Grits Bowl: Tempeh Bacon and Sautéed Kale
A hot breakfast on Sunday was necessary for my family. Not only did it have to be hot, but it almost always included grits. I was not a fan. Don't get me wrong. My mom and dad are amazing home chefs. They help me develop recipes now for PB&Slay…but, can I get pancakes on a Sunday instead of grits?
It only took about two years after leaving home for college that I began to appreciate the hot breakfasts on Sunday and, especially, the grits. Now, I prefer a good bowl of grits over a stack of pancakes any day. As grits fatigue started to set in again, I knew that PB&Slay would need to have grits options for the masses.
Okay, maybe this wasn't made for the masses. This grits bowl (and all the ones to come after this - yes, this will be a trend here) is completely for selfish reasons. However, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them too!
It’s Just a Bowl of Grits.
I could not find a savory breakfast bowl with grits and no eggs in a world of smoothie bowls and other sweet morning treats. Then add in plant-based on top of it. What's a girl to do but make her own? Yes, it is grits in a bowl. It is also a delicious, savory plant-based way to start your day.
While the grits seem to be the highlight of this breakfast bowl, the real star is the kale. It balances out the saltiness of the tempeh and savoriness of the grits with a hint of spice from the pepper flakes and ginger. This can seem a bit much for the first meal of the day but, trust me, it's good. I don't think you will be disappointed, but there are always smoothie bowls if you are.
So, How Does This Grits Bowl Work?
I'm so glad you asked. Let's start with the tempeh. Chop the block into cubes. It doesn't have to be perfect; you will crumble it later. Marinade the cubes in the bacon marinade and set aside.
Next, gather the ingredients needed for the garlic sautéed kale. Wash your kale, please. Roughly chop the red onions, garlic, ginger, and kale. In a medium pan, add the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger, red onion, and red pepper. Sauté over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Then, add in the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until the liquid cooks off. Make sure to keep an eye on the kale to make sure it remains a bright green color. Once the liquid cooks off, remove from heat.
It's time for the grits! Bring to boil water, chicken broth base, chopped garlic, and butter in a medium saucepan. Once boiling, add the nutritional yeast and grits to the saucepan. Stir, cover, and lower heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes before removing from heat.
Last but not least, the bacon-flavored tempeh. In a non-stick pan, cook tempeh cubes over medium heat. Stir the tempeh to get it brown on each of the sides. Once the tempeh's sides are light brown, crumble in the pan with a spoon (or whatever you are using). Pour the remaining marinade over the crumbled tempeh. Cook until most of the liquid cooks off, stirring constantly. Then, remove from heat.
After all the elements are complete, assemble the bowl. Grits, kale, and then a couple of spoonfuls of tempeh crumble.
Just A Few Suggestions…
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Grits Bowl: Tempeh Bacon and Sautéed Kale
Ingredients:
- 1 C. bacon marinade
- 1 pack of tempeh - 8 oz, chopped into cubes
- 4 C. water
- 4 Tsp chicken broth base
- 4 Tsp butter
- 4 Tsp garlic
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 cup grits
- 4 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 C. red onion, rough chopped
- 1 Tsp red pepper
- 1 Tsp of ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 Tsp liquid aminos
- 2 C. of water
- 2 Tsp chicken broth base
- 8 C. kale
Instructions:
- Chop tempeh into cubes.
- Marinade in bacon mix while prepping the other element of the bowl.
- Wash kale.
- Roughly chop the red onions, garlic, ginger, and kale for the garlic sautéed kale.
- Add vegetable oil, red onions, garlic, ginger, and red pepper to a medium pan. Cook for 1 -2 minutes.
- Add liquid amino, water, chicken broth base, and kale to a medium pan. Stir in the pan until all the liquid cooks off. Then, remove from heat and set aside.
- Roughly chop garlic for the grits.
- Bring water, chicken broth base, butter, and garlic to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Once at a boil, add in the nutritional yeast and grits. Whisk, cover, and lower heat. Cook for 5-7 minutes then remove from heat.
- Over medium heat, add cubed tempeh to a medium pan. Stir to brown sides.
- Once sides are brown, use a cooking utensil to crumble the tempeh in the pan.
- Pour remaining marinade over the tempeh and cook until liquid is almost gone. Then, remove from heat.
- Assemble and enjoy.
