TLT Sandwich (tempeh, lettuce, and tomatoes)

Today was one of the first gorgeous Chicago spring days. The high was near 70, which is outstanding for March!

While I did not get quite as much accomplished as I would have liked to outdoors today, I did get some cleaning and a little bit of cooking done.

This is a recipe that I found a while ago on the amazing website "101 Cookbooks." I am so impressed with everything that Heidi posts on that website, that I think I am going to have to purchase her cookbook. She is awesome!


3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup tamari soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
3 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers

8 ounces of tempeh, cut into 1/3-inch thick strips

1 small basket of cherry tomatoes (2 cups)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil olive oil
1 tablespoon real maple syrup
scant 1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 small head of romaine lettuce, cored, then cut into 1/4-inch ribbons (I used baby romaine leaves from the bag because I had it)
1-2 large avocados, mashed with a pinch of salt just before assembling
4 or 8 extra-thin slices of hearty, brown rice bread

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Whisk together the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and adobo sauce. Pour 1/3 of the tempeh marinade into an 8x8 baking dish (or something comparable) - you want a dish that is just big enough to hold the tempeh in a single layer - this way it will be fully enveloped by the marinade. Pour the remaining marinade over the top of the tempeh, cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least a couple hours. I let mine sit over night.

When the tempeh is done marinating, go ahead and roast the tomatoes. Cut each tomato in half and arrange them in a large oven-proof baking dish. Whish together the olive oil, sugar, and salt and pour this over the tomatoes. Gently toss them a bit, making sure they all get coated, finishing with each tomato facing cut-side up. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or so, until the tomatoes are shrunken and sweet.



When the tempeh is done marinating heat a large pan over medium-high heat and cook the tempeh slices for a few minutes on each side. You may need to do this in batches if you don't have a big enough pan. Set the tempeh slices aside until you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

To assemble each sandwich take one slice of bread and slather a generous layer of mashed avocado. Place a small helping of the shredded lettuce on top of the avocado, a few tomatoes, then a few slices of the tempeh, and more tomatoes. Enjoy either open faced or topped with another avocado-slathered bread slice.

As much as I enjoyed this sandwich with the avocado, when I make another one of these with the leftover tempeh, I am going to try it with veganaise instead. I think that may really satiate the BLT craving.