Avocado and Tempeh Multigrain Salad

I didn't have much expectation for this recipe. I even told Adrian "it's a very simple dinner" when he came home. Hence the pleasant surprise. Adrian thought he could eat this often (by the way I'm making it again tonight upon his consent). It's a plateful of crunch and creaminess thrown together with an intricate taste that vows to please your gastronomical sense.

I added grains to this salad to make it a complete one-bowl dish. I chose to use black quinoa and amaranth seeds. Although I have read about the nutritious benefits of amaranth but its culinary use was new to me. If you are mystically inclined and want to know why this "never-fading flower" was once banished by the Spanish, or what Aztecs did to harness supernatural power from this plant, click here.

Unlike the more commonly available white and sweet quinoa, black quinoa (although this looks more like a mix of black and red to me) is fruity in taste. I have always liked the way it looks when cooked: with a little white, spiral tail. The grain itself is soft and delicate and the tail is crunchy, which creates an interesting texture combination when eating the grain. You can go here to find out why quinoa is called "mother grain".

In case you haven't heard, I love tempeh. so, how can I not throw in some tempeh to this dish knowing that it is sitting and waiting for me in the refrigerator? I was cooking with organic black bean tempeh before. This time it's traditional tempeh made with whole soy beans. I was a little dismayed when Adrian said he didn't think the organic black bean tempeh was great. This non-organic soy beans tempeh, on the other hand, got his approval. I have to admit, this is better than the black bean tempeh. Oh well, guess I can spend less from now: this non-organic tempeh is 3 times cheaper than the organic tempeh.

I like diversity. It shows in my diet. Although there's only two of us at home, I almost always cook at least two dishes (plus a dessert), with more than a handful of vegetables. No wonder I have problem organizing the refrigerator! I digress.

Making a one-bowl dish is atypical of me. I felt uneasy having just one dish to serve. Therefore, I thought I'd throw in some black beans and wheat berry that I reserved from before. Still uncomfortable, I decided to make a cake. I only felt right and comforted once Adrian proclaimed he wanted to learn to cook this.

Multigrain:

• 1/2 cup organic black quinoa, washed and drained
  
• 1/2 cup organic amaranth seeds
• Cooked, frozen black beans
• Cooked, frozen wheat berry

1. Bring quinoa and amaranth seeds and 2 cups of water to boil. Turn the heat to lowest. Add a generous pinch of sea salt. Let it simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. If there's excess water, you may drain the water away.
2. Take enough of cooked grains that you need to serve. Stir in black beans and wheat berry to mix. Set aside.

Peanut Butter Dressing:

• 1/4 cup organic chunky peanut butter
• 1 glove garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  
• sea salt to taste

1. Mix all the ingredients together. Add some hot water to thin out the dressing if necessary.
2. Stir 1/2 the dressing to toss with multigrains. Reserve the rest.

To Assemble Salad:

• !/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
• Tempeh, cubed
• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed
• cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• Feta cheese, crumbled
• White sesame seeds, toasted
  
• Sunflower seeds, toasted
• Parsley, stem removed

1. Bring balsamic vinegar to a gentle simmer. Remove from heat when reduced to half the volume. Set aside to cool.
2. Fry tempeh on both sides till golden brown.
3. Place tomatoes, avocado and tempeh on top of cooked multigrains. Drizzle with peanut butter dressing. Top with feta cheese, white sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Add balsamic reduction and decorate with parsley leaves to serve.