In this orange tempeh recipe, crispy tempeh cubes and tender asparagus stalks are coated in a sweet and tasty sauce for an easy vegetarian take on classic orange chicken.
I opened the fridge the other night in search of something to cook for dinner. There wasn’t much. That’s when I actually took a thoughtful look at all of those jars that accumulate in the fridge doors. Somehow I managed to collect five jars of jam, a few fruit butters, multiple bottles of ketchup and mustard, a slew of miscellaneous sauces, and a few other odds and ends. I’ve watched enough Chopped to know that there was a dinner in there somewhere.
time to spring clean the fridge
Now that it’s spring, the season of cleaning, what better time to use up and clear out this precious fridge space? A good place to start is by checking the use-by dates. Anything well past expiration or growing something green and fuzzy is unusable and needs to go.
Then I make a list of what remains. I relocate anything unopened to the pantry until I'm actually ready to use it. I know I have more space outside of my fridge than in. And while going through everything, I keep cleaning supplies at the ready, as I find that these kinds of bottles and jars often leak.
how to clean through condiments
In your daily cooking routines, make mental notes to use up those nearing expiration items first. Or if mental notes don’t work for you, do as I do and post a physical one right on the fridge door. I actually have a small dry erase board on the side of the fridge and one for the freezer where I write down items I need to use soon. Also, you could move those need to use soon jars and bottles to the top shelf, so they have a better chance of getting noticed.
If you have duplicates, see if it’s possible to condense them. I was able to do this with three bottles of soy sauce that were all about a quarter of the way full. Please don’t ask me how that happened. But now, I have one nearly full jar and that much more space. Not to mention, I found out that I didn’t even need to keep the soy sauce in the fridge. (The label lies.)
Yet, no matter my organization tactics, I find the fridge door just difficult to maintain. Instead, I often keep a carton of milk and other large items in that space. As far as the jars and bottles, I break them into categories and organize them in narrow plastic bins, like these, where all of the jars and bottles can be grouped in the main part of the fridge. Jams and jellies all go in one, condiments in another, and so on.
always be resourceful
So what about that dinner? A few thoughts came to mind, but the soy sauce and orange marmalade got me thinking about making an orange sauce like what you find with orange chicken at Chinese takeout restaurants. From there, I just thought about what goes well with oranges. A sad, but still perfectly usable nub of ginger, was hidden in the back of the produce bin behind a bunch of asparagus. And after a bit of searching, I found a block of frozen tempeh in the freezer. Plus, there were still a couple of oranges hanging out on the counter.
I don’t know about you, but I too often jump to the conclusion that I have nothing to make for dinner. No wonder I accumulate so many random ingredients. Sometimes all it takes is a little thought, creativity, and organization to put together a quick and tasty meal.
making orange tempeh
As I said, this orange tempeh is similar to orange chicken. But just so we're clear, it's very much American food. Dishes like General Tso's and Orange Chicken are not traditional Chinese foods, even though that's what most Americans are led to believe. In fact, many of the dishes found at our Chinese restaurants are Americanized versions of Chinese foods, created to appeal to our love of sweetness and salt.
If you love orange flavors as much as I do, try making my Blood Orange and Grapefruit Marmalade or Orange Bourbon Grilled Chicken.
📖 Recipe
Orange Tempeh and Asparagus
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
In this orange tempeh recipe, crispy tempeh cubes and tender asparagus stalks are coated in a sweet and tasty sauce for an easy vegetarian take on classic orange chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 oranges
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pound asparagus
- ⅓ cup orange marmalade
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ cup water
- 16 ounces of tempeh
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup high heat oil, such as sunflower
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
Zest one of the oranges and then remove the peel. Remove any pith and seeds. Then roughly chop the orange flesh. Slice the second orange, unpeeled, into rounds or wedges and set aside. Peel and mince the garlic. Was the asparagus, break off the tough ends, then cut into pieces about 2 inches long.
In a small bowl whisk together the marmalade, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, coriander, water, and garlic. Stir in the chopped orange.
Cut the tempeh into bite-sized pieces, about one-inch cubes. Put the tempeh pieces into a container or bag along with the cornstarch. Shake to coat the tempeh.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tempeh and fry for 8 minutes, or until golden, flipping the pieces around in the oil to brown on all sides. Add more oil to the pan if the tempeh starts to stick. When done cooking, drain off any excess oil but keep the tempeh in the pan.
Pour the orange marmalade mixture into the pan along with the asparagus. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a glaze and the asparagus is tender. Occasionally stir everything around, ensuring that the tempeh and asparagus are coated in the sauce.
Serve over the rice with a sprinkling of sesame seeds, some of the orange slices, and additional soy sauce.
Notes
This is such a versatile dish. Try tofu, chicken or beef in place of the tempeh. Replace the asparagus with broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, celery, mushrooms, or any combination of vegetables that you like. Make it a full meal by cooking rice or another grain can while preparing the recipe.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: tempeh, oranges, orange sauce, asparagus, soy sauce
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