We recently got back from our honeymoon, some of which we spent in Madison, WI eating lots of amazing vegan cuisine. Accordingly, we gained a few pounds and are now in a bit of a detox stage, slowly weaning ourselves from pizza, cookies, and too much wedding cake (although I really wish I had some now).
What I love about this recipe for Dragon Bowl is its simplicity and cleanness. It starts with a base of wonderful grains, then a layer of colorful veggies, next some tasty protein, and is topped off with a deceptively simple sauce. We had this dish for dinner and then lunch the next day. It holds up well, and I think it tastes best slightly warmed.
Dragon Bowl
Makes 4 servings
Inspired by a recipe found in Ripe from Around Here by Jae Steele
8 oz tempeh, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T tamari soy sauce
2 T coconut oil
2 cups cooked quinoa (or other grain, like millet or brown rice)
1/2 red cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, grated
sesame seeds, for garnish
green onions, chopped, for garnish
Dragon Sauce:
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
3 T safflower oil
2 T maple syrup
2 T tamari soy sauce
2 T filtered water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
To a medium fry pan add the tempeh slices, tamari, crushed garlic, and just enough water to cover. Simmer, covered, for up to an hour.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a blender. Set aside.
Remove the tempeh slices to a plate. Reserve any remaining cooking liquid in a bowl. Wipe out the pan and heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add the tempeh slices and fry on both sides. Spoon the reserved cooking liquid over the fried tempeh, making sure to scrape any bits from the pan. Turn off heat and cover.
To assemble, start with a 1/2 cup of quinoa, top with cabbage and carrots, add a few tempeh slices, drizzle with Dragon Sauce, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Enjoy!