Tempeh Cutlets with Raisin Gravy – A Plant-based Family Favorite!

After a 17-day water-fast at TrueNorth Health, my dad has a passion for the plant-based lifestyle and the powerful effects it has on our health. There are no words to express how happy this makes me.

The fun part is that he's also taken a liking to plant-based cooking and recipe development. After just a few days of being home, he called to tell me he was going to convert one of Grandma's recipes that he used to love as a kid and wanted my input. He called her up, and grandma gave him the recipe for Pork Chops and Raisin Gravy.

We made a few switcheroos and got to cooking. To start with we used tempeh instead of pork. Then we came up we made a very tasty flour-free breading. We reduced the level of sweetness a bit and added in onions for a little savory-ness.

As he made it with my mom in Seattle, I made it here in Santa Rosa. We were both thrilled with the results. The flour-free breading was delicious! The savory addition of onions to the apples and raisin was a good decision. And although we decreased the level of sweetness a bit, we thought it was the perfect amount. I made it again to implement the tweaks we wanted to make, and the second round was even better.

This Tempeh Cutlets and Raisin Gravy recipe is now one of our family favorites! It's so exciting to see previously unhealthy family recipes be converted to new plant-strong versions that truly nourish our loved ones.

I hope you enjoy this recipe with your family AND are inspired to up level one of favorite dishes your family made when you growing up!

OR I can make over your family dish for you!!! Share in the comments below if you have a family recipe you'd like to see converted.

I'll choose one dish from those listed by the community and give it total whole food, plant-based makeover! Then I'll come back and serve up the recipe to everyone in the Recipe Club.

So what non-pant-based family favorite would you like to see in a new light?!? 

Tempeh Cutlets with Raisin Gravy

By Chef Katie Mae, Inspired by Grandma DeeDee

Makes 4 servings | Ready in 40 minutes | Stores 5 days in fridge

INGREDIENTS

• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced (6 oz)
• 2 apples, thinly sliced
• 2½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth OR water (I use a mixture)
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar, divided
• ¾ cup raisins
• 1 lb tempeh
• ½ cup walnuts
• ½ cup nutritional yeast
• 1½ tablespoon dried sage
• 2 teaspoons garlic granules
• freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the onion and apple to a large sauté pan over medium heat. Cover and dry-sauté for a few minutes.
2. In a blender, add the broth/water, apple cider vinegar, and half of the raisins. Blend until the raisins are blended (it’s ok if there’s little raisin pieces). Pour the sauce over the onion and apple. Turn the heat to low-medium and let it simmer.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F with the convection setting or 425°F for standard baking. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Cut each slab of tempeh in half so you should have four squares. Slice each square piece cross-sectionally into eight thinner squares. Cut each of those squares diagonally into sixteen triangle cutlets. Place the tempeh in the pan on top of the onion and apples—no stirring necessary. Let the tempeh braise for 5 minutes.
5. Add the walnuts, nutritional yeast, sage, and garlic granules to a coffee or spice grinder. Pulse the mixture into a breading, careful not to over grind the nuts into a nut butter. Transfer the mix to a small bowl and set aside.
6. Using tongs or a fork, take a slice of tempeh from the sauté pan and dip it in the prepared breading, using your hands to coat all sides of the tempeh with the breading. Place the coated tempeh on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the tempeh.
7. Turn off the burner on the stove and uncover the apples and onions. Add the remaining raisins to the gravy so they become plump before serving.
8. Roast the tempeh for 12 minutes, flipping it half way through.
9. When the tempeh cutlets are done, serve them with the raisin gravy, onion, and apples. Top with freshly ground black pepper.

CHEF’S NOTES

This is a recipe that you’ll want to have all of your ingredients prepped before you begin step 1.

I love this dish served over mashed potatoes. You can also use another starch, like rice, to make this a hearty meal. If you want to make this a lighter dish, you could serve it over steamed greens instead.

If you don’t want any sweetener added—the blended and whole raisins can simply be left out. The raisins in the gravy can also be substituted with 5 Medjool dates or 1 apple.