STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Bastet · Kate Spade

Good, healthy vegetarian sources of protein

Suasoria · Chanel

Almost all plant-based foods contain some protein to one degree or another. Of "meat replacements" seitan and tempeh are terrific in addition to tofu, if you don't want to get into faux meats like veggie burgers, mock chicken strips, etc.

Building a meal around beans, lentils, quinoa or spinach adds protein as well as fiber and low calories. Pasta, white beans, sage, garlic, olive oil...yum. Quinoa salad with dried cranberries, walnuts and herbs! Yum!

Here's a page with a table on nutritional contents of common foods

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

Or this page with various high-protein foods

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/protein.html

ranchera20 · Marc Jacobs

For sure beans, any kind. Learned about this in my nutrition class and pretty much any legumes aka beans

Bastet · Kate Spade

Suasoria wrote:
Building a meal around beans, lentils, quinoa or spinach adds protein as well as fiber and low calories. Pasta, white beans, sage, garlic, olive oil...yum. Quinoa salad with dried cranberries, walnuts and herbs! Yum!

Do you have a recipe for either of these? They sound tasty! I've never made quinoa before, most of the quinoa recipes I've seen my DH has been unwilling to try. But, I think he'd go for the dried cranberries and herbs.

Does whole wheat pasta have more protein in it than regular?

Suasoria · Chanel

Yes, whole wheat pasta does have more protein, but I don't like it in most dishes. It adds too much flavor, and usually I like pastas to be "neutral" so the sauces etc. stand out.

Here's the Q-salad recipe...I love it around Thanksgiving.

1 cup quinoa (uncooked)
2 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup or so diced onion (red is good, or a few green onions if you prefer them, even leek)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup fresh tarragon, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped fine
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp pepper or to taste

Cook quinoa according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cool water. Leave quinoa to drain for a little while so it's not too damp, it should be light and fluffy. You can cook it early in the day and let it chill in the fridge if you prefer. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss together.

You can use most any combo of fresh green herbs you like, or sub raisins and almonds, or really almost anything. It's a pretty forgiving recipe.

I don't follow a recipe for white bean/sage pasta but it goes a little like this...

Usual quantity of pasta - shells, bowties, spirals are preferable to long and skinny pastas
One can white beans
2-3 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup shallot or mild white onion, diced
1/4 cup olive oil, maybe more
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped fine (basil is good too, but sage is better)
1/2 cup spinach leaves (or arugula, or even chard)

Cook pasta according to package instructions. While that happens, drain, rinse, set aside beans. In a frypan cook onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-low just until the oil is fragrant.

Add the beans and stir with a wooden spoon. Smash about a third of the beans against the pan so that it starts to resemble a paste consistency. Add the sage too, and just stir it all around until it's somewhat incorporated.

By now the pasta is done, so drain it and throw the spinach in - the heat and steam from the pasta is all you need to "cook" the spinach. Stir it around, add the beany goodness, consider if it needs a little more olive oil, and serve hot.