Tempeh Bolognese

Tempeh Bolognese is a real winner.  Bolognese is usually a real favourite but for many people who choose not eat meat it can feel like this is a meal you will no longer be able to eat and enjoy.  Well I’m here to tell you that you can.

You could of course eat a vegetarian Bolognese using vegetarian minced meat and shop bought pasta sauce but have you ever stopped to check out the ingredients in those products?  If you haven’t then I think you will be surprised!  If you have, do you know what all of those ingredients are?  Can you pronounce them?  Are they contributing to your health needs?  Probably not.

I try to eat as much fresh produce as possible and I stay clear of heavily processed foods altogether.  There are some foods that are processed that just have a single ingredient, or very few ingredients.  Examples of these are tofu, tempeh (unflavoured varieties and obviously only ever go for non GMO), tinned vegetables like tomatoes, some types of gluten free pasta and bars that are just fruit and nuts squished together.  I have no problem with these types of “processed foods” and I do not see them as unhealthy. As long as they have minimal ingredients and no sugar, gluten, oil or other unnecessary additives, they are OK in my opinion.

So, back to the heavily processed fake meat substitutes.  I really do not see the point in eating them regularly to be honest.  If you are giving up meat for health reasons, you are clearly health conscious.  Why then fill your body with unnecessary foods?  Even worse, I have heard people say that they are giving up meat and animal products and all the processed junk that goes with that because it’s healthier.  Then they just swap that processed junk for vegan processed junk which is probably just as bad for you.  Madness!  You can read my post about reasons to eat a plant based diet here.

So the answer is to learn to cook your favourite foods without the junk, without the added sugar and gluten fillers.  Or at least try and limit the vegan and vegetarian processed food.  They are not the health food the advertisers tell you they are.

Tempeh

Tempeh is a way around this.  Using this as a meat substitute is great; it is so versatile because it is flavourless.  This means it can lend itself to any cuisine type.  It is also high in protein and has good amounts of fibre, calcium and iron.  It is low in fat and has no cholesterol.  You can read more about it here.

Tempeh is so easy to work with, it is harder than tofu, so lends itself well to use as a substitute for minced meat in meals like Bolognese and cottage pie.  I break it into small chunks so there is a nice bite to the meal and I add grated carrot.  I do this because it adds nutritional benefits to the meal and helps to bulk it out a bit.

How to make

I find it easier when making a dish like this to prepare all of your ingredients first.  Mainly because my house is busy and I cannot remember the last time I just made a meal without interruptions.  So, if everything is prepared and organised, interruptions do not matter, and you won’t forget what you are doing.

To prepare

Pre heat your oven to gas mark 4.

Chop the red onion into small chunks, it doesn’t have to be finely chopped but I wouldn’t use big chunks here.  Obviously though, if big chunks are your thing, then that is fine, I just prefer small chunks in this type of meal.

Peel and grate the carrots.  You can finely chop these too if you would prefer but I like to grate them, it adds a lot of bulk to the meal.

Break up tempeh into small chunks.  You don’t have to be precise; some big chunks are fine too.  When I used to eat (and cook) minced beef I used to try make the mince chunkier by not breaking the meat up too much while cooking.  I preferred the bite of the meal like this and this is what I am trying to replicate here.  It is clearly your preference though.

Chop all of your cherry tomatoes in halve and place them in a baking tin.

Roughly chop your basil, honestly, really rough is fine.

The easiest way to chop herbs is to grab them and really bunch them together, almost squashing them, folding them into each other, then hold them like this while you get the first few chops in, they will be easier to manage after this.

Lastly measure out your spaghetti dependent on the number of people you are cooking for.

To cook

Put a large pan of water on the hob to boil.

Add a few sprays of good quality olive oil to a frying pan or sauté pan and heat to a medium to high heat.

Add the red onion and cook until soft, add the carrots to this and the tempeh and stir well.  Let this cook for a few minutes.

Next add the tomato paste to the pan with a splash of water and stir well, the water will help to distribute the paste.

Throw in the tin of tomatoes, either squish them with a spoon or by hand and add the passata.  Add the salt and some pepper if you like it.

Bring this all to the boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

With ten minutes to go or however long your pasta takes to cook, cook your pasta according to packet instructions.

With one minute to go, add your chopped basil to your tempeh and the roasted cherry tomatoes and mix well.

Drain your pasta and serve to 4 plates.

Top the pasta with the tempeh Bolognese.

Add more basil if desired.

This is also lovely topped with some plant based cheese.

This is such a great alternative to some of the fake meat you can buy and really no fuss.

I hope you enjoy it.

Health and happiness

Laura x