The other night I have a craving for BBQ. Whenever I make BBQ, I want mashed potatoes on the side. But I was out of potatoes. Then I thought polenta would be good but I didn’t have any cornmeal or polenta either.
I was getting ready to think up something else for dinner when the idea hit me. Why not make polenta out of chickpea flour? Who says it has to be made from corn? I use chickpea flour for just about everything – omelets, baking, and even scrambles when I want a soy-free version.
I was thinking about how I make polenta fries – it starts with just making the polenta and then refrigerating it until it sets. Then you fry or bake them.
When I make chickpea fries, it’s the same procedure so I figured I could skip the refrigerator part and just make the polenta.
Trudy and Chickpea Fries
It worked. The chickpea flour cooked up nice and thick and then I melted Daiya cheddar cheese into it. It was thick, creamy, cheesy and delicious with all the Italian spices I added. Oh, and the Orange Balsamic BBQ Tempeh was delicious too. The BBQ sauce is a bit sweet and a bit spicy with a lovely orange undertone. I pan-fried the tempeh but you could bake it too as in this recipe.
Sometimes I discover the best recipes when I have to improvise. My Orange Balsamic BBQ Tempeh with Cheesy Chickpea Polenta was an incredible discovery and it satisfied my cravings for barbecue. Enjoy!
Orange Balsamic BBQ Tempeh with Cheesy Chickpea Polenta
GF
For the Chickpea Polenta:
4 cups water
2 cups chickpea flour
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. black pepper
A pinch of cayenne pepper
¼ cup non-dairy milk
½ cup vegan cheddar shreds
For the Spice Rub:
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chile powder
1 tsp. brown sugar
For the BBQ Sauce:
1 ½ cups ketchup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. agave nectar
Juice of ½ an orange
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ tsp. black pepper
2 blocks tempeh
Vegetable oil
To make the Chickpea Polenta:
Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the chickpea flour slowly and stir until smooth. Add 1 Tbs. oil and the spices and mix for another minute or two until it is thickened. Stir in the milk and melt in the cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve. If it gets too thick, add more milk. Serve hot.
To make the BBQ Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir and heat over medium heat until it comes to a bubble. Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes until it thickens. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Set aside.
To make the tempeh:
Combine all the spices for the rub. Cut two blocks of tempeh in half and then slice each half like you slice a bagel for thinner pieces. Cut each piece into whatever shape you want. I like to end up with 8 pieces per block of tempeh. Rub the spice mix into the tempeh on both sides of each piece. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Cook the tempeh in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. When the tempeh is as browned and crisp as you like it, pour some BBQ sauce into the skillet and toss the tempeh to coat all the pieces in sauce. The sauce will caramelize a bit in the hot pan and glaze the tempeh. Serve over the Chickpea Polenta with extra BBQ sauce.
The “V” Word: Say it. Eat it. Live it.
Print Orange Balsamic BBQ Tempeh and Cheesy Chickpea Polenta Author: Rhea Parsons Recipe type: Entree and Side Cuisine: Barbecue Ingredients- For the chickpea polenta:
- 6 cups water
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- 2 cups polenta
- 3 Tbs. vegan butter
- 1 ½ cups vegan cheddar cheese
- For the Spice Rub:
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. chile powder
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- For the BBQ Sauce:
- 1 ½ cups ketchup
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. agave nectar
- Juice of ½ an orange
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 2 blocks tempeh
- Vegetable oil
- To make the Chickpea Polenta:
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium sized saucepan. Add the chickpea flour slowly and stir until smooth. Add 1 Tbs. oil and the spices and mix for another minute or two until it is thickened. Stir in the milk and melt in the cheese. Keep covered until ready to serve. If it gets too thick, add more milk. Serve hot.
- To make the BBQ Sauce:
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir and heat over medium heat until it comes to a bubble. Lower the heat and let simmer for 30 minutes until it thickens. Taste for seasoning adjustments. Set aside.
- To make the tempeh:
- Combine all the spices for the rub. Cut two blocks of tempeh in half and then slice each half like you slice a bagel for thinner pieces. Cut each piece into whatever shape you want. I like to end up with 8 pieces per block of tempeh. Rub the spice mix into the tempeh on both sides of each piece. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes per side. Cook the tempeh in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan. When the tempeh is as browned and crisp as you like it, pour some BBQ sauce into the skillet and toss the tempeh to coat all the pieces in sauce. The sauce will caramelize a bit in the hot pan and glaze the tempeh. Serve over the Chickpea Polenta with extra BBQ sauce.
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