Chipotle-Orange Tempeh with Cilantro-Orange Rice

I revisited my "Chipotle-Orange Glaze" recipe today... it's been a work in progress.  Click here to see version #2; it was not much of a success.  (Version #1 was not blog-worthy).  As for today.....ahhhh, the sweet (and spicy) taste of success!  Yay, I am so excited to share this new recipe with you.  It is everything I hoped for and more.  Am I doing a good job of selling this recipe on you?  Here is a photo to tempt you.

Is your mouth watering yet?  Here's the recipe:

Chipotle-Orange Tempeh with Cilantro-Orange Rice
1 cup basmati rice
1 3/4 cups water
dash of salt (optional)
1 naval orange for juice and zest
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 1/2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo, finely diced **
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1 8-ounce package of tempeh **
4 to 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

For the Cilantro-Orange Rice:
In a medium-sized pot, bring 1 3/4 cups water to a boil.  Add a dash of salt and the rice; return to a boil. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook (covered) for 20 minutes.  Remove the zest of the orange with a fine grater, such as a Microplane grater.  (Reserve the remainder of the orange for the glaze). When rice is done cooking, add the orange zest and chopped cilantro; stir with a fork to combine and fluff.

For the glaze:
In a bowl, combine the juice of the orange (my orange yielded 1/3 cup juice but more would be fine), the brown sugar, soy sauce, chipotle, and orange marmalade. Stir to combine; set aside.

For the Tempeh:
Cut the tempeh into bite-sized pieces.  I actually cut each tempeh piece in half so that each piece was thinner.  Heat approximately 3 teaspoons oil in a skillet.  Add the pieces of tempeh to the hot oil in the skillet in a single layer and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown.  My skillet got rather dry, so while the first side was browning, I brushed the top sides of the tempeh with more olive oil with a pastry brush.  Turn the pieces of tempeh and cook the second side until similarly golden brown.  I probably would have had a better time browning the tempeh if I would have been more generous with the olive oil, but I was trying to keep the fat down.  Once the tempeh is nicely golden brown on both sides, add the glaze.  I let the sauce bubble way for about five minutes and it reduced to a nice syrupy consistency.  Serve the glazed tempeh and sauce over the Cilantro-Orange Rice. Yum! 

Ingredients




Sauce

 

Golden brown



Ready for a close up!




The aroma is great when the orange zest and chopped cilantro meets the hot rice...

 

A taste for the cook...



Lunches for the week! 
** Chipotles in adobo may be unfamiliar to some folks. Chipotles are smoked jalapeno peppers in a sauce. They can be found in most grocery stores where other Mexican ingredients are found. They come in a small can and the sauce includes tomato puree, onions, vinegar, paprika, and other spices. They are VERY spicy but also have a distinct smokey and sweet flavor. For this recipe, you might want to just start with one pepper. You'll want to cut off the top of the pepper and you might want to also remove some of the seeds (that's where the heat is) before dicing up the pepper and including it in the sauce. Be careful about touching your eyes after handling these peppers... wash your hands really well. Save your unused peppers in a little baggie in the freezer so nothing goes to waste.



Here's what I've learned recently. Tempeh is fermented soy. The brand I purchased was organic and it also included brown rice. It's quite easy to work with. It has a nice solid/firm consistency and was easy to pan fry like I did in this recipe. Unlike tofu, tempeh does not require carefully draining and pressing to remove the moisture. I can see myself using this ingredient and this preparation method with other sauces or glazes... I am thinking teriyaki (over rice)? something with lemons.... ooooh, lemons & artichoke hearts (over orzo pasta)? maybe a fire-roasted tomato sauce with Italian herbs (over whole-wheat pasta)? You get the idea... a very versatile ingredient much like tofu. It's a nice one-pan method. Less dishes!