Brown Rice with Tempeh and Tahini Sauce
Inspired by 101 Cookbooks and The Voluptuous Vegan
Serves 4

The sauce I used is called Mr. Mobley’s Tahini Sauce and is available in various locations around Seattle.  You can order it online here.  Or just use the sauce from Heidi’s original recipe.  Peanut sauce would be great here too.

For the tempeh:
8 ounces tempeh, cut into ¾-inch cubes
½ apple juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. mirin or other sweet wine
1 tbsp. red chile paste (I used sambal olek)

For the rice:
1 pound slender asparagus, tough stems removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups brown rice
Olive Oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
½ – 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Tahini Sauce to taste
Salt and pepper

Make the tempeh:
Place the tempeh in a steamer over boiling water for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.  Whisk the apple juice, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, mirin, and chile paste in a glass pie dish.  Add tempeh and toss to coat.  Allow it to marinate for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Place the pie dish in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until all the marinade has been absorbed and the tempeh is golden.  (Can be made one day in advance.  Cool, cover, and refrigerate.)

For the rice:
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.  Have a bowl filled with ice water close by.  Add the asparagus to the water and let cook just until it loses the crunch, about 1 minute.  Quickly scoop out of the boiling water and into the ice water.  Once cool, drain well.  Add the rice to the boiling water and allow to cook until tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.  Drain well.  (Both the rice and asparagus can be made one day ahead.  Wrap the asparagus in a clean kitchen towel and then place in a plastic bag.  Put the rice in a container.  Refrigerate both.)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Drizzle in just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the onion and a large pinch of salt.  Cook until softened, about 6 minutes, then add the garlic and chile flakes.  Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then add the rice, tempeh and asparagus.  Continue to cook, stirring carefully all the while, until the rice is heated through.  Add enough tempeh sauce to coat the grains and salt and pepper to taste.