Sweet & Sour Tempeh & Eggplant Stir-Fry

I like tempeh.
It's grainy, soft, and it's a good source of fiber and protein. However, I hardly make any meals that contain them. Also, Rick wants me to get him into eating tempeh so that he can be more versatile with recipes that call for it. Yes, sir.

He approves.

I found this stir-fry recipe from flipping the pages in Pat Crocker's " The Vegan Cook's Bible." It was easy on the money, as eggplants and tempeh were on sale at Sprouts this week. What had I to lose? =)

Sweet & Sour Tempeh & Eggplant Stir-Fry
serves 4-6

12 oz tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup brown rice syrup or agave nectar
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. In a bowl, combine tempeh, eggplant, orange juice, rice vinegar, tamari, rice syrup, garlic, and curry powder to taste. Cover and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator overnight,
2. In a wok or large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until slightly colored. Increase heat to high. Using a slotted spoon, lift tempeh and eggplant from marinade and stir into onions. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until eggplant is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.
3. Measure half of the marinade into a bowl and whisk in cornstarch. Set aside remaining marinade for another use. Add marinade mixture to wok. Reduce heat to medium-high and stir-fry for about 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened.

The recipe made plenty and we had leftovers to bring to work and to eat for another meal time. I served my share with brown rice and Ling-Lings on the side. Very filling!

I gotta say, however, that the marinade was definitely more sour than sweet. Perhaps the rice vinegar really outdid itself. I can always adjust the measurements next time I decide to make this again.
Please let me know what you think about this recipe if you prepare it any time soon!

For tips on making your own stir-fry from scratch, click here (and feel free to skip the old sob story).

Nutrition Facts per serving
(among six people):

Calories: 270
Fat: 13g
Carbs: 30g
Protein: 14g
Fiber: 6g

Eggplant is known to have good amounts of folate and manganese. Tempeh is also a good source of manganese, along with protein, fiber, copper, phosphorus, vitamin B2, and magnesium.

All right. Time to watch MXC and get all the giggles out of my system. =)