Cranberry-Braised Tempeh

A sweet-and-sour crimson cranberry glaze complements the nut-like taste of tempeh in our Fall Harvest Feast main dish. Tempeh is made from whole, cooked soybeans infused with a culture to form a dense, chewy cake.

4 8-ounce packages tempeh
3 cups fresh cranberries
4 cups unfiltered apple juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2" x 4" piece of orange peel studded with four whole cloves
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons tamari
2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon mirin
1/2 teaspoon each ground allspice and cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and clove
Pinch of cayenne
Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

Cut each block of tempeh crosswise into halves. Slice each half diagonally into two triangles. This will yield 16 triangles. Steam tempeh for 20 minutes in a steamer basket.

While the tempeh steams, wash cranberries and place them in a small saucepan with apple juice, sea salt and orange peel. Bring to a boil and cook 15 minutes or until cranberries are soft. Add maple syrup, tamari, ginger, mirin and dried spices to cranberries. Puree cranberry mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Place tempeh in a casserole or baking dish. Pour cranberry glaze over tempeh. Bake in a 350°F oven for 40 minutes.

To serve, arrange tempeh on a platter, top with cranberry glaze and garnish with sprigs of fresh rosemary.