“You’re a vegetarian? How do you know you’re getting enough protein? I know someone who nearly died because they were a vegetarian and didn’t eat enough protein. Did you know soy can give you cancer? What do you even EAT?” I know it usually comes from a harmless place, but I’m continually amazed when people critique my diet, particularly the protein issue. You’d think more people would talk to me about Iron or B Vitamins, which could actually be a more interesting topic, but nope, it’s always just protein.
I understand where it comes from, as the generic American diet is MEAT-MEAT-MEAT focused, and meat is packed with protein. Boom, logic. However, I think I speak for the majority of vegetarians when I say that we know what we’re doing, we know what foods are rich in protein, and we’re often more focused on creating balanced meals than the average meat eater.
Take this burger for example, which has 11 grams of protein in every damn patty. Add a whole wheat burger bun, and your meal climbs up to about 17 grams of protein. The burger is hearty, rich, spicy, and downright irresistible when slathered in a smooth roasted red pepper Greek yogurt sauce.
Since vegans get even more grief about protein than I do, I decided to really drive home the plant-based protein point by making the patty completely vegan. Simply leave off the sauce (and top with avocado instead-yum!), for a vegan, high-protein meal. For gluten-free folks, put the patty between a gluten-free bun and you’re golden.
If you’ve read my blog at all, you’ve probably realized I’m not a judgmental vegetarian. I know there are all kinds of diets that can be healthy, energizing, and smart; it just seems that vegetarian and vegan foods are often overlooked by meat-eaters. However, I live with one of the biggest carnivores around, and that carnivore ate two of these protein-packed patties within 6 hours. If that’s not a stamp of approval for veggie burgers, I don’t know what is.
I know Valentine’s Day is kind of lame. I understand that, yet I can’t help but get a little giddy about the themed desserts. My Valentine’s Days have always centered around dessert, and not really in a romantic, “Be my Valentine, Katie. Here’s some chocolate” kind of way, but in the form of a heart-shaped box of Dove truffles from my parents.
I look forward to that box of truffles all year; what could be better than delicious chocolate in a heart shape? Of course my love of Valentine cuteness doesn’t stop with truffles. I can’t get enough of pink and white sprinkles, heart-shaped sugar cookies with sky-high frosting, and of course all things red velvet.
Red Velvet is a bit of a mystery to me. I love it, don’t get me wrong, but what makes it so good? It’s a chocolate cake with red food coloring…that’s literally it. Still, there’s something incredible about it. It could be the color, the fluffy cake, the smooth cream cheese frosting, or all of the above.
This year, I thought I’d elevate the cuteness by making red velvet into whoopie pies. To bring the deliciousness to a whole new level, I swirled some melted Nutella into the cookie batter. The resulting Valentine’s dessert is the perfect combination of fluffy, soft cookies, creamy tangy frosting, and just the slightest hint of Nutella.
When I went to Target to look for additional Valentine’s trinkets, my heart broke a bit when I saw an absence of heart-shaped cookie cutters. How cute would these whoopie pies be in heart shape?! So cute, yet so lame at the same time. Perfect for this holiday.
I love weekend brunch. When the Beast and I first started dating, I professed my love for breakfast, and an awkward silence ensued. He never eats breakfast…well he actually rarely remembers to eat at all. He will, however, eat brunch on the weekends. If we plan to make something midmorning on a Saturday or Sunday, he’s all about it.
Since he’s not a fan of pancakes, and I don’t like eggs (outside of baked goods…duh), we usually go with the Beast’s specialty: french toast. However, as the proud new owners of a waffle iron, we decided to switch up our breakfast routine and get into the Valentine’s spirit with Raspberry White Chocolate Waffles.
Our first try last weekend resulted in what I’ve deemed “Zombie Waffles.” It turns out frozen raspberries stirred into waffle batter don’t create a pretty red swirl, but instead turn the entire batch a dull, dingy gray. Super appetizing.
Fortunately, we lived and learned. This weekend we put the fruit on top of the waffles, and voila: Sweet, fluffy waffles slathered with tart raspberry sauce…aka Pre-Valentine’s Brunch success.
I know this seems like a lot of work when Valentine’s Day is on a weekday morning, but if you make the sauce and waffle batter the night before, these can be ready to roll on Thursday morning. Badabing, badaboom, love-themed breakfast.
I used to say I was a morning person. When I graduated college I started getting up early to go to the gym before work, and waking up before 8 on the weekends just because I wanted to make the most of the day. I felt so grown up and productive.
Fast forward nearly 5 years, when I’m actually more of a “grown up” (I think? maybe?), and I can’t bring myself to get out of bed before 10am on the weekends, and during the week I am my snooze button’s best friend. I always set my alarm for 6:15, but rarely get up without 2 or 3 (or 7) rounds of the snooze button. I’ve tried the trick where you put the alarm across the room so you have to get out of bed to turn it off. Oh yes, I know it well. I also know, however, that the bedroom is so cold when I walk over to turn off the alarm, and my bed is only a few steps away and so enticingly warm…so why shouldn’t I get back in for, you know, just a few minutes? It’s a vicious, addicting cycle.
Despite my snoozefest ritual, I do usually go to the gym on weekday mornings, it’s just very…abbreviated. Last week a wave of motivation hit me, and I decided to kick myself into gear. Step 1: Make some pre-gym snacks as a “WAKE-UP for heaven’s sake!!!” incentive. Step 2 is yet to be determined. I’ll keep you posted.
Since peanut butter holds the answer to most questions in life, I knew it needed to be part of this snack. I ended up with chewy, tart, wake-you-up bites that are simple enough to whip up even when you’re short on time or sleep deprived.
For the past several months, our Sunday afternoons have had a distinct rhythm: the Beast watches football while I bake, go to the gym, or otherwise do things that keep me away from the television so I don’t get bored out of my mind. As soon as football comes up on the TV, I instantly check out. It’s not a conscious decision, I just find it absolutely impossible to pay attention to what’s going on in the game. Even when the Minnesota Vikings are doing well (which, granted, has happened maybe once in the past 5 years), I can’t seem to latch on to the momentum and pretend to be a fair weather fan. Sometimes I wish I could feel the rush of game-day joy, because according to my Facebook feed, people get pretty pumped up. Although cheering and screaming at the TV may not be my cup of tea, I DO support drinking beer and eating dip, so I can definitely get on board with Superbowl Sunday.
I also support Beyonce. Can we also talk about how FIERCE she was on Sunday? I especially loved when her Destiny’s Child bandmates flew onstage for a mini reunion…What’s up, 7th and 8th grade flashbacks? Football has never kept me at the edge of my seat like that.
Speaking of fierce…this dip. It’s insane. Spicy, cheesy, creamy, but packed with protein and way lower in all the naughty things you associate with standard spinach artichoke dip. I could easily eat this dip with chips and toasty bread for every meal of every day for the rest of my existence. Or at least until I get over my spinach artichoke phase, but it’s been going strong for like 15 years, so chances are it’s here to stay.
Don’t worry, there’s still enough cheese in this dip to make you swoon. I replaced some of the creamy elements (usually mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese), with healthier substitutes (silken tofu and Greek yogurt), but the dip tastes just like an indulgent version you’d get at a restaurant. The Beast was skeptical when I took out the silken tofu, as most carnivores would be, but after his first chip dip I knew I had him hooked. The smell of bubbling cheese can’t keep anyone away for long.
Simply pull the dip together in 15 minutes, bake it until bubbly and golden, and then eat it with chips, pita wedges, as a spread on sandwiches and pizza, or just by the spoonful straight from the dish. You might even end up eating half the pan in one night, but that’d be ridiculous…
A creamy, spicy spinach artichoke dip lightened up with Greek yogurt and silken tofu.
Author: Katie of Veggie and the Beast
Recipe type: Appetizer, Snack, Healthy
Serves: 9-12
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ yellow onion, chopped
12-ounce bag frozen artichokes, thawed and roughly chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
4 cups fresh spinach (1 5-ounce container)
3 ounces light cream cheese, softened
12 ounces soft silken tofu
½ cup 2% plain Greek yogurt
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ounces feta, crumbled
2 ounces parmesan, shredded
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large saucepan. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the onion and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add the artichokes, jalapeno and ½ teaspoon salt, then cook until the artichokes are soft, around 4 minutes. Pour in the spinach and cook until it starts to wilt.
In a food processor, pulse together the tofu and cream cheese until smooth. Pour into another bowl, then add the Greek yogurt, cheese, and the remaining salt and spices. Mix the artichoke and spinach into the cheese mixture, then pour into a lightly greased 9-inch pie pan or casserole dish.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 5, then turn the oven on broil and continue to bake for 3 more minutes, until the top becomes golden.
Let sit for 10 minutes before digging in, then serve with chips, bread, or veggies.
