Roasted Tempeh and Veggies on a bed of Rutabaga/ Swede/ Neep Mash
Rutabaga is one of those veggies I've been eating as long as I can remember. It's one of both England and Scotland's most popular vegetables (ever heard of neeps and tatties? The two perfect sides for your Burns' Night meal!) Although I've served this as an alternative to my usual vegan haggis with neeps and tatties for Burns' Night this year, this dish is perfect for a weeknight meal, or something to whip up quickly after a busy day at the weekend. It is a relatively quick and easy to cook, and it doesn't leave much to wash up!
This amazing vegetable, known in the US as rutabaga, has a few other names; I grew in England where it's called a swede, and in Scotland, it's called a neep. This truly is a wonderful veggie- it has an almost buttery flavour, and it tends to be relatively cheap from autumn through to spring when in season. It's pretty versatile too- if you're looking to cut down on white potatoes, you can easily add some into your mash, or mash it alone as a replacement as I've done here, or chop it into chunks and roast it for a slightly sweeter flavour.
In addition to being high in fiber, and antioxidants, they have a bunch of potassium, calcium, magnesium, and vitamins E and C, and can even help prevent weight gain! Who'd have thought this fairly plain looking veggie would be so powerful?
Ingredients
1 pack tempeh (approx 8oz/ 275g)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 large or 2 small swedes/rutabagas
1-2 bok choy sliced lengthways into quarters
3 tbsp soy sauce/ tamari
~1/2 tsp seasoning of choice- you can use any combination of smoked paprika, sumac, tumeric, mustard powder, garlic salt, liquid smoke, cumin, and any other herbs and spices
Everything but the bagel seasoning/ sesame seeds (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 400F
Half fill a large saucepan with water, and heat on high until it is boiling.
Peel and chop the rutabaga/ swede into chunks and add it and the garlic cloves to the boiling water.
Slice the onions, muchrooms, bok choi, and tempeh, layer in an oven proof dish- I put the bok choi at the bottom, then add the mushrooms and onions, then add the tempeh on top.
pour the soy sauce/ tapari on top and sprinkle your choice of seasoning- I used a some chickenless seasoning by Trader Joe's
Roast for 15 minutes, flip the tempeh, add a little more soy sauce/ tamari and seasoning on the other side of the tempeh, and roast for another 10-15 minutes until the tempeh is slightly toasted/ brown and crispy.
Once the ratabaga/ swede is soft, drain and mash along with the garlic with a potato masher.
Add a little salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place some pash on the plate, top with the bok choy, then the onions and mushrooms, then the tempeh.
I sprinkled some everything but the bagel seasoning over the dish to give some extra nutrients and a crunch.