Buffalo Tofu and Tempeh...oh wow this was good

Last night after work I had this urge coming from deep in my reptilian brain for "Buffalo" something. I drove all the way to south Fargo because I was out of vegan margarine (I hate doing that, but I was beyond rational action here) and picked up a bottle of Franks RedHot cayenne pepper sauce too. The big secret to buffalo sauce is just equal parts hot sauce and butter, with Earth Balance vegan margarine more than holding its own in that role. Since I was all about indulgence last night, I made a double batch of buffalo nuggets, with a package of extra firm tofu and a package of tempeh. The white mass on the plate is a mushed baked potato.

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Buffalo Sauce:

1/2 cup cayenne pepper hot sauce

1/2 cup vegan margarine

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Chunky nuggets:

1 12 oz. package extra firm tofu

1 8 oz. package tempeh

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Mike's "That ain't chicken" marinade:

1 cup broth, made from vegan "chicken" broth powder

2 tbsp. tamari soy sauce

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp. dry sage

1 tsp. dry rosemary

1 tsp. dry thyme

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

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Breading flour:

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

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1. Cut tofu and tempeh in bite-size pieces. I was in a triangle mood.

2. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow baking dish, and add tofu and tempeh. Make sure everything is covered with marinade, and marinate for a couple of hours. Toss around a couple of times to make sure everything is coated.

3. After at least 2 hours, remove tofu and tempeh from marinade and toss in the flour mixture until everything is evenly coated.

4. Bake on a lightly oiled baking sheet at 325 F for 20 to 30 minutes, until the breading has browned just a bit.

5. While the tofu and tempeh are baking, combine the buffalo sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat just until margarine is completely melted, and mix thoroughly with the hot sauce.

6. When tofu and tempeh are browned, remove from oven and dump into the buffalo sauce pan. Toss until evenly coated. Serve hot, or keep in a covered baking dish on low heat in the oven until ready to serve.

7. You really need some celery around as a counterpoint and to capture that buffalo vibe. There is also a dipping sauce involved, which I forgot about. I'll be back to add that recipe.