sits in your refrigerator door for three months and you're thinking I don't know what to do. Get over that, open it up and start figuring out what to do and putting into practice these things that we share with you on the podcast about you don't have to stand over a stove, get a delicious sauce on it, which is what I was about to share. We have different sauces. You can try on it inside the Power on Plants cookbook, our first volume. I have my second cookbook coming out for you soon. It's going to have my sauce for making bacon and I'm telling you it is absolutely delicious and you can get it on some thin bacon sliced tempeh where you slice it to look like tiny pieces of bacon. Or you can put it on tofu slices and shape those like bacon and it makes the best bacony sandwich. It's like a BLT without the bacon, but it's got the bacon flavor and it is just unbelievable what you can do with that step. So you're going to love some of the recipes that are upcoming. I cannot wait to share those with you. Be on the lookout, get inside Podcast Insiders Experience so you do not miss out when we launch the cookbook. It is going to be a game changer for you. I know you have loved the recipes. We keep getting emails from you and hearing from people inside Pie as they have loved the recipes. We keep getting emails from you and hearing from people inside pie as they're trying the recipes and discovering their new favorites, and they're going.

Speaker 1: 17:46

I can't believe how simple this is. I can't believe how quick and easy this is. I'm making Alfredo sauce in like two minutes and getting it onto my pasta. I'm making what other things? I'm making tomato soup like I grew up on, except it doesn't have any of the harmful ingredients and I can have it on the stove in under five minutes, dinner is done. This is what we're talking about. You want to make this easy for yourself so that it is enjoyable for you, but I'm all about flavor. I mean, if you know me, from.

Speaker 2: 18:16

It has to be delicious, or none of the effort is worth it. Yeah, and Jared can tell you that it can be quick, simple and disgusting instead of quick, simple and delicious. Which one are you going to choose? Delicious every time.

Speaker 1: 18:28

Delicious every time, and Jared can tell you how picky I am. Some people are not picky about the flavors of food and I can tell you that's the case. I've tried a lot of recipes out there. Maybe you're like us and you've tried some nasty recipes. I am very picky. These recipes go through a an excruciating process not excruciating- Extensive. These recipes go through an extensive process of being created and recreated and taste tested here in the household. Jared really hates that job, don't you?

Speaker 2: 19:00

So much.

Speaker 1: 19:01

So much.

Speaker 2: 19:02

So much where I tell her are you sure this recipe is ready? It may need to undergo about six more rounds of testing. It's for you, quality control for you. Somebody has to do it. But you said that you were picky. I think it's really. You're more passionate about your craft, so it's not so much picky, you just you love good food and it's an enjoyable experience and you want others to experience that with you.

Speaker 1: 19:28

That's it. That is absolutely at 100 percent. And it's not just about my craft, though. It is just about how food tastes, because even when I'm not making it, if I'm eating. It's not just about my craft, though. It is just about how food tastes, because even when I'm not making it, if I'm eating it, I just, I just want it to taste good. It does not become my source. I'm not going to make it an idol in my life, but I don't want to sit down and eat something, especially when I've spent time preparing it, even if it is way less time than it used to be. I just want it to taste good and I want it to be something, as a person who's plant-based, then, that I can share with my non-plant-based family and friends. That might actually excite them about trying it or change their mind a little bit about hey, plant-based can taste normal, it can taste good. It's not all weird, wacky and strange, because sometimes they think these things that just aren't true. And to bust those myths, giving them a taste of something instead of just telling them how good it is makes all the difference. That's why, when you get your hands on these recipes and you try them and you make them. It's going to blow your mind and then you can use it to share with your neighbors, share with your other family members, share to gatherings, take to gatherings and open up people's eyes to the fact of how amazing this lifestyle can and should be.

Speaker 1: 20:42

So back to tempeh. What you can do is cut it into cubes and get a marinade or sauce and it likes in the power on plants cookbook. You can pick up a copy of that at poweronplantscom forward slash cookbook. It's going to be the same exact address to grab your copy of my second cookbook. That is on the way. So as soon as it comes up, it is going to be at that same website as well. And listen, you're going to love it. I'm just so excited about it. But get the sauces that are in the first cookbook because they are going to taste amazing on there. The Asian peanut sauce is one of my absolute favorites. It's just so tasty.

Speaker 1: 21:16

On some tempeh and tofu, season the cubes with sauce and bake them. Cut the slices of bacon and get the bacon sauce, which the recipe is going to be in my second cookbook. It is coming up. You're going to love that. To make bacon. I'm also working on a sausage sauce that is going to blow your mind, because we make sausage with tempeh and tofu to go on our pizzas and it is so good, it's great, sprinkled on a lot of different things, like your tofu scramble. You're going to love it. This lights us up. This is why we do what we do, because we know how freeing this lifestyle can be.

Speaker 1: 21:53

But if the foods don taste good and it's too difficult and you don't love it for life, how is it going to work? You've got to learn how to make it sustainable. This is what it's all about. You can take your tempeh and crumble it up, and you can make tempeh crumbles and make a crumbly sausage with that. You can take it and make like a ground beef type substitute. There are so many different things that you can do with tempeh. The key is get it, cut it up, get some sauces on it and start trying it in different ways and if you try it once and you don't love it, try it again. Try it with a different sauce, try it by making it in a different method and you will soon find that you will enjoy it. I know you will, because it was not my favorite thing when I first tried it and now I absolutely love it is one of my favorite things to add. That's kind of meaty and gives you substance and gives you something that's different. It's just totally different than anything else that's out there. I can't wait for you to discover this healthy fermented food and when you start getting it into your life and you're inside our free group, podcast Insiders Experience again, go and join that.

Speaker 1: 22:59

Right now I want you to post a quick picture that you snap and just share. I tried it. This is what I tried on it. I liked it or I didn't like it. This is what I would do different next time. Anything like that that you want to share. It doesn't have to be in-depth, it can just be. I listened to the podcast episode about tempeh, tried it, loved it. I think I could tweak it. What do you guys put on it? I mean, it's a great place to get your questions answered, bounce ideas off of other people who are trying the same thing. They will be more than happy to tell you their favorite ways to make these new-to-you dishes that will soon be your old favorites. It's so much fun to discover new things and we are so happy to share tempeh with you today. We cannot wait to get to know you better inside Podcast Insiders Experience that's at poweronplantscom. Forward slash P-I-E and if you're a man, you can join too. This is not just for women. All the guys, including Jared, are in there waiting for you already.

Speaker 2: 23:55

Yes, come on.

Speaker 1: 23:55

So come on in and we'll see you there. I hope you have a fantastic week and we look forward to seeing you again next time on Power on Plants. Thank you.