Tempeh Tantrum

So I've come to really like tempeh. I've read a lot about the negative effects of isoflavones (plant estrogen-like compounds found in soy products) on men and women (particularly those who are prone to estrogen imbalances). However, fermented soy products appear to still be healthy since the fermentation process alters their chemical make-up etc etc... either way tempeh is apparently great for you, in terms of plant based proteins, and it's delicious.

I want to flavor the tempeh to use in a ratatouille recipe. I know it's not traditional by any means, but I think it will be a great way to beef up peasant food without using chicken or meat. (I'm not a vegetarian, I just like exercising my options and eating healthy).

I've come to a problem - flavoring tempeh in an asian style is easy - soy sauce, fish sauce, sambal, ginger, rice vinegar, and you're set for life. But how can I go about infusing garlic and thyme (two main flavors in ratatouille) into tempeh? Then the answer came... confit - flavoring via fat. I've roasted some garlic, about 6 cloves, in a 1/4 cup of olive oil with about 1/2 tsp dried thyme for about one hour over medium low or low heat (just let it soften, don't let it brown). I poured that mixture over the tempeh and let it cool. After that I added some chicken stock, just to keep the tempeh moist and refrigerated for 24 hours - I want flavor here people, real flavor.



Needles to say, the flavoring worked really well. I used olive oil, and tried not to use too much just to stay healthy, but it was a great way to infuse the tempeh.

I'm totally using this in my ratatouille!