‘Tis the season to eat tempeh, fa la la la la, la la la la! Please pardon my goofiness, but the old noggin isn’t quite on straight after mixing red wine and a couple of expertly crafted French 75′s last night; seemed like such a fine idea at the time….

Craving something protein-rich and healthy, I came up with this Middle East-inspired pilaf; a vibrant feast for the eyes as well as the tongue. A veritable vegan repast for the time of the season. Please enjoy as it’s a keeper. I’m going to eat another big scoop right out of the pan and then snuggle in for a wee little nap.

Pomegranate-Baked Tempeh and Brown Rice Pilaf
Serves 4-6

2 cups steamed and cooled (preferably chilled overnight) short-grain brown rice
1 red onion very thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel very thinly sliced
Olive oil
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed cardamom seeds (Penzey’s carries little jars of just seeds)
1 lb. pomegranate-baked tempeh, cubed (see recipe below)
1/4 cup sliced mint leaves
Handful pomegranate seeds
Zest of one orange

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add a couple tablespoons olive oil to the hot pan and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the red onion and fennel with a large pinch of salt. Saute, stirring until the vegetables begin to wilt. Add the cardamom seeds. Turn the heat to low and saute until the vegetables are very soft and are beginning to caramelize. Add the brown rice, folding in until warmed through. Fold in the tempeh and cook until heated through. Remove from the heat and garnish with the pomegranate seeds, mint and orange zest.

Pomegranate-Baked Tempeh
1 lb. tempeh (two 8 oz. pkgs.)
1/2 cup port vinegar
1/2 cup tamari
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pomegranate syrup (made from reducing 2 cups pomegranate juice)
2 teaspoons dried peppermint leaves
1/2 teaspoon coarsely crushed cardamom seeds
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Preheat the oven to 350. Slice each 8 oz. block of tempeh in half crosswise. Carefully slice all of the way through each rectangle to make thinner pieces; there will be eight thin squarish pieces of tempeh.

Whisk all of the remaining ingredients together. Pour half of the marinade into a 9 x 13 baking pan; lay the pieces of tempeh in and pour over the remaining marinade. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake the tempeh for half an hour. Remove the foil, turn over the pieces of tempeh, reseal with the foil and bake for another half hour. Remove the foil and bake an additional 15 minutes; Allow to cool (tempeh can be prepared ahead at this time up to a couple of days and refrigerated). Cut the tempeh into small cubes, about one half inch.

Got meat? One of my readers, JW, left a comment that got me thinking “…if that black chunky stuff was steak…”. Fabulous idea! Lamb or beef in the marinade overnight then grilled would be a marvelous carnivorous option in lieu of tempeh…and some tahini sauce on the side….just fantastic. Thanks for the comment and inspiration. I love hearing from all of you – H.