Tag: protein

Not Jerking Your Chain

Packable protein is a must, and not just for gym rats focused on hitting their macros. As a person who travels by airplane often, drives a lot, and needs to be prepared in case of random catastrophic emergencies when only shelf stable food will do, I’m never without a cache of meatless jerky.

Conventional protein bars have their place, but personally, I’ve grown tired of the saccharine sweetness, latex-like consistency, and uninventive flavors. Savory snacks are where it’s at right now, evidenced by the booming jerky business. It feels like every day, there’s a new brand to try, which is both wonderful and overwhelming.

One Stop Jerky Shopping

Consolidate your search to one complete jerky resource to cut through the noise. Jerky Brands features a full selection of vegan jerky options, promoted with equal prominence as traditional options. It’s easy to find many old favorites right alongside upstarts that you may not have seen before. The meatless bases are diverse as the brands, leveraging unique meatless bases for every dietary need, such as:

  • Soy
  • Seitan
  • Mushrooms
  • Coconut
  • And even tomatoes!

Amongst those options, you’ll find gluten-free, organic, raw, low-sodium, and especially high-protein snacks, too.

Cruelty-Free Benefits

Seeing vegan jerky listed right alongside beef is even better than a solely vegan outpost, if you ask me. That means that omnivores who otherwise wouldn’t necessarily seek it out are automatically exposed to it, and thus more likely to consider it in addition to or instead of animal assets. Besides being kinder on the planet and to the creatures themselves, switching to meatless jerky is an easy, instant nutritional upgrade. It’s always cholesterol-free, lower in fat, and higher in fiber. It’s often priced lower than meat, too, for those on a budget.

Order Up

The beauty of having such a complete meatless jerky resource at your disposal is that you can try a little bit of everything. Don’t sweat the details; let the experts put together a curated sampler package, perfect as an introductory bundle for fledgling vegans or curious carnivores. This, like individual pouches as well, can be ordered as a subscription to make sure you never run out, and save 10% off the list price while you’re at it.

Snack Happy

Next time someone asks you the inevitable question of where you get your protein, just point them over to Jerky Brands. They’ll probably end up filling their virtual cart with all sorts of meatless treats once they get there, too.

Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Died and Gone to Veggie Heaven

I never made it to Veggie Heaven. Beloved as it was, and still is to those who can’t relinquish hope that it may someday return, this classic Austin establishment perished during the height of the pandemic. In fact, as “luck” would have it, the announcement came on the very day that I moved here. Maybe I’m better off not knowing what I’m missing. It’s hard to say, but its lingering influence can’t be ignored. References to Protein 2000 pop up frequently enough to trigger a sense of anemoia.

What Is Protein 2000?

Digging through the internet archives, the original menu description is as follows:

“So what exactly is the Protein 2000, A.K.A. the P2000? This is the number one question asked, as it is the most popular dish we serve. The P2000 is made out of soy protein isolate that is the result of separating protein from the whole soybean. The end result is a curd with a texture that resembles chicken. With 45 grams of protein per cup, it is an excellent protein source for vegetarians. The Protein 2000 is battered and fried to add that crispy texture and then sautéed in sweet brown sauce. So why was it named Protein 2000? This dish was created at the end of 1999 and was given the number 2000 to commemorate the year 2000.”

Recreating An Imperfect Copy

Recreating a dish you’ve never tasted before is both difficult and effortless. Difficult, because it’s impossible to determine whether or not its been recreated faithfully, as originally intended, hitting all the same high notes of the genuine article. It’s also a snap because without that frame of reference, as long as it tastes good, I’d call it a success. From the trail of breadcrumbs left behind as clues and a basic understanding of Chinese-American food, I feel reasonably confident that although imperfect, this formula should come close enough to scratch that same itch.

Takeout At Home

Essentially broccoli and beef through a plant-based lens, fried soy protein meets tender broccoli florets under a silky blanket of garlic-infused brown sauce. Large TVP chunks are the key to making a more accurate copycat, but at the same time, aren’t essential to making a great meal. They’re more difficult to find outside of online stores than classic staples like tofu or seitan, which make equally great protein options.

Making New Memories

Shared memories of Veggie Heaven and this iconic dish remain, looming large in the minds of those who were lucky enough to savor it. Even if I never get the chance to taste the real thing, there’s comfort in knowing that the spirit of the place lives on, in our hearts, homes, and stomachs.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Your Life or Your Lupins

Soybeans get all the fame and glory as the premiere meatless protein, but what if I told you there was another bean that could steal the spotlight with ease? Lupini beans are the dark horse rivals, vying for legume supremacy, almost doubling the protein content of whole soybeans. Think that soy foods are unique, chalking up tofu, soymilk, tempeh, and more as a clear soybean success story? Just wait until you see what the humble lupin can do.

The Lupin Spin

First, the confusion of naming needs to be addressed. “Lupini” is the Italian plural form referring to the seeds of the lupin plant. Lupine and lupin are both common names for the same flowering plant genus, Lupinus. The genus is part of the legume family, which also includes peanuts. There are over 200 species of lupine, though not all are edible. Some, like the beloved Texas bluebonnet, are actually poisonous. Don’t go digging up your garden in search of a feast, and on that note, be careful to keep them away from curious pets, who are more susceptible to the measured dose of poison in an unsuspecting seed.

Lupini Through History

Lupini beans are just starting to get their big break, but they’ve been around as a reliable food source since roughly 3000 BCE. Hailing from the Mediterranean and the Near East, evidence shows that the ancient the Egyptians and Romans knew the value of a good lupin when they saw it. During the Middle Ages, lupins were grown in Europe not only as a food source but also as a nitrogen-fixing crop to improve soil quality. They were commonly planted as part of crop rotations to enhance soil fertility. In the modern era, lupins have been gaining attention as a sustainable, high-protein legume now that the sweet lupin has been selectively bred for better taste and ease of consumption. Early lupins were often relegated to animal feed given their bitter nature, which also explains their slow start on the mainstream market.

The Cooking Conundrum

The biggest barrier to entry, aside from sourcing the beans to begin with, is cooking them. Even the newer “sweet” strain requires a concerted effort when it comes to cooking, in an attempt to remove more of the bitter alkaloids and break down almost impenetrably tough skins. This is also why you’ll often find them pickled, not dry or canned. Pickled lupini beans are ready to eat and infused with salty, savory flavor. The most popular brand in health food stores packages theirs in pouches; old school labels sell glass jars, found in the import section in specialty or gourmet stores.

Although you can of course buy dried lupini beans, I don’t recommend it. To beat them into submission, or some version of edibility, you would need to:

  1. Cover with cold water and soak for 24 hours.
  2. Drain, add fresh water, and simmer for 2 hours.
  3. Cool completely, drain, and add more cold water.
  4. Soak overnight. Drain and replace the water.
  5. Boil for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Drain and replace the water.
  6. Soak overnight. Drain and replace the water.
  7. Boil for 45 minutes – 1 hour. Drain and replace the water.
  8. Soak overnight. Drain and replace the water.
  9. Taste for doneness. If still bitter or gritty, repeat the boiling process.
  10. Add salt and store submerged in water, like pickles.

If you’re willing to sacrifice roughly a week of your life to this process, be my guest. You’re far more patient than me.

What Do Lupini Beans Taste Like?

I thought you’d never ask! Sweet lupins are poised to be the new edamame; large and flat as fava beans or gigante beans, yellowish tan in color, and encased in a substantial but edible skin, you can peel them or eat them as is. Mild in flavor and firm in texture, they’re an ideal bar snack served either hot or cold, and especially with a salty finish. Aside from eating them out of hand, they’re excellent tossed in salads and simmered in soups, since they won’t fall apart for anything.

Beyond The Whole Bean

Consider lupini beans for further applications beyond immediate eating gratification, and that’s where things get interesting.

  • Lupin flour holds incredible promise as a gluten-free, keto, high-protein staple, capable of creating highly nutritious pastas, cakes, cookies, breads, and more. Blended with water and seasonings, it could become a liquid egg substitute, too.
  • Lupin “rice” is an alternative to the conventional whole grain, made more like an orzo pasta for quick cooking applications.
  • Ground lupin or lupin flakes are a coarser take on flour, approximating the texture of grits or savory oatmeal when cooked.
  • Lupin milk, though rare in US markets, is taking off primarily in Europe, noted for its excellent frothing abilities in lattes, thanks to its naturally high protein content.
  • Lupin cheese is every bit as varied and versatile as the average nut cheese, ranging in texture and flavor from creamy ricotta to sliceable, buttery Havarti.
  • Lupin tempeh isn’t a stretch of the imitation, as any bean can be tempeh-fied.
  • Lupin tofu is similarly successful as a soy-free alternative, more aligned with Burmese “chickpea tofu” in preparation rather than the traditional coagulated soymilk approach.

Where Do You Get Your Protein

Okay, let’s get the protein talk out of the way. One cup of cooked lupini beans does in fact have 26 – 30 grams of complete protein, including all 9 essential amino acids. Incredibly high in fiber, they’re the only bean that has 0 grams net carbs per serving. Additionally, they’re a good source of manganese, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, folate, and vitamin A.

However, there is one big nutritional red flag about lupini beans that I briefly mentioned earlier. Being part of the peanut family, those with severe peanut allergies may have similar sensitivities when exposed to lupins of any variety. If that’s the case, avoid lupins and any lupin products to be safe.

From Unknown to Unforgettable

Lupini beans have lost their harsh edge and are ready for their closeup. To get the most bang for your bean buck with a protein-packed legume, look no further. They’re versatile enough to transform from a quick fix snack to your new secret ingredient in all things baked and cooked. I think they’re the next big thing in bean technology, personally, and I’m here for it.

Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Reinventing The Pinwheel

When you wake up in a holi-daze, still feeling groggy from too much nog, it’s tough to get motivated and cook a proper breakfast. Forget about making a huge production; the right recipe will wake up your taste buds even before your brain can engage. Keep the festivities rolling with big, hearty, and healthy breakfast pinwheels.

The Gift of Good Taste

Want to give your loved ones a gift they won’t find under the tree? There’s nothing better than waking up to the aroma of sautéed onions and garlic wafting from the kitchen, promising something rich and savory is on the way. Layering lightly spiced, herb-flecked vegan breakfast sausage, vibrant kale, and creamy tofu scramble in soft lavash flatbread is a foolproof formula for a happy holiday. It’s a symphony of textures and tastes, contrasting and harmonizing simultaneously, for a deeply satisfying morning meal.

How Do You Roll?

No gathering is complete without at least one picky eater on board, but this highly adaptable, entirely flexible blueprint can accommodate all requests. You can easily customize the filling based on what you have on hand or your guests’ preferences.

  • Simplify by doubling up on just meatless sausage, or just tofu scramble.
  • Swap the kale for spinach, or omit it entirely if the kids balk at anything green
  • Lose the lavash and stuff everything into pita pockets, or better yet, have guests assemble their own.

There’s no shame in using shortcuts like prepared ready-to-eat sausage crumbles or prepared tofu scramble to take some pressure off in the pre-dawn rush, too.

Break The Fast, Not Your Spirit

Don’t let holiday fatigue get you down! Roll up your sleeves, and your lavash, and bring a little cheer back to the breakfast table.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments