I like to keep things simple, as simple as possible. If you know my recipes, most of them include 3-5 ingredients at most, mostly relying on the colors, textures, tastes and nutritive values of whole, organic beautiful produce. I don't think recipes should be complicated to be beautiful and nutritious, and this one is a perfect example.
I grew up with cabbage slaw, the way my mother made it in romania: shredded cabbage, oil, vinegar and salt. It's not as much a slaw as it is a salad, and I was known (much to my parents' surprise) to take the bowl and drink the remaining dressing when all the slaw was gone. I remember it clearly: 6 or 7 years old, dinner table, I take the big bowl and sip. I knew back then what I know now: this salad is lean, mean, crunchy, satisfying, colorful, and simply the bomb. I've only changed it a bit by using oils and vinegars we find here in the US, and throwing in some shredded carrots.
The tempeh is a regular household staple. I keep a container of if in the fridge and use it to chomp on between teaching, writing articles, before a hike, you name it. It's salty, has a fun umami taste, is nourishing, high in protein, and it keeps well.
The tempeh and slaw together are also low-glycemic, which is ALL I ever think about these days, working with clients on insulin resistance and working to heal my own. It's a winner, I promise.
Salad Ingredients:
2 cups super thinly shredded cabbage, any color
1/2 cup shredded carrots
drizzle of olive or flax oil, about 1 tablespoon
drizzle of raw apple cider vinegar, about 1 tablespoon
two to three pinches of salt
Combine the ingredients together and toss. Let sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the flavors marry and so that the cabbage softens a bit.
Tempeh ingredients:
1 package flax tempeh, cubed (preferably gluten free)
1 package original tempeh, cubed (preferably gluten free)
1/2 bottle of coconut secret garlic sauce (this brand)
Heat a skillet or heavy bottomed sauce pan, and add in the sauce. Add in the cubed tempeh, stir to mix, cover and turn heat to medium. Watch it closely so it doesn't burn, but heat through until the tempeh has absorbed most of the liquid, about 5-8 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the cabbage slaw with the tempeh, and enjoy!