Pecan-Crusted Tempeh Cutlets
These Tempeh Cutlets Are Incredible!
A 6-Step Recipe for Pecan-Crusted Tempeh Cutlets! If you’re not in love with tempeh yet, this recipe will change everything! You won’t want to miss this episode of #LunchBreakLive where cookbook author and Director of Compassionate Cuisine at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, Chef Linda, shows you how to turn your tempeh, a versatile and super-healthy plant protein, into tender, flavorful, nut-crusted cutlets in a flash. Perfect on top of mashed potatoes and smothered with rich, vegan gravy!
Compassion and Cooking Secrets
Linda Soper-Kolton came to Catskill Animal Sanctuary in 2012 as a guest chef, intending to teach Compassionate Cuisine cooking classes for a season and then return to her vegetarian and vegan café in Fairfield, Connecticut. Lured by the magic of the sanctuary and the urgency of the mission, Linda stayed to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food. Six years later, she continues to cook, teach, write, and kiss pigs.
Unlike many chefs, Linda did not grow up at the knee of a family matriarch in the kitchen. Instead, her early memories of mealtime included mashed potatoes made with milk powder and potato flakes, Friday’s clean-out-the-fridge “spaghetti surprise,” and a lot of liver. Linda learned to cook out of sheer necessity. In the humble kitchen of her first apartment, Linda spent nights baking, roasting, and simmering for roommates, co-workers, and anyone else she could find. With “food is love” as her mantra, cooking and feeding became her way of nurturing and connecting with others.
In midlife, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a chef when she graduated from the Natural Gourmet Institute chef’s training program. Combining her chef’s training with certification as a holistic health coach from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and certification in plant-based nutrition from the Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell, Linda is driven to love and influence others through compassionate, plant-based eating. When she’s not in the kitchen creating, she’s probably looking for her glasses.
Tempeh Is Super Versatile And Delicious. If you Haven’t Fallen In Love With It Yet, Now Is Your Time!
These tempting Tempeh Cutlets, with their rich pecan coating, make a gorgeous and delicious main dish for any night of the week. Chef Linda has revised the classic three-step breading process by using flax seeds instead of eggs. By taking the extra steps to do a three-step breading – seasoned flour, then a flax egg, then pecans – the pecans won’t fall off the cutlets after they’re baked. Serve these cutlets with mashed potatoes, noodles, or a crispy, green salad. Be sure to make the gravy…it’s a game-changer!
Pecan Coated Tempeh Cutlets
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- ½ cup water
- 1 8-ounce package tempeh
- 1 ½ cups water enough to cover the tempeh
- 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
- ¼ cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- 2 cups finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the ground flax seeds and water, and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Cut the block of tempeh in half horizontally, making two thin planks. Cut each plank into four triangles or rectangles to yield a total of 8 cutlets. Place the tempeh in a small pot with water and tamari. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the three-part breading station. Arrange three wide, shallow bowls on your counter. In one bowl, stir together the flour, nutritional yeast, thyme, salt, and pepper. The second bowl is the flaxseed mixture. Finally, place the finely chopped pecans in the third bowl.
- Transfer the tempeh from its simmering liquid to a plate and allow to cool briefly. Dip a cutlet into the flour mixture and shake off any excess. Next, dip it into the flaxseed mixture. Finally, dip the cutlet in the chopped pecans and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining cutlets until all the tempeh pieces are coated.
- Place the tray in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the cutlets and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and serve. Cutlets can also be pan-fried in oil.
Notes
Simple, Golden Gravy
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth plus more to thin to desired consistency
- ½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt taste before adding
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour and continuously whisk for 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add in the broth and whisk until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, tamari, onion and garlic powders. Continue to cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture is thick and velvety. Taste and add salt if necessary. Thin to desired consistency with more broth. Store extra in a covered container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Gravy will thicken considerably when chilled. Microwave or heat on the stove top, adding more broth to thin if necessary.
Notes
I Bet You Love Tempeh Now!
How can you not be in love with Tempeh after this recipe? Warm Pecan Crusted cutlets with the perfect flavor, crunch, and texture! Go ahead and give it a try and let us know how much you loved it. Take a photo of the finished dish and tag @Unchained_TV on Instagram. Looking for other easy vegan recipes to cook up? Jump on over to the #LunchBreakLIVE page, where we have a ton to choose from. Until next time…keep cookin’!
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