Tempeh Broccoli Bowl

I've been meaning to give tempeh another try for a while now. (I liked it the first time, but I wasn't yet completely sold on it.) This particular tempeh had been sitting in my fridge for about a month now. Recently, I discovered a nice smoky little marinade from Bonzai Aphrodite. She calls it her "bacon" recipe. So I decided to make a nice little veggie bowl with brown rice, marinated tempeh, broccoli, and bell pepper.

First order of business: get that brown rice started. The brown rice takes the longest to cook. I have a rice cooker, so it's a bit faster, but it still takes quite a while.

Now you have to steam your tempeh. I just added some water to a skillet and steamed it for about 10 minutes. This helps make the tempeh less bitter.

Next marinate your tempeh. The marinade consists of tamari (or soy sauce, if you prefer), apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and liquid smoke. If you don't have liquid smoke, it will still taste delicious, so don't worry. Pour all of those ingredients into a dish and add your tempeh. Cut it up into smaller pieces so that it will absorb the marinade better. Don't forget to flip the pieces over halfway through so that they're coated on all sides!

Next, chop up your broccoli and bell pepper. You can use different vegetables if you prefer, but I had some pre-chopped broccoli handy from a previous meal and added an orange bell pepper for variety. Steam your veggies in water. Feel free to add a splash or two of tamari or soy sauce while they are steaming to cook in some extra flavor. Once your veggies are done, cover them to keep them warm while your rice and tempeh cook.

Add a little bit of oil to another skillet and drop your tempeh pieces into the oil. Cook until browned. They'll turn a nice dark shade of coppery brown.

Final step, assemble your bowl with brown rice, topped with the veggies and tempeh, and drizzle some of the leftover marinade over the veggies and tempeh for more flavor. Enjoy!