Tempeh Cakes??

Allow me to begin with the obvious. In most venues paper plates are not seen as the proper display for a culinary dish.  Yeah, yeah ya'll ain't washing these dishes.  Anyway.... I must admit I did not concoct this idea on my own. I found a version of the above on my current favorite hobby forming website, PINTEREST!!! It really caught my eye because my husband is allergic to shellfish but happens to love seafood, po' thang  So these are my version of tempeh cakes. I used my own Cajun spice blend in these which made them very spicy. So I cooked the couscous with lemon zest to kind of add a cooling balance. Don't be afraid of the tempeh, just boil it first to get rid of the bitter flavor.  Now these DO NOT taste like crab cakes, but they are indeed delicious.

 Here we go :

For the cakes:
8 oz tempeh
1 c water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf

3 tbsp Vegenaisse
1 tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 tbsp Sirachi sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 c very finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
fresh black pepper
1 1/2 c panko/rice breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging

Oil for pan frying

For the remoulade:
2 tbsp Vegenaise
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp hot sauce
2 tsp capers (try not to get too much brine)

Crumble the tempeh into a small pan. Add the water, soy sauce, oil and bay leaf. The tempeh won’t be fully submerged, but that’s fine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir once during boiling.

Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove bay leaf, and mash with a fork. Let cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to hasten the cooling process. Make sure the tempeh is barely warm before you proceed, or the cakes may fall apart when you cook them. Add the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, chopped bell pepper, spices salt and pepper, and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and  use your hands to incorporate.

Once you are ready to form the cakes, preheat a thin layer of oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Pour a few tablespoons of panko into a bowl. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter into your hands and form into a ball. Flatten between your palms and then roll the sides gently with your hands cupped to smooth them. You should have ten 2 1/2 to 3- inch patties. I do them in batches of five. Press them into the panko to lightly coat  them.  

Fry a batch of five cakes for 4 minutes on one side and flip when dark golden brown. Fry for 2 minutes on the other side and transfer to a paper towel or paper bag to drain. Do your second batch and in the meantime make your remoulade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.