Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Tempeh Sushi

Ingredients

For the tempeh

• 8 oz packet tempeh, cut into ⅛ inch thick rectangles
  

• 1 tsp miso paste
  
• 1 T date syrup, or 1 medjool date, or 2 deglet dates ground into small pieces
  
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1 cup water
  
• ⅛ tsp. black pepper

For the sushi roll

• 1 sheet nori seaweed
  

• 6 pieces of cooked tempeh
  
• ½ cup cooked whole grain rice

For the vegetables

• ½ cup raw vegetables, julienne cut including carrot, cucumber, jicama, radish, bell peppers, kohlrabi

For the sweet rice marinade

• 1 T rice vinegar
  

• 1 tsp miso paste
  
• 1 medjool date or 2 deglet dates, ground fine in a high-speed blender

Instructions

For the tempeh

1. In a bowl, mix the miso, dates, and water until they are fully dissolved in the water.
2. In a nonstick frying pan on high heat, add the cut tempeh and the marinade* to cook. The tempeh must be fully covered with the marinade at the beginning of the cooking process. As the tempeh is steaming, periodically flip the tempeh pieces and stir the marinade in the pan to keep everything moving.
3. When the tempeh is mostly dry, lower the heat to not burn your pan. The tempeh is fully cooked when the liquid has completely evaporated.
4. Serve or store in the refrigerator for later use.

For the sushi roll

1. On a cutting board, place the nori seaweed sheet, shiny side down.
2. In a medium sized bowl, add the rice vinegar, miso paste, and dates and give it a good stir. Add the cooked rice to this mixture to incorporate them together so that they are well mixed.
3. Evenly distribute the rice onto the sheet of nori seaweed, keep a half inch of clearance on all for sides of the seaweed.
4. At the short end of the seaweed sheet that is nearest you and covered with rice, stack the cooked tempeh pieces and the vegetable slices for the full length of the rice.
5. Begin at the short side closest to you to roll in the tempeh and vegetables, keep rolling until all the seaweed and rice is rolled into a long roll that is tight as possible without breaking the seaweed sheet.
6. With a sharp serrated knife begin to cut six evenly sliced pieces of sushi rolls.

Chef's Notes