All We Are Saying…

Is give charmoula a chance. A virtual unknown stateside, charmoula is a North African staple—a simple marinade typically made of herbs, oil, lemon juice, garlic, cumin seeds and salt (coriander, or what we call cilantro, is also a frequent addition). The texture is somewhere between a pesto and a sauce, but you can make it swing one way or the other (more herbs vs. more broth) to suit your taste. And, although most commonly used to flavor fish or seafood dishes, charmoula is versatile enough to be used on just about any meat—or on any meat substitute, as is the case today.

As we’ve discussed before, tempeh is a fermented soybean cake. Mmmmm. Ok, seriously, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it at least once. Like tofu, it doesn’t have a whole lot of flavor on its own, but that just means it’s primed to soak up a delicious, fresh and herby marinade. Here, charmoula fits the bill perfectly.

Pan Roasted Tempeh and Vegetables with Mediterranean Charmoula
Serves 2-3

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
½ c. vegetable broth
4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cumin powder
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c. fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
¼ c. fresh basil, chopped
8 oz. tempeh, cut into 2-inch squares
1 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼ in. rounds
1 c. grape tomatoes, sliced in half
sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, broth, lemon juice, zest, salt, cumin, garlic, parsley, and basil. Whisk until emulsified. (You can also use a food processor, but if you do, pulse together the dry ingredients first, then slowly stream in the broth and olive oil.)

In a 9-inch glass baking dish, place the tempeh squares. Pour one third of the charmoula over the tempeh and toss to coat. Layer the zucchini on top of the tempeh and scatter the grape tomatoes on top. Pour the remaining charmoula over the tempeh and vegetables and cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the marinade is absorbed and the tempeh browned. Season to taste with salt and pepper.