5 Spice Tempeh over Coconut Ginger Rainbow Chard with Beet Relish

I was walking through the produce section, and a bit of rainbow chard caught my eye. I love the beautiful colors in the stalks...they are pretty enough to make a bouquet with! I decided that I must buy a big bunch or two, since I do not have a garden to grow it in myself! I was trying to think of an interesting way to prepare it, and coconut milk came to mind. Why not make a sauce using coconut milk, ginger and garlic to coat the greens! So, I had my main veggie for the meal, but what to serve with it? Tempeh! So, I made a marinade for the tempeh, and threw in some 5 spice to keep it interesting. Though the dish on it's own was tasty, I decided that it needed a little pretty garnish, that was also edible! So, I diced up some beets and tossed them with a little sweet and sour (vinegar and honey), and scattered them about the plate like little jewels atop the dish. It was altogether a beautiful and satisfying dinner...and a wonderful new way to prepare chard! Try this out if you have a bit of chard and are looking for a new way to prepare it!

 

5 Spice Tempeh over Coconut Ginger Rainbow Chard with Beet Relish

Serves 2

Marinade:
1/4 cup tamari
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp Chinese 5 spice powder
juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp peanut oil
16 oz tempeh, cut into 8 triangles
sea salt

Beet relish:
1 large beet, diced small
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
sea salt to taste
Chard:
about 1 lb of rainbow or other swiss chard, cut into ribbons
1 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
juice of 2 limes
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 Tbsp tamari
2 TBsp arrowroot
about 1 lb of swiss chard, cut into ribbons
sea salt to taste

In a medium bowl, combine marinade ingredients and whisk to blend. Add tempeh to bowl, and toss to coat. Let the tempeh sit in the marinade for at least an hour, flipping a few times to make sure it soaks in on all sides. Meanwhile, stir together beets, honey, vinegar and a pinch of sea salt for beet relish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil, and spray with non-stick spray. Lift tempeh out of marinade and place on baking sheet. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, and bake for about 15 minutes until browned and crisp. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick pan, heat 1 Tbsp peanut oil. Add garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add coconut milk, and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, tamari, and arrowroot to dissolve the arrowroot, then add to the coconut milk, along with lime zest. Cook until a bit thicker, then add the chard, and cook until just wilted, but still bright green. Remove from heat, and keep warm until tempeh is finished baking. To plate, divide the chard between 2 plates, top each with tempeh, and scatter beet relish around the plate.