Continuing the 10 tips for protein-rich vegan meals, here are #6-10.

Man cannot live on bread alone | Pic by 4028mdk09 (wikicommons)

My husband is Italian – both sets of his grandparents were immigrants – and we love the cuisine of the homeland. However, as a vegan, my experience in Italian restaurants has mostly been to savor the aromas, but subsist on bread, olive oil – hold the parm – and some kind of salad, though not a Caesar (got to watch those anchovies in authentic Caesar dressings, never mind the raw/coddled egg). Occasionally, I’ll order a veggie pasta dish, resigning myself to a carb-fest. But recently, we went to La Bella Italia on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach (there is another location in Red Mill) where they have recently introduced an entire vegan menu. Many of the dishes contain little protein to speak of and are simply meat- and dairy-free items extracted from their regular menu. However, several dishes are made with Gardein, a vegan “chicken” substitute. I chose the Marsala which was smothered with mushrooms and a delectable wine sauce, served with a side of perfectly sauteed zucchini, red bell pepper and onion. I will be back repeatedly. Another “bella,” Bella Pizza (Norfolk), along with Red Dog Saloon, also in Norfolk, and zPizza, a franchise with three area locations, are all proud to offer vegan cheeses on their savory pies. Try them all and see which has the best melt-stretch factor.

Silver Diner (pic | warninglifecontent.blogspot.com)

#9 GO UPSCALE.

We have many lovely up-market restaurants in Hampton Roads with chefs who – especially if you call in advance with your request – are more than happy to accommodate vegans. The trick is to make sure that your custom meal contains protein. Earlier this year, at one of Norfolk’s finest, I made reservations through Open Table online and specified in the “notes” section that I was a vegan seeking a meal with protein. I was served a beautiful and flavorful vegetable dish – kind of a stack of mushrooms and roasted tomatoes with something green – completely devoid of protein. Those who do understand that there should be some kind of protein on the plate often choose rice or pasta, which, to my way of thinking, is much more of a carbohydrate and fairly high in calories. If seitan, tempeh, or tofu isn’t an option – and it usually isn’t – I would recommend specifying beans or legumes to be added to your meal.

Local artist's rendition of Path Norfolk | Pic by Walt Taylor

Whereas just a few weeks ago, with exactly one restaurant, Quenn’s Raw and Vegan, comprising the list of all-vegan restaurants in Hampton Roads, we can now proudly add one more: Path Norfolk. Quenn’s, located in the Ocean View section of Norfolk, offers delicious food in an attractive setting. Think you don’t like raw? Think again. The elusive flavor explosions in your mouth are likely to prevent you from even thinking about whether the food has been cooked or not. I have not yet visited Path Norfolk, recently opened in a little house with lots of character in the Ghent section of Norfolk, but it is on my list for the next time business takes me in that direction. Their breakfasts, lunch sandwiches and dinner special offerings make my heart beat just a little faster.

I’m all for making reservations, but if you are in the mood to make dinner, I invite you to consider purchasing my new cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (Vegan Heritage Press, 2011). You can obtain the book at these fine booksellers: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Courthouse Galleries Gift Shop (Portsmouth), and Prince Books (Norfolk). If libraries are more your scene, please ask your local library to consider purchasing the book. And if you happen to live outside the local area and like to purchase books from a brick-and-mortar bookseller, please contact me to request a trade sheet that you can print out and take to whomever you wish with a request to carry the book.

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