Please meet: my perfect lunch. I used up my last package of tempeh making this, and was just itching to buy more so I could repeat this meal.
I work from home these days, so I am fortunate to be able to make myself a hot healthy lunch everyday. But I don’t want to spend my whole lunch in the kitchen – I want to enjoy my food, have a relaxing break, and get back to work! Which is why, aside from the sheer deliciousness of this dish, this is the perfect recipe for lunch.
Ten ingredients total. About 15 minutes. For a meal that is filling, balanced, and has a little spice, sweetness, and saltiness all in one.
My craving was the wasabi mashed potatoes, but I figured I should supplement that with some healthy veggies and protein. So first up are the marvelous two-ingredient potatoes! Potatoes. Wasabi powder.
mashed potatoes:
serves 1
1/2 C cubes of Russet potato
1/4 t wasabi powder or paste
Note: if you don’t like spicy foods, try replacing the wasabi with a little horseradish for similar flavor without the heat
There is no need for butter and cream in satisfying smooth mashed potatoes. I boil my potatoes until they’re really starchy and very well done, and they get just as creamy as I want!
Peel, cube, and boil potatoes. Then mash them and season! Start with just a teeny bit of wasabi and work your way up, tasting as you go. Trust me, you do not want these to overpower the subtly sweet tempeh. This stuff is amazing!
sweet glazed tempeh:
serves 1
1 1/2 t canola oil
4 oz tempeh
1 T soy sauce
1 T orange juice
2 t maple syrup
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the tempeh until browned on both sides. While tempeh is browning, mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Then pour over the tempeh and cook for a few minutes until the sauce reduces down and coats that tempeh with a beautiful caramel colored glaze. Mmmmmmm!
roasted broccoli:
serves 1
1 C broccoli florets
1/2 t canola oil
1/4 t red pepper flakes
1/4 t salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat broccoli florets with oil (or use canola oil spray), pepper flakes, and salt. Roast for about 8-10 minutes until slightly golden.
Note: since this is a single-serving for lunch, I just made it in my toaster oven – much quicker and more energy-efficient than heating up my whole oven for this little serving.
It’s all done! Layer it up – I added a bonus 11th ingredient for some cute sesame seed garnish.
Yum! Look how perfectly sticky and glazed that tempeh is! It’s a wonderful complement to the wasabi potatoes, but I have a feeling I’ll be putting this tempeh in everything . . . salads, sandwiches/wraps – how good would a burger with a giant slab of this glazed tempeh as the patty be?! Yes!
Nutrition facts (for everything): Calories: 399; Calories from Fat: 199; Total Fat: 22.1g; Saturated Fat: 3.2g; Sodium: 931mg; Total Carbohydrates: 32.3g; Dietary Fiber: 3.1g; Sugars: 11.5g; Protein: 25.1g
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