Tempeh bacon and eggs
Thin strips of tempeh fried in a smoky maple soy glaze until crisp at the edges, next to runny fried eggs and toast, breakfast for dinner that keeps you full.
- 35 min total
- 25 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 2
- About $3.18 a serving
- 710 calories
- Vegetarian
Dolly says: Read the steps once before you start. Everything goes smoother after that.
Ingredients
For 2 servings.
- 1 package tempeh
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp butter
- 4 large eggs
- 4 slices whole wheat bread
- 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
From your pantry
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 pinch salt
Each serving has about 710 calories, 44 g protein, 42 g carbs and 43 g fat, and costs about $3.18 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No butter? Ghee works.
- No hot sauce? Sriracha works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Cut the tempeh into thin strips, about ⅛ inch thick.
Lengthwise. Lengthwise means cutting along the long side, from stem to tip, which gives long pieces. Crosswise is the other way, straight across the middle, which gives short, round ones.
How you’ll know: Lengthwise halves of a zucchini look like two little canoes; crosswise pieces look like coins.
Dolly’s tip: A sharp knife and slow strokes keep the strips whole. Broken ones taste just as good.the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, garlic powder, pepper and water in a shallow dish. Lay the strips in it, turn to coat, and let them sit 10 minutes.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Timer: 10 min
Heat the oil in a large nonstick over medium heat. Lay in the strips in one layer and cook about 3 minutes a side, until dark and at the edges.
Skillet. A skillet is a frying pan: wide and flat with low, sloped sides. The shape lets steam escape, so food browns instead of stewing.
How you’ll know: It’s the pan you’d fry an egg in, and a 10 or 12 inch one handles most recipes.
Golden brown. Golden brown is the color of good toast, somewhere between yellow and light brown. It means the outside is cooked and crisp but not burnt.
How you’ll know: It looks like toast and smells toasty; dark brown with a bitter smell means it went too far.
Crispy. Crispy means the outside is dry, firm and crunchy. It comes from high heat, a little oil and room in the pan, because crowded food steams and goes soft.
How you’ll know: It sounds crunchy when you tap or bite it, and it doesn’t flop when you lift it.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Dolly’s tip: The maple can scorch. If the strips darken too fast, turn the heat down a notch.Pour the left in the dish over the strips and let it sizzle away, about 30 seconds. Move the tempeh to a plate.
Marinate. Marinating means letting food sit in a flavorful liquid, called a marinade, before you cook it. Always marinate in the fridge, and never reuse marinade from raw meat unless you boil it first.
How you’ll know: The food is coated all over, sealed in a bag or covered dish, and chilling in the fridge.
Medium heat
Toast the bread while you cook the eggs.
Wipe out the skillet, the butter over medium heat, and crack in the eggs. Sprinkle with the salt and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are completely set and the yolks are still soft.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Medium heatTimer: 3 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: If the tops of the whites are still clear, cover the pan for the last minute to steam them through.Food safety: Soft yolks are a small risk. If you’re pregnant, or cooking for small children or older people, cook the eggs until the yolks are firm, or use pasteurized eggs.
Serve the eggs with the tempeh bacon and toast, with hot sauce on the side.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
