BBQ Tempeh & SouthWestern Cauliflower "Rice"

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This recipe is fun to get the kids involved in cooking. My kids enjoyed pushing the pulse button on my food processor and watching the cauliflower become "rice". They liked dipping the tempeh in BBQ sauce because it was messy. They liked helping me mix everything together and layering up their plated full of food they created. It was a very quite dinner table tonight, which is rare. My kids cleaned their plates and didn't even stop to speak! My husband was in a "food trance" too, completely quite. ( Which is weird because he usually eats the tempeh, but he doesn't like it). After we were finished eating, everyone asked me to please make this again and post it on the blog! so, here it is, for you all to enjoy in silence! 

Looking for more great Vegan recipes for your family?  Try my Cheezy Butternut Macaroni , Cabbage and Bean Soup, Kale Stuffed Eggplant Parm, "Beefless" Hand Pies, & Mediterranean Hummus Pizza *don't for get desert!! Try Orange Creamsicle Cupcakes

Recipe :

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets 
2 Tbsp vegan butter (or veggie broth if you don't use oils)

1 /2 tsp turmeric (optional, but it makes your "rice" a beautiful yellow color & adds nutrition )
1/2 tsp of paprika 
1/2 tsp. Cumin 
1 (15 oz )can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup of corn 
1 fresh jalapeno, diced (optional )
1 medium onion, diced 

1 mediumred pepper, diced
1 bunch of kale, steamed & chopped  (or spinach )

Salt and Pepper to taste
2 (8 oz) packs of tempeh, sliced into 1/4" pieces 
BBQ sauce of your choice 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°

Grease a large baking sheet  

Dip tempeh in BBQ sauce and place on baking sheet. 

Bake 10 - 12 minutes.

Place cauliflower into a food processor. Pulse until cauliflower is rice consistency. 

Cook cauliflower in a deep skillet over medium heat with butter, turmeric, paprika, cumin ,salt and pepper for about 6 minutes (until tender ).

Pour hot rice into a mixing bowl.

You can use the same pan you used for the rice to char your veggies. Just turn your heat to high.

Add jalapeño, red pepper, onion, and corn to your pan. Cook about 4 minutes, until charred slightly.

Add hot veggie mixture and black beans to the mixing bowl with the "rice".  Stir to mix well.

Remove browned tempeh from oven.

Layer tempeh on top of cauliflower "rice" before serving. Top with extra BBQ sauce if needed.

Serves 4-6.

Easy Pulled Jackfruit

New Year's Day is a big celebration around our house. It is my husband's birthday and, in the South, we have to cook a big traditional meal. That meal ( greens, black eyed peas and pork) is supposed to bring us luck and money in the new year. As a vegan, obviously, we won't be eating pork. What do Vegans eat for New Years? 

This year I decided to try one of the latest vegan food trends - Jackfruit. This is an Asian fruit that shreds like meat when cooked. It has a bland flavor which takes on any sauce you cook it in and is perfect for making pulled jackfruit sandwiches! You will probably have to go to an Asian specialty supermarket to find the cans of green jackfruit. Make sure you get the jackfruit in water or brine & not in syrup...that's a whole other thing. 

So...Happy new year!! Go celebrate and try new things!

Looking for some more southern classics?  Try my Buffalo Tempeh over cheeze grits, fried green tomatoes, Banana Pudding Pie, Applesauce Cornbread Muffins, Vegan "Chicken" (jackfruit) Casserole , & Cheezy Butternut Macaroni

Pulled Jackfruit Sandwiches:

I made 6 sandwiches from this recipe...

4 (17oz.) cans of green jackfruit in water, drained.
1 (16oz.) Jar of vinegar based NC BBQ sauce (or your favorite BBQ sauce)

1 package of hamburger rolls
Vegan Coleslaw (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. spread your jackfruit out on a greased 11x13 casserole dish.

3. Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring after about 10 minutes. Continue to cook until jackfruit begins to brown on the edges and no longer looks transparent.

4. Remove jackfruit from the oven and toss with 2/3 of your BBQ sauce. Place back in the oven about 10 minutes.

5. Remove jackfruit and allow to cool about 10 minutes.

6. Using 2 forks, pull your jackfruit apart. It should resemble shredded meat. Make sure you pull the rougher core pieces, and large seeds apart also for a better texture. 

7. Place jackfruit on your roll and enjoy!

Serve with vegan coleslaw for authentic NC BBQ sandwiches. 

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