As we  shared farewell hugs before I hopped back into the Jeep headed home to Cleveland from Charlotte, my cousin’s wife, Tamara, showed me  a favorite recipe for braised tempeh and declared, “You do know if I’m going to recommend something with a such long list of ingredients the dish must truly be delicious.” Point taken. Tamara has the knack of creating savory vegetarian and vegan alchemy for friends and family with recipes that generally consist of  not much more than the short list of  ingredients it takes to blend together a batch of her addictive signature pimiento cheese.

The key to easily producing interesting and flavorful dishes suitable for vegan to omnivore diets is a well-stocked modern pantry. I scanned the lineup of  recipe ingredients and made a mental grocery list which read like this: tempeh, carrots, cabbage, cilantro. Yep, everything else on the page was already on hand in my kitchen with most of the ingredients being staples – hardly a major shopping effort or expense to create a dish so richly layered with flavor, texture and punch.

This article is a fantastic guide to constructing your modern pantry. Other constant players in my kitchen spaces are an assortment of misos –  sweet white and full-flavored barley are a great place to begin. I keep almond butter in addition to peanut, and in the fridge you will always find a container of kim chee and a piece of bottarga. Kim chee adds a spicy crunch that can elevate many pedestrian dishes and bottarga, a layer of the salty, fishy umami flavors I crave.

A modern pantry pairs perfectly with this beautiful recipe Tamara shared with me from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen.

Tempeh and Vegetables Braised in a Spicy Lemon-Coconut Broth

Serves 4

From THE MODERN VEGETARIAN KITCHEN, Peter Berley

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons light sesame oil

1/2 lb. tempeh sliced in half horizontally

1 cup thinly sliced onion

Coarse sea salt

1 cup sliced carrot

2 garlic cloves thinly sliced

1 tablespoon minced gingerroot

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup – I used palm sugar

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teraspoon hot pepper flakes

1 14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Finely grated zest one lemon

4 cups sliced green cabbage (1 1/2″ slices)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. In a 8- to 10-inch frying pan over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the tempeh, flip the pieces over to coat both sides in oil. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the pieces are flecked with brown. Turn the slices over, cover, and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until lightly speckled. Transfer tempeh to a plate and set aside.

2. Add the remaining 1 tbsp of oil to the pan along with the onion and 1/2 tsp salt. Saute for 5 minutes, or until the onion softens.

3. Add the carrot, garlic, ginger, coriander, turmeric, paprika, sugar, caraway seeds, and red pepper flakes. Saute, stirring occasionally for 3 minutes.

4. Add the tempeh, coconut milk, mirin, soy sauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer gently for 15 minutes.

5. Place the cabbage on top of the tempeh and sprinkle on 1/2 tsp of salt. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. The cabbage should exude enough of its own juices to keep the braise from drying out, but it not, add 1-2 tbsp water.

6. Uncover and gently turn the cabbage over several times in the pan juices to coat. Adjust the seasonings to taste, stir in the cilantro, and serve.

“No one loses a hug fight. The score is fun to fun.” – Max Robb