Aside from its unique flavor, one advantage of using kale over spinach is that it retains much more of its original volume when cooked. In this dish, cubes of tempeh, a highly nutritious fermented soybean product, are bound to the kale with a rich red-pepper sauce. If you don’t care for coconut oil, use olive oil instead.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale
- 1 (17-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder (or cayenne)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 8 ounces tempeh
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic bottled is fine
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Tear kale leaves from coarse stems and wash. Chop coarsely. Purée roasted peppers, onion, salt, and red chile powder in a blender.
- Heat oil in a large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add tempeh, in one piece, and sear on one side for about 1 minute, or until lightly colored. Turn and sear other side for 1 minute. Remove from pan and cool slightly. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; stir briskly for about 10 seconds. Stir in chopped kale until it wilts into mixture. Add roasted pepper purée and stir well. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. (Note that unlike spinach, kale will retain some chewiness, even when cooked.) Season with salt to taste.
- Cut tempeh into 3/4-inch cubes and add to kale, along with pepper. Stir very gently. Cover, and continue cooking until tempeh is hot, 2 minutes.
Notes
PER SERVING: 288 cal, 41% fat cal, 14g fat, 7g sat fat, 0mg chol, 16g protein, 29g carb, 7g fiber, 592mg sodium
