Tag: protein

Drum Roll, Please

Evolved and intelligent as we may be, there’s something about the primal urge to gnaw into beastly drumsticks that’s irrepressible. At renaissance fairs and Disney parks alike, the oversized turkey legs parading through the crowds are as much an attraction as any games or rides. Is it really our primitive instincts to hunt and gather that draw us in, or the modern spectacle of it now? Certainly, it’s not the seasoning. Bland, dry to the bone, sinewy as a ball of string, these are not the drumsticks of the discerning eater.

THESE are. Entirely meatless, each hefty shank is a plant protein dynamo. Upcycled pineapple cores serve as the “bones,” creating the signature drumstick appearance while infusing their tropical, sweet flavor into every bite. Delicate sheets of yuba encase a blend of shredded Sugimoto Shiitake and jackfruit, bound together with seitan to create a texture you can really sink your teeth into. The tofu skin exterior even becomes crispy while cooking! Then, lacquered with a sticky, tangy, and savory pineapple teriyaki sauce, it takes on a glossy golden finish that would satisfy even the most primordial desires.

Meet Your New Meat

Developing the ideal vegan drumstick took more than the typical amount of trial and error. Instead of just one standard meat substitute, it took the combination of a few crafty swaps working in concert to create the full range of textures and umami flavors.

  • Koshin shiitake caps, broad, flat, and thin, are finely sliced to amplify the natural muscular appearance of shredded young jackfruit. Jackfruit alone can be rather flavorless, if not woody, which is why the meatiness of shiitake is so essential here.
  • It takes vital wheat gluten to act as the “glue” holding it all together. It creates the characteristic chew of meat, while adding moisture and cohesion to the filling.
  • Yuba, pure soy protein, wraps the package up with a bow. While I’ve seen similar concepts using rice paper for the outer skin, yuba is far tastier, easier to work with, and more nutritious.

Tips For Success

Let’s be real: This is no 30-minute meal. It takes time and planning, best saved for a special occasion when you want to go all out. That said, it’s not a difficult recipe, just a bit time-consuming. Prep in stages and think of it as an edible craft project to fully enjoy the process.

    1. Make the teriyaki sauce first… Or don’t. You want it to be cooled and fully thickened before slathering it on your meatless drumsticks, and it keeps in the fridge for 1 – 2 weeks, easily. On the other hand, there’s no shame in taking shortcuts here; you could absolutely buy ready-made teriyaki sauce and skip all that work.
    2. Wrap that yuba up tight! Nobody wants to end up with loose skin.
    3. Reinforce your pineapple cores with skewers, optionally. Unlike animal bones, they become softer after cooking, so you can’t really pick these drumsticks up by the handle and take a chomp out of them. Personally, I feel they’re best suited to the fork-and-knife treatment anyway, so you don’t end up with sauce smeared all over your face. If you’re determined to make these as finger food though, thread a wooden skewer through the core first, to keep it more stable.

  1. Be gentle with your yuba. It’s a fragile, paper-thin sheet of solidified soymilk; of course it’s prone to ripping. Fresh is really best here, since dried tends to be thicker, and more likely to have broken in transit. Soak your fresh yuba in warm water for a few minutes before gently easing the sheets apart. They’re much harder to work with straight out the fridge.
  2. Give them space while steaming and baking. The meatless stuffing inside does expand and plump a bit as it cooks.

March To The Beat Of Your Own Drumstick

Pineapple teriyaki simply made sense as a complete package here, but the options for flavor variations are endless. First of all, don’t feel that you’re bound to using a pineapple core for the bone. Not everyone regularly buys whole pineapples, and maybe that’s just not the vibe for dinner that day. You can omit it entirely to make more of a chicken breast facsimile, or replace it with pieces of sugarcane or simply wooden popsicle sticks.

From there, consider your sauce. You could go in a spicier direction with buffalo sauce, or keep it classic with plant-based butter and herbs. Then we have BBQ sauce for a smokier kick, pomegranate molasses and za’atar for Middle Eastern flare, and so on, and so forth. You’ll run out of drumsticks long before you run out of ideas.

Go ahead, embrace your inner cave-person. Soothe your lizard brain with the meat it’s really craving; healthier, tastier, and happier for all creatures involved. These vegan drumsticks are better than all the rest.

Continue reading “Drum Roll, Please” →

Hannah (BitterSweet)4 Comments

Chillingly Good Chili

Is there a more American dish than chili? While most people think of hotdogs and burgers as quintessentially patriotic foods, both have clearly established roots in other cultures. Records of the first pot of chili, on the other hand, can be traced back to what is now known as Texas in the early 1700s.

Like most classic comfort foods, there’s good reason why it’s survived and thrived through centuries of changing tastes: Affordable, versatile, and obviously, delicious, it hits all the high notes every time. For that same reason, I have a number of different chili recipes already. Like chocolate chip cookies, though, there’s always room for one more.

A Meatless Mix For Meat-Lovers

Chili con carne has long been the gold standard for chili aficionados. No beans, no fancy flourishes, just meat, meat, and more meat- Oh, and some chilies for good measure. Classic Americana. It’s interesting to see how my own approach has slowly skewed back to this more traditional approach.

Rather than a glorified vegetable stew, I’ve come to appreciate chili for being this simple, basic foundation to embellish after the fact, and only if warranted. It helps that there are better meat alternatives than ever, although that’s far from necessary to make an award-winning vegan chili recipe. In my opinion, the combination of old school TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) and new school umami can run circles around pricey prepared beefy grounds.

Shiitake Stems Bring The Flavor

One of my favorite “life hacks” when using Sugimoto Shiitake is to save the stems for future use. Unlike most dried shiitake on the market, Sugimoto Shiitake are such high quality that even the stems are fully edible. Remove the very bottom part if hard, and the rest is packed with even more umami power than the caps. Finely minced, they transform into a compelling ground meat facsimile all on their own.

Hearty And Healthy

Thanks to the power of umami, it doesn’t scream “MUSHROOM CHILI,” despite being largely mushroom-based. In fact, it’s stunningly meaty, with a hearty texture that really could trick an omnivore. It makes me want to enter a chili contest just to see the stunned reactions when the recipe is unveiled.

Incredibly rich while also low in fat, balanced by the bright acidity of tomatoes, this is now my go-to for cold days, or tiring days, or days when the pantry is pretty bare. I could go on to list all the reasons why it’s the best vegan chili recipe around, but then I may never finish this post.

Spice Things Up

Chili is one of the most adaptable dishes around. You can make a basic batch that’s fairly mild, adding hot sauce to single servings as desired, or bring the heat in layers while cooking. Consider adding any of the following for more fire power:

  • Fresh or pickled jalapeños for a bright, fresh spice
  • Guajillo or chipotles in adobo for a more smoky flavor
  • Serrano, habanero, or pequin for a sharp, bold finish

That’s just the bare basics. Any chilies or peppers, whether fresh, dried, ground, canned, or otherwise preserved are welcome at this party! You could even just double down on the chili powder and call it a day. It’s only a matter of personal preference.

Chill Out With Chili

Chili is a quintessential staple for any cook to master. Thankfully, that’s not a difficult task. In minutes, anyone can meld aromatic spices into a complex bouquet that lingers on your palate, as warm as a happy memory. A great chili is an ideal one-pot meal, no garnishes needed, but versatile enough to be enjoyed with cornbread, rice, tortilla chips, or so much more. Is there a bad pairing for chili? Personally, I have yet to find out.

Continue reading “Chillingly Good Chili” →

Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Beans Are The New Black Friday

Black Friday isn’t what it used to be.

I say that not with sadness or nostalgia, but a deep sense of relief. Holiday sales will forever persist, pushing everything from lawnmowers to lingerie, but the singular focus on one big shopping day has dispersed to encompass the entire interval from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Door busters are digital and shipping is free; why bother waking up early to fight the crowds? This tradition of dubious appeal from the onset is now fully obsolete. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to redefine Black Friday.

Black beans are the antidote to Black Friday’s typical excess. Decidedly unglamorous, unassuming, and unpretentious, black beans won’t force you out of bed early or judge you for the previously night’s debauchery. Taking it a step further, braised black beans, gently stewed in velvety coconut milk and invigorating aromatics, speak of a wholly different sort of richness.

Rifling through the pantry and freezer, this combination of Southeast Asian staples spoke to me above the cacophony of typically autumnal herbs and spices. The fragrant, floral notes of makrut lime leaves and lemongrass share the spotlight, bolstered by the sharp undertone of ginger and jalapeno. Balanced by the natural sweetness of the coconut milk, it’s already so buttery that no additional oils need apply.

Take It Easy

For anyone else still weary from cooking marathons or hosting duties, I’ve got you. Just one step more complicated than a genuine dump dinner, you don’t even need to drain the cans of beans or dirty another dish. Go ahead, take other shortcuts like using pre-minced garlic or ginger paste; no one will be able to argue with the end results.

Serving Suggestions

Personally, I’m perfectly happy spooning these beans right into my mouth, straight out of the pot, while hovering over the stove. If you have more patience though, your time and effort will be rewarded when you round out this entree with proper sides. Ideally, add at least some come kind of starch to soak in all that savory potlikker.

  • Rice, be it basmati, jasmine, or any fluffy steamed long grain rice
  • Bread, thinly sliced and toasted
  • Stewed collard greens, meltingly tender
  • Arugula salad, for a subtly bitter contrast
  • Avocado, for a buttery bite of extra decadence

Alternately, switch up the prep to transform it into an entirely different dish.

  • Roughly mash to make them approximately the texture of refried beans, then use in tacos, burritos, tamales, enchiladas, etc
  • Add vegetable broth and serve as a soup, optionally pureeing some or all
  • Simmer rice right in the same saucepan to make one-pot beans and rice

Make It Your Own

There are no hard and fast rules here. Born out of convenience, this formula is ripe for adaptation. Almost everything is changeable, like…

  • Using chickpeas, white beans, or adzuki instead of black beans
  • Adding more or less garlic, ginger, and jalapeno, to taste
  • Switching up the seasonings with curry powder, chili powder, or lemon-pepper

Don’t Over-Think It

Black Friday can be a complicated mixture of emotions and memories, wants and needs, no matter what the reality of it is today. Black beans, however, should always be simple.

Continue reading “Beans Are The New Black Friday” →

Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Soup To Nuts: All About Powdered Peanut Butter

Running the entire gamut of sweet to savory, decadent to healthy, peanut butter powder is an essential ingredient that belongs in every nut-loving kitchen. Once a rare curiosity, it now sits prominently in mainstream markets, positioned as a baking staple, protein powder, or both all at once.

Given the sudden abundance of accessible options, I can’t help but wonder: Why is everything so sweet? A casual search will pull up a fair number of results, but the hits quickly become redundant. Another powdered peanut butter cookie, another peanut butter powder truffle, another powdered peanut butter energy bar, another peanut butter powder protein shake; where’s the creativity? Where’s the spice and salt?

Naked Nutrition: Peanut Butter Powder With Nothing To Hide

Coming in to help fuel all new culinary inspiration, Naked Nutrition has just launched a new line of flavors for their best-selling Powdered Peanut Butter, including Organic, Chocolate, and Sugar & Salt. My focus immediately landed squarely on the Organic option for its brilliantly simple one-ingredient label. All you get are fresh, dry, finely powdered, roasted peanuts. Less is more here, giving you more protein and fiber per tablespoon than the conventional nutty spread.

The Basics: What Is Peanut Butter Powder?

Let’s take a step back here to better understand what we’re working with. Peanut butter powder is made by removing most of the oils from roasted peanuts and then grinding them into a fine powder. The result is a versatile and concentrated form of peanut butter that packs a punch of flavor without the typical high fat content. All that’s left is pure, nutty goodness that can be reconstituted with water or other liquids to create a spreadable, creamy texture. The best part? It’s a great alternative for those looking to reduce fat and calories in their diet while still savoring the unmistakable taste of peanut butter.

Peanut butter protein powder is a term that can be used interchangeably. The same thing goes for peanut butter flour, but only if there are no other added sweeteners, stabilizers, or flavors.

Peanut Butter Powder In The Kitchen

While most existing recipes for peanut butter powder focus on the sweeter aspects, I prefer to bring out the savory notes, especially with Naked Nutrition’s Organic Powdered Peanut Butter that has zero added sugar. In fact, there’s zero added anything; it’s just peanuts, period. When you want a versatile ingredient that can quell any cravings, kick-start a healthy meal, or help you explore new cuisines, this one will never disappoint.

Peanut Soups and Stews

Soup is always in season, which is why it’s always at the top of my list when I don’t know what to make for dinner. There’s a rich history of traditional peanut soups and stews in many cultures, too. Consider:

Peanut Sauces

Don’t forget about all the saucy options that use peanut butter as a rich and creamy base.

Peanut Coatings and Binding

I’ve used powdered peanut butter to make some of the crispiest peanut-crusted tofu you could ever dream of, and that same trick could be just as easily applied to any of your favorite proteins or veggies.

In baking, it’s an excellent gluten-free binder and emulsifier, keeping dough cohesive and batters smooth.

How To Substitute Powdered Peanut Butter

Any recipe that calls for standard peanut butter can be upgraded with peanut powder. For every tablespoon of standard peanut butter, simply use 2 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter plus 1 tablespoon of water or other liquid. This is a great opportunity to add more flavor, too. You could amp up the umami with mushroom stock, enhance the creaminess with coconut milk, or add a splash of acid with fresh lemon or lime juice.

The benefit of using peanut butter powder is that it’s much easier to incorporate, blending in effortlessly whereas conventional paste tends to clump if you just drop in a spoonful. Additionally, it’s an excellent way to thicken a thin broth instead of adding nutritionally vapid white flour or starch.

If you get stuck in a meal planning rut and have a hard time incorporating new dishes with peanut butter powder into your life, try creating a menu that you can print out and keep in your kitchen. Check GS-JJ.com for lots of user-friendly options and custom stickers.

Nuts for Peanut Powder

It’s a good thing that Naked Nutrition’s Organic Powdered Peanut Butter comes in such generous containers; as soon as you break the seal, you’ll want to add it to every snack and meal. Trust me, you’ll have no trouble powering through the first pack, so stock up when you get a chance!

This post was made possible as a collaboration with Naked Nutrition. My opinions cannot be bought and all content is original. This page may contain affiliate links; thank you for supporting my blog!

Hannah (BitterSweet)10 Comments