Sautéed Tempeh

I've already declared my love for tempeh, so I'll spare you from reiterating my adoration for this vegetarian protein source. I love it sautéed, and you'll see that this time I served it over a bed of romaine alongside some sautéed mushrooms, sliced and toasted almonds, sliced dates, crumbled feta cheese, and some Italian dressing. That pita-like thing you see on the side happens to be a protein pancake, one of my go-to foods for post-workout nourishment!

The Stuff:

• medium sauté pan
• dish or bowl for marinading

The Edibles:

• 1/2 of one package tempeh, cut into chunks that are about 1 inch by 1 inch by 1/4 inch
• 2 T. white wine vinegar
• 1 T. dijon mustard
• 1 T. olive oil
• dried Italian seasoning
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

The Making:

1. In a small bowl whisk together white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, and generous shakes of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.
2. In a shallow bowl or large plastic bag mix all ingredients together up through the fresh ground pepper. Add the tempeh and stir around (or shake the bag) until the tempeh appears well covered with the sauce.
3. Marinade anywhere between 1 hour to overnight.
4. Place medium-sized sauté pan over medium heat. Spray with olive oil spray and once it's heated, empty tempeh and sauce into the pan.
5. Let the tempeh cook and the sauce reduce for 3-5 minutes. Turn each piece of tempeh over individually, and let them cook for another 4 minutes or so. After this time, the sauce will become quite thick and may be almost non-existent. It will stick to the tempeh, so stir it gently so as to ensure it's fully covered.
6. Once browned, your tempeh is ready for devouring!