This week we worked with tempeh. Tempeh is an Indonesian dish made by deep frying fermented soybeans. Tempeh’s fermentation process gives it a higher content of protein, dietary fiber, and vitamins; it has a firmer texture and a more earthy flavor than tofu.

Glazed Maple-Mustard Tempeh strips with Lacinato Kale

My classmates were surprised on how vibrant the kale looked. One person said it looked fake or even painted on. The true reason for its color was because the color didn’t oxidize and also the corn kernel and the red added brightness. Overall the presentation was clean and appetizing.

Tempeh with Mole sauce

The whole class thought the presentation was beautifully presented but Professor Hoffman notice that there wasn’t enough of each item on the plate  to fully experience the dish. Also one of my classmates mentioned that the mole sauce should have been in the center of the plate since this dish was mainly about tempeh and mole sauce.

Tempeh in Coconut Curry Sauce

This dish was beautifully executed but the only concern was that there should have been more curry sauce because the tempeh looked a little bit dry. The curry sauce would have moisten the outer layer skin of the tempeh.

Stuffed Poblano Pepper

This was the first dish to hit the display table. The team who made this dish wanted to still show cause the silhouette of the pepper by adding the red stem from the swiss chard. Of course the group was unhappy with the color of the pepper because it didn’t look as vibrant as the kale and also they believed the red sauce made the pepper look discolor, but overall the plating came out really nice

Tempeh Koftas with Cashew Tahini Dip

For this dish Professor Hoffman had to step in to help make it because one of our classmates was absent. This was the most time consuming dish because all the ‘meatballs’ were individually rolled by hand. The dip that came with this was, in the words of Professor Hoffman, ‘ A Killer Sauce’. The onions in this dish was roasted to perfection but was covered up by the arugula.