Tag Archives: kale

Colorful Kale and Veggies with Tempeh

16 Oct

I love, love Tempeh. Tempeh is still a mystery to most people. People who are afraid of cooking with Tempeh because they associate it with its bland cousin Tofu. Tempeh is originally from Indonesia. It is also made of soy, but its grains are pressed in a patty and fermented,which gives it a nutty,earthy and distinctive flavor.Because of its fermentation, Tempeh has more higher nutritional contents than soy, such as protein, dietary fiber and vitamins (B-12).

Tempeh is a very versatile ingredient which can be braised, sauteed, baked, crumbled into stews and soups,etc. It absorbs well whatever marinade you choose. Just be creative and try something new.

I became familiar with Tempeh when I went to Puerto Escondido, in Mexico, about 20 years ago. It is a Surfing Mecca, and it is packed with natural and vegetarian restaurants that serve an abundance of Indonesian dishes. Every Menu of every restaurant I went had some dish with Tempeh on it. I tried it and it was love at first bite.

For this dish, I did something very colorful, which offers a multitude of vitamins and nutrients. Enjoy!

 

Tempeh

In a cutting board, cut Tempeh into cubes. Marinate Tempeh inside a Ziploc bag or container in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours with:

  • 1 tbsp Brown Miso paste
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Tamari
  • 1 tbsp Ponzu
  • 1 tbsp Tamarind Sauce
  • 1 tsp roasted red chili paste

Kale and Veggies

  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 orange bell pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tbsp Anaheim Pepper, diced
  • 5 handfuls of chopped kale or Swiss Chard
  • 1 cup julienned carrots
  • 1 cup chopped red cabbage
  • Bragg’s Liquid Amino Spray
  • Sherry Wine Vinegar
  • Himalayan Salt and Pepper to taste

Method  for the Veggies

  • In a skillet preheated on medium hot, add 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add onions and Anaheim Peppers and let them sweat until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the bell peppers and let them sweat for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the garlic. Spray Bragg’s Liquid Amino 4 times into the ingredients inside the skillet.
  • Add the kale, carrots and red cabbage. Stir all together so the onions and peppers in the bottom of the skillet stay on top of the ingredients that were just added to the skillet.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste and 2 tbsp of Sherry Wine Vinegar. Cover the skillet with a lid and let it cook on medium for 4 to 5 minutes. Check it every so often, making sure it doesn’t burn on the bottom.

Method  for the Tempeh

  • Remove the Tempeh from the refrigerator.
  • In a preheated hot skillet, add 2 tbsp of coconut oil.
  • Add the cubed Tempeh and sautee each side for about 2minutes, or until is caramelized and dark brown color.

Serve on top of the Kale+Carrots+Red Cabbage mix. Bom Apetite!

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Chicken+Vegetables+Coconut Milk Curry+Wheat Berries

20 Feb

This delicious and nutritious dish is a super easy one pot meal. Packed with a rainbow of nutrients and vitamins, protein, and healthy grains. It is more than a complete meal. Perfect for cold, rainy and lazy nights. Bom Apetite!

Ingredients
  • 3 organic chicken breast, deboned, cut into cubes and marinated in Bragg Liquid Aminos
  • 1 tbs coconut oil
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 large sweet onion, chopped or grated
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs ginger, grated
  • 1/8 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbs mustard seeds
  • Trader Joe’s South African Smoke Seasoning Blend*
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 medium sweet potato, diced
  • 1 can of organic diced tomatoes, or 5 large skinless Roma tomatoes
  • 2 leaves laminate kale, chiffonade
  • 2 leaves chard, chiffonade
  • 10 mini sweet bell peppers
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 1 tbs red curry paste, or more to taste
*Ingredients listed on Trader Joe’s South African Seasoning Blend are paprika flakes, sea salt, garlic and basil. If you can’t find it, you can substitute for basil, paprika and dried chiles such as Guajillo or Chipotle. Be careful, and taste as you add it. The goal here is to create a smoky flavor, and not to overwhelm your palate.
Method:
  1. Place the stovetop burner on medium high and put the coconut oil and olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onions, curry paste and ginger. Sautee for about 4 minutes or until onions are translucent. Add garlic, red chili flakes, and mustard seeds. Watch for the  mustard seeds, as they will start to pop.
  2. Add the chicken, and cook it for about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes,sugar, sea salt and ground black pepper, Trader Joe’s South African Smoke and cook for another 5 minutes.
  3. Add sweet potatoes, kale, chard, and coconut milk.
  4. If you want more liquid add chicken stock, water or tomato sauce. I like mine thicker, rather than soupy.
  5. Turn stove down to low and let the flavors marry for about 20 minutes. Check for seasoning, and add more if necessary.
  6. Serve with Jasmine Rice, Brown Rice or Wheat Berries. If serving with wheat berries, it is better to place them in the bottom of the bowl, and serve the curry on top. It prevents the wheat berries from getting mushy and soggy.

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For the Wheat Berry:
I like wheat berries prepared in different manners. Usually, if I am making a salad I prefer it to be crunchy and chewy, so I don’t soak it, just boil it for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. For this recipe, I like to soak one cup of wheat berries in water for about 8 to 24 hours. Then I quickly boil it in one cup of chicken stock, and reduce the heat to medium low for about 15 minutes, just to absorb the flavors of the stock. You can also use vegetable stock, or just water seasoned with salt.
Cooked Pre-soaked wheat berries

Cooked Pre-soaked wheat berries

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