Savory Breakfast Quinoa with Tempeh

I wanted a healthy, wholesome, and satisfying breakfast option so I turned to one of my favorite grains, quinoa, for the base. With seasoned tempeh and spinach, this dish is very satisfying. It is well worth the three steps necessary to make it.

Savory Breakfast Quinoa with Tempeh

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth (I like Better Than Boullion)

2 cups chopped fresh spinach (frozen would work just as well)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

1 8 oz package tempeh
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of nutmeg
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp nutritional yeast

Directions:

Rinse the quinoa and put it in a saucepan with the 2 cups of vegetable broth. Bring it to a boil and lower the heat to low. Cover and let the quinoa cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, fluff the quinoa and put it in a large serving dish. Cover and keep warm.

While the quinoa is cooking, heat the sesame oil in a frying pan and add the chopped spinach. Let it cook down and then add they soy sauce. This just takes a few minutes, when the spinach has wilted it is done. Add the spinach to the quinoa, and start on the tempeh.

To make the tempeh, slice it into small bite sized pieces and put it in a frying pan with the 1/2 tsp salt and the 1/2 cup of water. Cover and let the tempeh cook in the water until the water has evaporated. Then push the tempeh pieces to the sides of the pan and add the vegetable oil to the middle of the pan. Then start to stir fry the tempeh with the seasonings until the tempeh is coated with the flavors of the garlic powder, sage, thyme, cayenne, nutmeg, maple, and nutritional yeast.

Finally, add the tempeh to the quinoa and spinach and enjoy.

For 6 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 188 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  237 Calories from Fat  85

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  9.5g 15%

Saturated Fat  1.8g 9%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  614mg 26%

Potassium  498mg 14%

Total Carbohydrates  25.9g 9%

Dietary Fiber  2.7g 11%

Sugars  2.4g

Protein  13.9g

Vitamin A 19% • Vitamin C 5% Calcium 8% • Iron 18%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet