It’s always nice when I can recreate a classic without the heart stopping cream and butter and even better when it tastes amazing. This is the story of my interpretation of chicken ala king. You’ll need the following:
1 package of tempeh, I like LightLife (above)
1 small onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 carton of mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1 carton of silken tofu or a cup of dry cashews soaked overnight, blended to a smooth creamy texture adding water as necessary
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cayenne
1 pinch thyme
1 cube of veggie bouillon (chicken style works well here) dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
1/4 cup of sherry or red wine
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Add some olive oil to a fry pan, sprinkle it with salt and pepper and put the tempeh in it and rub it around to coat the tempeh on both sides. Now apply heat, turn the tempeh to lightly brown each side.
Set the tempeh aside on a plate. Let the pan cool for 2-3 minutes and then add the wine or sherry and mushrooms.
The mushrooms will start to turn purple. Reduce them and then add the onion and mix well until the onion starts to soften.
Add the bouillon and creamy tofu or cashews and mix well. Stir in the spices and adjust them to your taste. Reduce over low heat, stirring frequently. When you’re getting ready to call in your hungry self, friends or family put the tempeh and bell pepper and let it heat thoroughly.
Brent made some rice pasta while I was cooking up the tempeh and sauce so we served this dish over linguini. Rice or mashed potatoes would be good too.
Some chopped parsley or green onion would make an awesome garnish but it’s pretty all by itself and packed with flavor and good nutrition. Let me know if you get to try it and hopefully you’ll like it as much as we did.
This is Christie and Brent, signing off.
Turning Veganese 