High-Protein Cooking Workshops—and a Cold Pasta Salad

This week, I started hosting cooking workshops at home.

It's one of the best decisions I've made in the past year.

Alongside my work in digital services and content strategy for businesses, I also have training in sports nutrition from Wingate College (an Israeli college specializing in physical education and sports).

Don't get me wrong: working with big food companies is great, and the pay isn't bad either. But—and this may sound a little cheesy—I missed being able to make a difference in people's everyday lives. I wanted to talk with people who are struggling to lose weight or build muscle, and who feel a little lost when it comes to vegan nutrition and sports.

That's why I started teaching cooking workshops.

My workshops give me a chance to teach people how to cook delicious, nourishing, satisfying vegan food while explaining, as simply as possible, what to eat to support their goals. Getting leaner, working toward visible abs, building muscle—you get the idea.

Keep an eye on the workshops page here on the blog, because spots are filling up fast.

One thing I cover in the workshop is the benefit of pairing legumes with whole grains: it's a simple way to get more protein into a single meal.

Case in point: this cold pasta salad with plenty of green beans, roasted peppers, and lentils, all tossed in tahini dressing. Simple food. Seriously good.

It's a hearty, satisfying meal that's easy to make ahead in a big batch and pack for work or school.

I use whole wheat pasta here, which generally has more protein than regular pasta. Along with the lentils and tahini, it gives this unassuming salad a surprisingly substantial protein boost.

______________________________________________

When should you eat it?

A serving makes a great lunch, with plenty of quality, low-glycemic carbohydrates to help you feel full and energized through the day—and ready for an evening workout.

_______________________________________________

Nutrition information provided by Noam Bachar (an Israeli clinical dietitian and fitness trainer).

One serving of pasta salad (out of 3) contains:

470 calories

60 g carbohydrates

22 g protein

11 g fat (including 2 g saturated fat)

16 g dietary fiber

I wouldn't say no to this for lunch.

Cold Pasta Salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Yield 3 servings

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) whole wheat pasta
• 2 cups cooked green lentils — 300 g (10.6 oz) See cooking instructions below.
• 1 cup frozen green beans, thawed 100 g (3.5 oz)
• 3 large red bell peppers or 9 small peppers

For the Dressing

• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Handful chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whole-seed tahini (not prepared tahini sauce)
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Roast the peppers:
3. Preheat the oven to 200–250°C (400–480°F). Place the peppers on a baking sheet and roast for about 5–10 minutes, until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
   
4. Make the dressing:
5. In a small bowl, stir together all the dressing ingredients until smooth and fairly thin.
6. In a large bowl, toss all the salad ingredients with the dressing and serve.

A Few Notes

How do you cook lentils?

Place the lentils in a deep pot and add enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 10–15 minutes.

There's no need to salt the cooking water.