Veggie & Tempeh Stuffed Tomatoes
Hi friends! Wow, Sunday got away from me! Here is the second recipe from my final presentation for you. Let me know if you try it!
Vegetable and Tempeh Stuffed Tomatoes with Anaheim Chile & Chipotle Sauce
By Certified Natural Chef Shari Becht
A protein-rich meal that packs heat and flavor! A great way to incorporate some vegetarian/vegan friendly meals into an omnivore’s menu rotation, while keeping the body’s pH in balance.
Serves 4 to 6
For the stuffed tomatoes
- 4 to 6 large tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
- sea salt to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoky paprika
- 16 oz organic tempeh (2 packages of Lightlife at 8 oz each)
- 4-5 medium kale leaves, woody stems removed, leaves cut in chiffonade (tiny ribbons)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons dulse flakes
- ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped (woody lower portions of stems removed and discarded)
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
For the sauce
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- 3 to 4 large dried Anaheim (aka New Mexico) chiles, stems and seeds removed and discarded
- ½ to 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (depending on level of heat desired)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ tsp cumin
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Procedure
Slice tops off tomatoes. Scoop out the insides to make a bowl-like vessel to stuff. Reserve the inside of the tomatoes to use in the stuffing.
Preheat oven to 400.
Heat coconut oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Sauté onion and celery sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt until the onions begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, as the onions are sautéing, bring stock and chiles to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to blender. Add vinegar, maple syrup and cumin. Blend until smooth, thinning with additional stock as needed for desired sauce thickness. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.
To the sautéed onions and celery, add in garlic and spices and sauté for another minute or two to allow the flavors to bloom. Transfer the crumbled tempeh to the pan and add the kale. Heat over medium heat just until the tempeh is warmed through and the kale is wilted, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in nutritional yeast, dulse and cilantro. Pour the sauce into the mixture and stir well, then fill the tomatoes with the mixture. If the tomatoes don’t hold all of the filling (this can happen sometimes if the tomatoes are small), place the extra filling in the oven proof dish with the tomatoes.
Replace the tomato tops onto the tomatoes. Cover loosely with foil to keep the tomato tops from burning. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
When ready to serve, transfer tomatoes to a serving platter (spreading any extra filling on the platter first), garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro and set out some lime wedges for squeezing.
***
Have a GREAT start to your week!
– Shari B. =)