Trust me on tempeh. I know tempeh is one of those great dividers — that qualifier in your head that puts people left of the crunchy left. I must confess that this recipe was my rite of passage. I made tempeh once, years ago, to horrific results that took me all this time to get over. This breakfast redeemed it.
Aside from our weekend pancakes and good steelcut oats, I prefer my breakfasts savory. I rotate multigrain hot cereal and grits mostly to cover this requirement. But I have been looking for more variety, and that is tough if you’re vegan or, say, want to be vegan before 6 pm (like one of my favorite cookbook authors, Mark Bittman).
I peruse vegan cookbooks for ideas all the time but 95% of the time, the breakfast suggestions are all on the sweet side. Not good when you want to start your day yang. I need the warming, grounding energy of savory food.
So I was very happy when I was browsing through “Feeding The Whole Family” and saw separate recipes for Kasha Pilaf and Tempeh Bacon. Tempeh is one of those foods that I am trying to learn to love and on reading the recipe, I could imagine a combined variation that looked like it would bring me and this fermented staple, closer. And I was right. This recipe is downright delicious and easy. Especially if, like me, you make a pot of quinoa at the beginning of each week to have at the ready to add to any dish you make. Quinoa gives vegetarian dishes an instant protein boost that not only gives you great nutrients but also helps you feel satiated.
Tempeh is one of the best ways to consume soy. It contains isoflavones and saponins (not found in “soy protein isolates” that is, mock meat products) which improve bone health, lower cholesterol and have been shown to lower the risks for certain cancers. The tempeh fermentation process produces natural antibiotics that preserve the phytonutrients and make it easily digestible.
Quinoa Kasha Pilaf with Tamari Maple Tempeh
Serves 4
Pilaf
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ cup quinoa
½ cup kasha
2 cups boiling water
salt and pepper to taste
Tamari Maple Tempeh
2 T coconut oil or ghee (divided)
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into ¼ inch strips
1 tsp. each of dried oregano, basil and thyme
6 T tamari
3 T maple syrup
pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne, chipotle or pasilla powder
6-8 cups chopped spinach
1. Mix tamari, maple syrup, pepper and cayenne. Marinate tempeh.
2. In a pan, sauté garlic and onions until soft, add quinoa and kasha and sauté for a few seconds.
3. Add boiling water and let simmer, cover, for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. While grains are cooking, lightly fry tempeh in coconut oil, in batches. Keep cooked tempeh warm in the oven, set to the lowest setting.
6. In the tempeh pan, lightly sauté the chopped spinach until barely wilted, adding a little water to keep it moist and juicy.
7. Plate by layering the pilaf and spinach, topped with the tempeh.
Enjoy!