day#10: sing it loud, sing it proud

everyone, clap your hands and sing a joyful noise! this dish is called revival noodles n' tempeh inspired by and dedicated to choirqueer, one of the most amazing people i've never met. seriously, there are so many people at the post punk kitchen i adore and would do just about anything for them and have never met. **mush alert!** some of these people have turned into a virtual family of sorts for me. if i'm struggling with a parenting issue, i go to the playground section of the forum. when i want to discuss the news, i go to the parlor. when i want to nerd out about survivor or dexter, i go to the living room. if my muffins look weak, i go to the kitchen for suggestions. CQ hangs out in all those crazy rooms of the forum and usually has something both witty and wise to say about anything from choosing a career to selecting a non-dairy ice cream. seriously, most of us believe CQ should start an advice column.

anyway, back to this dish. when asked "If you could have a dish named after you, what would it be?" CQ responded with noodles and tempeh with a spicy balsamic vinegar sauce. done!

so what's in this? the base is a plum sauce--because plums are purple-(CQ's favorite color). not a strictly asian plum sauce, and not an overwhelmingly sweet sauce. i'll make sure to post the measurements later, but here's what's in it:

• pureed cooked plums
• fresh garlic
• balsamic vinegar
• anaheim chiles
• samba oelek
• white pepper
• agave nectar
• white onion
• apple cherry juice
• bragg's

i sauteed onions and garlic, then added plums, juice, braggs and let simmer. threw in everything else and simmered some more. allowed mixture to cool then pureed. used some of the sauce with whole wheat spaghetti noodles. used part of mixture to soak tempeh in and cooked it in a skillet on med heat until nicely browned on both sides. garnished with fresh cilantro. i ate this in a fury.