Recipe - Garlic Tempeh Croutons

One half cup Peanut oil
6 Cloves garlic; halved
lengthwise
4 ounce (One half package) threegrain or
other mildflavored tempeh

In a small, heavy saucepan over low heat, gently simmer the garlic in the
oil for 15 minutes. It is

important to keep the heat low enough so that the oil just bubbles and the
garlic colors very little, if at all. Let the garlic infused oil cool for
30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a rack with 2 layers of paper towels.

Cut away rounded edges of the tempeh to form a flat sided rectangle. Slice
the tempeh horizontally in half, then cut it crosswise, making strips
3/8inch wide. Cut each strip crosswise into 3/8inch cubes. Keeping the
cubes small helps the tempeh crisp better.

In a food processor, puree the garlic and oil. The garlic will turn into
pulpy bits. Pour half the oil, about One fourth cup onto a foil lined sheet pan.
Add the tempeh and toss to coat.

Bake the tempeh in the center of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, turning it
once or twice to be sure it colors evenly. As soon as it is golden, remove
from the oven. If it gets too brown, it tastes acrid. With a slotted
spatula, transfer the croutons to the paper towel covered rack and drain.
Pat the croutons with the towels to remove excess oil. Serve warm.

Yield: 1 cup

Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #CL8992

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #903 by "Angele and Jon Freeman"
jfreeman@comteck.com on Nov 12, 1997