Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 c fresh cilantro, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

cayenne, salt, and pepper to taste

Breadcrumbs (buy at store or make your own – toast whole-grain bread until dry, then pulse in food processor)

Whole-wheat hamburger buns

To do:

* Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease grill pan, or cookie sheet if you prefer to use your oven.

* Pulse beans in food processor until mashed well, or mash manually using a potato masher or fork.

* Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in cilantro and spices, plus salt and pepper.

* Add breadcrumbs as necessary until the mixture can be handled and isn’t terribly sticky, about 1/4 cup.

* If after 1/4 cup it’s still too sticky and difficult to work with, refrigerate 5 to 10 minutes

* Shape mixture into three patties.

* Lightly spray each patty with cooking spray and grill or bake 7 minutes.

* Flip, re-spray,and bake 7-10 minutes more until crisp on the outside and thoroughly warm.

* Serve immediately on buns, along with lettuce, tomatoes, and whatever other condiments you prefer.

Note: This recipe makes three burgers; double to make six.

(Photo courtesy of The Happy Herbivore Cookbook, p. 87)

Related Posts:

Meatless Monday: Here’s How You Can Do It

Want to be Almost Meatless? These Cookbooks Can Help

Charcoal is Out. What’s In – And Eco?

The post For July 4th, How About These Veggie Burgers? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

The Jewish holiday of Passover begins April 10, 2017 and ends April 18. Here are nine ways you can  celebrate this meaningful holiday while keeping true to your environmental values and supporting a more sustainable food system, with thanks to Danielle Nierenberg, the president of Food Tank (learn more below).

Sustainable Passover Seder

1. Don’t Cook Too Much! 
There’s something about a holiday that can drive people to buy and prepare way too much food. Before you shop, plan your menu so that you’ll serve a totally satisfying meal without overdoing it. Here are some  good portion planning tools you can use.

2. Serve Local and Sustainably Grown Food at Your Seder Table
The Seder table is a perfect place to incorporate locally grown food.

For your charoset, a fruit and nut paste symbolizing brick and mortar, try buying locally grown or organic apples and fair-trade pecans.

For your Seder plate, look for pasture-raised meat, eggs, and dairy products.

Shop at farmers markets or buy from the “local” produce sections in your grocery store. Wherever possible, support farmers who are committed to sustainable practices in agriculture.

3. Unplug During Chol Hamoed
Spend leisure time with your family outdoors during the days of Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days between the festivals of Passover) instead of watching TV or using electronic entertainment.

By taking an occasional rest from energy-intensive activities, you can save thousands of tons of carbon emissions a year (and burn off a few calories of your own).

According to Dr. Laura Iraci of the Earth Science Division at the NASA/Ames Research Center, one hour of TV watching produces 54 kilograms of carbon dioxide, which is more than the 11 kilograms of carbon dioxide produced by burning one gallon of gasoline.

4. Make Passover Eve a Meatless Monday
In 2017, Passover Eve and the night of the first Seder falls on a Monday. Try using this opportunity to go meatless for at least one of the Seders.

Industrial meat produced on huge factory farms is the number-one contributor to greenhouse gases. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports that the production, processing, and distribution of meat requires huge amounts of pesticides, fertilizer, fuel, feed, and water.  EWG also found that red meat is responsible for 10 to 40 times as many greenhouse gas emissions as vegetables and grains.

Need Some Meatless Monday Recipes? Try these for:
Grilled Tofu Salad
Zucchini Frittata
Quick Cauliflower Couscous

5. Eat Ugly
Globally, we have a substantial wasted produce problem: 20 to 40 percent of all produce goes uneaten, mostly because it does not meet strict grocer cosmetic standards for size, shape, or color. A variety of grocery stores sells this “ugly” produce, including Whole Foods and Giant Eagle.

Farmers markets sell “seconds” at a discount. You can peel away the bruised skin or rind without losing much of the actual food. Use produce that’s slightly past its prime in soups, stews and compotes – it will still be delicious and packed full of nutrients, and no one will know what it looked like before you cooked it!

6. Support Good Food Policies
Use dinner as an opportunity to discuss with friends and relatives how food should be a non-partisan issue. “Reduction of food losses and waste needs to be prioritized within political agendas,” says the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition. ReFED, a collaboration of business, nonprofit, and government leaders fighting food waste in the United States, recommends standardizing date labeling, increasing food donation tax incentives, and expanding best practices in food recycling.

Find out where your legislators stand on food issues by checking out this scorecard from Food Policy Action.

Don’t Miss: Three Best Ways to Reduce Food Waste

7. Offer, Don’t Serve
Even with careful planning, it’s hard to know how much people will eat. To allow for different sized appetites, let guests decide how much they want. Creating a buffet line or letting guests serve themselves at the table family-style can reduce what gets left behind on plates. 

8. Create New Innovative Meals From Holiday Leftovers
An important tenet of Judaism is “bal tashchit,” meaning not to waste. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly one-third of all food produced for human consumption—or approximately 1.3 billion tons—is lost or wasted each year.

This Passover, instead of throwing away uneaten food, incorporate leftovers into stir-fry dishes or stews, such as vegetarian cholent (a traditional Jewish stew).

Don’t lose track of leftovers by keeping them in glass see-through containers.

9. Use Doggy Bags and Donate to Food Kitchens
Encourage your guests to bring their own “doggy bags” or reusable food containers so they can take home leftovers if you can’t use them all. If your temple (or church) is hosting a community Seder, arrange in advance to donate leftovers to a soup kitchen or shelter.

Many thanks to Danielle Nierienberg, the President of Food Tank, for her original post on hosting a sustainable Passover Seder. Food Tank is a powerful advocate for just and sustainable agriculture. You can read more about them at FoodTank.com.

The post 9 Ways to Host a Sustainable Passover Seder appeared first on Big Green Purse.

“Superbugs” are not creepy crawly insects. They are bacterial organisms that can make you very sick. They’re called “superbugs” because they can’t easily be controlled with medicine. I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be eating superbugs with your burger!

According to research conducted by Consumer Reports, superbugs are proliferating in conventionally-produced ground beef. If that’s what you buy when you make a burger or other food with hamburger (like meat loaf or spaghetti sauce), you run the risk of getting so sick you could die.

That’s especially true if you like your burgers rare or medium-rare, and only cook them to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.

Consumer Reports tested the equivalent of 1,832 quarter-pounders, bought from 103 grocery, big-box and natural food stores in 26 cities across the U.S.

What they found is stunning: five types of bacteria: clostridium perfringens, E. coli, enterococcus, salmonella and staphylococcus aureus.

All of these bacteria can cause food poisoning.

But you should be concerned about more than an uncomfortable stomach ache.

One strain of E. coli can release a toxin that damages the lining of the intestine, often leading to abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhea, vomiting and in some cases, life-threatening kidney damage.

Between 2003 and 2012, there were almost 80 outbreaks of E. coli O157 due to tainted beef, sickening 1,144 people, putting 316 in the hospital and killing five, Consumer Reports’ analysis found.

“Ground beef was the source of the majority of those outbreaks,” said the non-profit research group.

⇒ And here’s the kicker.

“For every case of E. coli O157 that we hear about, we estimate that another 26 cases actually occur,” say the report’s authors.

Beef is the fourth most common cause of salmonella outbreaks—
one of the most common foodborne illnesses in the U.S.

For each reported illness caused by that bacteria, an estimated 29 other people are infected.

How Did Superbugs get So Super?

√ One reason the illnesses occur is because people are eating beef that they don’t cook well enough.

√ But the bigger problem is with the beef itself. Most beef is produced in “conventional” factory farm-type feedlots where the cattle are fattened up with grain and soy and fed antibiotics and other drugs to promote growth and prevent disease.

√ Ironically, these antibiotics encourage the bacteria that cause disease to develop a resistance to them.

√ The more antibiotics cattle are given, the more resistant to them the bacteria become, which is how they turn into superbugs.

Consumer Reports found a type of antibiotic-resistant S. aureus bacteria called MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) on three conventional samples (and none on samples from cows raised in a more humane and sustainable way). S. aureus kills about 11,000 people in the U.S. every year.

√ Bacteria can also get on the meat during slaughter or processing.

With a steak or a roast, the bacteria tend to stay on the surface, so when you cook them, the outside is likely to get hot enough to kill any bugs.

But grinding up the beef mixes the bacteria throughout, contaminating all of the meat inside and out.

√ The problem is compounded because the meat and fat that are ground into beef usually come from several animals. Even if only one cow is contaminated, its meat may get mixed into many other packages.

√ Superbug-infested meat can also contaminate the processing plants that package it, as well as the stores and restaurants that serve it.

Superbugs in Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is at risk, too. If you knead ground beef into hamburger patties or a meat loaf, you could be spreading dangerous bacteria on your counter or in your sink.

And if you don’t scrub your hands after working with the meat, you could spread the bacteria to whatever you touch next.

“There’s no way to tell by looking at a package of meat or smelling it whether it has harmful bacteria or not,” warns Urvashi Rangan, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Food Safety and Sustainability at Consumer Reports.

“You have to be on guard every time.”

How to Avoid Eating Superbugs With Your Burger

Want to take a break from eating so much meat?

Check out our Meatless Monday recipes. They’re delish!

This recipe for a Zucchini Frittata is one of my favorites.

The post Are You Eating Superbugs With Your Burger? appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Love the idea of a barbecue but hate the thought of eating meat? Here are ten ways you can enjoy all the yummy flavor of outdoor cooking without giving a thought to critters.

3 Key Tips for Meat-Free Foods to Grill

⇒ Make sure your grill is both hot and well oiled so food will cook quickly and not stick to the grate.

⇒ Alternatively, use a grill pan or basket that still imparts the flavor of the barbecue, but is easier on foods that tend to fall apart on a grate.

⇒ If you don’t have a grill pan, cover the grate with tin foil and poke some holes in the foil. Spray the foil with vegetable spray, or baste the foil with some vegetable oil. Works like a charm.

1. Tofu – Marinate the tofu in a soy-based sauce (there are plenty you can buy off the shelf; I like those that are seasoned with ginger and scallions). Slice the tofu somewhat thickly (half-inch or so) if you’re going to put it right on the grill; I generally use a grill pan so I can slice the tofu a bit thinner. You’re not actually cooking the tofu so much as searing it. You want it steaming, with grill marks on both sides, but not burned. You’ll be able to tell the difference.

2. Tempeh – While tofu is essentially curdled hot soy milk that ends up white, smooth and wet, tempeh is fermented cooked soybeans that is browner, firm and chewy. Marinades also work well here. Mix up lime juice, olive oil, soy sauce, chili powder, chopped garlic and some oregano; coat the tempeh and leave it for 2 hours, or overnight, turning at least once so both sides are coated. Grill over medium heat about 5 minutes, flip, grill another 4-5 minutes and you’re done.

3. Portobello Mushrooms – Portobellos are the big brown mushrooms you see in the grocery store; they’re very flavorful and frequently used as a substitute for meat when someone wants a burger, but not the “ham.” Drizzle olive oil on both sides, grill, and add the same fixings you would to any burger. Or, drizzle with oil, then flip them cap side up and fill the cap with a concoction of chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic and a little fresh basil. You can grill zucchini cut lengthwise and pepper halves in the same way.

4. Veggie kebabs – I actually call these “last stand kebabs,” because I often make them when my veggies are too tuckered out to be served by themselves but still too full of  flavor and texture to compost. The only rule of thumb is that they have to fit on a skewer, and not fall apart on a grill. That usually means thick slices of yellow squash and zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onion quarters, button mushrooms, and red, green, yellow and orange peppers. My marinade of choice here is usually some combo of olive oil and a thick balsamic vinegar, seasoned with whatever herbs happen to be available and some salt and pepper. When I have the time, I marinate the veggies in separate bowls for at least an hour, then assemble them in colorful and alternating patterns on long metal skewers, leaving enough room at both end so that I can pick them up and flip them over at some point (wearing heat-protective gloves, of course).

Need help with the grilling part? Try these helpful tips, plus find 5 “green barbecues” that are healthier to use than the old-fashioned charcoal kind.

5. Fruit kebabs –  Kebabs work well with melons, apples, plums, kiwi, and bananas. Try fruits that you love – you’ll figure out whether the grill enhances or subdues their flavor. Use marinades infused with honey, citrus, cinnamon and cloves, or add a splash of rum for a more tropical taste.

6. Pineapple – Grilled pineapple spears dress up any table as well as your palate. You can also grill pineapple rings if they’re thick enough. Some cooks don’t bother with a marinade at all, since pineapple is so juicy. Try popping it on the grill just for a couple of minutes on both sides, then drizzle a glaze made from brown sugar and melted butter on top for a perfect warm weather dessert.

7. Peaches – Cut the peaches in half and remove the pit. Brush the cut sides with maple syrup. Place the peaches syrup side down on a grill pan that’s at medium heat. You want the peaches to be somewhat seared on their cut side but not burned. Remove from the grill and slice a few times. Eat as is, or drizzle with a little cream or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and your favorite toasted nuts.

8. Onions – I prefer to grill onions in a grill pan or basket, though if you cut them thickly enough, you can try them on the grate. I also like grilled onions simple: cooked in oil, salt and pepper, and a little garlic salt. If you’re feeling adventuresome, you can marinate them in balsamic vinaigrette, honey mustard, or barbecue sauce.

9. Corn – Often, I soak the whole ear of corn for a good hour, until the husk is saturated all the way through. Then I put the whole cob right on the grill, turning it frequently so it doesn’t burn. If the husk is thick and wet enough, the corn will steam without scorching.

10. Quesadillas – I usually use a grill pan when I make these, but you can try your luck putting them straight on the grate. Lightly butter the inside of the tortilla. Add a mixture of cheese strips, beans, and thinly sliced peppers and onions. The quesadilla can be hard to flip, which is why I prefer to make it in a pan. Alternatively, heat up just the tortillas on the grill, flipping them once to slightly sear both sides. Then remove, and serve with sides of cheese, beans and what not so people can make their own.

Related Posts

6 Vegetarian Barbecue Recipes That are So Tasty You Won’t Miss Meat 

Green Grilling and Barbecue

Meatless Monday Recipes: Grilled Tofu Salad

The post 10 Delicious Meat-Free Foods to Grill appeared first on Big Green Purse.

We’re right in the middle of zucchini overload season. The long green vegetables are pretty much everywhere – overflowing in farmers’ markets, filling up the produce bins in our grocery stores, maybe even growing all over the place in our own vegetable gardens. Here are my ten favorite ways to take advantage of all this abundance and turn the nutritious zucchini into a delicious ingredient that can be included in almost everything you’re cooking right now. Bonus: You’ll save money and reduce waste, since this vegetable is inexpensive to buy and you can eat pretty much all of it except the vines it actually grows on.

Note: The bigger zucchini gets, the less flavor it has. Choose zucchini that are 6-8 inches long, around an inch or inch and a half wide, and deep glossy green in color. If you buy organic, there’s no need to peel the thin outer skin, which is good, since that’s where so many nutrients are. Organic or not, it’s always a good idea to wash zucchini before eating them. Just hold them under running water for a minute, then shake them off and cut them up.

Zucchini Recipes

1)   Don‘t cook it  – Could anything be simpler?  Cut the ends off the zucchini, then cut each zucchini in half, then in quarters lengthwise, and so on, until you have zucchini sticks that you can use for dipping into yogurt and dill or a thick creamy salad dressing like ranch or bleu cheese.

2)   Add to spaghetti sauce – Chop or dice zucchini then throw the chunks in the sauce during the last ten minutes of cooking. Alternatively, dice them and sauté separately in a little olive oil, salt and pepper, then either add to the sauce at the last minute or serve as a garnish. They retain more flavor that way and you can cook them exactly to your liking.

3)   Layer it in lasagna – Slice the zucchini into rounds no more than a quarter-inch thick, season with a dash of salt and fresh ground pepper, then layer the rounds into the lasagna along with the cheeses and sauce. You should not need to increase cooking time for the lasagna.

4) Make  Ratatouille – This is one of my favorite recipes because it uses so many delicious vegetables and tastes so good. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then slice the halves into crescent-shaped pieces about a quarter-inch thick. Separately, chop up eggplant, white onions, and green peppers. Sauté each of the ingredients in olive oil, salt, and pepper separately, then add them to several cups of canned or chopped fresh tomatoes, along with garlic, some basil and oregano, and a little red wine vinegar. Yum!

5)   Toss it into salad – Most green salads will benefit nicely if you add a dice of zucchini to the lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and red onion. Use one zucchini per bowl of salad and toss with your favorite salad dressing.

6)  Grate it into  Pancakes – Grate 2 medium zucchini (use a box grater or the grater function on your food processor). Add some minced red onion and 3 large eggs, lightly beaten. Mix together a half-cup flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Add to the egg-zucchini mixture and stir. (If the batter is thin, add more flour, a little at a time until the mixture is thick enough for the griddle.) Heat a griddle or large sauté pan and a little butter or oil to coat. Drop tablespoons full of batter on the griddle, using the back of the spoon to flatten out the batter slightly. Cook until one side is browned and crispy; flip and cook on the other side. When done, remove to a warmed plate or put in the oven to keep warm.

7)  Substitute it for bananas – You know that favorite banana bread recipe you have? Substitute the zucchini for the bananas and add chocolate chips. Yum! Alternatively, try this recipe for dark chocolate zucchini cake.

8)   Stuff it – Cut zucchini in half length-wise and, using a melon baller or sharp knife, remove the zucchini pulp. Chop the pulp, then sauté with onions, garlic,  and chopped tomatoes. Add some Parmesan or goat cheese. Drizzle the zucchini “boats” with olive oil and salt and pepper and put them in a lightly greased casserole pan. Fill the boats with the stuffing, top with breadcrumbs, and pop into a 425 degree oven for around 15 minutes.

9)   Grill it – Cut zucchini into thin strips length-wise, as pictured above. Brush each side with vegetable oil and season with salt, pepper and a sprinkle of oregano. Grill for about a minute until slightly charred but not burned. If you want more of a salad, skip the oregano. Grill, then drizzle with a mustardy vinaigrette and let marinate for 15 minutes or so. Serve with a hard shaved cheese like Romano and dash of parsley.

10)  Saute it – Slice zucchini into rounds a quarter-inch thick. Sprinkle with salt, fresh-ground pepper and a bit of garlic powder. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan, add the zucchini, and cook over medium-high heat just a few minutes. Zucchini should be firm and somewhat crisp on the outside, but soften on the inside. Add additional herbs to complement whatever else you’re serving. Sauted zucchini seasoned with parsley, oregano and basil is a perfect complement to almost any Italian dish.

What’s your favorite zucchini recipe? Please share!

RELATED RECIPES

Meatless Monday: Zucchini Frittata

What Organic Wine Should You Pair With What Foods?

The post 10 Zucchini Recipes to Help You Conquer Zucchini Overload appeared first on Big Green Purse.

This recipe was adapted from one created by Nasoya.com, which produces organic, non-GMO tofu (FYI, this is NOT a paid post.) In other words, Nasoya’s tofu is produced without the use of toxic chemicals or genetically modified organisms. You can buy tofu in several textures, including extra firm (which I used in this recipe – it’s what you need for grilling); firm, soft, silken, and lite. Use it in everything from smoothies, salad dressings and dip to casseroles and stir fries.

The key to this Grilled Tofu Salad recipe is marinating the tofu before you grill it so that it is infused with flavor through and through. Made as is, the recipe serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade & Dressing:

• 2 tablespoon (TBS) light soy sauce
• 6 TBS fresh cilantro
• 1 inch of grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove of minced fresh garlic
• 2 TBS rice vinegar
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 teaspoons (tsp) sesame oil
• a dash of red pepper flakes if you want a little more zing

Salad:

• 1 pkg Nasoya firm or extra firm tofu, sliced into slabs about 1/2 inch thick
• 1 big bunch fresh baby spinach (you can also use a spring mix, but I prefer the taste of fresh spinach)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup walnuts, lightly toasted
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced

PREPARATION

 See more at Nasoya.com . 

The post Meatless Monday Recipes: Grilled Tofu Salad appeared first on Big Green Purse.

INGREDIENTS 

Fresh Kale – It’s usually sold in big bunches. Get one big bunch, use as much for the salad as you want, then put aside the rest to add to a soup or casserole later in the week

Liquid Amino Acids – You can find this in most grocery stores and definitely in natural foods-focused markets

Olive Oil

1 Lemon

Walnuts – 1/2 – 1 cup halves or pieces

Dried Cranberries – 1/2 – 1 cup

Red Onion – 1/2, thinly sliced

Salt & Pepper 

TOOLS

Cutting Board

Paring Knife

Salad Spinner or Colander

Salad Bowl

Small Bowl or Jar for mixing salad dressing

Heavy-duty skillet for toasting walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1) Wash kale and spin in salad spinner or drain in colander to get rid of excess water. Slice leaves away from the white middle stem, then chop or tear into bite-sized pieces and toss into salad bowl. Use your hands to crunch up the kale a little bit. It’s a thick leaf; crunching it helps break it down a little without destroying it’s texture or fresh taste.

2) Peel the papery outer skin off the red onion and slice it into very thin crescents. Toss in the bowl with the kale.

3) Mix the salad dressing ingredients together until you get the taste you like. I usually start with 1/2 cup olive oil, the juice of an entire lemon (seeds and pulp strained out), and 3/4 cup of the liquid amino acids. But then I add a little more oil or aminos until I get a taste that’s both flavorful and tangy. I prefer to mix salad ingredients in a jar with a lid because I can shake them up until they’re well-blended. Pour your salad dressing on the kale and red onions and mix well. Put the dressed kale and cranberries in the refrigerator until ready to serve. NOTE: You can make the salad to this point a day in advance. Because the kale is so hearty, the dressing won’t wilt the leaf.

4) Toast walnuts in a hot skillet. Watch the walnuts so they don’t burn! Shake the skillet back and forth a bit to keep the walnuts moving. It should only take 2 or 3 minutes for the walnuts to toast. Remove into a small bowl or plate.

5) Right before serving, toss the salad again to redistribute the dressing, then add the walnuts and cranberries. Season with fresh ground pepper and sea salt. Voila!

SUBSTITUTIONS

No walnuts? Substitute pine nuts, almonds or pecans.

No cranberries? Try grapefruit slices.

No liquid amino acids? Try balsamic or red wine vinegar (though I personally think the aminos are what make this salad stand out)

Other ideas? If you have a great recipe for kale salad, please share! Thanks.

The post Meatless Monday Recipes: Kale Cranberry Salad appeared first on Big Green Purse.

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, sliced (I used sweet Vidalia, but any white onion would work.)

3 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon sugar

12 ounces zucchini (One large or three small zucchini; I think small is tastier and more tender.)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 eggs

Sprig of fresh thyme (I usually add a little more, as I love this herb. If you only have dried, use at least 1/4 tsp.)

1 large tomato

4 ounces goat cheese (or Parmesan, if that’s all you have. It doesn’t melt in the same way as goat cheese, but still has great flavor)

DIRECTIONS

1) Heat an ovenproof pan over medium heat (I use cast iron, which is great to use on the stove top as well as in the oven). Add butter. When the butter begins to bubble, add the onion. Sprinkle in the sugar. Saute the onion until caramelized, about 8-10 minutes. Don’t burn the onions!!

2) While the onion is sauteeing, slice the zucchini very thinly, to 1/8″ thick. Use a sharp chef’s knife or a mandoline. Cut the tomato into 1/4″ slices. When the onion is caramelized, add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and has just started to brown.

3) Beat the eggs with the thyme in a large bowl. Preheat the broiler and set the rack 8-10 inches below the heating element.

4) Once the zucchini is cooked, pour in the eggs. Top with sliced tomatoes and dot with crumbles of goat cheese. Cook for 6 minutes.

5) Place pan back under broiler for 2-3 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Delish!

What’s your favorite recipe to use summer zucchini? Please share!

Thanks again to steamykitchen.com for sharing their recipe with us.

The post Meatless Monday Recipes: Zucchini Frittata appeared first on Big Green Purse.

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower – (1/2 of a medium-sized head, unless you’re doubling this recipe, which you can easily do; if not doubling, then put half the cauliflower back in the fridge and use later with veggie dip or steam for dinner tomorrow night)

Diced Tomatoes (1 28-oz canned, pre-diced tomatoes)

Sweet Onion (medium-sized; about 1 cup sliced)

Raisins (1/2 cup; I usually use Thompson’s raisins, rather than golden)

Wholewheat Couscous (2 cups; you can use “plain” couscous, but why would you want to?)

Vegetable Broth (3 cups; you can use water instead, but I think the veggie broth adds more flavor and nutrients. You can make your own broth with leftover veggies, or add a low-sodium concentrated bouillon cube to three cups of boiling water and dissolve before adding the couscous)

Ground Cumin (at least a tablespoon, but more for stronger flavor; add incrementally if you’re not sure how much you’ll like)

Kosher Salt or Sea Salt (to taste; you need much less kosher or sea salt than pulverized iodized salt)

Black Pepper (to taste)

UTENSILS

Deep soup pot or Dutch oven (for the ragout)

Sauce pan (for cooking the couscous)

Washable cutting board

Sharp paring knife

Stirring spoon

Tablespoon

Measuring cup (1 cup or 2 cup capacity)

 PREPARATION

* Open the tomatoes and dump them, juice and all, into the soup pot. Fill the empty can about half full with water, swirl the can to get the remaining juices and bit, and also dump that into the post. Toss the can in the recycling bin. Turn the heat on low.

*  Peel the onion and slice it in half, then slice again until you have a cupful of pieces about an inch long and maybe a quarter-inch wide.  Add the onions to the tomatoes and turn up the heat to medium.

* Add cumin and stir.

* Pull the leaves off the bottom of the cauliflower. Split the cauliflower in half. Cut away the stem and cut the halves in half again. Then cut into small flowerets, until you have about 4 cups.

* Add cauliflower when the onions have started softening up. The mixture should be cooking at a low boil.

* Add the raisins when the cauliflower starts to feel tender when pierced with a fork.

* Cook five more minutes so the raisins will plump up. Add more cumin for a stronger flavor and some salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

* Turn off the heat but let flavors continue to mix. Don’t overcook the cauliflower!

The couscous can either be prepared in advance and kept in their pot to stay warm, or you can prepare them right after you add the cauliflower to the pot.

* Bring three cups of broth or water to a rolling boil. (The liquid will boil faster if you put a lid on the pot.)

* Add in the coucous. Stir once or twice.

* Turn off the heat but keep a lid on the pot.

The couscous will be done in 15 minutes or so. Remove the lid from a pot and loosen the couscous by stirring with a fork.

TA DAA!!

To serve, mound the couscous around the rim of a large plate, leaving the center of the plate empty.

Fill the center with the tomato-onion-cauliflower-raisin ragout.

Serve the dish to applause!

VARIATIONS

The dominant flavors in this dish come from the cumin, the tomatoes and the raisins. Other vegetables that go well with these flavors are:

* Carrots (diced or thinly sliced; add with the onions)

* Garbanzo beans (use cooked or canned beans, not dried)

* Potatoes (if they’re diced small enough and you add them the same time you add the cauliflower, they’ll cook at the same time as everything else)

* Spinach, chopped

LEFTOVER MAGIC

* If you have leftovers, just mix the ragout and the couscous together and put them in a covered container in the refrigerator. You can serve them cold with a fresh grating of salt and pepper, or add grated carrot for some additional oomph.

* If you didn’t add garbanzo beans on your first go round, add them to your leftovers and reheat to give the dish some new pizazz.

* If you have plain couscous left over, mound them on some bib lettuce or baby spinach. Top with sliced grape tomatoes and chopped spring onions, plus a dash of olive oil and red wine vinegar.

YOUR VERSION?

If you make this, please let me know how you improved it! Did you add different vegetables or seasonings? Cranberries instead of raisins? Please share! Thanks.

The post Meatless Monday Recipe: Quick Cauliflower Couscous appeared first on Big Green Purse.

Maybe you already eat organic produce. You’ve cut down on meat. You grow your own lettuce. That’s  great! But what else can we do, especially when it comes to the food we buy and eat?

Danielle Nierenberg of The Food Tank suggests 13 important ways we can reduce the environmental impact of growing, processing, marketing, and disposing of our food. Take a look at the list. I hope you’ll add your own recommendations!

1) Eat more colors.
The colors of fruits and vegetables are signs of nutritional content. The American Cancer Society reports that richly colored veggies like tomatoes can help prevent cancer and heart disease. Eggs that have brightly orange-colored yolks are also high in cancer-fighting carotenoids, and are more likely to be produced by healthier chickens.

2) Buy food with less packaging.
Discarded packaging makes up around one-third of all waste in industrialized countries,  impacting the climate, and our air and water quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s analysis of different packaging for tomatoes found that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) clamshell packaging increases tomatoes’ associated carbon emissions by 10 percent. What’s better? Choose foods you can buy in bulk, and bring your own bags – even to the produce aisle.

3) Choose seasonal produce.
Many farmers markets, including the New York City Greenmarkets, offer guides about which products are in season. Locally sourced, seasonal products can also be found at major grocery stores. Or sign up for a weekly CSA, which provides a mix of fresh, seasonal produce throughout the year. Other programs, such as Siren Fish Co.’s SeaSA in San Francisco, offer seasonal meats and seafood.

4) Get in touch with agriculture.
A great way to skip the crowds, save money, and get both children and adults in touch with agriculture is to book a farm-stay through World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). WWOOF runs networks in most countries around the world, offering individuals and families the opportunity to directly support small-scale family farmers. Participants spend a few days or weeks living with a host family and helping with tasks around the farm in exchange for free food and lodging.

5) Get creative in the kitchen.
Shopping at farmers markets, which often have a wide selection of less-ordinary produce such as celeriac, sunchokes, or kohlrabi, can prevent “food ruts” by helping consumers try new foods. Here are a few cookbooks I love.

6) Invest in perennial crops.
Perennial plants—which grow back every year—tend to hold water in soil more effectively than annuals and help prevent erosion. Their extensive roots also allow them to better access nutrients and water, reducing the need for artificial fertilizer. Or grow your own year-round in a hoop house. Here’s how.

7) Reclaim abandoned spaces.

As populations continue to expand, especially in cities, reclaiming unused land and buildings for food production can help meet growing demand. One new model is The Plant, a former meatpacking plant in Chicago that has been converted into an indoor vertical farm. The Plant currently runs an aquaponics farm, growing plants without soil using waste from its man-made tilapia pools. It also offers shared kitchen space for small businesses, and other services.

8) Build local and global food communities.
A great way to get involved in food and agriculture issues is with Slow Food International, an organization with more than 1,300 groups around the world called convivia. These groups support healthy, sustainable diets and traditional food cultures. Or join forces with  Meatless Monday and pick a day a week to eat less meat.

9) DIY.
Many Do-It-Yourself (DIY) food projects are easy and fun. Turning old t-shirts into produce bags to save plastic, starting seeds in eggshells, which can then be crushed for transplanting into the soil, and DIY foods such as homemade oat or almond milk and can all add a creative twist to healthy eating and sustainable agriculture.

10) Cook in batches and freeze for later.
Planning meals in advance can help reduce stress around cooking. It also helps reduce food waste, which is a big problem in industrialized countries. Preparing large amounts of food at once saves energy during cooking, while freezing helps prevent nutrient loss in fruits and vegetables. (Pictured left is what it looked like in my kitchen when I made a batch of homemade organic tomato sauce.) Tools such as the Love Food Hate Waste menu planner shopping list can help organize grocery trips.  

11) Brighten your outlook.
At the recent Warwick Economics Summit in February, Warwick University Economics Professor Dr. Andrew Oswald presented his research on health and happiness, focusing on the link between happiness and consumption of fruits and vegetables. His team of researchers found that eating more fruits and vegetables directly improves a person’s mental well-being, separate from other variables such as income level and how much meat a person ate. This research is supported by a similar study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which found a link between patients’ blood-level of carotenoids, compounds commonly found in colorful fruits and vegetables, and their feelings of optimism.

12) Rotate crops.
Crop rotation is an important way to preserve soil nutrients, prevent erosion, and protect against crop diseases and pests. In the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, agronomists at Agro Norte have developed new varieties of rice and dry beans that are well suited to the region’s tropical climate. By incorporating rice and beans into their yearly harvests, local soybean farmers can reduce the spread of soybean rust and nematodes, two of the biggest threats to their crops. The system also improves soil quality and provides jobs at times when soy and corn are not harvested.

13) Have fun around the table.
Talking and laughing while sharing food is a uniquely human experience.  The Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition considers convivial food culture one of the most critical aspects of food and agriculture, alongside health, hunger alleviation, and sustainable development. Researchers from Cornell University and the University of Minnesota agree, reporting that the noted benefits of family dinners on children’s mental health and achievement levels depend on engagement with their parents at these meals.

About Food Tank
Food Tank: The Food Think Tank (www.FoodTank.org), founded by Danielle Nierenberg and Ellen Gustafson, is a think tank focused on feeding the world better. The non-profit organization researches and highlights environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable ways to alleviate hunger, obesity and poverty, and create networks of people, organizations, and content to push for food system change.

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