Blueberry-Braised Tempeh with Coconut Rice
Hey there. It’s been a bit. Sometimes life takes a little more out of me than usual, even if it’s just the same old stuff. I’m sure you know what I mean.
It continues to surprise me how long a blog post takes for me to put up (especially when I have to make 4 attempts – ahem, Beet Brownies, or am exhausted by long work days or distracted by regular life stuff), but I’ve got some new ideas in the works for good posts and can hopefully to stick to the schedule a little bit better!
In any case, I do have a pretty different recipe for you today – tempeh braised in a chutney-like sweet and savory blueberry sauce served with a mild, creamy coconut rice. It’s a great, easy dish for a healthy dinner and perfect with sautéed or fresh greens served on the side. Blueberry is paired with some of its good pals for this – lemon, a dark, sultry tea, as well as the ginger-coconut brown rice.
Although it’s technically not “braising” – which includes a light fry before simmering in the sauce – doing so isn’t necessary. Frying the tempeh in a hot, oiled cast iron after it is done steaming would give it a bit firmer texture, but it’s not worth taking the time to do unless you are feeling particularly energized.
This tempeh would also be great served inside a sandwich with a bit of lemon-y ricotta and a layer of peppery arugula. You can even leave out the tempeh altogether and cook it down to make a sweet and savory blueberry chutney to eat with crackers, curry, or as a sandwich spread. Experiment! It’s the best part of cooking.
BLUEBERRY-BRAISED TEMPEH WITH COCONUT RICE
- 1 1-inch piece ginger, grated
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 3/4 cup canned coconut milk
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup minced spring onions or shallots
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- zest and juice of 1 lemon or orange*
- 1/2 cup brewed Earl Grey tea (or water)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes + more to taste
- small sprig of thyme + more to garnish
- 2 cups blueberries
- 1 block of tempeh
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional)
- Combine the ginger, rice, coconut milk, water, and sea salt in a medium saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. When at a full boil, bring the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 55 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender (add more boiling water if necessary).
- Remove the pot from the heat. Keep the lid on for ten more minutes. Fluff with a fork. Garnish with coconut flakes.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, and salt and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the lemon zest and juice, tea, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, and blueberries. Simmer until beginning to thicken, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the tempeh into 1-inch chunks and steam for 10 minutes. Add to the blueberry mixture and simmer for ten minutes.
- If the mixture is thickened, remove from heat. If not, take a spoonful or two of the sauce and put it in a small bowl with the cornstarch and whisk well with a fork until smooth. Add to the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste for salt and red pepper flakes and add more if necessary!
- Serve next to the rice with extra sauce spooned on top and garnished with thyme leaves.
- *If using an orange, decrease the amount of maple syrup used to 1 tablespoon.
- Rice recipe adapted from Saveur’s “Coconut Brown Rice”
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