Tempeh Hot Wings

Two and a half years ago I bookmarked this recipe from The Ordinary Vegetarian, and it was in my list of posts to make, oh, probably three to four times, but got booted for various reasons, at least that's what I told myself. The truth was tempeh has never appealed to me and I just couldn't wrap my taste buds around the idea of it. But as always, I overcame my stubborn food aversions and tried them out. And yes, they were spectacular! So much so that I ate more than half of them in one sitting (maybe two thirds, but who's counting when you live alone!)

Hot Wings have always been a favorite of mine as this post from more than a year ago attests (can't believe how similar the photo is, down to the same dish for the dipping sauce!) Loving the flavors of this dish was no surprise, but the heartiness of the tempeh was, and pleasant at that. As always, my belly was way to full because one wing (or 10!) is never enough!

I whipped up a super quick ranch dressing - mayo, cider vinegar, dried thyme and dill, and salt and it was the perfect accompaniment to my spiced up version. The recipe below makes 16 triangles, but if you're making this for a group of folks be kind and triple or quadruple it because you will have disappointed guests who will want more. Next time I will probably cut my tempeh in smaller strips to have more to share.

As usual, I made several departures from the original recipe. First, rather than muck about with three sets of dipping ingredients - vegan milk, flour and breadcrumbs - I took a page from my Dukkah Crusted Chicken and used Dijon mustard blended with oil and then dipped the tempeh in the breadcrumbs. While the original recipe includes a fair amount of sweetner (agave), I found it too sweet and amped up the spice with an additional tablespoon of (home ground) chile powder and some pickled jalapeno juices plus twice the amount of hot sauce. But it's all to your taste! 

Tempeh Hot Wings (original recipe from Don't Eat Off the Sidewalk)

1 package tempeh (I used plain)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs (I used Mary Gone Crackers flakes)
4 tablespoons vegan margarine
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1-3 tablespoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon chile powder (optional)
2 teaspoons pickled jalapeno juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut tempeh in four equal pieces and carefully slice each piece in half lengthwise, than cut the pieces in half on the diagonal, making 16 triangles. Place tempeh in boiling water and cover and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine margarine, ketchup, agave, hot sauce and optional ingredients if using and heat over low heat until margarine melts and sauce is well blended. Remove from heat and set aside. Blend dijon mustard with olive oil until completely blended and place in small bowl. Place panko or bread crumbs in another bowl such as a cereal bowl and begin dipping process. Using your left hand dip tempeh triangle in mustard to coat and place in breadcrumbs without our fingers touching it. Using your right hand scoop bread crumbs over triangle until well coated; remove to parchment lined baking sheet and repeat until all triangles are coated. Bake for 10 minutes then turn triangles and bake another 10 minutes. Reheat sauce last few minutes of baking time to ensure sauce is thin. Remove triangles from oven and dip 1-2 to sauce and plate for serving. Serve with celery and your favorite ranch dressing.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Beet Carpaccio with Marinated Bean Salad at Stacey Snacks
Blackened Catfish Tacos at Closet Cooking
How To Make Oil-Cured Olives at Hunter Angler Gardener Cook