St. Patrick's Day with TGBK

If you know us here at TGBK by now you'll know that we love any reason to celebrate if that celebrating means good food and drinks. And here in Chicago there is a lot of celebrating done this week for St. Patrick's Day. Historically, we haven't partaken in the food and drink festivities given that we are vegetarian (no corned beef) and shy away from food additives (no green beer for us), but this year was different. We decided to use the traditional foods and colors of the festivities as inspiration for a vegan, green dye free meal and the results were fabulous! Seriously a meal that we will be making again and again. We will get to the recipe after a little more about our star foods this week.

The two foods we want to highlight this week are both fermented foods, surprise, surprise! And as you know from many other posts, fermented foods are just amazing. Some of the healthiest foods you can consume for your gut and body in general. The first fermented food (pictured above) is tempeh which is a cake made out of fermented soy beans. Tempeh originated in Indonesia and is a vegan, high protein food source. Because the whole soybean is utilized to make tempeh there is more protein, fiber, and micronutrients than standard tofu. The process of making tempeh is actually quite interesting. Whole soybeans are first soaked in water, de-hulled, and partially cooked to soften. The soft beans may then be mixed with whole grains and seeds such as brown rice and flax seed and a starter culture (spores of fungus). The mixture is then spread out into a thin layer to ferment at 86 degrees for 24-36 hours. Because tempeh is fermented, the carbohydrates that may cause abdominal bloating and gas are easier to digest, which means a happy and quiet gut! Tempeh has a chewy texture and a somewhat earthy taste. We love it soaked in a salty/sweet marinade and pan fried just like in this recipe. Sauerkraut (pictured below) is our other star fermented food this week. Traditional sauerkraut is thinly sliced green cabbage mixed with salt and left to ferment at room temperate for several days/weeks. Sauerkraut is naturally sour in taste from the lactic acid produced during the fermentation process. Lactic acid may sound scary but is basically a helpful bacteria that ferments the sugar in the cabbage creating the beloved sauerkraut. This form of fermentation is raw, which preserves AND increases the bio-availability of vitamins and minerals in the cabbage (so cool!) and creates live active cultures of probiotics, specifically lactobacilli, in the final sauerkraut. So hopefully these star foods now have you ready to make this fabulous recipe.

Crunchy Sauerkraut
PREP TIME: 10 mins
TOTAL TIME: 10 mins  (+ 7 days fermentation time)
Servings: 1 quart (4 cups)

Ingredients
5 lbs organic green cabbage (~1.5 cabbages)
3 Tbsp salt

Remove the outer layer of the cabbages, reserving 3-4 full, large leaves and set aside. Thinly slice the cabbage and add to a bowl. Generously sprinkle 3 Tbsp salt over the  sliced cabbage and lightly massage. Using a clean and sterile large crock or jar, gradually add the cabbage making sure to pack down for a tight "seal" to keep the kraut fresh. Continue this process until all the salted cabbage is in the crock. Make sure you leave at least a 4" space from the top of the crock and the cabbage. Place reserved full cabbage leaves over the top and layer each leaf making sure to press the edges tightly down to create a seal over your kraut, also to keep your kraut fresh. Place a fermentation weight or a clean jar filled with water over the top of the cabbage leaves and let sit at room temperature on the counter. Within the first 24 hours, press down with on the weight every 4-6 hours - you should begin to see a brine. This brine naturally forms as the salt helps to release water from the cabbage. Continue to press down on the weight daily and allow the natural process of fermentation to take over! We let ours ferment for 7 days, which gave the final product a salty and sour taste with the perfect crunch. Once complete plate about 1/2 cup cabbage for this dish.

Salty-Sweet Tempeh
PREP TIME: 35-60 mins (includes marinade time)
TOTAL TIME: 40-65 mins
Servings: 4

Ingredients
8 oz organic tempeh 
3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp black pepper powder

In a shallow bowl combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, onion, and pepper powder and whisk with a fork until fully combined. Cut the block of tempeh in half then add to a zip lock bag with the marinade and allow the tempeh to sit and soak up the flavors for at least 30 minutes. Place tempeh in a pre-heated non-stick or oiled pan and sear both sides until caramelized (this takes about 3-4 minutes on each side). Carefully slice tempeh as thin as possible and fan 1/4 over each plated sauerkraut.

Super Green Sauce
PREP TIME: 5 mins
TOTAL TIME: 10 mins
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 small garlic clove, smashed  
1 crushed bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan. Turn heat on to a simmer and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, add to a blender, and blend until smooth. Finish plates with a drizzle of super green sauce.

So it's going to take a few bites to taste and appreciate all of the amazing flavors in this dish, and once you do it will rock your St. Paddy's day world. The sauerkraut is just the right amount of crunchy and sour, the tempeh has a sweet saltiness and incredible texture, and the green sauce is so vinegar forward but also rich that it just doesn't seem possible. But it is.  And it's our gift to you this week. So enjoy with or without a green beer (we won't judge!) and let us know what you think. We can't wait to hear from you!
 
 Have fun,
 Jess and Cecelia