The Elusive Tempeh Reuben
Hit Or Miss, ya know?! Tempeh Reubens at restaurants are either a severe disappointment or an exciting event in their own right. What is it about vegan reubens that make people so obsessed? I came across this blog that is entirely about vegan reubens in Portland and it pissed me off so much that something had to be done...in Boston. It was right after I watched that new show Portlandia too so the intense focus on something as hip as a tempeh reuben made me 1. want a tempeh reuben and 2. make one better than Portland would. The sheer fact of it not being in Portland makes it infinitely cooler. And don't worry, I am well aware that I am basically still a high school student and make ridiculous judgments that should only be reserved for the sophomoric. But really though, Portland is annoying. And beautiful. And white. But also weird. Love-Hate
Anyways! Back to the point. I made this reuben and here is what happened! I wish I could get a better photo of it, but my camera isn't that fancy. It can't capture the true essence of the tempeh.
1 block of tempeh, sliced into 10 thin rectangles
Marinade:
grapeseed oil, annato, for that "corned beef" color but also because all the photos of tempeh reubens I see are so boring and bland looking, cumin, smoked paprika. caraway seeds crushed and pummeled, spicy mustard, braggs, pepper, some water. Marinade the tempeh for a couple of hours.
Then bake at 375 for 30 minutes with half the marinade. Flip each piece, add the rest of the marinade and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Russian Dressing:
vegan mayo, dill pickles, red onion, lemon juice, horseradish, hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, parsley and some guar gum to thicken. I blended all of these ingredients together.
Fixins:
Red leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, shredded carrots, sliced red onion and of course, warmed sauerkraut!
ALL ON Rye-Pumpernickel bread, served with edamame and chippies.
Oh! And don't forget the strawberry milkshakes!!
I win!! So good and not boring at all. Portland ain't got nothin on Allston...?? Kind of. Well, at least we eat reubens and compost now!
Love,
me! jp!
Anyways! Back to the point. I made this reuben and here is what happened! I wish I could get a better photo of it, but my camera isn't that fancy. It can't capture the true essence of the tempeh.
1 block of tempeh, sliced into 10 thin rectangles
Marinade:
grapeseed oil, annato, for that "corned beef" color but also because all the photos of tempeh reubens I see are so boring and bland looking, cumin, smoked paprika. caraway seeds crushed and pummeled, spicy mustard, braggs, pepper, some water. Marinade the tempeh for a couple of hours.
Then bake at 375 for 30 minutes with half the marinade. Flip each piece, add the rest of the marinade and continue to cook for 10 minutes.
Russian Dressing:
vegan mayo, dill pickles, red onion, lemon juice, horseradish, hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, parsley and some guar gum to thicken. I blended all of these ingredients together.
Fixins:
Red leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, shredded carrots, sliced red onion and of course, warmed sauerkraut!
ALL ON Rye-Pumpernickel bread, served with edamame and chippies.
Oh! And don't forget the strawberry milkshakes!!
I win!! So good and not boring at all. Portland ain't got nothin on Allston...?? Kind of. Well, at least we eat reubens and compost now!
Love,
me! jp!
Delicious! I had my first vegan reuban in Bozeman, MT at a deli and it had tofu on it instead of tempeh. It was still good. It was also my first time ever eating sauerkraut.
ReplyDeleteHow did you come up with the marinade?
-Lauren
mmmm tofu. I bet that was good too. Welcome to the world of sauerkraut, it's awesome.
ReplyDeletewell, i put mustard, braggs and smoked paprika in almost everything haha. And caraway goes well with sauerkraut. Saw cumin in a recipe somewhere. And annato is super strong colorant with not a ton of flavor, a lot like turmeric I suppose!