Our friend Leesa Morales, founder of The Purposeful Plate, is the latest gal to be featured in our She’s Empowered series. Her carrot noodle bowl recipe proves that nut butter is the perfect addition to any savory dish! Especially our Walnut-Cashew butter… It adds just the right creamy, nutty flavor.

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup Ground Up Walnut Cashew butter
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp gochujang, or other asian-style hot sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• Pinch of sea salt, to taste

For the bowl:

• 1 package tempeh, cubed
• 3 cups carrot spirals, or other noodles of choice
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, quartered or halved
• ½ lime, cut into wedges
• ½ cup raw cashews
• ¼ tsp honey
• Pinch of flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• Optional garnish: chopped cilantro, parsley, sesame seeds, chili flakes

Directions:

1. Heat a frying pan or cast iron skillet over medium. Once hot, add a drizzle of olive oil and the tempeh. Season generously with salt, pepper, and any other desired spices.* Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tempeh is golden and crispy, adding more olive oil by the teaspoon as needed.
2. Meanwhile, whisk all of the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste and adjust as desired. Set aside.
3. Once the tempeh is cooked to your liking, transfer it to a plate and set aside.
4. Add the carrot spirals to the hot pan and toss in a drizzle of olive oil. If the carrot spirals are frozen, there will be enough water in the pan to steam them. If they are fresh, add a teaspoon or two of water. Cover with a lid, and steam for 3-4 minutes, or until al dente.
5. While the spirals cook, preheat a small non-stick skillet over low heat. Add the cashews, and toast, shaking the pan every 1-2 minutes so they brown evenly. Once the cashews are golden and fragrant, add the honey to the pan, and stir to coat the cashews. Toast for 2 minutes more, or until the cashews are golden and sticky.
6. Arrange the bowls: divide the carrot spirals into two bowls, top each with half of the tempeh, tomatoes, cashews, and a generous pinch of sesame seeds, chili flakes, or any other toppings of choice. Serve each with a lime wedge, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and drizzle with as much walnut sauce as desired! 

*I almost always season tempeh with smoked paprika, garlic powder, and a “mixed” seasoning of sorts, like the Trader Joe’s 21-Seasoning Salute. Tempeh doesn’t have much flavor on its own, but there is so much going on in this bowl that it doesn’t necessarily require any of these. Feel free to play with it as you wish!