Meal Prepping: Tempeh, Sweet Potato, and Asparagus Sheet Pan Meal
- August 8, 2021
- Ashley Tyrner
Prep
5 mins
cook
25 mins
serves
2
When I think about what makes a recipe great, I think of time-efficiency, health, and its ability to be liked by people with even the most particular taste buds. In terms of time-efficiency, anything that features one pot or one sheet usually captures my attention. Cooking seems to be so much simpler without the need for various tools and gadgets. As a mother and health-policy advocate, the best way I can instill the importance of a healthy diet into my daughter’s mind is to set an example, and that starts with the foods prepared at home. Fortunately, my daughter is keen on fruits and vegetables, and if a recipe doesn’t consist of one at least one of the two, I’m the bad guy. And to touch on my third point of what makes a recipe great, I think if it is simple enough, even when containing ingredients that may be foreign to some, and is still appreciated and liked by that person who never seems to like any new recipe (we all know someone like this,) then it’s definitely a winner. In my opinion and from my experiences, today’s recipe for a Tempeh Sheet Pan dish checks all of those boxes. So let’s get started!
What is tempeh?
For those of you who don’t follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you may not be familiar with tempeh. Let me just start by saying, no it is not the same as tofu. I actually prefer tempeh over tofu! While they both derive from soy, tempeh has more of a chewy, nutty, and earthy taste. The texture is firm and it’s a plant-based protein source that originated in Indonesia. It is wonderful at absorbing different flavors and performs as a perfect meat substitute in a variety of dishes ranging from tacos and enchiladas to stir fries, chili, even as “meat-balls!” The options are truly endless, and because they can take on thick sauces and glazes, you can customize and incorporate tempeh into any meat-free recipe you can think of.
No matter what type of diet you follow, deciding to reduce or limit the amount of meat in your diet can significantly improve your overall health. Consider introducing a meatless Monday menu plan, that will get you familiar with eating meals that don’t contain your go-to protein sources. One day a week, you can add a little more creativity into your cooking by swapping the bacon, sausage, or chicken for tempeh, tofu, or even chickpeas, another simple plant-based protein source. As with any recipe, creativity is key for making something, specifically something new, taste delicious, so make sure to experiment with marinades and seasoning combinations until you find one you like.
Plant-based: What exactly does it mean?
As someone who works in the healthcare industry, I am truly fascinated by the different diet types in my never ending quest to find the “perfect diet.” Although I don’t think such a diet exists, one that I do appreciate is this idea of being “plant-based.” For me, it simply means that your daily diet is based around natural, plant-based foods. It doesn’t mean that you only eat plants, but it does mean however, that you consciously choose to eat fruits and vegetables daily as a primary portion of your meals. Take this tempeh sheet pan recipe for example. It’s simple, it’s plant-based, and aside from the oil and spices, it is actually only three ingredients: tempeh, sweet potatoes, and asparagus. This is a plant-based meal.
How to eat more plant-based
It’s super important that you consistently keep fruits and vegetables in the house to ensure that you are always able to lean towards a more plant-focused meal. An easy hack to achieve this, is to have produce in different forms. For example, I always keep a variety of produce on hand in three forms: frozen, canned, and fresh. While frozen and canned can be the most economical option, fresh is always the best form, and that’s when our service FarmboxRx comes in handy. We are a fresh produce delivery service that brings groceries delivered to your house with just a couple clicks via your phone, computer, or tablet. Farmbox is the go-to when looking for how to order fresh fruits and vegetables online. We’ll conveniently bring your weekly plant-based essentials so that you can try out delicious new meals.
Once you are well-equipped with fresh, canned, or frozen produce, you can then make a slight mental shift that includes seeing simple meals consisting of only a few vegetables and/or fruits as complete meals. And if that seems too extreme in the beginning stages, you can always just adopt the add an extra serving of produce to this meal mindset. Another simple technique, and one that can add profound improvements to your health.
Now let’s jump right into this tempeh sheet pan recipe. Be sure to try the recipe out for yourself and give us a tag at @FarmboxRx and make sure to use the hashtag #FarmboxRx #FarmboxLiving so that we can see how the recipe turns out. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
8 oz tempeh
1 medium sweet potato
1 bunch asparagus
3 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
⅛ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425º Fahrenheit.
- Prepare tempeh by cubing or cutting into wedges. Slice sweet potato into ¼ inch thick fries, and prepare asparagus by chopping 1 inch off the bottom to remove the tough stem.
- Toss sweet potatoes, tempeh, and asparagus in olive oil, paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly seasoned.
- Remove sweet potatoes and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- At 15 minutes, flip the potatoes and add tempeh and asparagus to the sheet. Return to the oven and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and asparagus are tender, and the tempeh begins to crisp.
- Portion sweet potatoes, tempeh, and asparagus onto four plates and enjoy warm!
Meal Prepping: Tempeh Sheet Pan Meal
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 8 oz tempeh
- 1 sweet potato medium
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425º F.
- Prepare tempeh by cubing or cutting into wedges. Slice sweet potato into ¼ inch thick fries, and prepare asparagus by chopping 1 inch off the bottom to remove the tough stem.
- Toss sweet potatoes, tempeh, and asparagus in olive oil, paprika, salt, and black pepper until evenly seasoned.
- Remove sweet potatoes and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
- At 15 minutes, flip the potatoes and add tempeh and asparagus to the sheet. Return to the oven and continue cooking for 10 more minutes, or until the sweet potatoes and asparagus are tender, and the tempeh begins to crisp.
- Portion sweet potatoes, tempeh, and asparagus onto four plates and enjoy warm!