vegan cooking

if you’re like me, you love artichokes. and if you’re really like me, you’re accident-prone. if you are me, you once tried to take an online quiz for a class while steaming an artichoke on the stove and didn’t notice the flames reaching up the side of your best steel pot and potholder until your boyfriend ran downstairs yelling, what’s that smell? then you both looked in the kitchen and screamed, then he grabbed said potholder and tossed it outside, then poured water on it. then laughed at you about it for about a week. i wish i was making this up.

anyway, i love artichokes in pretty much any form, so i’m a big fan of TJ’s Artichoke Antipasto.

i’ve constructed a really ridiculously easy dish with this sauce and tempeh that makes a great main dish or even a yummy side. it’s good cold, too!

you’ll need:
1 jar of artichoke antipasto
1 package of tempeh (any brand will do)
1/2 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
6-10 leaves fresh basil, rinsed and roughly chopped
3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
cooked pasta of your choice (i prefer the whole wheat rotelle. you really only need to cook half the package, because it makes what i call “pasta for days.” )

chop your onion and garlic to a medium dice. cube the tempeh, then cut those cubes in half to make it go a little farther.

it’s important to have good help in the kitchen.

in a large saute pan, heat the oil to medium and add garlic and onions. carefully “sweat” them until juicy and aromatic, but not burned. adding a dash of kosher salt can help this process. when they look good and ready, add the tempeh and basil and saute until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. keep the heat on the low side here so you don’t burn the garlic and onion! meanwhile, cook your pasta in a large pot.

when your tempeh’s good and browned, turn the heat down to low and add the artichoke antipasto. at this point you really just need to get it heated throughout, so again be careful not to burn anything.

when your pasta’s done, drain it and return it to the pot. add your tempeh and antipasto and stir together. that’s it! it might not look pretty, but trust me, it’s delish.

i love having this dish with a little bit of roasted garlic crumbles on top, and heavily doused with Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (available at most health food stores).

it’s so easy to make, and makes leftovers for at least a day or two. like i said, it’s good cold as well, so it’s a great next-day lunch. enjoy!