You don’t have to eat meat in order to enjoy the health benefits of protein. There are a number of protein sources that are not only vegetarian friendly, but vegan friendly as well. Whether you’re looking for a quick snack or something to add to your meal for a protein boost, there are several options to choose from. Here are just five great sources of protein for vegetarians.

Tempeh

For years, tofu was the protein food of choice for many vegetarians, even being shaped into Tofurkies for the holidays. However, tofu isn’t the highest protein choice. Tempeh is actually a much better option. Tempeh is much like tofu in that it is formed from fermented soy beans, but it may also have grains and spices added. Unlike tofu it has over 18 grams of protein per serving and actually tastes good on it’s own.

Nori

Another excellent source of protein is nori. This delicious seaweed is often used to make sushi and contains more protein than many non-vegetarian sources. Try making a vegetarian form of sushi using nori, brown rice, cucumbers, carrots, and a bean paste. This would be a perfect snack or a great lunch.

Seitan

A number of vegetarians who gave up meat for health reasons enjoy seitan because of it’s meat-like texture. Seitan is actually made from the protein portion of wheat and is incredibly high in protein, containing 19 grams per serving. It is often used in meat-free Asian dishes and is enjoyed by many meat lovers.

Beans

It comes as little surprise that cooked soy beans offer the most protein at 14 grams per half cup. However, most beans are high in protein containing 7-10 grams per half-cup serving. Try adding beans to every meal for a quick and easy boost of protein to your diet.

Nuts

Not all nuts are created equal. While most nuts contain at least some protein, there are varieties that have a higher protein count than others. For example, almonds contain a little over 6 grams of protein per serving while pecans contain only a little more than 2.5 grams. Cashews, almonds and pistachios are your best bet when it comes to protein.

You don’t have to chow down on a steak to enjoy protein. There are a number of easy to prepare sources that are vegetarian friendly. Whether it’s a quick snack of nuts or a meat substitute in dinner, you can get enough protein in your diet.

About the Author: Marcel Travillion is working hard to create his own vegetarian cookbook. He hopes to one day have a complete listing of healthy alternatives including nutrition information for each ingredient, including alcohol calories for both cooking alcohol and cocktails.

Today we’re going to talk about Spinach & Potato Curry, which is commonly known as Saag (spinach, also known as Palak) Aloo (potato) in Indian cuisine.  Aloo is used in every aspect of Indian cuisine.  I can’t think of any dish where aloo isn’t an ingredient or doesn’t work if aloo is added.  Saag Aloo is a popular dish in Northern India, often eaten with Indian bread such as Naan, Parathas, and Makki ki roti.

When you think of Indian cuisine, one of the first things that may come to mind is the wide variety of vegetarian dishes, which you don’t find in any other cuisine.  India is well known for its tradition of vegetarianism, which has a history spanning more than two millennia, and is at least partly due to religious and traditional values that treat the cow as sacred.

So I thought, why not prepare a classic combination of spinach and potato which is simple, quick, and healthy.  As in most Indian recipes, the combination of Saag and Aloo is popular, but the taste and flavor will vary immensely from one state to another.  Some like it rich, creamy, and mild to the palate.  Others prefer to make it tangy and spicy.

This recipe is of the mild variety, which you can eat with Indian bread or serve with steamed basmati rice.

• 1 bundle Spinach
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 200 grams whole Ginger, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, chopped
• 2 Green Chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 2 Potatoes, parboiled and diced
• 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 tsp Cumin Seed
• 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Tbsp Pepper
• 1/2 sprig Coriander Leaves

1. Roughly chop spinach.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan or skillet; add the cooking oil, onions, green chilies, ginger, garlic, spinach, and a pinch of salt.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until spinach starts to release water.
3. Remove from heat and let cool.
4. Puree cooked ingredients with a spring of coriander leaves in the blender until it is a smooth puree.
5. Heat a pan over medium heat; add cooking oil and a tsp of cumin seed.  Cook until the seeds start crackling in the oil, and then add the pureed spinach mixture and potatoes.
6. Add the cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder, turmeric, and garam masala and cook for about 20 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and add the heavy cream and chopped cilantro.
8. Serve with Indian bread or steamed Basmati rice, and about a tsp of ghee (clarified butter) on each serving (optional).

Enjoy!

Suman Pradhan

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I feel like my inner gypsy is back in full swing. Moving and traveling can be dreadful at times, especially preparing for it. But once I am on my way I get a feeling of freedom. It is hard to explain.  It’s like when you don’t have chocolate or sex for a while and so you don’t really crave or miss it, but once you have it again you can’t stop wanting more and more of it… this is the situation I am in right now. Hopefully this wander lust will one day settle with what life is offering me at any given moment and I won’t have to be moving again anytime soon.  At the moment I am enjoying the unknown, which luckily includes a lot of leisure: dining, wining and shopping.

I had dinner last night with two lovely winemakers from Bordeaux. Sometimes I want to strangle myself because I say so many inappropriate things like, “I am not a fan of Bordeaux wines”. Who says stuff like that to winemakers from Bordeaux who are paying for dinner?!  A complete moron like me does. I had to bite my tongue when we had a glass of really good wine, which of course happened to be a Bordeaux made by the gentleman sitting next to me. It was Château Le Tertre Rôteboeuf Saint-Emilion 1996 from a 3 liter bottle that the restaurant was pouring as a special by the glass. The wine was really delicious.  It almost tasted like Burgundy: soft, with a light hint of sweet fruit, and lots of dust and earth. The winemaker was not a fan of the 1996 vintage. He was saying that it was just ok tasting, while I was surprisingly enjoying the wine a lot. It was a special night with more wine to follow, but the Le Tertre Rôteboeuf stole all of my attention.

This morning I read the story about the chateau and it’s quite special.  The vineyards are planted with mostly merlot and a small percentage of Cabernet franc.  Family operated for several generations, Luis, whom I dined with, is the son of Francois who is still behind the wine. Francois is a strong believer in not chasing ratings and is all about making good wine. It shows. And now I want more of it.

Did I tell you I have moved to Texas? Oh, yeah. All this is happening in, as my former restaurant chef used to say, “The best country in the world”.  I got my cowboy boots today, which ended up being the most expensive pair of boots I have ever owned; they’d better last me 30 years. The good thing about shoes is that you will always fit into them even if you change your size, so I don’t have to worry too much. Keep eating and drinking my friends.

Cheers, Vilma

Château du Tertre website

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