quinoa salad with tempeh nuggets

Salad

1 ½ cups quinoa

1 ½ cups corn, fresh or frozen

1 cup finely diced red bell pepper

½ cup finely diced red onion

½ cup finely minced, tightly packed cilantro

1 to 2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and finely diced

Tempeh

8 ounces tempeh

Marinade

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons shoyu or tamari

1 tablespoon mild chili powder

1 to 2 garlic, pressed

1 ½ teaspoons dried leaf oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 to ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chili ground cayenne

Sauce

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons shoyu or tamari

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, swish the quinoa vigorously in a large bowl of warm water. Drain through a fine mesh strainer. Repeat this process until the rinsing water remains just about clear. Drain.

Add the quinoa to the boiling water and cook over high heat until almost done, 11 to 12 minutes. Add the corn and cook until the quinoa is tender but still crunchy, about 1 minute more. Using a large, fine mesh strainer, drain thoroughly, bouncing the strainer up and down to release excess water. Transfer to a large bowl and stir from time to time to accelerate cooling.

Cut the tempeh into ¼ inch dice. Combine all ingredients for marinade in a lidded container and add the diced tempeh, cover and and gently shake to completely coat the tempeh. Marinate for 1 hour if you have the time. I don’t usually take the time to do this.

Transfer the tempeh to a large nonstick skillet.  Set over high heat until the tempeh sizzles. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip the tempeh over, cover and cook an additional 3 minutes. Uncover and sauté over medium – high heat, flipping the tempeh as needed, until browned and crusty.

Mix together ingredients for the sauce.

When the quinoa stops giving off steam, toss in the tempeh nuggets, red bell pepper, onion, cilantro, jalapenos, and enough sauce to coat the ingredients lightly. Add the lime juice to taste, if desired.