This bowl gets a signature name because I love it so much, and make it so often: Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl.

The Goods. Smoky-sweet, blackened tempeh triangles, sweet citrus, caramelized skillet sweet onions, buttery diced avocado, tender sweet potato cubes and a few crunchy California-style sprouts on a bed of baby greens. All that yumminess is drizzled in a super easy vegan ranch dressing. Dinner is done. And delicious!..

The cookbook fun rolls on and I want to THANK YOU all for supporting my book. I am loving seeing the recipes and posts using the #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen hashtag on Instagram and twitter. Your creations are gorgeous and you guys seriously rock. Please keep them coming! I will probably do a post in a few weeks with some of my favorite photos that YOU guys have posted - from making recipes from Healthy Happy Vegan Kitchen.

Just a few...

Finally made it out to a bookstore to spot it #OnTheShelf ... And one of the coolest little shops in #LA ✨📘✨ #HealthyHappyVeganKitchen

A photo posted by Kathy / HealthyHappyLife (@kathypatalsky) on May 10, 2015 at 1:01pm PDT

Why Tempeh? Tempeh is made using soybeans that are minimally processed. You can actually see the whole bean in chopped bits in the tempeh. It is also fermented which can have a positive effect using probiotics on your digestive system. Tempeh has a nutty flavor but can be prepared to be tender and marinated or crispy-edged and blackened. I love tempeh smothered in BBQ sauce for a fast and easy weeknight vegan protein. Oh yeah, tempeh is rich in protein!..

Three ounces of tempeh contains: (there are 7oz of tempeh per standard package)
4.5g fat
7g fiber
16g protein
8% RDA potassium
10% RDA iron
6% RDA calcium

Also in this bowl: healthy fats galore from the avocado, loads of vitamin C from the citrus and greens, and vitamin A from the sweet potato. Plus fiber, phytochemicals and best of all LOADS of flavor.

Kathy's Special BBQ Tempeh Bowl

By Kathy Patalsky
Published 05/10/2015

Smoky-sweet, blackened tempeh triangles, sweet citrus, caramelized skillet sweet onions, buttery diced avocado, tender sweet potato cubes and a few crunchy California-style sprouts on a bed of baby greens. All drizzled in a super easy vegan ranch dressing.

Ingredients

2 cups leafy greens (baby lettuces used)
4 ounces tempeh, sliced into thin triangles
2 tablespoon BBQ sauce (bottled or homemade) - smoky-sweet flavor
½ small sweet onion, diced
½ avocado, diced
¼ cup sprouts
1 tangerine, peeled and sliced segments
1 cup baked or grilled, cubed sweet potato
Super Easy Vegan Ranch:
1 tablespoon vegan mayo
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup
a few pinches of black pepper (a pinch for the dressing and a pinch for the skillet onions)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, for pan

Instructions

(Done ahead of time: veggie dicing prep and cooking and dicing the sweet potato) -- Warm a skillet over high heat, add the extra virgin olive oil.
When oil is hot, add the tempeh triangles to one side of the pan, the onion to the other. Saute for two minutes, then flip triangles. When flipped, you can smother the tempeh in the BBQ sauce. Cook for another 1-3 minutes, or until the edges begin to blacken. Flip a few more times during this cooking process. Flip the onions a few times as well - trying not to get too much BBQ sauce on them. Tip: If the tempeh gets too dry in the pan add a teaspoon or two of water.
Sprinkle some fresh black pepper over top the onions and turn off stove heat. Set pan aside.
In your serving bowl, add the leafy greens. Tip: If you want more flavor, toss your greens in oil + vinegar or lemon juice before plating. But the bowl as is has loads of flavor for those greens. Then top with the warm skillet tempeh, onions, sprouts, citrus, avocado and sweet potato.
For the dressing: Whisk the ingredients together (vegan mayo, lemon, maple, black pepper) and drizzle over top the bowl. Serve! Tip: For a thicker, richer dressing, use less lemon juice. You can also add cayenne or another spice like chipotle or smoked paprika to accent the dressing.

Yield: serves 1
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins.
Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.
Total time: 25 mins.
Tags: entree,salad,tempeh,vegan,bbq,avocado,meal,dinner