Marinated Tempeh and Roasted Vegetable Bowl
This is a piece I wrote awhile back for one of my favorite sites for mothers called
The Ma Books. I figured I should share it here.
Before I had Hazel, our dinners were often times pretty elaborate. I was always trying complicated recipes from my big collection of cookbooks, using lots of new and exciting ingredients. The dishes piled up without any worries. Vegetables were cut with precision, cooked to perfection, and everything was timed just right. Meals were savored with slow, uninterrupted conversation until whenever. There were no babies to be nursed, bathed, and rocked to sleep. It was quiet.
Life has changed dramatically from those days of quiet dinners. Now, it's all about simplicity. But health is never compromised. In an effort to make life easier, I make large batches of whole grains and roasted vegetables in the beginning of the week and use them in these "bowl meals" throughout the week. Each time I make a meal with the grain and vegetable, I try to add something different and fresh. A handful of beans, some toasted nuts, a leafy green, a sprinkling of fresh herbs, a hefty spoonful of kimchi. Anything, really. It keeps everything from becoming boring and it makes me feel less like I'm eating a bowl of leftovers.
In this particular case, I had made a large batch of millet and roasted cauliflower and carrots in the beginning of the week. A scoop of millet and vegetables combined with some marinated tempeh, massaged raw kale, and some fresh herbs turned into a simple and healthful meal in practically no time. Hazel even enjoyed it.
Building a Bowl
-Cook up a large batch of your favorite whole grain (millet, quinoa, farro, bulghur, rice, etc...)
-Roast up lots of vegetables tossed in olive oil, salt, and pepper (my favorites include cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, asparagus, zucchini, beets, fennel, ANYTHING really)
-Choose a protein (marinated tempeh recipe below)
-Choose a leafy green (massaged kale recipe below)
-Sprinkle it all with fresh herbs and anything your heart desires and enjoy!
Marinated Tempeh
1/4 cup tamari
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 9oz package of organic tempeh
Wisk together the tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Thinly slice the tempeh and place in the marinade. Let marinate for a few hours covered in the refrigerator. When you're ready to eat, remove the tempeh from the marinade and place it in a large to frying pan with your choice of oil. Cook each side of tempeh until lightly golden (about 3 to 5 minutes per side) and then add a bit of the marinade to the pan as a finishing glaze. Serve.
Massaged Kale
1 small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped
juice of 1 small lemon
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
a hefty pinch of sea salt
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and massage the kale with your hands until it wilts. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve as desired.