Plant-Based Meats: Hearty, High-Protein Recipes for Vegans, Flexatarians, and Curious Carnivores

Opening with a strong, persuasive argument for going meatless without getting into the weeds of food politics or a debate about vegan vs. vegetarian diets, cooking teacher Asbell (Great Bowls of Food) does a fine job of making meatless meals approachable and enticing: “The biggest myth is that you can’t get protein without animal-based foods, “Asbell writes. “Forget that. Protein is in everything from spinach to bananas.” Asbell shows how vegan versions of hot dogs (made with tofu, carrots, and miso paste), hamburgers (with seitan and wheat gluten), baloney (firm tofu, beet powder), empanadas, and bulgogi ribs (wheat gluten and yeast) can be just as flavorful and satisfying as the real thing. Asbell provides plenty of recipes that can be prepared in an hour or less and with ingredients that can be easily found. While meatless pepperoni and bacon formed from king trumpet mushrooms might be best reserved for weekend cooking, walnut cauliflower beef for tacos, a mushroom paté, and seitan Kung Pao stir fry are ready in half an hour. Asbell’s surprisingly doable recipes are perfect for those interested in creating meaty-feeling meals with vegetables. [em](Nov.) [/em]