Almond Butter Tempeh Stir Fry

Ingredients

• ¼ cup smooth almond butter
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp tamari
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp hot sauce, such as sriracha
• ¼ cup water, plus extra
• 8 o tempeh, cut into quarters
• 2 tbsp avocado oil, divided
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3 cups brown rice (cooked)

Directions

1. Make the almond butter sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the almond butter, ginger, garlic, Tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, lime juice, and hot sauce. Give this a quick whisk. Add the water and begin to slowly whisk it in to combine. Once the sauce starts coming together, whisk more vigorously. Give the sauce a taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (more Tamari, vinegar etc). It should be pretty intense tasting and quite fluid! Set aside.
2. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and place the tempeh pieces in. Cover the pieces with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the tempeh, let it cool, and then slice thinly. Discard the water and wipe out the pan.
3. Set the large sauté pan back over medium high heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl it around. Add the sliced tempeh to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Let it sear/brown on one side and then stir/flip the pieces around. Let the tempeh sear and brown on the other side, this will take about 5-6 minutes total. Keep stirring throughout the process.
4. Transfer the browned tempeh to a plate and return the sauté pan to the stove. Pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and swirl it around. Add the carrot and bell pepper slices to the pan. Sauté until slightly softened, about 4 minutes.
5. Add the broccoli to the pan and a splash of water. Place a lid on top and cook until broccoli is slightly tender and bright green, about 3-4 minutes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
6. Add the tempeh back to the pan and pour the almond butter sauce in, stirring until everything is heated through. Add the green onions and cilantro (if using).
7. Serve the almond butter tempeh stir fry immediately with cooked rice, noodles, or other carb of your choice.