The interest in the importance of protein consumption is rising among people seeking a healthy diet. In the past, many people thought that you should completely cut out the amount of food and fat intake, no matter the nutrients! Today, however, as research showed that there’s a higher chance of people who consume a moderate amount of protein to lose more weight than those who don’t at all, the consumption of protein has begun to be considered crucial among ‘dieters.’ In addition, the lack of protein leads to unhealthy conditions, such as muscle loss, hair loss, and increase in cholesterol levels, so it’s important to consume the daily recommended amount of protein every day.
It’s easy to think that only foods like meat, dairy products, and eggs contain protein. But in fact, you can consume a lot of protein by eating vegetables! One of the best examples of vegetables containing an abundant amount of protein is spinach. There is 4.15g of protein per 100g of spinach! Spinach is also rich in essential amino acids like lysine and tryptophan, so it can help strengthen the immune system and prevent muscle loss.
Bean sprouts are one of the protein-rich vegetables as well. The bean sprouts’ heads contain as much as 4.64g of protein per 100g. Kale, renowned for being a superfood, also has about 3.11g of protein per 100g! It’s best to eat kale raw in order to consume all of its various nutrients, including protein, but you can also enjoy it as a healthy drink by blending it with fruits containing vitamin C or as a sautéed dish by lightly stir-frying it in plant-based oil for a tasty and nutritious meal.
Another vegetable that’s rich in protein is cabbage. Red cabbage, especially, contains more protein than white cabbage, at 1.4g of protein per 100g. Considering that red cabbage has a lot more plant-based protein, such as lysine and polyphenol, and vitamin C than white cabbage, it would be a smart choice to choose red cabbage when you’re planning to cook a cabbage dish, don’t you think?
Despite such benefits, a lot of people refrain from purchasing cabbage because of its large amount, and it’s difficult for them to finish it before it goes bad. Many of you probably have experience of buying cabbage and having to throw it away because you couldn’t use it all before it wilted! If you’re looking for a delicious and quick way to use the healthy red cabbage without having to worry about having leftovers, try making the popular Japanese food, okonomiyaki, with it. You’ll find yourself going through the whole red cabbage in no time once you start making the delicious okonomiyaki one by one, just like you would when you’re making the Korean pancake recipe!
Julienne the red cabbage, onion, and large green onion.
Prep the shrimps by removing the heads and shells. Make sure to devein them as well.
Cut the bacon strips into small pieces.
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the red cabbage, onion, large green onion, shrimps, bacon, egg, flour, minced garlic, cooking wine, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together until the mixture becomes thick.
Oil a heated frying pan and put the mixture onto the plate to spread with enough thickness.
Heat the mixture over medium heat. When the bottom of the okonomiyaki has cooked to a certain point, flip it over. Reduce the heat to low heat.
Continue cooking the okonomiyaki over low heat for approximately 5 more minutes, maintaining a round shape.
Once the okonomiyaki is fully cooked, turn the heat up high and cook further until the surface turns golden.
Transfer the completed okonomiyaki onto a plate and spread some tonkatsu sauce of your preference on top. Sprinkle the Katsuobushi on top and finish off with a drizzle of mayonnaise so that the finished look resembles the shape of a beehive.
Recipe Note
· You may add other vegetables to your liking. · Consider adding well-ripened kimchi to the okonomiyaki mixture, after lightly washing it and removing moisture.
