To make this dinner you will need:

1 package tempeh
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 bundle asparagas
Mushrooms
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Ponzu

1 artichoke
1 1 inch slice of lemon
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic

Cut veggies and tempeh to desired sizes and shapes. Sauté the peppers and asparagas in evoo for about 3 minutes (season with salt and pepper) on medium heat and then add the tempeh and ponzu. Give it a good mix, turn the temperatre up to medium high to cook off the excess ponzu. After about 5 minutes add the mushrooms.

Mushrooms retain a lot of water already so you never want to wash them directly under the sink. Wet a paper towel and wipe any dirt you may find on them. Most mushrooms these days are grown in a controlled atmosphere so the fancier mushrooms you get at the store won’t have a lot of dirt on them…regular old whole white mushrooms probably will.

For our side dish, I boiled an artichoke in about 3 inches if water. In the water I put a slice of lemon, 2 bay leaves and 1 clove of garlic. I cooked it, covered, for about 40 minutes.

Before you cook an artichoke, cut the tips off all the leaves and then take about 1/4 of an inch off of the top to create a flat surface. Trim the stem appropriately. Some people use a steamer tray but I find just placing the artichoke in the water works just fine. Plus the button in the middle of my steamer makes for an awkward cook.