Black beans and tempeh are simmered in a spicy tomato sauce then served over cauliflower rice with kale guacamole in this chipotle tempeh and cauliflower rice bowl.

So, I'm sitting here, staring at my computer, desperately trying to find the words to express the pure deliciousness of this dish, but the only thing coming to me involves drool, OMG's and multiple exclamation marks.

But I won't do that because I'm a professional and there's lots of letters behind my name to prove it. So instead, I'm going to write a bunch of fluff to fill a few paragraphs until it's appropriate to jump to the recipe.

Let's start with the most important part, the kale guac. I will never eat non-kaled guac ever again. That's a lie. I will eat guac every which way. But seriously, kale in guac is pretty epic. The fats in the avocado soften the kale and the kale acts like an herb, lending a bright, fresh flavor to it. And if you have a kale haters in the family, you can pass it off as cilantro (before you kick that weirdo out of the house).

Then we've got the cauliflower rice, which I fell in love with last year when I got on a kick of experimenting with grain free dishes. All you do is place cauliflower florets in a food processor, pulse, then saute the "rice" with olive oil, garlic and onions. I actually like it better than real rice!

Last, but not least (or maybe it is least, 'cause I really really really like cauliflower rice and guac) we've got the bans and tempeh in chipotle sauce. Are you hesitant to try tempeh? I can't blame you - it is a fermented soybean cake afterall. This dish is the perfect introduction. Crumbled up in a spicy chipotle sauce with beans, it tastes just like ground meat. Still not ready for tempeh? Swap in 1/2 lb of ground beef or chicken, or more beans.

Now, I think that's enough fluff for today.

Chipotle Tempeh and Cauliflower Rice Bowl with Kale Guacamole

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Chipotle Tempeh & Beans:

14 ounce can diced tomatoes with chilies
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3 chipotle chilies plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
1 14 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
8 ounces tempeh, crumbled

Cauliflower Rice:

1 head cauliflower, stemmed and cut into florets
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped

Kale Guacamole:

2 avocados
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 juicy lime
1 cup packed, chopped kale

Instructions

First, make the chipotle tempeh and beans. Place diced tomatoes, garlic, cumin, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce in a blender and blend until pureed, 1-2 minutes.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium pot and heat on medium-high heat. Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chipotle sauce, black beans and crumbled tempeh. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes then let sit on low heat while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Place the cauliflower florets in a food processor. Process until it's the consistency of rice. You may have to do this in 2-3 batches, depending on the size of your food processor.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, sided skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower rice, season with salt, and saute, stirring every so often to prevent burning, until lightly caramelized and tender, about 10-15 minutes.
While cauliflower rice is cooking, make the guacamole. Scoop out the flesh of the avocados into a medium bowl. Add the onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt and mash to desired consistency. Stir in chopped kale.
Divide the cauliflower rice between bowls. Top with chipotle tempeh and serve with the guacamole on the side.

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