Tempeh with Rice and Spinach
Makes: 4 servings
Time: About 40 minutes, mostly unattended
M V
This bright, lemony dish is great for picnics and potlucks because you can serve it at room temperature. It’s also delicious made with brown rice; the cook time will be about twice as long.
- 2 lemons
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces tempeh, crumbled (about 2 cups)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- Red chile flakes or cayenne
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup long-grain white rice (any kind)
- 1 pound fresh spinach, heavy stems discarded
- Grate the zest of one of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from both lemons.
- Put the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the tempeh and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until it is deeply colored and crisp on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, red chile flakes to taste, and the lemon zest, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for a minute or so, then stir in the rice and toss to coat. Add enough water to cover the rice by an inch and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture boils steadily but not violently. When small craters appear in the surface of the rice, lower the heat a bit more. When all visible moisture disappears, 10 to 15 minutes after you started, put the spinach and reserved lemon juice on top of the rice, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Leave undisturbed for at least 10 minutes or up to 20. Fluff with a fork to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lots of black pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Tempeh with Rice and Peas Terrific texture, and great with a splash of soy sauce: Substitute 2 cups peas (thawed frozen are fine) for the spinach.
Tempeh with Rice and Mushrooms Especially good with lots of parsley stirred in at the end: Omit the spinach. Use 1 pound mushrooms (one kind or a combination), trimmed and sliced. After cooking the tempeh in Step 2, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until they give off their liquid and start to get dry again. Proceed with the recipe from Step 3, skipping the spinach.