To paraphrase our beloved CPE from Women Who Run with the Wolves, Baba Yaga ain’t gonna be happy with lettuce and coffee. You’ve got to feed her.

Baba Yaga represents your wild nature. We’ve all got one (no matter how deep it’s buried), regardless of gender, and that wild nature needs to eat, and smoothies, wheat grass shots, and cold-press coffee ain’t gonna do it. She (or he, or they) needs cooked food, rich flavors, and dense nutrition. The Baba Yaga Bowl has everything a growing soul needs, and then some. It’s got two kinds of “bacon.” I mean, come on…

Tempeh Bacon
This recipe is adapted from Jenne Claiborne’s “Sweet Potato Soul” cookbook, which we love. This version is less sweet and has a tiny kick from the ginger.

1 package/block tempeh
1/3 C. maple syrup
1/2 C. tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
3 T. liquid smoke
2 T. smoked paprika
1 t. ground ginger

Slice block of tempeh once length-wise so you’ve got two long, flat pieces, then cut into strips about .5-inch wide (or really, just however you want to cut it). Put tempeh in a glass dish, bowl, or other shallow container, preferably with a lid. Whisk together the liquids and spices (i.e., all the other ingredients) and pour over the tempeh so it’s coated. Let sit for at least an hour in the fridge, stirring or shaking occasionally if the tempeh isn’t totally covered.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the tempeh strips. Bake until the edges just start to darken, about 20 minutes.

Sensational Sprouts

About 2 C. brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and sliced thin
1/4 C. pine nuts (sub roasted pumpkin seeds or similar, or leave out altogether)
1 t. Better than Bouillon (we like No-Chicken flavor) dissolved in about 1/3 C. hot water)
Olive, grapeseed, or avocado oil (or your favorite oil)

Heat about 1-2 T. oil in a wok or sauce pan. (Omit oil if you’re watching fat.) Toss in sprouts and stir to coat. Add broth and cover. Cook for a few minutes on medium, stirring occasionally, until sprouts are a bright green. Cook to taste—we like a little crunch. Stir in pine nuts and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about two minutes more (being careful not to burn the pine nuts).

Sweeeet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, sliced into cubes (leave that skin on for max nutrients and fiber)
Olive or avocado oil

Heat oven to 350 degrees (you can bake these along with the tempeh bacon and the shiitake bacon) and line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, toss sweet potato cubes lightly in oil. Place on parchment paper and bake approximately 25 minutes (until cooked through—keep an eye because these can go from done to too-dark pretty quickly).

Click here for Shiitake Bacon recipe.

Prepare bowl…

We start with brown rice that’s been going in our pressure cooker while we’ve prepared the rest of the ingredients. For a grain-free bowl, just omit the rice. You can also double up on the sweet potato as a base, if you like.

Top with desired ratios of tempeh bacon, shiitake bacon, sprouts, and sweet potato. We’ve also been known to throw on some naturally fermented sauerkraut or drizzle some tahini on top. And, of course, plenty of nooch. (That’s nutritional yeast for those of you who are new to the plant-powered scene.)

Oooooh that Yaga’s gonna be happy.