Tandoori Buffalo (not) Wings

     Tempeh has always been a fascinating food for me. Fascinating in the way that I never, in my life, could imagine cooking with it and could never understand how anyone else could either. As a child I had a pretty bad experience with tempeh, and swore it off until the tempeh Reuben at Rosetta's Kitchen (which is pretty amazing). However, after having their tempelo wings for the first time a couple of weeks ago, I have decided that I really need to learn to cook with tempeh, specifically to make buffalo (not) wings.
    I was determined to make these last night, even when my partner announced that he was making Indian food (post to come later on north Indian recipes), so to make them fit with the evening a little better, I added a little tandoori spice to the mix. Thus, Tempeh Tandoori Buffalo (not) Wings were born!
    Now, I have been busy this week making other things that I used with the wings, so you can utilize my other recipes or just buy wing sauce and ranch (but really, making your own is best if you have the time).

First I will begin with some HOT habenero hot sauce (made with beautiful peppers from my dad's garden):
Warning: WEAR GLOVES
(recipe tweaked from http://www.hotsaucerecipe.net/)

Ingredients:
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of minced ginger
1 cup of diced red onion
3 cups of diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 medium chili peppers
4 habanero peppers, seeded
2 jalapenos
2 hot banana peppers
1 cup of distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup of lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup agave nectar

Directions:
1. Over medium heat in a large saucepan, heat oil and add the onion, peppers, ginger and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onions begin to brown. Stir continuously.
2. Reduce heat. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, tomatoes, and salt. Stir until the tomatoes break down. Roughly 6 minutes. Add agave nectar and stir well.
3. Place mixture in blender and blend until a puree is formed.
4. Pour mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a container. (note: I saved the chunks in a separate jar to use for salsa later)
5. Let mixture cool for an hour.

 Next, some delicious vegan ranch!

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons Veganaise
8 1/2 tablespoons tofutti vegan sour cream
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3-4 teaspoons of each: thyme, parsley, lemon zest, garlic powder, onion powder
1-2 teaspoons of celery salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix in blender, blend well. (Check taste to make sure it is to your liking, add more of whatever you feel necessary). Place in container and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Tandoori Buffalo (not) Wings!
(recipe tweaked from: Buffalo Tempeh "Wings")
Ingredients:
1 (8 oz) pkg tempeh

⅓ c soy or rice milk
⅓ c flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp thyme leaves
2 tablespoons tandoori powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup panko crumbs

Wing Sauce
½ c hot habenero hot sauce (recipe above) or Louisiana style hot sauce
2 tbsp vegan butter
1 tbsp ketchup
1 teaspoon agave nectar

Directions:

• Bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, remove tempeh from package. Slice into 8 strips. (If you are a first time tempheh eater and have texture issues, I recommend slicing into 10-12 strips) Once water is boiling, lower heat to medium high, add tempeh, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.

sliced tempeh

• Set out 3 bowls. In one, pour in soy/rice milk. In the second, combine flour and seasonings. In third bowl, add panko crumbs. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

• Place each strip in milk. Coat in flour mixture, then briefly re-dip into milk. Toss with panko crumbs, coating well. Set on slightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tempeh strips. Once all are coated and on baking sheet, lightly spray all “wings” with cooking spray. Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip “wings” over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

coating tempeh with milk, flour, and panko crumbs

• While they are baking, place wing sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover with Saran wrap and heat in microwave on medium high setting for a minute and a half. Remove from heat and whisk ingredients together.
• When wings are finished baking, toss with sauce. Serve immediately.

finished "wings"!