Asian Style BBQ Tempeh Wings

Wings, as the good people at Herbivore remind us, were created for flying, not for frying. That being the case, the "wings" in today's post have neither flown nor been fried, but are a variation on the sweet and spicy BBQ tempeh recipe I made a few weeks ago. We still had a few packages of that awesome Henry's Gourmet Tempeh in the refrigerator, and were looking for something Asian-tasting to go with the leftover dry sauteed green beans and brown rice from the previous night's dinner (a typical genesis for recipes around here). I basically just played around with the sauce until I got the flavor I was looking for, then proceeded as before. I've reposted the method for the tempeh, so you don't need to refer back to the earlier post; then again, if you're feeling ambitious and/or have a crapload of tempeh on hand, you might throw caution to the wind and make a batch of each! (Oh, and if you want some cool t-shirts, buttons, stickers, or other neato vegan stuff, go here and they'll hook you up! http://www.herbivoreclothing.com)

Asian Style BBQ Tempeh Wings

The Sauce

Ingredients
~ 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
~ 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
~ 2 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
~ 2 tsp. hot sauce
~ 2 tbsp. tart marmalade
~ 2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
~ 1/2 cup mirin (or dry white wine)
~ 1/2 cup soy sauce (low sodium is fine)
~ 1/2 cup agave syrup
~ 2 cups orange juice
~ 4 large scallions, thinly sliced
~ 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Directions
~ In a saucepan, heat the seasme oil and saute the garlic and ginger for about a minute over medium flame.
~ Add all remaining ingredients except the scallions and sesame seeds, stir to combine, and bring to a boil.
~ Simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes, until reduced by about a third.
~ Stir in the scallions and sesame seeds, cook another minute or two, then remove from heat and set aside while you prepare...

The Tempeh

Ingredients
~ 2 8 oz. packages tempeh
~ 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 cup flour
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, ground ginger, garlic powder
~ 1 cup panko

Directions
~ Preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
~ Cut the tempeh into four equal rectangles, then carefully slice those rectangles in half horizontally; using both packages, this will give you 16 pieces.
~ Set up an assembly line with 3 bowls: soy milk in one, flour and spices in another, and panko in the third.
~ Take a piece of tempeh, dip it in the milk, then in the flour mixture. Dip it once more into the milk, then coat it in the panko. Continue until all the pieces are used up, and place them on your greased baking sheet.
~ Spray the tops of the tempeh with cooking spray, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove, flip over, and bake for another 15 minutes.
~ Remove from the oven and set aside.

Now...
~ Ladle about a cup of your sauce into the bottom and spread it around.
~ Arrange your tempeh pieces in the baking dish, then pour the remaining sauce over them, making sure they're all nicely coated (you can flip them over once or twice to be sure, if you like).
~ Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the sauce has baked on and the tempeh is starting to blacken ever so slightly around the edges.
~ Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.