No-Queso Quesadilla and the Tempeh Dilemma

So far this week, we had one amazing meal and one that was mediocre.

No-Queso Quesadilla is another recipe from The Vegan Table. It's simplicity at its best -- quesadillas with a filling of homemade hummus and a bit of salsa. I'd never made homemade hummus before (I know,  shocking), and found it difficult to get the right creamy consistency. I looked up the hummus recipe in 500 Vegan Recipes, and increased the amount of olive oil and tahini accordingly.

Don't let the picture fool you. This may look like a plain old quesadilla, but it's not! Hummus is the perfect filling for quesadillas. We'll definitely make this again, especially when it gets really hot outside and I don't feel like turning on the stove.

Next up was Hoisin-Glazed Tempeh with Green Beans and Cashews, from the March issue of Vegetarian Times. The hoisin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic seemed as if it would be a flavorful combination, but I found it rather plain. Maybe some of my ambivalence is due to the fact that I like tempeh the least of the vegan proteins/meat substitutes, the other two being tofu and seitan. I'm still getting used to the nutty, sometimes bitter taste.

I also served this dish over soba noodles, and maybe brown rice would have been a better choice. At any rate, I will be adding a lot of sriracha to the leftovers to liven things up.