‘You can make any meal into a sandwich and any sandwich into a meal’
Let’s make sandwiches interesting again….
The Vietnamese Banh Mi is one of most complex and tasty sandwiches I have ever eaten. Typically made with chicken or pork, tempeh makes for a great substitute being a complete protein and having a meaty texture.
This simple BBQ sauce is simple to put together and tantalising to the tongue. Combined with sharp quick pickles and optional heat, this is really a spectacular food combination and a great version of a humble sandwich and street food.
Mr B likes this BBQ tempeh with other things, like in a rice or quinoa bowl, so I always make a double portion.
From a nutritional perspective, Tempeh is a whole food (versus tofu which isn’t) and complete protein. It has 30g of protein per cup, prebiotics as it is fermented and a high amount of vitamins and minerals, including iron, B12, magnesium and calcium.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, it is dry, heavy and astringent, making it good for Vata and Pitta, but aggravating to Kapha in excess.
Always make sure to purchase organic tempeh if you can, as most soya is used for commercial feed and so genetically modified if not organic. You can also now get soya free tempeh, made with barley, brown rice or chickpeas for example. Barry’s Tempeh in New York, Brooklyn, makes all of these fresh and is a brand I would highly recommend.
Ingredients
Serving: 2 pieces/1-baguette
For the tempeh
- 2 tbsp. tamari
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tbsp. sriracha (optional)
- 8-oz tempeh, cut into strips
For the quick pickles
- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, shredded
- 1 cup shredded carrots
Baguette suggestions
- Bake one GF baguette
- Spread vegan mayo on baguette
- Add dill pickles or slices of cucumber
- Add thinly sliced jalapeno
Method
- Mix all the pickle ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes
- Mix all the tempeh sauce ingredients, pour over the tempeh. Let marinate for 20 minutes, bake for 20 minutes at 350F or until firm
- Allow to cool and then put the tempeh together in the baguette with suggested fillings. Adjust to your own taste
