It's really amazing how influential our environment is to us, and how I always seem to underestimate the affect of individuals on that environment. Though, surely, humans can be taken from the equation entirely, and an individual can live in communication only with the environment--it is that individual who still creates meaning and definition for that environment. Monica's father is on a low-carb diet. Superficially, this is not a logical choice, just like vegetarianism, for purely health concerns. It's sometimes hard to remember that these ideologies are simply means to an end. There may be many was to get there, and some may seem better than others, but the option should still exist. The ultimate goal for both of us is probably a happier healthier life. There is a huge difference in the means between vegetarians and low-carb dieters in attempting to reach a healthier life. For example, try making a low-carb vegetarian meal. I did this weekend, and it was VERY hard. In the end it was a fantastic experience, and I felt that in the end he tried something new (in this case tempeh), and I learned something about compromising my ideals. I felt quite guilty for my assumptions I made while planning the meal, though really I still believe vegetarianism may be a better diagnosis of the current American health problem. I might change my diet ideologies when I get to Britain, but probably not much, I'll have to do some research.

----Side note: We had green bean pesto pasta salad with tempeh fried with olive oil and sun dried tomatoes. We simply took out the pasta for the low-carb version, and it was still delicious. On the side we had delicious layered tomatoes and mozzarella slices in a balsamic sauce.

Personally, I'd like to be even more healthy. It's really easy to make compromises, but much harder to get even healthier. Part of health is making those compromises and not feeling addicted to your ideologies, but I don't think I need help compromising in these ways on occasion. My enviornment doesn't seem to be set up very well for me to make these healthier decisions. It's really really hard to say, I don't need to eat that General Tso's Chicken. I can lie to myself and say it doesn't even taste that good, but really it does, and it's quite cheap for the fake delicious taste that you get from it. So, I'm still vegetarian, and I'll have some general tso's chicken one day next year on a particularly special occasion.

Some goals take a LOT of self control, and I'm starting to consider those goals realistically. It's going to take a lot of rules, and I need to believe in them and not be insecure. As a result, other possible rules or general regulations that may need to be created for me include: wake up times, smoking, alcohol, reading, Internet, exercise. Sort of sounds crappy, it sounds not free, but the amazing thing is I can, and no one has to tell me to do it one way or the other. I can make up my own way. My only fear is that it comes with some identity baggage, and that while I'm abroad I have the courage to recognize a situation that is particularly unique and may never come again.

I think I'll be missing people more and more soon. I'm probably going to work on music with Michael Warshaur for the next four days at an empty lake-house up north for a few days. I'm reading STIFF again so Monica and I can read Omnivores Dilemma together. It's a great book. Remember the part in Fight Club that explains that Nitrogen is pumped into the air of airplanes; it's true, but not to sedate people. Instead it's so that the explosions are less large and kill less people. As a turns out, most plane crashes occur on takeoff or landing, and most people are killed trying to rush to emergency exits that have not failed to open. Besides sitting in a window seat next to an emergency exit, you should try to be a male, statistically speaking, it's the best way to survive. Damn.

Here are the Herbed Scalloped Potatoes from Veganomicon. Very good stuff. Alongside I made a salad with a balsamic lemon vinaigrette. I half-roasted a red pepper: I've always wanted to roast a pepper over a gas flame instead of in the oven, but I got impatient half-way through, plus worried about it popping and spurting pepper juices onto my gas stovetop any more than it already had. So, I'm chalking it up as another shattered dream... Fanned on top is the leftover smoky tempeh.

I'm so in love with the Hot Sauce Tempeh from Veganomicon that I thought I should finally try its other tempeh recipe. And it's good, too! The hot sauce one is still tops, but that's okay. Tempeh is so rich for some reason that I thought I should just have it with plain kale (when you live alone it takes a while to get through a bunch...) I'd have had it with some rice or something, too, but I'd had a bunch of tasty bread before dinner so I decided to streamline things. I'm so glad I've finally found a method of preparing tempeh that makes it taste good to me. I think the poaching step before marinating is really crucial: it brings out the best you could dream for your humble fermented soybean cake.

Another burger we both enjoy a lot is the (nearly organic) Mountain Veggie Burger which is made primarily with lentils and is wheat and soy free (I'm pretty sure it is anyway). In fact I have some of these burgers to have at a BBQ today which will hopefully be enjoyed after my team's victory in a softball match. I've also got some Yves Sausages to chow down on, perhaps you recall the Yves Sausage Sandwich I posted about last year.

If you want a lazy dinner in the summer, or something to eat at the next BBQ you get invited to, get your hands on some of these products... or make your own... maybe we should try that... hmmmm

We used a recipe from Veganomicon for a spicy tempeh filling, but you certainly don't need to be that fancy. We also had some beets, green onions, pan fried asparagus, avocado and pickled daikon (which is a Japanese root vegetable, the aforementioned oshinko). We 'topped' them off with some sesame seeds.

If you're worried about rolling them up then poke around the interwebs, there are lots of sites that offer instructions, just don't expect to be as fast and precise as this person (and ignore that they're using crab meat).

We've also been making quite a bit of raw sushi lately. There's a recipe in Ani's Raw Food Kitchen for a walnut based spread to use instead of rice, we like it a lot! Though you would be well advised to ignore her instructions to add soy sauce to the walnut paste, it overwhelms the flavor, especially if you're going to dip the sushi in soy sauce. You can replace it with water to avoid taste bud overload.

We added bean sprouts, carrots and zucchini... yum!! As you can see our rolling skillz need a little work still, but they are perfectly edible, even if they look a little sad.

This is the Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh from Veganomicon. I don't often make recipes twice, but I was looking forward to making this again ever since I made it the first time. And it didn't disappoint, even with the few subs I had to make (no wine, coriander instead of cumin, etc.) They've come up with a winning method here: I don't usually enjoy tempeh all that much, but this is so good.
I thought it would go well with coconut rice, which was a great way to use up last week's leftover coconut milk. And of course, some steamed kale.

Shon and I brew Kombucha and I just started making our own Kimchi (kimchee), which fermented vegetables. Sandor Katz explains the history of fermentation and examines what is happening scientifically.

The book covers vegetable ferments such as sauerkraut, kimchi, and sour pickles; bean ferments including miso, tempeh, dosas, and idli; dairy ferments including yogurt, kefir, and basic cheese making (as well as vegan alternatives); sourdough bread-making; other grain fermentations from Cherokee, African, Japanese, and Russian traditions; extremely simple wine- and beer-making (as well as cider-, mead-, and champagne-making) techniques; and vinegar-making.

The company that publishes the book is Chelsea Green Publishing Co. You can follow ChelseaGreen.com on Twitter as well. They provide inspirational and practical alternatives that promote sustainable living. Excellent source of information.

I'll keep you updated on my progress of the book and fermentation projects.

Namaste

Despite my late lunch I still got pretty hungry this afternoon and needed a little something to keep my going until dinner. This incredibly juicy, perfectly sweet nectarine did the job wonderfully. I must say that I MUCH prefer nectarines to peaches. For some reason peaches have just been really hit or miss with me this summer, but I have yet to be disappointed by a nectarine. I guess that should teach me to stick with nectarines from now on!

Dinner

Ever since I saw this recipe for Maple Glazed Tempeh on Arielle's blog I've wanted to give it a try. I was definitely intimidated of cooking with tempeh. In general I am NOT a fan of tofu. I really don't like the consistency--it's just too mushy and blah for me. I feared that tempeh would be a similar experience so I put off making it for a while. Today I decided to just go for it, and I am so glad I did. This was absolutely amazing. Like seriously good. The flavors were delicious, and the tempeh was a great consistency-dense and chewy. Perfect. As suggested in the recipe I made it with portobello mushrooms, green beans, and broccoli. I also made some brown rice and stir fried everything together at the end so all the flavors came together. 

A close up:

This was a seriously good meal. All the veggies made it really filling and I felt really healthy eating it. I would absolutely make this again. 

And there is nothing about tempeh to be scared of! It was really easy to work with and tasted great. I highly recommend everyone gives this a shot!

The other night for dinner I had some BBQ tempeh strips (with Amy's bbq sauce + more for dipping) with a sliced tomater and sauteed peppers and onions.

Today for lunch my mom helped me chop a boat-load of veggies for a stir-fry with tempeh, Braggs and chili sauce. Sister 2 painted this bowl for me at one of those pottery places, because she knows I love using chopsticks... it has it's own "holder!"

It's orange! My color, favorite!

My parents got home from Ireland on Wednesday night, zonked! They had an incredible trip, but I'm still waiting to see pictures. They wrote down new, cute little phrases those silly Irish people use and are trying to incorporate them into everyday language here. hehe. They brought me some... salt-and-pepper shakers! The black pepper-shaker has a little shamrock on it's butt. I don't know why (yes I do- it's the eyes!), but they remind me of Jasper. Maybe I'll shake him to see if anything edible comes out... er, um, let's not be silly by what I just said...

Alright, folks. There you have it. An update from yours, truly. I'll let ya know what I hear about the blood work! I'm kind of hoping it is, in fact, CD just so I can pin-point the problem! Yes, that'd make it a little more difficult, especially eating out, but I figure once I load up my pantry with g-f foods, I won't have to continuously search the internet or read the labels of the foods already on my shelves and fridge! Very meticulous!

I deposited my check after the blood-bath work. I also watched Sleepless in Seattle and settled in with a giant bowl of popcorn (my favorite movie, with my favorite type of corn, and my 2nd-favorite pop!) during a rainstorm the other day. Ah, life is grand!

That's a tempeh melt with grilled veggies on the side. I polished off the veggies no problem, but I've only had half of the sandwich so far. I had a bigger lunch than usual, and I'm having a lot of trouble with my hunger cues today.

The AC is still broken at the gym, and yet they still keep opening and then (BIG SURPRISE) having to close early due to "extreme heat." Today they opened up at 5:30 and then had to close at 9:00am. This is really throwing me off my routine, and I'm all agitated and I feel like I could just start yelling at any moment. I'm hoping to take a walk later, but the heat index is still 100 and it's already 7:00pm, so yeah. We'll see. I did some yoga this morning, and I would do another round, but it would require 1) getting off the couch and 2) moving things out of the way. That feels like so much effort.

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Agave Mustard Marinade

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp mustard (any kind will do, I prefer spicy brown mustard)

1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce

3 Tbsp agave nectar

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp pepper

Firm (not silken) Tofu or a package of Tempeh

Whisk all ingredients together in the dish you will be marinating in. If you are using tempeh, be sure to cut into the size chunks you desire and boil in water for 10-15 minutes (helps in the digestion of the tempeh, I do this step every time I use tempeh--I also find it gives it a better flavor). Then just drain the water, let tempeh cool slightly and place in marinade. Regardless of whether it is tofu or tempeh, I always place the dish in the fridge.

**If you are only using HALF of an 8oz package of tempeh, then you only need half the marinade recipe. Obviously if you are using an entire 8oz package use the entire marinade recipe.

**If you are going to be using a FULL package of tofu (generally a pound), I recommend using a dish larger than 8x8. I find that when I use an 8x8 dish to marinade it only fits a half of a pound nicely. Plan accordingly!

I always freeze my tofu once I get home from the store (I freeze in it's package), so I simply take out a package the night before I'm using it. It takes on a slightly spongy texture that readily absorbs marinade and has a nice texture when you're eating it. Remember to press the tofu before placing in the marinade, otherwise the water will take the space for the marinade and it won't absorb much, if any, marinade! I would recommend at LEAST 30 minutes of marinade time. I prefer 1-2 hours. You can always marinade overnight as well, but remember to plan ahead and remove tofu from the freezer if you freeze your tofu.

**I recommend flipping the tofu/tempeh halfway through the marinading time.

Since tempeh does not readily absorb marinade as well, I would recommend a longer marinade time. Overnight would be best but at least 2 hours would do.

After your tofu or tempeh is done marinating, you can bake it in the oven or "fry" it in a small amount of olive oil on the stove. I prefer to bake both the tofu and tempeh. If you fry in a small amount of oil, just cook until brown on both sides.

Bake at 350 Degrees F for a total of about 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet or with a silicon mat on the baking sheet. After 10 minutes in the oven, flip the tofu/tempeh over.

I like to serve the tofu or tempeh when I make wraps. I just cut up some veggies (generally carrots, onion, peppers, lettuce and spinach) and use an agave mustard dressing for dipping or for in the wrap itself (as Matt prefers). I actually like just a little Vegenaise in my wrap with all the veggies and tofu. Yummy!! It's a very quick meal since nothing is cooked except for the tofu/tempeh. If you plan ahead and have the marinade ready before you go to work or school, all you will have to do is throw the tofu/tempeh in the oven while you prep veggies! I love this meal for summer months due to the minimal cooking and tons of fresh veggies!

[caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Veggie Wrap Meal All Ready To Eat!!"][/caption]

1. Knee pain the morning that ruined my 5:30 workout plan.
2. The AC being broken at the gym. Again.
3. Yoga being canceled due to #3.
4. My iPod crapping out 12 minutes into my workout.
5. Did I mention the AC was broken?

They had two floor fans. Two. Floor. Fans. Yeah. That helped. When I was leaving, I think I may have noticed a slight change for the better, but at that point, the damage was done. My kicky green workout top may never be the same again. I also heard one of the kids working there, who was walking around with some sort of temperature gauge, say that it was 88 degrees.

So, I somehow made it through 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer. Seriously, I think I already blocked it out, because I know it happened, but I can't really recall it.

I was pretty wiped out when I got home, so I wanted a nice, replenishing meal. And I came up with grilled veggie and tempeh fajitas.

I marinated the tempeh in a tapatio/honey/paprika/garlic/black pepper mix and grilled it. I left the veggies plain and just grilled those, too. You probably can't tell, but there's also zucchini, yellow squash, a green pepper, and some mushrooms under there. And, of course, cheese.

I really love tempeh, but I'm always hungry an hour after I eat it. I'm waiting for that so I can have another snack. You know how I love my snacks.

This will probably be my last food post for a little while as I'm going on a trip! I am soooo very excited. Actually, it's two trips that I coupled together to save airfare. First, Omnivore Boyfriend (O.B.) and I are headed to sunny Santa Cruz, California for a week of surfing. Surfing is my favourite sport (I've surfed in 3 different oceans) and I LOVE California so I really couldn't be more ecstatic about this leg of the trip. I'm probably going to eat sandy tomato & cucumber sandwiches all week because I know there is a grocery store in town and I'm certainly not eating take-out for 7 days.
Next, O.B. is heading home, and I'm travelling solo to Canmore, Alberta, to meet up with a group from the Alpine Club of Canada for a week of scrambling/hiking in the Rocky Mountains. We'll be staying in a cabin and the entire week is catered by a woman who, apparently, is possibly the most incredible chef I'll ever encounter. She is aware of all of our food restrictions (including my veganism) and I've been told it's not a problem, so I should have TONS of vegan-food pictures to post when I get back. (And of course, envy-inducing pictures of the Californian beaches and the Rocky Mountains).

So, onto the food! On a whim, I invited my omni Maritimer friend Mel out to a raw, vegan, organic food bar called Live. Mel admitted to having eaten vegan before only "accidentally", but she was happy to have brunch at Live (bless her adventurous soul) and I'm delighted to report that she thoroughly enjoyed her meal.

My meal was mostly raw, I think, and gluten- and nut-free. I had the Cowboy Wrap and a blueberry-raspberry spritzer.

Mel had French Toast and a glass of juice, the name of which escapes me, but it contained fresh fruit juices.

The food was a bit pricey at Live but the food was all kinds of awesome. My Cowboy Wrap was filled with grilled tempeh, vegetables, and a southwestern sauce. Some places you go to for a meal (i.e. pubs, smaller restaurants) and you KNOW that just slap a Yves veggie burger onto a Dempster's bun and bill you $11 for it? I got the feel at Live that everything was carefully prepared by hand. After all, most options are gluten-free and nut-free, requiring a high degree of diligence against contamination (a big problem in manufactured goods).

My rating for the Live Food Bar is 5 stars. I didn't get a rating from Mel, an omnivore, but I think it resembled two thumbs up.

Hmmm... I just realized how tired I really am. I think I'll save the rest of my pics for another post. So perhaps this isn't my last food post after all. Happy Tuesday!

-Maureen

This is her maple grilled tempeh.  Except it's not grilled because I'm not allowed to use my grill pan.

On the side, we had Trader Joe's brown rice medley, with broccoli, mushrooms, spinach and green beans.  I could not eat all of this.  I wanted to, and I tried really hard, but it was not happening.  I think the grain factor was a little out of control.

Luckily, I got a second wind a bit later because we have these guys:

I'll tell you a little something about these.  When you get down to the last inch or so of the cone, it is FULL OF SOLID CHOCOLATE.

Yes.  This requires all caps.  It is that good.  In fact, I always give Chris a sad face and a couple of elbows so he gives me his final inch, too.

Why, hello, my lovely long-necked friend! I saw this at the store and had to try it! Why? WHY NOT?! Yes, it is diet, but it still tasted like I melted an orange creamsicle in my mouth! I felt like I was in the 50's at the soda fountain. Oh, a twist on my beloved orange pop! Too bad I don't have a juke box and I wish I drank it with a straw, but now I think of it...

To back-track, I made some famous Chickpea Cutlets from V'con for lunch today. I also had Emerald Kale Salad from the deli at work, which was excellent. One bite into the cutlets and I said, "OHHH YEAH!" I made a spin off of some mustard sauce, which I could never in a million years replicate, because I just sort of put some of this in, and some of that in... improvisation! From what I remember, it had some mustard powder, Braggs, Wasabi powder, garlic, Agave nectar, some flour to thicken it... I don't know for sure, but it was garlicky, tasty, and delicious, all together! I was very satisfied, can you tell?! The kale salad was garlicky, too, so afterward, I sort of felt like I had just eaten the entire bulb of garlic! Ha! (Jasper and Tucker did not want to speak to or kiss me afterward!)

Isn't my mini-whisk the cutest?!

So, I went to the mall after that, because I have a few gift cards and I love a good sale, but nothing caught my bargaining eye, so I left and picked up my liquified-creamsicle and some decaf coffee (Cinnamon Hazelnut, thank you) and went home. I really wasn't hungry for dinner. 4 hours later, can you believe it?! Usually my body is saying, "FEED ME!" every 3 hours or so, but I wasn't hungry! I was, however, in the mood to cook. After going through my recipe books and taking stock of what I would fancy in my head, I decided I would eat a good, full, meal. And it would be tasty! I made a spin off of Pasta de la California in V'con (hmm, Pasta de la Madam Orange Pop?!), with some spicy Bar-B-Que tempeh, and a side-salad with Annie's Woodstock dressing! How have I not known about this beauty-of-a-dressing before?! Loved it! Props to Annie and her employees! Again, I have garlic breath, but I wouldn't have it any other way!

I have to be honest here. I've been dreaming all today when I would sneak in some exercise, other than walking around the mall. I haven't been feeling as strong lately and it's been probably a week since I've hit the gym. But, I have been walking, biking, running (minimally) and working recently. And, some more honesty for you, I've been feeling a bit tired, frail/thin-feeling. This is not a good feeling for me because I am usually full of energy, happy, warrior-like (yes, me, Orange Pop, Warrior Princess!)... so I knew I needed to eat and eat I did! I feel like sometimes I look like a little girl, or worse, a little boy! You know what I mean? So, here I type, full, sleepy and a bit uncomfortable, but I will be kind to myself because I've been not-so-kind in the past, if ya know what I mean.

So there's honesty for ya! I promised myself and my parents I'd take great care of myself while they're away, and always! That's a gift everyone should let themselves have!

For the salad:

2 medium-large beets

1 package wild rice tempeh

1/4 bunch fresh Italian parsley, chopped (about 3 Tbsp)

A few leaves fresh basil, chopped (about 1 Tbsp)

Approximately 2 Tbsp pine nuts

For the dressing:

1 shallot, minced

Lemon juice

Silver Palate Sweet and Rough mustard

Extra virgin olive oil

Dark toasted sesame oil

Salt

Pepper

Dried tarragon

Dried thyme
The night before, roast the beets. I washed them and poked a few holes in the skins with a knife (probably not necessary, but just in case), then put them in a pie pan covered in foil with 1/4 inch of water in the bottom of the pan, and left them in the oven while I made biscotti--about 2 hours total. Let the beets cool overnight.

Trim the ends and peel the beets, then cut them into 1/2 inch cubes. Put them in a bowl with the parsley and basil. Toast the pine nuts in a pan over medium heat till brown. Add them to the bowl.

Fry the tempeh in a little oil, browning both sides over medium heat, till golden brown and crusty on the outside. I cooked the whole block first, then used an iron spatula to cut the block into 1/2 cubes, and fried these a little longer to try and get the sides browned a little bit. However, it might work better to cut the tempeh into cubes first. Either way, you should wind up with a bunch of 1/2 crunchy fried tempeh cubes. Add these to the bowl.

Make the dressing by mixing all dressing ingredients together thoroughly. Since lemons cost a dollar each here, I used bottled lemon juice. I have no idea about the proportions of each ingredient--I tend to try and do a 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 ratio of acid to oil by volume, with a generous spoonful of mustard to emulsify. I used a little bit of fancy New Zealand olive oil I got as a sample from Whole Foods, but mostly just the bulk EVOO from Bloomingfoods, and a couple of teaspoons of dark sesame oil for extra flavor.

Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well. Mmmm.

...which were very good! I also love those Snyder's pretzel pieces and got some of those. For lunch the other day, I whipped out my Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook and made my first creation from that book, and here it is: the Curried Tempeh-Mango Salad. I subbed a few things, like dijon mustard for the Vegenaise, and Mango Poppy dressing for the lemon juice. I had it over some greens:

I also bought some loose tea from work (by the way, thanks for all the messages about work- I'm over it now, and I'm not dying them! ha, just wearing different pants), but when I brewed it in my "Happiness" mug, the leaves fell through the strainer and I had tea with bits and pieces in it... not good! So I've got to get a strainer, tea ball, or make my own bags, I guess. I'll leave you with a picture of it: It has it's own hat!

I ended up using a tea bag after my misfortune with the tea. It was Orange Dulce flavor, what else?! I sweetened it and added some soymilk. Yummy.

My parents, sister and I went to see Mama Mia last night! I L-O-V-E-D it, it was so happy and fun! I am inspired to take a dance class... you know, one of those with a cheesy performance at the end. Hip-hop? Salsa? Hmm, I'll have to look into it. I have a really good friend who's into Broadway and musicals and stuff, but she might laugh at me! haha, but I don't blame  her, because, despite being in dance for 4 or 5 years when I was a kiddo, my skills in that area are limited...

Have a great week!

If you are in the mood for simple flavors and ingredients, you are in luck.  This isn't a terribly fancy dish, and marinating the tempeh and cooking the rice are the two longest steps.  I think this is a good dish all year round, though like the previous couscous dish, the short cooking times and lightly sauteed greens make it a really lovely summer dish.  I only had to pick up a small head of radicchio to complete the dish, as i harvested about a half paper grocery bag full of pretty, tender kale from our garden.

I choose tempeh more often because of it's easier digestibility and nutty flavor, but you could easily sub some well-pressed tofu if you're not keen on the texture or flavor of tempeh.  Also, I used a rice cooker for both the wild rice and basmati--normally wild rice has a longer cooking time, but they worked really well together.

Real Minnesota wild rice is more expensive than its usually-corporate-California-grown (and not-usually-wild) cousin; living in Minnesota makes access to it easier and cheaper.  The best wild rice is hand-harvested and should smell like a lake, which is where this plant (actually a grass) grows.  If you get broken wild rice, it will also be cheaper than whole.  At the co-op I buy Native Harvest wild rice (and maple syrup!), which supports indigenous farmers and the campaign against the genetic manipulation and patenting of this heirloom crop.  (There is an ongoing battle between the biotech corporations and universities and the tribal entities of the Great Lakes region, sadly another manifestation of modern colonialism.)  If you can't get wild rice or don't want to use a blend, use whatever kind(s) you prefer.  Wild rice will retain a slight crunch after cooking which I really like, but might be strange if you're used to soft grains.

Most of the flavors stem from the primary ingredients here, so if you are looking to cover up the slight bitterness of greens for example, you may want to increase the marinade amounts slightly so you have some extra sauce to work with.  And remember to simmer the tempeh in water for a few minutes before marinating to tone down the bitter flavor if that's how you roll!

Balsamic Tempeh Wild Rice Bowl with Sauteed Kale and Radicchio (serves 2 hungry people or more):

8 oz tempeh
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp white wine
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
cracked black pepper to taste

1 c rice (use half wild and half other - I used basmati)
2 c vegetable stock

1 small head radicchio
1 bunch kale

Cut the block of tempeh in half lengthwise, then slice each half into thin strips (like domino pieces).  Place in a container with the olive oil, balsamic, wine, garlic, and pepper.  Marinate for at least one hour.

Cook the rice in vegetable broth in a rice cooker, or in a small saucepan on the stove according to your rice directions.  Meanwhile, remove the tough stems from the kale and tear into pieces.  Cut the radicchio in half, remove the core, and slice thinly.

Heat a cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the marinated tempeh.  Cook for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove to a serving bowl and return the skillet to the stove.  Add more oil if you need to, and saute the radicchio and kale for a few minutes until softened but still colorful.  Combine the tempeh, greens, and rice in the serving bowl and toss.  Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.