Tae-ro Lee and his wife Hee-sook Lee were known for popularizing soondubu jigae, a spicy, red silken-tofu stew, and building a restaurant empire in L.A. that has expanded to 11 locations across Southern California, Texas and the East Coast.
The American Heart Association recommendations emphasize eating more plant-based protein instead of meat and drinking less alcohol, contradicting the recent food pyramid updates that suggest increased red meat and whole milk consumption.
These tiny packages pack a nutritional punch-so much so that the advisory committee for the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommended upping the daily serving size of legumes and promoting them as a protein source over meat and seafood. Navy beans, for example, are especially fiber-dense, and lentils are protein powerhouses.
We are not moving away from making plant-based meat. This is a strategic expansion of our portfolio into additional protein categories. We start at the farm with clean and simple, non-GMO ingredients like yellow peas, red lentils and faba beans. We love clean protein and fiber.
Soaked and blended, cashews become a stand-in for heavy cream, keeping stuffed shells, soups, pasta sauces, and desserts luxuriously dairy-free. Toasted and roughly chopped, they add crunch to salads, curries, stir-fries, and more. There are so many reasons to love cooking with these seeds-that's right, "cashew nut" is technically a misnomer, since they grow outside the fruit rather than inside a hard shell like true nuts.
Sometimes all you need is to curl up on the couch with a big bowl of pasta, wearing an old sweatshirt that can handle a little tomato-sauce splatter. After all, it's comfort food with a heavy emphasis on the comfort - all carbs and sauce and warm, full feelings. But what if you could get that same satisfaction with the added benefit of a little protein boost with just one easy swap? All you have to do is reach for a box of edamame pasta.
Vegan meats are known to be a hit or miss. They're either a total surprise that makes you double-check whether you're not accidentally eating the real thing, or a massive disappointment that leaves a regretful dent in your wallet, given the average price of plant-based meat substitutes. In all fairness, certain types of meat are difficult to replicate, bacon being one of them. The thin texture and the smoky flavor are hard to make from plants alone.
Over the years, I've become a huge fan of tofu. Here's a way to prepare it that I can't get enough of: crispy tofu! It's easy to make and comes out perfectly seasoned, with extra crunchy edges and a tender interior. I love that there's no need to press the tofu in this recipe, making it quick and easy for weeknight dinners! It's actually pretty amazing that it can go from a bland blog to meaty, savory cubes in just 20 minutes.
A true one-pot meal, this Indian-spiced rice is made with store-bought spicy simmer sauce, paired with tofu and cauliflower. It's hearty, filling and you can load it up with a range of herbs or crunchy nuts as toppings. We are staying in a little loft in San Francisco right now, trying to find our next place to live. The kitchen is tiny: two electric burners, a microwave, roughly 2 feet of counter space.
Need an easy lunch or dinner idea? Try brown lentils! Alex and I love eating lentils for lunches or dinners, since they're full of plant-based protein and keep us full for hours afterwards. This brown lentils recipe results in perfectly seasoned, tender lentils. You can eat them as-is, or add them as a component to tacos, salads, and more. They're a simple protein that makes an easy vegan recipe or healthy dinner!
