Spring Means Green! Smoky Tempeh with Mushroom Greens and Mango Margaritas!

Green is my favorite color. Green means nature, plants, trees and growth and when you eat green it means lutein, beta carotene, fiber and antioxidants! And, since Saturdays are farmers market days (green is always in season) - green is what I got!

This meal consists of:

-Smokey Tempeh
-Broccoli Pesto Quinoa
-Chinese Broccoli with Portobello Mushrooms

You will never want another margarita ever again.

Aaaaand! Wait for it!

4 Ingredient Mango Margaritas!

(Not counting ice, but I guess ice is kind of an ingredient too. So maybe 5 ingredients)

Let's start with the drinks.

All you need for this delicious blended concoction is:

• 1 cup frozen mango
• 1 cup limeade
• The juice of 2 limes
• 4 shots tequila

And ice! I used about 2 cups of ice cubes, but feel free to use as much or as little as you like.
The mango and limeade are sweet enough that you don't need to add triple sec or even agave to these margaritas (unless you want to - but I for one really don't like super sweet drinks).

Place all ingredients (in order) into the blender and blend for about a minute!

Yum! The consistency with the mango is so perfect. I tried this same recipe with frozen strawberries and it wasn't nearly as successful. Do the mango, you won't regret it.

Now that you have your delicious frozen drink, it's time to cook.

Start by marinating your tempeh so that it has time to soak up all the flavors while you cook your quinoa.

Smoky Tempeh

• 1 package tempeh (about 8 oz - just plain is fine since you are marinating)
• 2 Tbsp Braggs or Soy Sauce
• 2-3 Tbs liquid smoke
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha
• 2 tsp chipotle seasoning (or chili powder if you prefer)
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
• 1 tsp agave (or sugar is fine too)

Crumble the tempeh into small pieces or cut into squares. Whisk all ingredients together in a mixing bowl and then add the tempeh in, coating fully. Allow tempeh to marinate for about 10-15 minutes.

While your tempeh is marinating, get started on the quinoa and broccoli pesto

Quinoa

• 2 cups water (or 1 cup water, 1 cup veggie broth)
• 1 cup quinoa (You can use whatever kind of quinoa you want - I pretty much always use tri color but red or regular is fine too)

Bring water and quinoa to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and let sit for 20-25 minutes or until the quinoa is translucent and fluffy. Don't overcook! You want the quinoa to retain some moisture so that when you mix it with the pesto it doesn't come out too dry.


Broccoli Pesto

• 2 cups broccoli (steamed! I use my tupperware microwave steamer - you can't actually buy them anymore that I can find, but it is probably one of the more useful pieces of cookware that I have. I thought Colin had lost the little top piece that other day and I almost took him out. Anyway, it looks like this -->)
• 1 large handful of basil leaves
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tbsp olive oil (you don't need much because the broccoli retains a lot of moisture)

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth.

BACK TO THE TEMPEH.

Spray a saute pan with PAM or coat with olive oil and bring it up to medium heat. Toss in your tempeh. Allow it to cook until it begins to brown, or for about 3-4 minutes for each side.

As the tempeh is cooking, grab another saute pan and feel free to start on the greens/mushroom concoction.

Chinese Broccoli and Portobello Mushrooms

• 1 large head Chinese broccoli, chopped into about 1 inch chunks
• 2-3 medium sized portobello mushrooms, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped 
• 1 Tbsp Braggs or soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbsp white wine

Bring your oil up to medium and throw in your garlic and onion for about 4 minutes or until they begin to brown. Then toss in your mushrooms and continue to saute for another 4 minutes. Add in more olive oil as necessary (you will need more if you're not using a non-stick pan).

When the mushrooms begin to cook through, toss in your greens, followed by the Braggs and spices. Cover and allow them to cook down for about a minute. Then remove the lid and slowly add the white wine. Recover and continue to cook for 3-4 more minutes, tossing occasionally, or until the greens are bright and wilted but not soggy and the mushrooms are cooked thoroughly.

The quinoa should also be done at this point. Scoop your broccoli pesto out of the food processor and transfer it to a large bowl. Spoon the quinoa into said bowl and, using a fork to assure that you keep the quinoa nice and fluffy, stir the two until the quinoa looks totally green. Then top with your smoky tempeh and side with your greens!

And there you have it! A perfect spring meal, full of leafy green vitamin goodness.



Live long and prosper. And get green.