Tempeh triumphs in vegan hot wings

I have searched long and hard through grocery store aisles. I have combed with great care through recipes and blog posts. All in the hopes of someday tasting a vegan hot wing.

Buffalo or hot wings strike a chord deep within my soul. I can’t seem to shake the desire, despite valiant efforts to find satisfaction in less salty, fatty, processed foods. But at last I have found a solution. And it’s doable in an apartment kitchen, with no undesirable additives.

These vegan hot wings utilize tempeh, fermented soybean cake, as a meat analog. Though that may not sound appealing at first, there are many great reasons to include tempeh into your diet.

One of many reasons to eat this, it’s an excellent source of vegan protein. Tempeh provides 15 grams of protein in a 162-calorie serving. According to Nutritiondata.self.com, (a great resource), tempeh is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of manganese.

Organic tempeh avoids the danger of including genetically modified soy products in your diet. Genetically modified foods have been linked to cancer and chronic disease, and are banned in many parts of the world. I avoid them whenever possible. Ever since my roommate played “The Last of Us” in my house for three straight weeks, I have been especially paranoid about tumors.

Additionally, tempeh is a fermented food! Fermentation is a controlled bacterial process that creates things like beer, cheese, bread, and pickles. Eating fermented foods, especially nutritionally dense ones like tempeh, is great for your health (beer is unfortunately not so healthy). Eating tempeh introduces beneficial bacteria in the gut, which comes under attack from less healthy foods, such as deep-fried chicken wings.

Fermentation also introduces new complex flavors to food, which is why tempeh makes for such a satisfying meat substitute. It’s nutty and mild on its own, and easily picks up the flavors of marinades and sauces. The texture is chewy and firm. Though it’s not ripping meat off the bones, these tempeh hot wings are reminiscent of the popular boneless buffalo wings offered at many bars and restaurants.

As Wisconsin settles into football season, and these tasty treats make for a filling and nutritious addition to the tailgating line-up or party tray.

Mightily meaty and an unexpected treat

And in this corner, weighing in at a respectable 30 grams it’s the real deal poultry meal, Miiiiiighty Wing.

McDonalds’ Mighty Wings have finally hit the menu, and given critics of the fast food joint’s fried flyer something to really chew on.  A successful trial run in Atlanta, last year, led the company to unveil them nationwide. After sparking controversy over allegedly causing a national chicken wing shortage and also receiving criticisms that the new item wasn’t a suitable addition to their menu, McDonalds delivered a surprisingly scrumptious meal.

If you’re willing to wait a few minutes and pay a bit more for quality; the real chicken will be hot, flavorful and crispy. Often times, fried chicken can leave an unpleasant greasy residue behind but not these. Beneath a flavorful, slightly zesty and deliciously crumbly battered skin, the mix of drummies and wings are bursting with plump, juicy chicken.

While they aren’t the perfect drive-thru meal choice for quick in the car consumption, the wings are everything that a chicken lover could ask for. Chicken Mcnuggets are fine, don’t get me wrong, but the “all-white meat” bites leave so much to be desired as well as unpleasant bits of gristle behind way too often.

At approximately a buck per wing, it isn’t as friendly on the wallet or as convenient as the nugget but is surely a better quality of meat. Costumers have their choice between a 3, 5 or 10-piece meal.

If there is any complaint of this wingman, it is the sauces that come with. It’s not so much that they aren’t sapid complements but, rather, that they are not sufficiently come-at-able and make for a nearly impossible dipping task. Ranch, honey mustard, chipotle barbeque, and spicy buffalo all pair up well with the chicken’s flavor but are only useful when poured on directly or to the side. Even if the meal limited an order to one sauce, a wider mouthed cup would be much preferred.

I’ve always been under the impression that calories are energy and protein is necessary for healthy muscle development. Well the 10-piece packs a powerful punch of vitality. With an impressive 60 grams of protein, 63 grams of fat and 960 calories, a single meal should be able to give consumers a day’s worth of the essentials. This is obviously a more calorie efficient way of grubbing and is further proof of the real chicken wing’s superiority. I will give a vegan diet credit, however, for helping my lunch to grow up to be big, strong and juicy.

Recipe: Tempeh Hot Wings

Ingredients:

• 1 block of organic tempeh-sliced into bite-sized pieces
• choice of sauce for coating and dipping(Franks Red Hot is my choice)

Marinade:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp hot sauce

Batter:

• 1 cup flour (whole wheat, rice, corn, almond, oatmeal … )
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Combine the marinade ingredients in a shallow, flat-bottomed container and then add the tempeh pieces. Allow them to soak for at least 15 minutes in the marinade. Mix together flour, water and hot sauce to create a batter. It should be thick enough to cling to the tempeh. When the tempeh is done marinating, dip each piece into the batter, completely covering it, and place on a greased baking pan. Bake until the batter hardens on the tempeh,  about fifteen minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and coat the crispy pieces with whatever sauce you wish and then bake again for an additional 5 minutes.

Now eat! They can be drenched with more sauce, or left alone. Serve with fresh cut vegetables and hummus or blue cheese dressing. Just make sure there’s plenty to share.