Cookbook Review: The Plant Protein Revolution Cookbook

Has any vegan cookbook author written as many books as Robin Robertson? This woman is prolific! I have many of Robin's books, and they're all fantastic. And her latest book, The Plant Protein Revolution Cookbook, is no exception. 

This book is all about my second-favorite macronutrient — protein!! In case you're wondering, carbs will always be #1 in my heart. But protein is super-important, especially for vegan athletes, and while I do rely on protein powder in my post-run breakfast, I like to get to the rest of my daily protein needs from whole plant foods. And that's what this book is all about. All of the protein-rich recipes rely on beans/legumes, whole (or very lightly processed) soyfoods, grains, nuts, and seeds. That's it! No fancy plant meats here!

There are protein-packed appetizers, like Faux Gras (a mushroom/lentil/walnut pate) and Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce. The salad chapter includes a Chickpea "Tuna" Salad and a Caesar with chickpeas, baked tofu, and a homemade bean/seitan ham. 

I picked two recipes from the Super Sandwiches chapter, including this Tempeh Avocado Reuben. This simple sandwich has braised tempeh, kraut, avocado, mayo, and toasted bread. That's it! She includes a recipe for cashew mayo to boost the protein, but I used a storebought vegan mayo because it was easier.

I also made the Tempeh Tacos with Sriracha Lime Slaw (yes, tacos are in the sandwich chapter! I'm not sure why!). These tacos are stuffed with baked tofu, avocado, and a creamy, spicy slaw. The baked tofu recipe may become my new to-go. It was so flavorful with lots of soy sauce, garlic, maple, and nooch.

There's a chapter on stovetop meals, like Tofu Ramen Bowls, Edamame Fried Rice & Quinoa, and Indonesian Noodles with Tempeh. And there's a chapter on oven meals, like the Easy Peasy Mac & Cheesy made with silken tofu and cashew sauce. There's even a protein-packed dessert chapter! Chocolate-Kissed Peanut Butter Pie (with protein from silken tofu and peanut butter) anyone?

The best chapter, however, may be the last one — Plant Protein Basics. Here, Robin covers everything from how to cook beans from scratch to making seitan, baking tofu, and creating your own cashew creams.

Love this book! In true Robin style, most all of the recipes have few ingredients, are based on whole foods, and come together in a jiffy.