Meatless Monday

We've already talked about the importance of eating locally.  After a season of enjoying the flavorful difference in locally grown & organic produce, I feel the choice to be a no-brainer:  I get superior taste and freshness, the local farming industry gets a boost and my household carbon footprint is lessened.  In fact, I've been feeling a bit smug until I had a chat with my friend who has been a vegetarian since Oprah had her run-in with the cattle industry.  She pointed out that, not only was some beef raised under questionable conditions, but that it was a major contributor to greenhouse gasses.  Recently, Carnegie Mellon researchers said: "We suggest that dietary shift can be a more effective means of lowering an average household's food-related climate footprint than 'buying local.' Shifting less than one day per week's worth of calories from red meat and dairy products to chicken, fish, eggs, or a vegetable-based diet achieves more GHG reduction than buying all locally sourced food."

I've been hearing about Meatless Mondays but was surprised to learn that it was the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that came up with idea to support their "Food will Win the War" campaign in 1917!  Back then, they needed the food to feed our soldiers overseas.  These days, we wage war on our dependence on foreign oil AND global warming.  In her 1971 book, Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappé states that "it is possible to implement an end to the gross waste of literally millions of tons of high-grade protein" and "to enjoy nutritionally sound protein from the richer and far more abundant sources that the earth provides."  Eating meatless one day a week also has significant health benefits.  All that is well and good, but at the end of a busy day, it has to be a dish that is quick to get on the table and the family has to like it! I'm going to commit to Meatless Mondays and to posting good recipes when I come across them.  Here's one I tried last week which I found in the Sept. '08 issue of bon appétit (p.64).

Quinoa with Black Beans and Cilantro
4 TO 6 SERVINGS
PREP: 25 MINUTES TOTAL: 40 MINUTES
Recipe by the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen
September 2008
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups chopped white onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 cup quinoa,* rinsed, drained
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup water
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
Crumbled Cotija cheese or feta cheese (optional)
PREPARATION
Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and red pepper; sauté until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in next 4 ingredients. Add water; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until quinoa is almost tender, about 14 minutes. Add beans and 1/4 cup cilantro; cook uncovered until heated through and liquid is fully absorbed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cilantro and cheese, if desired.
*A grain with a delicate flavor and a texture similar to that of couscous; available at natural foods stores.
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
One serving contains the following:
Analysis is based on using 1 ounce crumbled Cotija cheese per serving.
Calories (kcal) 391.35
% Calories from Fat 30.3
Fat (g) 13.16
Saturated Fat (g) 5.07
Cholesterol (mg) 25.23
Carbohydrates (g) 53.04
Dietary Fiber (g) 10.24
Total Sugars (g) 5.56
Net Carbs (g) 42.79
Protein (g) 16.20

Two notes:  1) I didn't have black beans so I substituted a can of Amy's medium chili (made with tofu) and it was wonderful, 2) this dish is a good way to sneak in more vegetables (zucchini, carrots) than is called for.

Plastics are Forever

We could all do with a little less plastic in our lives. All plastics are made from petroleum, a nonrenewable resource, and produced under extremely energy-intensive conditions. The matter is further complicated by the fact that nothing in nature, not even sunlight and oxygen, can break apart the bonds that hold plastic together, so they linger on our planet indefinitely. Rather than biodegrading, plastic photodegrades into dust, winding up in soil and in the air. In bodies of water, the plastic particles become a kind of toxic sponge, absorbing other harmful chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the pesticide DDT. Those particles then get eaten by fish, which wind up back on our dinner plates.

RECYCLING PLASTIC:
Despite the problems with plastic, virtually all types can be recycled and used a few times before losing integrity (when the material has become too weak to recycle any more). However, confusing municipal recycling laws and limited access to recyclers who accept all types of plastic have kept recycling rates low and the amount of plastic waste in landfills high--and getting higher. In 2006, a mere 6.9 percent of plastic garbage we generated was recycled.
On a positive note, more stores are beginning to accept plastic bags for recycling, and other companies are offering to take back used plastic products. For instance, Styrofoam packing peanuts can be taken to any UPS store for reuse, and Stonyfield Farm accepts all its #5 PP yogurt cups and tubs back, reselling them to Preserve, a company that manufactures toothbrushes and reusable plastic dishes from the discarded cups.


WE CAN ALL DO OUR PART TO REDUCE PLASTIC USE:
Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping:

-Do not buy/use single-use water bottles! Purchase reusable and widely available #2 plastic or stainless-steel bottles.

-Avoid single-use, non-recyclable disposable packaging, such as Styrofoam meat trays, and clam-shell containers. Instead buy items in bulk and portion them out into reusable containers.

-Buy food in glass or metal containers (both 100% recyclable) whenever possible.

-Take your plastic grocery bags to a local Wal-Mart or Whole Foods to be recycled or check to see if your local market recycles them.  Better yet, bring your own shopping bags with you wherever you go!

-Bring your own containers to restaurants, if you think you might have leftovers and don’t take plastic cutlery or condiment packets unless you really need them.

-Avoid plastic cooking tools; use stainless steel or wooden utensils instead.

-Buy household items, like detergent and cleaning supplies, in concentrated forms so that you get more product per package.

-Avoid all items wrapped in excessive packaging.

-Whenever possible look for products and packaging made from recycled materials. The higher the percentage of recycled content, the better.

-Pack school lunches in reusable containers and bags.

-Encourage your favorite coffee shops to provide reusable containers and enjoy your cup of coffee sitting down!

-Always recycle the plastics that you do use either at the recycling center, Swap-Shop or with ML FreeMarket. Example: toys, furniture, garden supplies.

By consistently following just a few of these suggestions you will make a difference!

Green Remodeling

Did you know there now are guidelines for green remodeling?  Clicking the box above will take you to the website for the U.S. Green Building Council which will help you understand things like LEED-certification and hydronic heating systems.  Their 2008 Residential Guidelines can be found here.  More and more new homes are being built with energy conservation and health in mind.  A green remodeling project will not only reduce your energy consumption (and, eventually save you money), it can also make your home more competitive should you decide to put it on the market.  You win, the U.S. wins, and the world wins!