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.