Name: Stir-Fried Tempeh with Orange Sauce
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup dry sherry or Chinese rice wine; ¼ cup water; 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon cornstarch; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 3 garlic cloves , minced; 1½ teaspoons expeller-pressed toasted sesame oil; ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest , plus ¾ cup juice (2 oranges); 2 tablespoons expeller-pressed canola oil; 12 ounces tempeh , cut into ½-inch pieces; 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce; 1 pound broccoli , florets cut into ½-inch pieces, stalks peeled, halved, and sliced thin; 1 red bell pepper , stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch-wide strips; 6 scallions , sliced thin on bias

Why This Recipe Works

The stir-fry skillet is a place to get creative. Pick a protein and your favorite vegetables; practically any combo you can dream up will work if you cook each component properly. Unfortunately, when we dreamed up a nutritious-sounding tempeh and vegetable stir-fry, we got pale chunks of tempeh amidst mushy veggies. Not exactly our vision of golden-brown tempeh and crisp vegetables in a tangy-sweet sauce. First we perfected the tempeh, a nutrient-dense, meat-free protein option, searing it in a hot skillet with soy sauce to give it a flavor boost and a crisp brown crust. We added red bell pepper for sweetness and crunch—not to mention plenty of vitamin C. Iron-rich broccoli florets also stood up well to the quick, high heat. As for the sauce, we knew we needed a sweeter sauce to stand up to the slightly bitter tempeh but were wary of adding sugar. A full-bodied sweet-and-sour sauce made with orange juice tamed the tempeh and contributed just enough sweetness. Sliced scallions gave our stir-fry a mild bite.

Before You Begin

Serve with brown rice and toasted sesame seeds.

Instructions

For the sauce Whisk all ingredients together in bowl.

For the stir-fry Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add tempeh and soy sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 4 to 6 minutes; transfer to plate.

Return now-empty skillet to high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat until just smoking. Add broccoli and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are spotty brown and crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in browned tempeh. Whisk sauce to recombine, then add to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened, about 30 seconds. Off heat, sprinkle with scallions and serve.