Tempeh Hash with Tarragon Sauce

"Tis an ill cook that cannot lick [her] own fingers."

'Struth! I made this finger-lickin' good brunch on an underslept Sunday morning, when the mercury was predicted to top out at a miserable 16° and my ambitions for the day consisted of a hot bath, Jacobean revenge tragedy, and a nap. In light of so taxing an agenda, some hearty fortification was clearly indicated, and with one last package of my beloved Henry's tempeh - *sniff* - languishing in the refrigerator, a Mom's Dineresque, hash-like application sounded like perfection on a plate. In half an hour, this amalgamation of yumminess was seated cozily atop toasted English muffins; with the addition of a lovely, herbal tarragon sauce, it proved sufficient to take us all the way through to dinner (even with all that bathing, reading, and napping going on).

The Hash
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 large stalk celery, diced
~ 1 small (or 1/2 large) red bell pepper, diced
~ 6 oz. mushrooms, chopped (about 1 cup)
~ 1 8 oz. package tempeh, diced

~ 1 tsp. each: salt, thyme, marjoram, sage, smoked paprika

~ A few grinds of black pepper

~ 3 small potatoes, baked in the oven or microwave
~ 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water

Directions
~ In a large, deep skillet, saute the onion in the olive oil, over medium high heat, for about 2 minutes.
~ Add the garlic, celery, and bell pepper, and saute another few minutes.
~ Add the mushrooms, tempeh, and seasonings and cook for five minutes, stirring occasionally.
~ Chop the cooked potatoes, and add to the pan with the broth. Mix thoroughly, and cook another 10 minutes, stirring every couple minutes or so. If things get sticky, add a little more broth or water to get things moving again. (You want a crust to just begin to form on the bottom, at which point you mix it all up and let it happen again.)
~ Remove from heat and start making...

The Sauce
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. Earth Balance or other vegan margarine
~ 2 tbsp. flour
~ 1 tsp. each: dry mustard, tarragon
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, garlic powder, turmeric
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
~ 1.5 cups vegetable broth
~ 1 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ Toasted English muffins

Directions
~ In a small bowl, combine the flour, seasonings, and the nutritional yeast.
~ In a beaker, combine the vegetable broth and the soy milk, and heat for a few minutes in the microwave.
~ In a saucepan, melt the margarine over medium-low heat. Begin adding the flour/seasoning/nooch mixture to make a roux, stirring constantly.
~ Gradually add the broth/milk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.
~ Raise the heat to medium and cook another 5 minutes or so, until slightly thickened.
~ Serve the hash on top of split, toasted English muffins, with the sauce ladled over the top.