Cuban Fried Quinoa with Black Beans and Smoky Tempeh

ingredients:

For the Smoky Tempeh

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (8-ounce) package of tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

For the Fried Quinoa

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium pineapple, cored, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 green onions, sliced

instructions:

Prepare the tempeh:

1. Whisk the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and liquid smoke together in a small bowl.
2. Add the tempeh cubes and toss to coat. Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes while you prepare your quinoa. Stir the cubes once or twice during marinating to keep them well-coated.

Prepare the quinoa:

3. Rinse the quinoa well under cold running water, then transfer it to a small saucepan with vegetable broth over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
4. Cover and simmer until the broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the quinoa to sit for another 5 minutes, covered.

Make your Cuban Fried Quinoa:

5. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh cubes; reserve excess marinade.
6. Cook the tempeh, flipping occasionally, until lightly browned and crispy on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the tempeh from the skillet and transfer to a plate. Return the skillet to the stovetop.
7. Arrange the pineapple slices in the skillet and cook until tender and browned, about three minutes on each side. (You may have to cook them in batches depending on the size of your skillet.) Remove from the skillet and transfer to a plate, then return the skillet to the stovetop.
8. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet, along with the onion, bell pepper, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté until the onion and pepper just begin to soften a bit, about 3 minutes.
9. Increase heat to high and add the quinoa and reserved marinade to skillet. Cook the quinoa, tossing frequently with a spatula, until it becomes slightly translucent and begins to crisp up, 3-5 minutes.
10. Add beans and cooked tempeh to skillet and cook for another minute to incorporate, tossing frequently.
11. Divide pineapple slices among plates and spoon quinoa mixture over pineapple slices. Top with green onions.

notes:

As is the case with fried rice, this works great with leftover quinoa. You'll need about 3 cups.