In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, frugal living, global food crisis, food safety, public health and the staggeringly huge impact of meat/livestock production on climate change/resource depletion.
Where the environment is concerned, eating meat is like driving a 16-wheeler and leaving the engine running all the time. Eating a vegetarian diet is like riding a motorbike, and eating a vegan diet is like riding a bicycle.
the average vegan uses about one-sixth of an acre of land to satisfy his or her food requirements for an entire year; the average vegetarian requires about three times as much land; and the average meat-eater requires about 20 times as much land.
It takes about four times as much water to feed a vegetarian as it does to feed a vegan and 14 times as much water to feed a meat-eater.
Macca's Meatless Monday/Meatless Advocates is a solution oriented activist group, with solutions for some of the most pressing issues of our time including: climate change, global food/water insecurity and public health. Here we don't just talk about the severity of the crisis. Armed with knowledge about how our actions can contribute we become part of the solution.
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney(Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle music!
This is the time of year for a fresh start and a renewal of commitments to ourselves, to the betterment of society and to the world we inhabit. At no other time in our species history have we been at a crossroads where the survival of the web of life on our planet has been so vulnerable and so dependent on our individual actions. We now know that the most effective action that individuals can take to mitigate climate change is to reduce meat consumption.
If you've already participating in Meatless Monday and want to increase your participation you might check out Treehugger's founder Graham Hill's solution and become a weekday vegetarian.
You can also take further action by helping to get your school or campus on board here.
Learn how to get your community on board here.
Know of a restaurant that might like to participate? Find out how to help them come on board here.
Finding recipes that make a move to meatless meals easy is the key to a successful transition. So here each Monday we share recipes and give tips to make your commitment a piece of (vegan) cake.
So on to the food!
VEGETARIAN MEATLOAF
You don't have to give up this comfort food to stick to your New Year's resolution. h/t Treehugger
1 12 ounce pkg. vegetarian burger crumbles
1 cup barbecue sauce (halved) or use favorite ketchup
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup bread crumbs with Romano cheese
1 large egg, beaten organic, free roaming
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley or tablespoon fresh, minced
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon basil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine 1/2 cup barbeque sauce and all other ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Transfer to a lightly greased 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 45 minutes. Pour remaining 1/2 cup barbecue over vegetarian meatloaf, and bake an additional 15 minutes.
GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
Got to have mashers with meatloaf..right?
1 pound of russet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter (I use Earth Balance vegan butter)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole milk or use unsweetened soy milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Peel the russet potatoes and store them in cold water. This prevents them from browning. If you happen to like that rustic look (I do!) then leaves some of the skin on.
Cut the potatoes into equal-sized pieces and place in a large pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes. Salt the water and bring it to a boil.
Simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until a fork inserted into the potato meets no resistance. If the potato holds to the fork, they need to cook longer.
Drain them immediately when done,
Mince the garlic and cook it in a skillet along with two tablespoons of butter over a medium-low heat until it becomes aromatic, about 5 minutes.
Add half of the cooked russet potatoes to a large mixing bowl along with the remaining tablespoon of butter, the garlic mixture and one-half cup of whole soy milk.
Mash and salt and pepper to taste.
CHICKPEA CREPES with LEEKS
I love chickpea crepes! This is variation of a traditional Indian pancake called pudla A fab gulten free crepe h/t Mat McDermott
1 cup chickpea flour
1 cup water
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp turmeric
1/2 leek, thinly sliced
2 tbsp cilantro, coarsely chopped
For the batter:
Sift the chickpea flour into a mixing bowl and add the spices. Stir to evenly distribute them.
Add the oil into the mixture.
Slowly pour in the water.
The goal is to have a pourable batter of medium thickness, so you may have to add a little more or less water depending on the chickpea flour you're using. If you end up making the batter too watery, just add small amounts of additional chickpea flour until the consistency seems right.
Add the leeks and chopped cilantro, and thoroughly mix.
Let the batter rest for 10-15 minutes.
Cooking the crepes:
Brush a 6-7" non-stick frying pan with oil, heat over medium-high heat.
When hot, pour about a 4-5" dollop of the batter into the middle of the pan and immediately start spreading it to the edges with a spatula.
Cook the crepe for a few minutes, until small bubbles or pores form throughout the crepe and you can see it losing its liquid texture. Loosen around the edges to free the crepe and cook for a few seconds more.
Using a flat metal spatula carefully flip the crepe over. Cook for a few more minutes on this side, loosening the crepe partway through so it can be flipped out of the pan when done.
Makes four crepes at this size pan. Allot one or two per person, accompanied by a vegetable dish such as Red Cabbage with Mustard Seeds & Coconut and rice. They're also good as a light savory snack by themselves with some sort of chutney or raita to dip in.
RED CABBAGE with MUSTARD SEEDS and COCONUT
Great with crepes above h/t Mat McDermott serves 4 as side
1 medium-sized red cabbage
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
3 tbsp shredded coconut
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sea salt
Core and shred the cabbage.
In a large pot or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the mustard seeds. Cook them until they start popping.
After the seeds have stopped popping, add the shredded cabbage and stir fry for several minutes.
When the cabbage has softened slightly, but is still somewhat crispy, add the coconut, turmeric, and sea salt. Stir to thoroughly mix.
Cook the cabbage for a few minutes more. I prefer the cabbage to still have some crunch, but how long you cook it is really up to your taste.
CUCUMBER MINT RIATA
Delish with crepes above serves 8
1 large unpeeled English hothouse cucumber, halved, seeded, coarsely grated
2 cups plain whole-milk yogurt or use Tofutti vegan sour cream
1/4 cup (packed) chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon plus pinch of cayenne pepper
Wrap grated cucumber in kitchen towel and squeeze dry. Whisk yogurt, mint, cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add cucumbers and toss to coat. Season raita to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.) Sprinkle raita with pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.
BANANA COCONUT FRENCH TOAST
A fantastic vegan french toast!
2 ripe bananas
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 loaf bread (I used whole wheat)
Coconut oil (optional)
Place all ingredients, well except for the bread, into a food processor or blender. Blend well.
Pour the batter into shallow bowl and let chill in the refrigerator.
Cut the bread into thick slices.
Heat a pan or griddle over a medium-high heat and brush it with the coconut oil. If you don't have coconut oil you can use any basic cooking oil. Please don't use olive oil as it will give the toast a funky taste.
Individually dip each bread slice into the batter so that the bread is fully coated.
Place the bread slices onto the griddle and cook until golden brown on each side.
Add your favorite toppings and enjoy!
"Revolution" The Beatles
"I've Got A Feeling" The Beatles
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle music here! Happy New Year All!