I made this to go with Amanda's Honey Mustard Salmon. For me it served as the main course. I LOVED IT. It's pretty easy, even the first time. And I imagine it will be even easier now that I know what to do. I feel like not only will I make this again, but it could become a staple. The presentation is also very nice, which means that it would be a good dish for company. I imagine some cheese on the side or as an appetizer would be ideal. Or perhaps some soup. Yes, soup.
While I was preparing everything, I began to go back and forth about whether to use balsamic vinaigrette, which I am not always fond of, or do a soy sauce/sesame oil thing. After having made it, I agree with Amanda that it can accommodate a variety of styles. But I wanted to make it according to the recipe the first time around.
So somewhat reluctantly, I went with the balsamic. Do I have balsamic dressing on hand? I surely do not. So I made some that turned out pretty good, although I can't really give you a recipe since I just kept adding things until I thought it worked. I mixed:
- extra virgin olive oil
- balsamic vinegar
- white wine vinegar
- water (the brew was pretty potent)
- salt
- sugar
And I did use a good healthy (i.e., unhealthy) amount of salt and sugar. Which, having tasted the before and after, I strongly encourage. I'm also glad I watered down the dressing because I think this salad tastes better with only a mild balsamic flavor.
Well, I went shopping for this meal at Stop and Shop. And I came against a few obstacles. Most importantly, S&S does not sell this kind of flavored tofu. So I was really on my own here. I decided to get some tempeh and hope for the best. I was rewarded in this hope! Here's how I prepped it:
Brown Rice Salad with Tempeh
- Cut up the block of tempeh into fairly small cubes for maximum flavor per surface area.
- Stir fry in a small amount of oil until brown.
- Add a lot of salt and sugar. This is really a case of you can do no harm.
- Shut off the heat, and stir in some of the balsamic dressing while the tempeh is still in the pan. Add enough dressing that the tempeh is moist and there is still a little excess juice.
- Stir hot tempeh immediately into the salad.
I thought this was really tasty. Try it!
Another S&S roadblock: there was no short-grain brown rice in the rice section. No, I had to go to the health section to even get a glimpse of it. But then I also found some in the wholesale bins at the very back of the store. So panic not if you are in a regular grocery store and can't immediately find it. I cooked 1 cup dry rice/2 cups water and it came out very well.
This was a great meal. Thanks for posting it! It was sweet and very spicy from the jalapeno and green onions. I will make again, perhaps often!