Coconut Kale Bowl with Quinoa and Tempeh

Today I went out for my first paddle of the year, and it was AWESOME. But one thing I forgot about paddling is that it makes you really HUNGRY. When I got home I was ready for some dinner. I wanted something nutritious that would be ready pretty quickly and with minimal effort.  I decided to try out a recipe for a baked kale and coconut dish that I found when I was looking through some sites I bookmarked a few years ago. The recipe I used is here. I altered it slightly, and I'm reprinting it below with my changes. I also made some little tempeh squares to have some protein with this. That recipe came from Vegetarian Times. I can't find an online version, but I've put the basic instructions below. Kind of an unusual supper, but pretty tasty and filling.

Coconut Kale Bowl with Quinoa and Tempeh

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbs tamari

1/2 tsp sriracha or similar hot sauce

1/3 cup olive oil

5 cups Italian kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces

1 cup unsweetened large flake coconut

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 8 oz package tempeh, cut into four pieces

nutritional yeast

sesame seeds

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water and 1 cup of quinoa to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer quinoa covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and keep covered for five more minutes. Remove lid and fluff with a fork, set aside.

Meanwhile, place sesame oil, tamari, siracha, and olive oil in a small jar. Shake to mix well. Put kale and coconut in a large bowl. Pour over about 2/3 of the dressing, and mix well with your hands, massaging kale gently. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. Then give it all a good stir and put back in the oven for 5 more minutes or until the coconut is well-toasted and golden in color.

While the kale is baking, prepare the tempeh squares: Start a medium-sized skillet heating over medium-high heat. On a small plate, mix together a few Tbs of nutritional yeast and a few Tbs of sesame seeds. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and mix well. Run each tempeh square under water, and then dip in the nutritional yeast mixture, turning each piece until it is well-coated. Spray one side of the coated tempeh with cooking spray. Cook it spray side down in the hot skillet for about 7 minutes. Spray the other side with cooking spray, then flip the pieces over and cook for 7 more minutes or until browned. When the quinoa, kale, and tempeh are all done, assemble them in a bowl (there will be a little dressing left in the jar that you can pour on if you like). Enjoy!