Prep/cook time: 25 minutes
Serves 3–4 / Prep tips: Once soaked, wakame takes on a beautiful, deep-green hue; it’s usually sold precut, but if you buy the long, whole pieces, break them into pieces before reconstituting, and then chop them small after they’ve soaked. When preparing burdock, scrub thoroughly but don’t peel; like a potato, the peels contain a lot of the flavor. Place burdock slices in a bowl of water to keep them from turning brown. If you can’t find burdock, substitute parsnips. Thinly slicing tempeh allows it to cook faster and absorb more marinade without extra time.
1/4 cup dried wakame sea vegetable (about one large handful)
2 tablespoons plain sesame oil, divided
2 medium, slender, firm burdock roots, well scrubbed and thinly sliced
4 medium-small carrots, scrubbed and thinly sliced (if thick, halve lengthwise first)
1 large bunch scallions (about 6 ounces), thinly sliced
1 8-ounce package tempeh
1/3 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
1. Place wakame in a bowl and cover with warm water.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add burdock, carrots, and scallions; stir to coat. Cover and cook on medium-low heat until just tender, 4–5 minutes.
3. While vegetables cook, cut tempeh horizontally to make two thin halves. With both halves stacked on top of each other, cut into quarters; then cut each quarter once on the diagonal to make 16 total triangles. In a medium skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil on medium-high heat. Add tempeh to skillet and cook for 3–4 minutes, until lightly browned on both sides.
4. Add tempeh to vegetables; sprinkle with teriyaki and mirin. Stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat, and cook on medium-low for 10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Drain wakame, squeezing out excess water. Add to pan. Stir gently to combine and warm through for 1 minute. Season with pepper and garnish with sesame seeds.
PER SERVING: 405 cal, 20g fat (7g mono, 8g poly, 3g sat), 0mg chol, 19g protein, 43g carb, 9g fiber, 653mg sodium