tempeh tips and brussel sprouts

The weather this week in central PA has been mild, and the snow has paused for a bit. This respite is a signal for every driver in State College to hoof it to the car wash. Everyone hopes that the snow, and the resulting film from the dirt, grime, and salt will hold off for long enough for us to enjoy our clean cars (even if mine is held together by duct tape). Nevertheless, it still very much feels like winter, which means hearty greens and potatoes are still seasonal and a dinner staple.

My friend Kelly and I do weekly dinners- one week we cook at mine, one week we cook at hers. This week, she had some brussel sprouts to use, and I had just made a huge batch of tempeh bacon. So I took the marinade from the tempeh bacon, tossed the brussel sprouts in the marinade with a bit more maple syrup, and roasted them up. I guess you could sell this to your meal companions as sort if brussel sprout with "tempeh tips," but don't tell they I said that. That ish doesn't fly in Texas, so maybe just go with tempeh and sprouts.

I served the sprouts and tempeh with parsley-speckled smashed red potatoes, and a kale salad. This salad followed my formula: kale, walnuts, apple, avocado, and a splash of this trader joe's orange muscat vinegar.