Before I get into this recipe....with the coming weekend, do you plan to watch the Royal Wedding?? I can not wait.  And I will explain why.  You see, my children are just a few years older than William and Harry. I too, lost my mother at a young age, 16 years old.  When I saw those young boys, walking down the long procession to their mother's funeral, my heart broke for them.  I personally, loved Princess Dianna.  She went beyond and above to do her best to raise Will and Harry as normally as she possibly could given the circumstances.  She was real.  She connected to people and bless her heart, passed that on to her sons.  I believe, she would be proud..indeed, she would be proud.  Trying to stay up tonight, to watch this wonderful wedding, but in case I can't, the tape is in the machine.  Have a great weekend everyone -This is for you Prince William and Catherine, Congratulations, and best wishes:

Thankfully this dinner made enough for two nights:
For the longest time, I could only find pre-marinated tempeh, marinated in soy sauce.  I would cut up the tempeh then soak it in water, to get rid of any gluten filled soy sauce.  Low and behold...finally, plain tempeh....yeahhh!  So much better to create your own marinades!  This is a great marinade for any Mexican flavored dish.
Because this dish also included beans and brown rice, topped with grated cheddar cheese - it was loaded in protein - something that makes my body very happy!  A wonderful vegetarian dish loaded in yummy flavors and protein. Please note: I did not add fresh cracked pepper, as I decided to be brave and add 1/4 tsp. Chipotle Chili Pepper.  We are still wimps when it comes to heat....by all means add more to suit your own tastes!  And sadly, our very small window for fresh Okra is long gone, canned it is.
TEMPEH IN A MARINADE:
225 grams, plain Tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 Tblsp. Tamari Sauce
2 finely minced garlic cloves
2 Tblsp. Olive oil
1 Tsp. Chili powder
1 Tsp. Cumin powder
1/4 tsp. Chipotle Chili Pepper
CHILI:
one 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
one 398 ml. can of canned okra, drained, and rinsed well
one 398 ml. can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed well
Olive oil
3 large chopped crimini mushrooms
1/2 of a large onion, diced
2 minced garlic cloves
1 Yam, peeled and cut into one inch pieces
2 carrots diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
2 rounded tsp. of ground Cumin
2 rounded tsp. of ground Chili powder
salt to taste
big handful of minced Cilantro
Grated Aged Cheddar Cheese
For the Marinade, mince up the 2 garlic cloves fine. Chop the Tempeh to 1/2 inch- 3/4 inch pieces.

Then in a bowl, add the minced garlic, the Tamari Sauce, Olive oil, chili powder, cumin powder and the chipotle chili pepper, whisking to combine. Add in the chopped Tempeh, stirring to coat well.   Cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate about 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.
In a medium saute pan, heat up a drizzle of olive oil in low medium heat.  Add in the chopped mushrooms, sauteing to brown to a light golden color.  Then add in the chopped onions, seasoning with salt.  Continue to saute about 5 minutes.  Then add in the diced carrots and celery, continue to saute about 7 minutes.  Then add in the chopped yams, season again with salt, sauteing about 5 minutes.

Pour in the tomatoes and juice, bring to a simmer, check for seasonings - extra salt, chili or cumin powder, to taste.
Lid on, turn down to a low simmer and cook until the vegetable are tender, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, drain and rinse the pinto beans, setting aside.  Drain and rinse the canned Okra and set aside.
Add the pinto beans and Okra to the vegetables and tomatoes, stirring to combine.
Bring to a simmer to heat through, and add in a handful of chopped Cilantro, stirring to combine.  Serve the chili over brown rice with a sprinkling of grated Aged Cheddar cheese and extra Cilantro.  A protein filled vegetarian dish to meat all those protein needs...no pun intended! 🙂