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New Vegan Cookbook Publisher: Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco © 2001 by Lorna Sass ISBN: 0811827607 There are discounted, autographed copies of this book available on Lorna Sass' website.

Reprinted with permission from the author, Lorna Sass.

West Indian Pumpkin with Jerk-Spiced Tempeh (p. 59-60)
serves 6

This combination was inspired by the popular street food of Trinidad and Jamaica. In my version, chunks of tempeh are quickly marinated with typical jerk spices and then baked. The dense, zesty cubes are dotted on top of meltingly soft, curried calabaza - a large West Indian pumpkin that is sold in wedges in many Hispanic markets. (You can substitute butternut squash.) The combination is quite filling, so you probably won't need a grain accompaniment.

I've organized the recipe for maximum efficiency, so you'll be preparing the curried pumpkin while the tempeh is marinating. If it's more convenient, you can marinate the tempeh overnight.

Ingredients

Jerk-Spiced Tempeh

• 8 ounces tempeh (soy or three-grain)
• 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce (shoyu or tamari)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus oil for preparing the pan
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and quartered
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 medium vidalia, walla walla, or other sweet onion (about 6 ounces), peeled and cut into eights
• pickapeppa, tabasco, or other hot sauce

West Indian Pumpkin

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• one 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
• 1/2 to 1 cup unseasoned tomato juice or water
• 3 to 4 tablespoons marinade (reserved from jerk-spiced tempeh)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 pounds Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza) or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Directions

1. With a fork, deeply prick the tempeh about 20 times on each side. Cut into 1/2 inch dice. Set aside.
2. In a blender, combine the soy sauce, oil, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, pepper, salt, and onion. Purée until very smooth, about 1 minute. Add hot sauce to taste. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.
3. Pour half of the remaining marinade into a storage container. Add the diced tempeh. Pour the rest of the marinade on top. Cover, then shake gently to coat the tempeh evenly. Set aside for 15 minutes (or refrigerate overnight).
4. While the tempeh is marinating, prepare the curried pumpkin: Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook the onion and green pepper over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, 1/2 cup tomato juice, 3 tablespoons of the reserved tempeh marinade, and the smaller amounts of curry, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Stir in the pumpkin. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. During this time, adjust the seasonings by adding more marinade and spices if you wish. Add more tomato juice or water if the sauce becomes too thick.
5. While the pumpkin is cooking, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Brush a large nonstick baking sheet or roasting pan with oil (if not nonstick, line with oiled foil). Spread the marinated tempeh in the pan in one layer. (It's okay if some of the unabsorbed marinade ends up in the pan.) Bake until the color deepens and the top of each piece feels fairly dry and is no longer sticky to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. (Do not cook the tempeh longer than 12 minutes, as it will dry out.)
6. To serve, spoon the curried pumpkin onto dinner plates and set the jerk-spiced tempeh on top.

Other Ideas

Instead of using hot sauce, flavor the tempeh marinade with 1/4 to 1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo, a condiment made of smoked jalapeños in a seasoned tomato sauce (available in Hispanic groceries and gourmet shops).

West Indian "Roti" Wraps

Place chunks of pumpkin and tempeh just below the center of a large flour tortilla. Fold the bottom of the tortilla over the filling. Fold over the sides and then the top to create a packet. Reheat in the microwave, if necessary. It's best to serve these on plates with knives and forks, as they're messy to eat.

West Indian "Pizza"

Place a warm flour tortilla on each plate and spoon the pumpkin and tempeh on top.