Vermicelli Rice Noodle Bowl with Lime Chili Dressing

This dish was inspired by those delicious rice paper wraps you get at Asian restaurants. I have made them myself on occasion, but they are very labour intensive, and sometimes I just don’t have the energy or time to do all that careful handling and rolling of the paper thin round wraps.

Here is a much easier version with the same flavours. I have added tempeh (fermented soy, which is more digestible than tofu) for protein and savory taste.

Noodles:
1/2 package rice vermicelli

1. Bring large pot of water (to which you have added 1 tsp. salt) to a boil.
2. Add vermicelli and let soak for 1 minute or until al dente (chewy).
3. Drain through fine sieve; add back to pot and cover with cold water until ready to eat!
4.  When ready to assemble bowl, drain the vermicelli through a fine sieve and divide into bowls.

Skillet Browned Tempeh:
2 T. olive oil
1 block frozen tempeh, thawed, cut in small pieces
1 T. tamari soy sauce

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add tempeh and cook it, stirring regularly and turning the tempeh until all sides are browned. When all pieces are close to being browned, pour in the soy sauce and stir quickly.

SAUCE:
Juice from one lime
1 T. honey
1/4 tsp. red pepper flake
2 T. rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 c. hemp oil (for omega 3 fatty acids, olive oil is okay substitute)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 T. tamari soy sauce

TO ASSEMBLE BOWL:
1/2 english cucumber, cut in matchstick pieces
2 carrots, cut in matchstick pieces
1 red pepper, thinly sliced in strips

1. Put a cup of rice noodles in the bottom of the bowl;
2. Artfully arrange the vegetables and tempeh on top;
3. Sprinkle with hemp seed and/or chopped roasted almonds or peanuts.

Stir it up and slurp it down.

Enough for four very hungry people with some leftovers!