Orange Maple Tempeh Rice Bowl

The three main ingredients in this marinade – orange juice, maple syrup, tamari (Japanese soy sauce) – makes an exceptionally tasty marinade/dressing as a trio, but when combined with the other fat flushing ingredients (below) the taste and health benefits are taken to a whole new level!

This is the dish I make most often for my clients to sample.  I love their reactions as they try an unfamiliar food for the first time and discover a whole new taste experience!  Most people have never heard of tempeh, let alone cook with it.  Tempeh is a vegan superfood rich in plant-based protein, probiotics and isoflavones. Hit o

It I has an earthy, nutty taste and a dense, meaty texture that can be used in place of meat for vegetarian dishes The health benefits extend from gut health to hormone balance (please read the article on Tempeh for more information).

This one single dish utilizes 5 Fat Flushing super spices – ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander and turmeric. With their combined detoxifying, thermogenic and anti-inflammatory power, these spices boost this dish to superfood status that’s perfect for the weight loss and detoxification.

Fat Flush Ingredient Highlights: 

Tempeh– traditional cultured food of Indonesia – rich in gut-healthy probiotics, magnesium, iron and calcium

Ginger– revs circulation, encourages detoxification, soothes digestive discomfort

Garlic– natural antibiotic and anti-fungal, immune boosting, fights cancer, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol

Tamari– naturally fermented Japanese soy sauce, gluten and wheat-free

Coriander– blood sugar stabilizer, LDL cholesterol zapper

Cumin– free radical scavenger, liver detoxifier

Turmeric– anti-inflammatory, liver detoxifier, anti-tumour, anti-oxidant

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Henry’s Tempeh or Noble Bean Tempeh (available at natural food markets or health food stores)
• The juice of 2 large orange (about 1 cup orange juice)
• 1 Tbsp.  ginger root, grated
• 2 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. Tamari (or Soya Sauce)
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp.  coriander, ground
• 1 tsp.   cumin, ground
• 1 tsp.   turmeric

Weight Loss Tip:  Instead of rice, use low-calorie and low-carb Konjac Noodles (brands Zeroodle, NuPasta, Better Than Foods) or cauliflower to make cauliflower rice.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Put the fresh squeezed orange juice and tamari in bowl.

3. Mix in the grated ginger, maple syrup, sesame oil (optional) ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, and garlic. Mix together. Reserve one-third of this to use as the dressing for the rice bowl.  The other two-thirds is for the marinade.

4. Cut the tempeh into, bite-sized rectangular . (I’ve tried this recipe several times and found that thinly sliced tempeh (about ¼ inch thick) absorbs the most marinade and tastes more flavourful after cooking.

4. Steaming mellows the earthy flavour of tempeh and also helps marinade absorb better.  If short on time you can skip this step and proceed to step 5.  Steaming instructions: Place sliced tempeh in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Transfer tempeh to a baking dish, spread tempeh in a single layer, pour marinade on top to cover tempeh evenly. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes, flip tempeh pieces over at 15 minutes (so the other side absorbs marinade). Broil for the last 2 minutes, to caramelize the sauce and brown the top nicely.

6. Top four to five pieces of tempeh on a bed of brown rice. Surround tempeh with colourful antioxidant rich veggies and legumes e.g. steamed edamame (fresh soybean), purple cabbage, shredded carrot, red bell pepper.

Quick Fix: Don’t have time to cook your own tempeh or want to taste it first to make sure you like it? Go to Kupfert and Kim www.kupfertandkim.com (with several downtown locations) and order my favourite lunch box, First Canadian Lunch Box, featuring tempeh, quinoa, kale, roasted yam, pomegranate and sprouts with a delicious Maple Chia Sauce.