Sesame-Rice
Wine Tempeh & Wholegrain Bowl
Chef Yi Wen
“Good food is the key to a better, sustainable future for all. This is a satisfying dish, full of nourishing plant protein from quinoa and tempeh I re-adapted from one of my favorite childhood appetizers, which traditionally uses minced pork or chicken in a tasty savory sauce, wrapped in fresh lettuce cups. Here, I substituted meat with marinated tempeh, which is a fermented bean product, healthier and less processed then tofu, served over quinoa & millet, plus layered in some carrot slaw. You can serve it as an appetizer or side dish in lettuce cups, san chow bao style a.k.a. Chinese lettuce wraps.
The design of this flavorful dish not only celebrates my childhood memories of enjoying this light wrap during hot summer days with crunchy lettuce, but also incorporates wider ingredients from the Future 50 Foods report that’s good for our health and Planetary wellbeing; including beans & legumes, root vegetables, sea vegetables, leafy greens, cereals and grains, nuts and seeds, fruit like vegetable, and sprouts categories!”
– Yi Wen –
Ingredients
For quinoa & carrot slaw
1½ cups filtered water
2⁄3 cup quinoa and millet, (half & half)
1½ cups shredded carrots
2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
2 tbsp black & white sesame seeds, pan toasted
1 tbsp kelp or dulse flakes
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp naturally fermented soy sauce
For sesame-rice wine tempeh
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 x 300g package tempeh, cut into cubed bite-size pieces or minced
2 tbsp naturally fermented rice wine or maple syrup or brown rice syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tsp arrowroot or kudzu powder
1 celtuce (a.k.a. 莴笋 wōsǔn) or substitute for cucumbers, diced
½ tsp salt
living sprouts and hemp seeds for garnish
4 lettuce cups
bowls or wooden chopping board for plating
Method
- Wash and soak quinoa & millet, wash 3-5 times and soak 10 minutes then pour out water then soak in small saucepan for another 1 hour in 1½ cups water. After soaking for 1 hour. Bring 1½ cups water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer, cover and cook until the water is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes. Uncover and let stand.
- Meanwhile, combine carrots, rice vinegar, kelp flakes, sesame seeds, sesame oil and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside and let it marinate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Combine rice wine, soy sauce, water, sesame oil and set aside to marinate for 1-2 hours or overnight.
- Dice celtuce or cucumbers (whatever is in season) and toss with ½ teaspoon salt and let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat pan and add marinated tempeh, stirring frequently until beginning to brown, about 7 to 9 minutes, add a little water if too dry.
- Dilute arrowroot with some water in a small bowl and mix until dissolved then add into pan and stir until the sauce thickens and coats the tempeh, about 1 minute.
- Divide the quinoa & millet among 4 lettuce cups and top each with ¼ cup carrot slaw and ¾ cup tempeh mixture. Add in diced celtuce, and garnish with sprouts and hemp seeds.
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