If you're thinking, "What the heck is tempeh?" or "What the heck do I do with it?" keep reading. If you're a plant-based vet or just dabbling with meatless options, keep reading. If you're into easy, healthy, DELICIOUS dinners, keep reading. 'Cause this bowl really hits the spot.
Ok, so first off, let's talk about tempeh. Tempeh is a soy product, however it's quite different than tofu, and it doesn't possess the same negative qualities you may have heard about that are typically associated with soy. It's made by fermenting soy beans, which not only makes it easier to digest than other soy products (like tofu), but it contains probiotics, so it's actually GOOD for your gut. Tempeh also contains soy beans in their whole form (unprocessed), and It is packed with lots of protein and B vitamins. What you'll want to look for is organic, non-GMO tempeh, as 93% of soy beans grown are genetically modified. The brands you'll find at the grocery store are most likely non-GMO, because most tempeh currently on the market is, but check the label just to be sure. You can find it near the other vegetarian foods in the refrigerated section near the produce.
One of the yummiest ways to cook it, is to cube it, coat it lightly in some kind of a sauce, and saute it over medium high heat. Below you'll find the honey balsamic sauce recipe that we used (you'll wanna try this one!). We filled up our bowl with lots of greens, roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes, then topped it off with a creamy, cashew turmeric hemp dressing. Hello, healthy fats and amino acids!
Ingredients:
Turmeric Hemp Dressing:
1/4 cup cashews
1 Tbsp hemp seeds
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp raw organic honey
Turmeric powder
Black pepper
Honey Balsamic Sauce:
*(makes enough for entire package of tempeh, 2 servings)
1 tsp raw organic honey
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sriracha
pink salt
black pepper
Bowl:
organic non-GMO tempeh (one package is about 2 servings-- we like to save the rest for later)
1 sweet potato (a good serving is 1/2 the sweet potato-- we like to save the rest for later)
broccoli (as much as you'd like)
spinach (raw, as much as you'd like)
2 tsp avocado oil or olive oil
pink salt
black pepper
garlic powder
paprika
Instructions:
1. Preheat the over to 400 degrees. Cube a sweet potato and place it on a baking sheet with broccoli. Drizzle with avocado oil or olive oil and season with pink salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
2. Place in the over and roast for about 30 minutes, or desired cook time (we like it a little charred).
3. While the veggies cook, add all ingredients for turmeric hemp dressing to a blender or food process, and blend until mostly smooth (a slight chunky texture is ok!). Set aside.
4. Cube tempeh. Mix ingredients of honey balsamic sauce in a small bowl, and coat the tempeh cubes.
5. Spray or drizzle a pan with avocado oil or olive oil, and add the tempeh cubes. Saute on medium high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
6. When the veggies are done roasting, compose your bowl. Fill a bowl with raw spinach, roasted broccoli and sweet potatoes, and tempeh. Drizzle with turmeric hemp dressing. Enjoy your protein-packed, plant-based meal!
