Red Hot TLT's

This is one of my favorite recipes. OMG you have to try it. Tempeh marinated in a spicy, tangy, smoky sauce, placed atop homemade ciabatta bread and accompanied by fresh avacado, roma tomatoes, mixed greens, vegan mayo and a little of the marinade. Heavenly.

1st things first. Marinate the tempeh! This recipe is taken from "Isa Does It" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I highly recommend her cookbooks. 

Red Hot TLT's

Ingredients:
1 pkg tempeh, cut into 1/4 in slices
2 tsp liquid smoke
1/2 cup Red Hot
1 tbsp cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water

Combine the liquid ingredients in a container big enough to hold the tempeh. I like to use a long plastic container with a lid. Place the tempeh in the container and let it marinate for at least 2 hours. More is better. And trust me, you'll want to save the marinade. 

When you're ready to warm it, (for this instance wait until we're ready to assemble the sandwich) heat a pan with a tbsp of cooking oil of your choice, I use olive oil, and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Then serve!


Next, homemade ciabatta bread. Sure, you can use whatever store bought bread you want, but homemade is betta. I will warn you that the dough is sticky and messy but it is worth it. This recipe is enough for 3 sandwiches so double it if you want to make a second loaf. This recipe is modified to be vegan from the one found here.

Ciabatta bread

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups flour + 1/4 -1/2 cup extra in an easily accessible container for kneading
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3/4 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons room temperature coconut milk
2 teaspoons olive oil + extra for oiling bowl

How to: 
Get two large bowls. Lightly oil one bowl and set aside. 

Whisk together flour, yeast, and sugar in other bowl. Pour in the warm water and stir until just combined. Add the coconut milk and salt and beat for 5 minutes with a wooden spoon until the dough is well combined. It will be sticky!!

Once the dough is combined, get your container of extra flour and place it on your work space. Flour your hands and work surface and place the dough on the work space. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, adding flour as needed. Yes, your hands will get sticky! Don't worry it comes right off with water. 

Place the dough inside the oiled bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the top of the dough then cover with plastic wrap, and cover that with a towel, and place the bowl in a warm spot. I like to set it on top of a warming oven. Allow to rise for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and shape the dough into a long loaf, Keep it wide enough for sandwiches. About 12 in long and 4-5 in wide.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the bread is lightly golden. Tapping on the crust will sound hollow when it's done. 

Place the bread on a cooling rack and allow it to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving. To cut for sandwiches, slice in half lengthwise and then in thirds. 

Once the bread is done and is cooled, cook the tempeh as described above.

Toppings for sandwich:

Sliced avacado

Sliced roma tomatoes

Vegan mayonaisse - my favorite is Veganaise. Fo real. It's the bomb.

Mixed greens

Tempeh marinade

How to assemble the sandwich:

Slice the ciabatta as described in the recipe. Spread Veganaise on both pieces of bread (on the inside, where the sandwich toppings go..). Place 4-5 slices of warm marinated tempeh on the bottom slice of bread, then layer a few thin slices of avacado, 2-3 slice of roma tomato and mixed greens on top. Drizzle with a spoon full of the tempeh marinade and place the top slice of ciabatta on top. Cut in half if desired. Grab a napkin and enjoy this amazing sandwich. 

I like to serve this with my vegan mac and cheese and grilled vegetables. Prepare for bliss.