How to Eat Protein on a Plant-Based Diet? | Interview with Nava Atlas
267NAVA'S BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1538718731/?ref=exp_chefaj_dp_vv_d
NAVA ATLAS is a vegan cooking expert and the author of many bestselling cookbooks, including 5-Ingredient Vegan, Vegan on a Budget, Wild About Greens, and Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Nava also creates visual books on women’s issues and runs two websites, TheVeganAtlas.com and LiteraryLadiesGuide.com. She lives in the Hudson Valley region of New York State with her family. Whether you’re exploring vegan options for environmental, ethical, health, or budget reasons, Nava Atlas’s protein-focused recipes extend a warm welcome to the plant-powered protein revolution! Today’s innovative meat alternatives prove you don’t have to sacrifice meaty flavors to enjoy a plant-based diet.
Bridging the divide between the traditional comfort food diet and the whole food plant-based approach, you’ll find an array of flavorful, easy recipes using plant-based proteins thoughtfully, incorporating whole foods and fresh vegetables. If you don’t care for packaged plant proteins, no worries! These dishes offer the option of using the traditional plant protein trio — tofu, tempeh, and seitan — or even making “meaty” DIY plant proteins from ingredients you might already have on hand. In this program, Nava will discuss and show some of the innovative plant proteins that have burst on the scene, and demonstrate two easy recipes from the new book, Plant-Powered Protein.
Korean beef bowl is simple dish made of ground beef bathed in a gently spiced and slightly sweet sauce, served over rice and topped with scallion. A seriously easy dish to convert to plant-based, it’s quick enough to make as a weeknight meal. If you have a little more time, this is an ideal dish for using Teriyaki-Flavored Ground, made black beans, red quinoa, and walnuts.
1 TBLS water
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 14 ounces beefy-style ground or crumbles (see options)
1/2 cup bottled Korean BBQ sauce, plus more, to taste
3 ½ - 4 cups hot cooked rice (brown or white)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Sliced fresh vegetables for topping (choose from cucumber,
peppers, avocado, and/or radishes)
Kimchee, as desired, optional
Sriracha Mayonnaise (optional)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 teaspoons sriracha or other hot sauce, or to taste
1. If making homemade Teriyaki-Flavored Ground: Omit the first four ingredients and the step above and prepare the recipe following. If using packaged plant-based beefy-style ground: Heat a medium skillet. Add the water and garlic and sweat over low heat for a minute or two. Add the beefy-style ground of your choice with the sauce in a medium skillet and cook over medium-high heat until sizzling hot and starting to brown. Drizzle in a little water if the mixture gets dry. Taste and add more sauce to your liking.
2. Once either kind of beefy ground is prepared, distribute the rice between 4 shallow bowls.
3. Distribute the crumbles over the rice, and sprinkle some scallion over them, leaving room for the fresh vegetables. Arrange some of the fresh vegetables on the side of each bowl.
4. Serve at once. Pass around the optional sriracha mayo for anyone who’d like to drizzle it over the top of their bowl.
Plant protein options
Beefy-style ground or crumbles
4 vegan burger patties, crumbled
Teriyaki-Flavored Ground (this is what I’ll be using, recipe follows)
Teriyaki-Flavored Ground
Here’s a nifty way to make a beefy ground with an Asian spin. A trio of protein foods — quinoa, walnuts, and black beans form the base, and it’s flavored with Teriyaki or other favorite prepared Asian sauce. But you need not limit its use to Asian-style dishes.
Makes: About 3 cups
1 tablespoon or so water
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup quinoa, preferably red
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup cooked or canned (drained and rinsed) black beans
1/2 cup Teriyaki marinade (homemade or bottled) or Korean BBQ or Bulgogi sauce
2 tablespoons hemp seeds, optional
1 teaspoon sriracha or other hot seasoning, or more, to taste
1. Heat the water in a small saucepan. Add the onion and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until both are golden.
2. Add the quinoa and 3/4 cup more water to the saucepan. Bring to a slow boil, then lower the heat, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
3. Place the walnuts in the bowl of a food processor and pulse on and off until nearly powdered. Add the beans and pulse on and off until they’re finely chopped.
4. Add the cooked quinoa and onion mixture to the food processor along with the optional hemp seeds and teriyaki or Korean sauce. Pulse on and off until everything is well blended.
5. Heat a medium skillet. Add the mixture from the food processor and cook over medium-high heat until sizzling hot and starting to brown, about 10 min stirring frequently. Taste to see if you'd like to add a little more marinade. Remove from the heat and use as directed in recipes.