CHEF EFFECT

Ingredients 

 SALAD

6 ounces (170 g) vermicelli noodles (I like brown rice noodles)

2 whole carrots, "ribboned" with a vegetable peeler or spiralizer

2 green onions, finely chopped

1/4 cup (15 g) chopped cilantro

2-3 Tbsp (6 g) chopped mint

1 cup (30 g) loosely packed spinach, chopped

1 cup (75 g) thinly sliced red cabbage

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

optional: 1 batch Marinated Peanut Tempeh

DRESSING

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp (100 g) salted creamy peanut butter, almond butter, or sunbutter

3 Tbsp (45 ml) gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)

3 Tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup

1 tsp chili garlic sauce, 1 red Thai chili minced, or 1/4 tsp red pepper flake

1 lime, juiced ~(3 Tbsp or 45 ml)

Water to thin (~1/4 cup or 60 ml)

Instructions

Cook rice noodles according to package instructions, rinse, drain, and set aside to cool.

To a large serving bowl, add cooked and cooled noodles, carrots, green onions, cilantro, mint, spinach, cabbage, and red bell pepper and toss loosely to combine. Set aside.

Make dressing by adding peanut butter, tamari, maple syrup, chili sauce (or chili or red pepper), and lime juice to a small mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Then add warm water a little at a time until a thick but pourable sauce is achieved.

Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more maple syrup for sweetness, chili sauce (chili or red pepper) for heat, lime juice for acidity, or tamari for saltiness. Set aside.

Add 1/2 of the tempeh (optional) and 1/2 of the sauce to the salad and toss. Then top with remaining tempeh and sauce. Serve immediately. Leftovers store well in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, though best when fresh. I find that, if making ahead of time, it's better to leave the salad undressed and store the tempeh separately.

INGREDIENTS

5 to 6 small sweet peppers

1/2 pound broccoli

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons chili paste see note

3/4 cup uncooked cracked freekeh

1/2 cup toasted peanuts see note

Chives roughly chopped for topping

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice peppers and cut broccoli into evenly sized pieces. Place vegetables in a medium sized roasted pan. Add minced garlic.

In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili paste. Then pour on top of broccoli and peppers. Stir until everything is coated and well combined. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

While vegetables are roasting, cook freekeh as follows. In a medium pot, bring to a boil 1 3/4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Add freekeh, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook for 20 minutes until freekeh has absorbed most of the water. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes more.

Divide cooked freekeh into two bowls. Remove vegetables from oven. Then, spoon vegetables over freekeh. Pour any remaining sauce over freekeh. Sprinkle with toasted peanuts and chives before serving.

Credit to: https://naturallyella.com/roasted-broccoli-bowls/

Ingredients 

 TEMPEH

8 ounces (227 g) tempeh (if GF, ensure gluten-free friendly)

SAUCE

1 fresh or dried bird's eye chili, minced/crushed (or sub 1/4 tsp red pepper flake)

1.5 Tbsp (20 ml) sesame oil (if avoiding oil, leave this out and add a bit more lime, soy sauce, and maple syrup)

2 Tbsp (32 g) salted creamy peanut (or almond, cashew, or sunbutter)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) lime juice

3 Tbsp (45 ml) maple syrup

Instructions

To remove bitterness from the tempeh, add to rimmed skillet or saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Steam tempeh for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point. Then rinse, pat dry, and cut into thin, bite-size pieces. I prefer slicing the tempeh in half lengthwise then cutting into small triangles. (The smaller the pieces, the better they can soak up the marinade.) Set aside.

Mix marinade by adding chili, sesame oil, peanut butter, tamari, lime juice, and maple syrup. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more crushed chili for heat, maple syrup for sweetness, lime juice for acidity, or tamari for saltiness. Don't be shy - you want this extremely flavorful!

Add the sliced tempeh to the marinade and toss to coat. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 24 hours. I found that 24 hours infused the most flavor! While marinating, toss/stir occasionally to ensure even coating. (Pro tip: Just before baking, drizzle with a bit more maple syrup and tamari for extra flavor. Optional but recommended!)

Once marinated, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add tempeh and reserve any leftover marinade to brush/coat the tempeh once baked.

Bake for 22-30 minutes or until caramelized and deep golden brown. Remove from oven and brush/coat with any remaining marinade.

This tempeh is delicious for adding to Asian-inspired dishes like spring rolls, salads, and noodle dishes! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Best when fresh.

NGREDIENTS Summer Rolls 1/2 head red cabbage 12 ounces 1 large sweet potato 9 ounces 1 teaspoon olive oil 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 small daikon radish 4 ounces 2 scallions 6 brown rice paper wrappers cilantro, for topping Dipping Sauce 1/4 cup tahini 1 clove garlic minced 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger 2 teaspoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari Juice from half a lemon 2 tablespoons water.

INSTRUCTIONS Heat oven to 400˚ F. Remove core and cut cabbage into large wedges. Slice sweet potato into thin matchsticks and toss with olive oil until well coated. Place cabbage and sweet potato on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast 20 to 25 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.

While vegetables are roasting, sliced daikon radish into thin matchsticks and chop scallions. Mix together ingredients for dipping sauce and set aside.

When vegetables are done roasting, remove from oven and let cool to touch.

To assemble a summer roll, soak the rice paper for 10-15 seconds in warm water. Place rice paper on a cutting board and layer daikon, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle with chopped scallions. Roll, tuck, and fold in sides as you go. Continue with remaining ingredients.

Cut in half and serve with dipping sauce.

NGREDIENTS

6-8 large golden beets 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup millet 1 1/2 cups water 2-3 large handfuls of spinach Dressing: 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar 1 teaspoon each: thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage 2 teaspoons honey

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425˚. Wash and cube beets, toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. I choose not to peel beets but you can if beet skins aren't your thing. Roast until beets are tender, 20-25 minutes. Rinse 1/2 cup of millet and combine 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for until water is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. To assemble salad, whisk olive oil, vinegar, herbs, and honey together. Toss with roasted beets, millet, and spinach. Serve warm.

Credit to: https://naturallyella.com/roasted-golden-beet-and-millet-spinach-salad-with-herb-dressing/

Ingredients

1/2 cup (128 g) creamy salted peanut butter (or almond, cashew, or sunbutter) 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup (or sub finely chopped dates) 2 Tbsp (~ 10 g) protein powder* (optional - just omit if you don’t have any) 1 1/4 cup (112 g) gluten-free rolled oats* 2 1/2 Tbsp (17.5 g) flaxseed meal 2 Tbsp (24 g) chia seeds 1/4 cup (30 g) dried fruit (i.e. dried strawberries, cherries, blueberries, cranberries)

Instructions

1. To a large mixing bowl, add peanut butter, maple syrup, protein powder, rolled oats, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, and dried fruit of choice. Mix until well combined. If too dry/crumbly, add more peanut butter or maple syrup. If too sticky or wet, add a little bit more oats or flaxseed meal. 2. Chill in the refrigerator for 5 minutes. Then scoop out 1 1/2 Tbsp amounts (I like using this scoop) and roll into balls. The "dough" should yield about 13-14 balls. 3. Enjoy immediately and store well-sealed leftovers in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month (or more).

Credit to: http://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/