Baked Tempeh and Black Japonica Rice Casserole

Provided that you find a brand that has been properly fermented and inoculated with Rhizopus culture, tempeh is not only a protein and vitamin B12 rich food for vegetarians, it's also an incredibly versatile ingredient in fast and easy-to-prepare vegetarian dinners. As I've mentioned before for Ontario readers, tempeh from the Noble Bean is an excellent product that I recommend.

This baked tempeh casserole with black japonica rice takes very little time to prepare and is a very tasty and earthy dinner in itself when served with a vegetable dish or green salad.

Baked Tempeh and Black Japonica Rice Casserole

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on February 3, 2008 Simple, hearty and earthy tempeh and black japonica rice casserole with Asian seasonings Preparation: 15 minutes Cooking time: 55 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 12 oz (340 g) tempeh, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed 1 shallot, finely chopped 3 tablespoons tamari (soy) sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 3/4 cup black japonica (Japanese) rice 2 green onions, green and white parts, sliced 2 1/2 cups boiling water Instructions: Mix the chopped tempeh together with the garlic, shallots and 2 tablespoons of the tamari sauce in a bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 400°F. Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium heat. When hot, pour in the olive oil, wait a few seconds, then swirl the oil around the pan. Pour in the tempeh with the garlic, shallot and tamari sauce, being careful of splattering, and stir-fry for 8 to 10 minutes or until the tempeh cubes are browned on each side. Put the tempeh, rice, and the white parts of the green onion into a small baking or casserole dish or bread pan. Cover with the boiling water and place into the preheated oven. Cook uncovered for 45 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with the green parts of the green onion. Makes 4 servings