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Food for Thought Friday: sneaky proteins (for hungry humans) šŸ”
 
Hello hello,

Letā€™s talk about protein! Itā€™s a building block of life and thus a crucial part of any diet, and yet - even typing that word feels like dropping an uncomfortably loaded dietary topic: How much protein do we really need? Is it overhyped?

I honestly have no idea, as I'm not a doctor or nutritionist, so Iā€™ll just speak from my own experience which is that:
  1. For me, having some protein in a meal at least twice a day helps keep me feeling full for noticeably longer than when I donā€™t have it.  
  2. Different people seem to have very different needs, and I think it varies individually through life stages as well. For example - I am very satisfied by two eggs (and a bunch of veggies) in the morning, followed by a small helping of protein later in the day, whereas my husband wants/needs to eat a full pound of meat (or more), at least every other day to feel satisfied. And he doesnā€™t really like eggs - alas! ... very different protein needs and preferences.

When I was single and living alone, I could make one "big meat" for myself (a whole chicken, some kind of roast, or maybe just a pack of sausages) and that plus my morning eggs would be enough protein for me for the entire week. Nowadays, one whole chicken only lasts us 1.5 meals, as my husband can easily eat half a chicken in one sitting! šŸ¤£

As you might guess, this has thrown off my entire cooking system. My previous cooking habits do not keep up with his protein intake at all, and so we are still in process of figuring out a new cooking routine that feels easy and satisfying for both of us.

One way Iā€™ve been attempting to help meet our protein needs is with what Iā€™ve come to think of as "sneaky proteins" - easy sources of protein that donā€™t require as much planning or cooking time as meat.

Admittedly, these tend to satisfy my protein needs more than my husbandā€™s (he just really prefers red meat), but I like to think they help his protein cravings a littleā€¦ or at least they allow me to let him eat more of the "big meat" we make so we don't have to cook it so often šŸ˜‚.

So, today I thought I'd share three of my "sneaky proteins," in case these also help you with your protein conundrums!

1) Smoked Salmon
 This has always been a go-to purchase for me when I donā€™t have time to cook, because it doesnā€™t require any cooking! I love making smoked salmon toast, or putting it in a lox-inspired salad with avocado and lemon. It lasts at least a week in the fridge, and though itā€™s a little bit pricey, I think itā€™s worth it every once in a while for the convenience and "special" feeling I get when I eat it! (Luckily my husband really likes this one too.) Trader Joeā€™s and Whole Foods both have slightly-more-affordable, wild smoked salmon that comes in a large pack. Some of my favorite combos:

  • Smoked salmon, mashed avocado, and pickled or fermented veggies on toast, sprinkled with furikake
  • Smoked salmon, pickled onions, cream cheese or goat cheese, and dill/herbs on toast
  • Lettuce salad topped with smoked salmon, capers, onions (raw or pickled red onions), tomatoes, ricotta, feta, or goat cheese (or avocado), lemon juice and olive oil

2) Anchovies: Really good for you and a sustainable, affordable, no-cook fish purchase that also packs a flavor punch, I have been using these more often lately to add more protein to our evening meals. "Blended into things" is the best way to give anchovies a shot if you arenā€™t sure about them!

Caesar salad is an obvious choice (my recipes here), but recently Iā€™ve also been adding anchovies to my green sauce (recipe here, just add a few anchovies). They make for a punchier version and blend in super well!

This week I also made a KILLER pasta that I loaded with anchovies. I ate half of it for lunch and then it was so good that I ate the other half, that same night, cold out of the tupperware while I was making dinner!

I gently sautƩed a small red onion and a few cloves of garlic in olive oil until soft, then added a whole jar of anchovies and my favorite slow-roasted tomatoes (I make my own, but sun-dried tomatoes in oil are a close substitute). I mushed the anchovies into the sauce with a wooden spoon until they melted in, and then added a bunch of chopped (dandelion) greens and a few drops of water to let them steam before mixing this all together with the pasta. Topped with fresh microplaned parmesan. OMG IT WAS SO YUMMMM.

a pretty terrible photo of my AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS pasta:

3) Protein powder in my bulletproof coffee

I wanted to include an option for my vegetarian friends, so in addition to two casual suggestions: the lupini beans mentioned in last Fridayā€™s email, and another plug for my favorite lentil recipe, I figure I should tell you about the recipe where I sneak in my sneakiest protein of all: my bulletproof coffee!

One of my favorite weekend routines (especially during covid when there was nothing to do) is getting up super early on the weekend, making this bulletproof coffee, drinking it in the car while I drive to my favorite hike, and starting my hike at sunrise before anyone else arrives!

I still love this weekend escape, but now I make bulletproof coffee every other week just to change up my coffee routine, or really any time I want to feel extra cozy and luxurious - which is how bulletproof coffee makes me feel! I started drinking bulletproof coffee because it tastes delicious, and have since found it very convenient when I want some calories to start the day but donā€™t have time to make breakfast. The original bulletproof recipe doesnā€™t include protein powder, but I started adding it because of my personal preference for protein in the morning to help keep me full much longer for the rest of the day.

I use collagen protein, which I like because itā€™s totally flavorless and dissolves really easily... but collagen can only be found from animal sources, so if youā€™re vegetarian or vegan, youā€™d want to use a different kind of protein powder here. (Full disclosure: I probably started buying collagen originally because it was trendy and truly I know nothing about protein powders. Personally, I am really NOT into protein powder as a thing. I generally prefer to get my protein from whole foods. This is literally the only occasion/recipe in which I use protein powder, and I have only tried these collagen ones, so I canā€™t speak to the flavors of vegetarian or vegan protein powders. There are so many options these days, though, Iā€™m sure there are plenty vegan/veg ones that would work well in this recipe if you prefer that!)

This takes only slightly longer to make than my usual pour-over coffee routine. Iā€™ve also made this with Pu-erh tea instead of coffee, and that version is also super delicious, so tea-only-drinkers, you should try this too! I havenā€™t tried it yet, but I bet this recipe would also taste wonderful using caffeine-free masala chai instead of coffee. (This Smith Tea is my current favorite black + Pu-erh tea blend, and the Diaspora chai spice blend is my latest morning mix-it-up drink, made using their recipe here - for caffeine-free you'd just leave out the black tea!)

Hereā€™s how I make my bulletproof, for 12-14 oz of coffee:

GPJ Bulletproof Coffee

Ingredients:
  • about 12-14 oz freshly-brewed coffee (or hot pu-erh tea, or hot caffeine-free chai)
  • at least 2 tablespoons butter (grass-fed preferably), salted is fine
  • at least 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • healthy pinch of salt (this makes it taste WAY BETTER, trust me!)
  • 1 scoop unflavored collagen protein powder (like this one)
  • optional but recommended: ~1 tablespoon cacao (powder), Diaspora Co Anamalai Cacao highly recommended
  • optional: dash of cinnamon
  • optional: sweetener of your choice to taste (I don't use any but you could!)

Equipment: I use this tall stainless steel cup plus an immersion blender (and strongly recommend these two tools!) for super quick cleanup - just rinse in hot water immediately! You could also use a blender if you prefer.

Instructions:
  1. Start making coffee the usual way you make it. If using tea or chai, make that / let brew. For me the coffee is a pour over, so I start by heating up my water, grinding my coffee beans, and wetting my paper filter over a mug, then proceeding to the next step...
  2. Add all other ingredients - butter, coconut oil, salt, protein powder, cacao, cinnamon - to tall blending cup (or blender). I always eye-ball the measurements, you donā€™t need to be super exact here.
  3. If doing pour over, set it up atop the metal cup and proceed to make coffee as usual, which allows the butter/coconut oil to melt as the coffee brews. If using a different coffee brewing method or making tea/chai, simply pour the prepared hot beverage overtop all the other ingredients and give it a minute to allow the butter + coconut oil to melt.
  4. Blend on high for 30 seconds-1 minute until well blended. (If using metal cup, you'll want to hold it with an oven mitt as it will get hot.) It should be frothy after you blend it!
  5. Pour into a mug and enjoy!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy one or all of these sneaky protein suggestions!

Love,
Jess

PS. Some other sneaky proteins I like are also fish: sardines, and these actually-delicious tinned sofrito mussels by Patagonia Provisions, which I buy when they occasionally go on sale at grocery stores.

All photos are taken by me and recipes written by me, unless otherwise noted.

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Hi, I'm Jess! I help health-conscious, busy people transform their cooking from chore to lifestyle through intuitive cooking, which I teach through online classes, free content, coaching and more. This is my newsletter, Food for Thought Fridays, where I share highly actionable tips and inspiration to help you cook more intuitively (which makes cooking feel easier and SO much more fun!). Once a month or more, I share a recipe that's really worth making, and I only share those with my email subscribers. Sometimes the text above may include affiliate links, meaning (at no additional cost to you) I get a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me to continue to share free content, so I would love it if you buy through my link! Thank you for supporting Garlic Press Jess!

    I currently work + live on land that is the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. And I can't wait to eat at Cafe Ohlone when they reopen someday! Check out this article about them.


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