Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tempeh

It is a cold and rainy December day and it also so happens to be our holiday party with my Dad's side of the family. I advised my Aunt that I would bring a vegetarian dish for the holidays. So I played around online and came across this recipe on Whole Food's website.

Not only was I looking to try something new, but also try using tempeh in more dishes. I often experiment with tofu but tempeh offers a whole new variety of flavors and variations on how to prepare it.

This is a great recipe to try. Even non-vegetarians ate it up! I doubled the recipe below to yield more for the family party.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

1/4 cup reduced-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine) or cooking wine

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 (8-ounce) package tempeh, cut into bite-size chunks

2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled (optional) and cut into bite-size pieces

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Instructions:

1. Put tamari, mirin, granulated garlic, onion powder and sesame oil into a wide, shallow dish and stir to combine.

2. Add tempeh, toss to coat, cover and set aside to let marinate for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, ginger, cinnamon and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the marinade from the tempeh. Set the yams aside.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F.

5. Heat canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain tempeh then add and cook, turning frequently, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

6. Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish, toss with sweet potatoes, salt and pepper then cover with foil and bake until sweet potatoes are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.

7. Garnish with parsley and serve.