Power Vegan Meals

Hey y'all! I know I don't typically blog on Saturdays, but I'm trying to get a few review posts wrapped up before the new year begins because, starting January 1, my posts will be dedicated to what I'm eating on the Reclaim & Revolt program for most of the month. I'm so excited to get started with that because I've just been lazing about the house all week, stuffing my face with cookies and chex mix (that's a meal, right?).

That said, I have been getting a few nutritious meals in over the holiday break, thanks to Power Vegan Meals, a new cookbook dedicated to high-protein, plant-based recipes that are gluten-free, soy-free, fiber-rich, and probiotic-rich.

I'm always trying to get more protein into my diet to help with post-workout muscle recovery, and for me, that protein tends to come from protein bars, shakes, and other enriched foods, like cookies and waffles. But this book actually focuses on whole foods-based recipes without additional protein supplements. It's pretty surprising how much protein you can get from veggies and grains alone!

When I saw the Ramen Bowl in the book, I knew I needed to try that. On vacation days and weekends, I like to sleep in and eat ramen in my PJs while watching Netflix. It's one of my most treasured habits. So I made this for breakfast one morning this week since I was off work all week. 

It's so different from any ramen I've had before with its broth of sunflower seed milk (made in the Vitamix), tahini, nooch, and chile-garlic sauce. The veggies are broccoli, mushrooms, carrot, and snap peas, and I used brown rice noodles. I almost always add tofu or Soy Curls to my ramen, but this didn't call for any "vegan meats." And yet the bowl still has 20 grams of protein from seeds and veggies! 

For dinner last night, we made the Green Lentil Shepherd's Pie. The base is lentils and mushrooms in a tomato sauce, and that's topped with mashed potatoes and baked until brown on top. 

This was so great! Paul and I both loved it. Such a comforting meal on a cold winter night. And each serving has 19 grams of protein. 

On the side, I made a salad with Chickpea Tofu and Tahini Sauce. Only I had this because chickpea tofu is a little too "advanced vegan" for Paul. Ha! I'd never tried chickpea tofu, but I'd heard about it. It's basically like thick socca bread that's cut into tofu-like cubes. It has a more toothsome bite than tofu. It was super-easy to make using chickpea flour, nooch, and spices. Very good! And 19 grams of protein per serving, so I got at least 40 grams with this whole meal.

Flipping through this book, I want to make pretty much everything! Potato Lentil Cakes, Quinoa Cream Noodles, BBQ Bean Loaf, Polenta Pizza, Toasted Chickpea Tacos with Mango Relish, General Tso's Chickpeas, and Sweet & Sour Cauliflower. The book even has protein-heavy desserts, like Caramel Candy Bars (5 grams), Strawberry Topped Cheesecake (15 grams), and Peanut Butter Chocolate Donut Holes (12 grams)!

Happy New Year, y'all! I'll be back Monday with my first Reclaim & Revolt post.