Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry

If you happen to hate books, a most unfortunate and perplexing circumstance, then today is your lucky day. A recipe instead of a book review! Of course, if you love books, it's still your lucky day because this stir-fry is awesome and you can enter yesterday's giveaway for a smoothie recipe book that'll blow your socks off. 

I'm high in spirits today, but feeling rather taciturn. Please forgive me for this reserved post.

Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.”
— Kurt Vonnegut
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.

This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice. I know you'll love it. 

Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
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Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry
by September-24-2014
This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.
Ingredients
  • desired amount of cooked rice or quinoa (I like red rice)
  • 1 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced
  • 8 oz. tempeh, sliced very thinly
  • -- Marinade --
  • 1/3 cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. corn starch
  • 3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
  • garlic clove, minced
  • ½ cup water from reconstituting shiitake mushrooms
  • -- Conclusion --
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • dash of crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 small bunch of kale, chopped and stem tips discarded
  • 3 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
Instructions
Start by reconstituting the mushrooms in a shallow bowl with just enough boiling water to cover. Allow to rest until ready to use, at least 10 minutes.Cook desired amount of rice or quinoa according to package. Slice the tempeh very thinly.In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients, excluding the water from the mushrooms. When the mushrooms have rested for 10 minutes, remove ½ cup of the water and whisk into the marinade. Seal the tempeh and marinade in a small zip lock baggie. Shake to ensure all the pieces are covered and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 10 minutes. Remove the reconstituted mushrooms with a slotted spoon from the water and slice. Set aside. Once the tempeh is done marinating, heat the sesame oil over medium-low and add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Then, remove the tempeh from marinade with a slotted spoon and add to pan (reserving the marinade for later). Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms, kale, and marinade. Sauté another 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. If it thickens too much, add a bit of water from the mushrooms. Stir in the green onions and remove from heat.Serve hot, over cooked rice or quinoa and garnish with sesame seeds and extra green onion.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 4
Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.

Bob loves to eat his dinner from the Kong!

Produce On Parade - Shiitake Tempeh and Kale Stir-Fry - This is delicious stir-fry of marinated tempeh, rich shiitake mushrooms, and sautéed kale in a garlic-ginger sauce, over red rice.

Dutch Word of The Day

I'm learning Dutch now along with German! Check out Duolingo to learn languages for free. I'm not affliated, I just love them!  Rice --> rijst (ryest) - with a slight rolling of the "r"

Good Deed of The Day

You've got to read this article from Vanity Fair on Sam Smith, co-creator of The Simpsons, feisty atheist, and a huge champion for animal rights who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. What a huge inspiration.

The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices - A Book Review & Giveaway

Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!

Apparently, it's book review time over here at Produce On Parade! I obviously couldn't be happier. Having the exciting privilege of reviewing books, making wonderful recipes from said books, and hosting giveaways is so fun. 

Tina Haupert from carrotsncake.com is the author of this huge and colorful Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book, and I'm excited to share my review with you!

Precaution

I reluctantly admit that I usually don't go in search of smoothie recipe books. My smoothies are more often than not a mishmash of random ingredients I need to use up. Sometimes I'll make a concerted effort to have them taste good, but most of the time they're somewhere in between super-healthy and only moderately-tasty, when making them for myself. 

Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!

So to be honest, I wasn't really sure how much I would actually use this recipe book, although it is stunning. I'm a skeptic of epic proportions, if nothing else.

As soon as I opened the box, I plopped down on the couch to review the book. After about ten minutes I started to hear laughter from Todd. I asked him what was so funny and he said I was making him laugh! "What am I doing?", I asked. Apparently, I was muttering to myself in a rhythm of page flips and non-stop chorus of "Ohhh this looks so good! Omg, I am totally making this tonight. Whoa, I'll definitely have to tab this one. Oh, my, gosh...this looks amazing. Yummmmm."

So you see, I feel rather silly for having doubted how influential a smoothie book could truly be on me. Todd asked me if I would be making every recipe from the book in the next week...

A Insightful Introduction

Chapter one in this book is titled Getting Started and it gives a short introduction on the benefits of consuming more fruits and vegetables while reducing one's meat/dairy intake. Tina walks the reader through choosing a blender and gives great smoothie tips. Some of the tips one would perhaps otherwise have to learn the hard way. Like how it's a good thing to peel bananas before you freeze them (learned that one on my own, the hard way). Or chopping up aging fruit to use in smoothies instead of throwing it out. 

Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!

She also discusses how to choose a juicer and the difference between masticating and centrifugal juicers. There's also more great tips like only making as much juice as you'll need and drinking it right away before the nutrients are lost. 

A Smoothie and Juice For Every Occasion

I love that the chapters are broken down by breakfast, green, workout, dessert smoothies/juices and so on. It's easy to pick a meal for exactly what you're looking for. The back of the book has an index too. One day I had five, yes five, pears that were all a little worse for the wear. I went to the "P" section of the index and found a smoothie with pears and went to town!

Easy, At A Glance

Perhaps my favorite part about the book, which I confess took me several minutes to discover, is at the bottom of each recipe are circular photos of each ingredient. So, if a juice recipe contains apples, celery, carrots, and parsley...there would be a small photo of each at the bottom so you can see exactly what you need to make it. You know, for us visual people.

There's no super weird ingredients that you'd have to look online for and all the ingredients are clean too. I really like the "Tip" section for each recipe. Tina suggests swapping mint for basil or adding ginger for a kick.  

Are They Tasty Though?

I've made three smoothies so far. A muted green Coconut-Kale Smoothie, a vibrant magenta Pearberry Smoothie, and a creamy Banana Foster Smoothie. All were absurdly delicious. The pear one was my favorite and I will definitely be making it time and time again as I can never seem to catch that two minute window where pears are perfect for consumption. Next on my list is the Gingerbread Smoothie and the Cinnamon Butternut Smoothie. Follow along on social media to see how they turn out in the next week or so. Sounds like the perfect after work snack to me!

Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!
Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!
Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!
Produce On Parade - The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book Review & Giveaway!

Would I Buy The Book?

Even though I personally don't have a particular interest in smoothie recipe books...and even though I don't juice at all (why juice when you can eat the veggies and get all the fiber?!), I would STILL buy this book. The recipes are really sound. They're consistent in size and texture, and use everyday ingredients. I love the tips and tricks, and the layout of the book is beautiful. I think this book would also be a great gift idea! Especially since it's labeled "Part-Time Vegetarian", it won't scare away that disapproving Aunt too much (for the record, I have no disapproving aunts). Tina is an immensely talented recipe developer and I know you'll love her smoothies and juices. It'll be only scrumptious smoothies for me from here on out!

Stop by your local bookstore or hop on over to Amazon to purchase The Part-Time Vegetarian Smoothies and Juices Recipe Book for $13! It's time to get some more fruits and vegetables into your diet!

Win This Book!

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.

How To Be Vegan - A Book Review & Giveaway

Have you heard of Elizabeth Castoria's new book, How To Be Vegan? I'd seen it around, but I hadn't really read any reviews on it and whether it would apply to someone who is already vegan. I made my transition to being vegan over a year and half ago and I have learned so much. According to myself I'm doing a smashing job of it, so at first I thought maybe this book wouldn't apply to me so much. However, I know that there is so, so much more to discover and I'll never ever stop learning more ways live a compassionate life. 

I really discovered a lot from this book. How To Be Vegan covers everything from cruelty-free eating, living with kindness, dating non-vegans, traveling as a vegan, decorating with animal-free products and is also full of fantastic recipes. If there was a class on how to be vegan, this would be the textbook. But, definitely like a textbook you'd want to read because it is completely comical and very engaging (I don't know a lot of textbooks like that).

Even if you aren't vegan, you probably know someone who is and I urge you to read this book for his or her sake. Plus, you might learn a thing or two about us veg-heads. Or maybe you'll be inspired to make a reduction in the animal products used in your life. Even if it's just a small bit.

A Gifted Writer 

Elizabeth really makes starting out as a new vegan incredibly unintimidating and easy. I wish she'd released this book two years ago. Shes starts out with the basics. It's like Begin Vegan 101. Then, the book ventures into what being vegan means with regards to food. She also discusses what it entails to creating a vegan home. I really enjoyed the chapter on vegan-friendly traveling. Oftentimes, I feel that it can be wearisome to research. My favorite chapter is on manners and how to deal with difficult people, as well as how to interact with a significant other that might not be vegan, and of course, the much appreciated advice on holidays. I think all vegans can relate to the graph that demonstrates the correlation of the number of times a person is asked where he/she gets their protein as a vegan, in relation to the probability that his/her head will explode. It's titled Spontaneous Combustion - The Hidden Danger of Veganism. Elizabeth speaks the truthest of truths. 

Seriously Amusing

This book will crack you up and it's a quick read because it's so entertaining and dynamic. It includes everything from a short history on veganism, to a list of vegan celebrities, to the positive impacts on the environment by reducing the consumption of animal products. I love the quippy quotes and funny infographics. There's a lighthearted spin to all the well-grounded information, that makes it really enjoyable to read. While Elizabeth does touch briefly on the horrors of why we shouldn't exploit animals, it's not dwelled upon. Which is especially nice for those with very sensitive hearts...like mine. I also like that this book is in no way demanding. There's no "You're not vegan if you eat honey!" or "Oreo's aren't healthy so you shouldn't eat them!" In fact, there's a vegan by accident list that I found especially interesting. 

A Beautiful Book

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit that I do judge books by their cover. Literally. I can honestly say I was draw to this book a great deal because of it's cover. It's gorgeous! Not just the outside though. The inside of the book is splashed with colorful charts, side-splitting Venn diagrams (yes really, my favorite is Should I Date This Person?), and beautiful color blocks and titles. 

Should I Read This Book?

Yep! Even if you aren't vegan and never plan to be. You'll probably learn a lot! If you've been vegan for 25 years, I still think you should read it. Even if you're the founder of veganism and know everything there is to know...it's hilarious and there's great recipes. Besides, do you really know the go-to vegan dishes for popular world cuisines? Probably not. Gochujang, a Korean chili paste, is usually vegan. Bet you didn't know that, I didn't. Unless you're Korean, then you might know that. 

I Want To Buy It Right Now!

Alright, alright, hold your horses. It's probably (okay, maybe) in your local bookstore and if not, you can find it on Amazon. The best part is that after you've read this lovely book, you can tell all your friends about it. Pass it along to a veg-curious family or friend! Or, just leave it in your break room with a "Take me home and bring me back here when you've finished reading" sticky note. Who knows who you'll influence to lead a kinder life!

Win It!

Artisan, the publisher, granted me permission to post a recipe from the book and I chose this wonderfully delicious Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce. 

I made it exactly as written except I used a food processor to shred the vegetables and I drained off any excess juice into a cup first before combining. I gave the juice to my dog. Peppers don't really agree with me that much, "intestine"ly speaking. TMI. I've made these kinds of salads before and I learned the hard way that any excess liquids from vegetables really need to be drained off or the dish can get really soupy as it sits.

I would also probably use half the soy sauce and leave the amount of water the same. Even with draining the vegetable juice, it was a teeny bit soupy still and quite salty for my tastes. Also, this is a cold salad. Make sure to keep it refrigerated and eat it cold or else all that peanut butter will melt! 

I may or may not oftentimes "forget" to put my lunch in the work fridge and I may or may not have done this with this particular noodle salad and...it was sad and soupy (my fault!)...but still really, really delicious! I definitely recommend you make this.

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This was such a wonderful book that really explained what it means to be vegan in a friendly and non-judgmental, easy sort of way. I am absolutely delighted by it and I hope you will be too. It doesn't matter if you're thinking of going vegan, or grew up that way. Let me know what you think of the book, if you read it! 

*DISCLAIMER*  PRODUCE ON PARADE IS A PERSONAL BLOG WRITTEN AND EDITED BY MYSELF ONLY, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED. MY REVIEWS ARE COMPLETELY BASED ON MY OWN OPINION OF THE PRODUCT REVIEWED. I AM NOT PAID TO WRITE POSTS. THESE PRODUCTS WERE SUPPLIED TO ME AS GIFTS FROM THE COMPANY TO TEST AND REVIEW. OTHERWISE, IF I MENTION A COMPANY BY NAME AND THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST, I AM MERELY WRITING ABOUT SOMETHING I LIKE, PURCHASE AND/OR USE. THE FACT THAT I DO RECEIVE A PRODUCT AS A GIFT TO TEST AND REVIEW, WILL NEVER POSITIVELY INFLUENCE THE CONTENT MADE IN THIS POST.