[Meatless Monday] Easy Buffalo Tempeh Salad

It wasn't until Boyfriend entered my life that I truly understood buffalo wings. Small drum sticks with bright orange sauce that smelled like straight vinegar. 1) How are these enjoyable to eat? 2) How is that manly?

 After finally giving wings a chance or two, I began to understand their appeal. They're spicy and addictive, and eating them is an adventure...of sorts. While Boyfriend enjoys the classic wings, I'm more attached to the "boneless" option; in a salad, preferably. The combination of buffalo sauce AND ranch? Totally crave-able.

Boyfriend and I tried making our own wings once; and we ultimately deemed it not worth the effort. Frying foods, personally, isn't easy or enjoyable--granted, I don't own a deep-fryer, which may make a difference in the experience. So, when craving the nose-dripping flavor of wings and ranch, I now resort to a homemade buffalo tempeh salad:

1. Mixed Greens 
2. Baby Carrots
3. Black Olives (and/or other veggies of choice; e.g., celery)
4. Ranch
5. Tempeh (I used the 3-grain tempeh from Trader Joe's)

Set a pan on medium heat with a few teaspoons of vegetable oil. Slice tempeh into small bite-sized pieces and saute in pan until both sides are browned. Remove from heat and place tempeh in a tupperware container with ~2 tablespoons of buffalo sauce. Place lid on container and shake until tempeh is well-coated. Add all ingredients to a bowl with a lid. Pour ranch (~1 tablespoon) over salad, cover salad with lid, and shake until dressing is well distributed. (Alternatively, you could put it all in a wrap for a portable lunch option!)

I talked about my first experience with tempeh. While its a scary-sounding vegan option, its actually quite similar to a veggie patty in texture. And you can do SO MUCH WITH IT. Plus, with it being less than $2 a block (about 3 servings) at TJ's there's not too much risk in trying it before knocking it :)

So there you have it, another [e-a-s-y] meatless meal.

Craving met, satisfaction guaranteed!