You’ve come to love meal prep time on Sunday. With a good book on Audible or Alabama Shakes on Spotify, you chop veggies and make quinoa salad with a smile. The ritual of having a plan and being prepared is a relaxing one. Plus you love the time it saves you during the week. After a 10-hour Wednesday the last thing you want to do is cook when you finally get home from the gym.
No, the problem is no longer how to meal plan and prep. It’s the recipes. The old recipes based on pasta or chicken just aren’t cutting it anymore. Pasta is a treat you save for nights at your favorite Italian restaurant (because let’s be honest fresh pasta tastes better) and meat is really losing its appeal. You need new recipes to make that are plant-based and full of protein and veggies.
It’s time to treat yourself to a new a new cookbook. Get your Amazon app ready to order a copy of Protein Ninja by Terry Hope Romero.
The subtitle says it all, “Power Through Your Day With 100 Hearty Plant-Based Recipes That Pack A Protein Punch”.
The day this book arrived (I did receive a review copy by request from the publisher) I curled up with a cup of tea and started flagging recipes. I have not had the time to make everything I tagged (because everything looks delicious and I am overly ambitious) but I have made quite a few recipes from the book. Do any of these recipes sound tempting to you?
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Early Bird Tofu Scramble
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Pumpkin Power Pancakes
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Cheezy Herb Scones
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Tempeh Bacon
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Vegetable Korma Tofu Burgers
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Edamame & Pea Avocado Toast
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Pineapple Yogurt Bowl
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Matcha Strawberry Granola
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Matcha Mint Smoothie Bowl
They are all wins, meaning they will end up in my meal planning rotation. This is RARE when I try recipes from a new cookbook, vegan or otherwise. I think the Early Bird Tofu Scramble is easily the best tofu scramble I’ve ever tried (and I have had more than my share). She’s taught me new ways to cook with protein powder (think savory not sweet) and introduced me to smoothie bowls. (I know I am late to the party.)
The Matcha Mint Smoothie Bowl made with Amoda Tea organic classic matcha will be the perfect cold and creamy post-run treat this summer. I used the Amoda matcha to make the Matcha Strawberry Granola too, which pairs perfectly with your favorite non-dairy milk. (Add an extra protein punch by having it with Orgain Organic Protein almond milk.) The Edamame & Pea spread and Vegetable Korma Tofu Burgers are perfect to make on the weekend and enjoy during the week. Romero played right into my habit of going bunless with a recipe for a “burger bowl” with spinach and curry lime dressing.
Of course nothing is perfect. One of my big pet peeves is a cookbook without calorie counts. I know counts can vary based on ingredients but I like to have a ballpark figure when I sit down to make my plan. Also while the recipes are higher in protein they may still be higher in carbs too. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as you time that fruit filled smoothie bowl for when your body can really use it. Speaking of time, most of these recipes do require extra time. You will want to save many of them for the weekend when you have more time. Make the Early Bird Tofu Scramble on Sunday for breakfast and you’ll have two servings to enjoy for breakfast or lunch during the week.
If you need new plant-based recipes but don’t have time for #Pinterestfails get your hands on a copy of this cookbook. Turn up “Hang Loose” and make some meals for the week!
What’s your favorite thing to listen to while you cook?
Have you tried being a Protein Ninja yet?
