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Tempeh with Rice and Spinach

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time About 40 minutes, mostly unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 lemons
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 8 ounces tempeh, crumbled (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • Red chile flakes or cayenne
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice (any kind)
  • 1 pound fresh spinach, heavy stems discarded

Instructions

  1. Grate the zest of one of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from both lemons.
  2. Put the oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, add the tempeh and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until it is deeply colored and crisp on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic, red chile flakes to taste, and the lemon zest, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for a minute or so, then stir in the rice and toss to coat. Add enough water to cover the rice by an inch and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the mixture boils steadily but not violently. When small craters appear in the surface of the rice, lower the heat a bit more. When all visible moisture disappears, 10 to 15 minutes after you started, put the spinach and reserved lemon juice on top of the rice, cover the pot, and turn off the heat. Leave undisturbed for at least 10 minutes or up to 20. Fluff with a fork to combine, then taste and adjust the seasoning, adding lots of black pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.