Recipe #13: President's Day Tempeh with Lentils and Barley

Hear ye, hear ye!  I declare this dinner to be AWESOME!

Folks, when you eat lentils or barley you are quite simply taking a bite out of history.  According to my sources, barley has been around since about 10,000 BC and archaeologists have discovered 10,000-year-old lentils in Greece.  Soooo old!  This recipe also includes tempeh, which is fermented soybeans.  So basically, tempeh is old before you even bring it home from the store!  OLD!  So, on this eve of President's Day 2011, let us honor history by eating some really old foods.  

1 package tempeh (8 oz)

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup uncooked yellow lentils

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

1/3 c. minced red onion

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons Bragg's or tamari 

1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce (I recommend Annie's Naturals)

1/4 teaspoon (plus an extra pinch) sage 

1/4 teaspoon (plus an extra pinch) thyme

Pinch rosemary

Black pepper

Pour broth into a large pot with carrots and onions.  Bring to a boil, add lentils and barley and 1/4 tsp each sage and thyme and the pinch of rosemary.  Reduce heat to low and let simmer uncovered for about 40-50 minutes until almost all liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender.  During the last 25 minutes of cooking time, get the tempeh going.  First, cut tempeh into very small chunks or just crumble it with your hands.  Steam tempeh in a covered steamer basket over boiling water for 10 minutes.  Heat the olive oil in a medium sized skillet and when a drop of water sizzles in the pan, add steamed tempeh chunks.     Stir fry the tempeh for about 5 minutes then add the Bragg's or tamari, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pinches of thyme and sage and cracked fresh pepper.  Stir fry about 5 minutes more.  Serve tempeh on top of barley and lentil mixture.   A simple spinach and tomato salad with Three-Two-One Blast Your Face Off Dressing, is a nice compliment.   

"I care not much for a man's religion whose dog and cat are not the better for it".  ~Abraham Lincoln