In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including:
better health, animal rights, global food crisis, food safety, public health, frugal living and the immense contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion
Key Findings from EWG Lifecycle Assessments:
Lamb, beef and cheese have the highest emissions. This is true, in part, because they come from ruminant animals that constantly generate methane through their digestive process, called enteric fermentation. Methane (CH4) – a greenhouse gas 25 times more (CH4) potent than carbon dioxide (CO2), accounts for nearly half the emissions generated in this study’s Nebraska beef production model (see chart below). Pound for pound, ruminants also require significantly more energy-intensive feed and generate more manure than pork or chicken (see figure 2).
How feed production and manure generate greenhouse gases and harm the environment
Feed production. Most U.S. livestock are fattened on fishmeal, corn, soybean meal and other grains. Grain production, in particular, requires significant quantities of fertilizer, fuel, pesticides, water and land. It takes 149 million acres of cropland, 76 million kilos (167 million lbs) of pesticides and 7.7 billion kilos (17 billion lbs) of nitrogen fertilizer to grow this feed. Fertilizer applied to soil generates nitrous oxide (N20), which has 300 times the warming effect of carbon dioxide. Irrigation pumps, tractors and other farm equipment also release carbon dioxide, but in relatively small amounts. Pesticides and fertilizers often end up in runoff that pollutes rivers, groundwater and oceans. Feed crops are heavily subsidized by taxpayers through the federal Farm Bill, to the tune of $45 billion over the past 10 years. Fertilizer and pesticide production requires a significant amount of energy, but our model found that together they account for just 12 percent of the emissions from growing feed. The biggest impact is from the nitrous oxide emissions resulting from fertilizer application.
Manure: Animal waste releases nitrous dioxide and methane and pollutes our water and air, especially when it is concentrated. In 2007, U.S. livestock in confined feeding operations generated about 500 million tons of manure a year, three times the amount of human waste produced by the entire U.S. population (EPA 2007). Manure is the fastest growing major source of methane, up 60 percent from 1990 to 2008 (EPA 2010) . While manure is a valuable nutrient for plants, it can leach pollutants – including nitrogen, phosphorus, antibiotics and metals – into groundwater when storage facilities leak or too much is spread on farm fields. More than 34,000 miles of rivers and 216,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs in the U.S. have been degraded by waste from confined feeding operations (EPA 2009). Decomposing waste releases dust, smog odors and toxic gases, including ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which degrade air quality and can cause itching, dizziness and discomfort to workers and nearby residents.
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 meat consumption. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet, we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle music!
Congrats to The Northern Lights Hotel in Sweden, the first hotel in the world to go completely meatless on Monday!
Being a long time vegetarian, I thought I was doing my part to mitigate climate change by not eating high carbon footprint foods. Then along comes EWG (Environmental Working Group) study which states that the top 3 foods with the highest carbon footprint are 1)Lamb 2) Beef and 3) Cheese. What's that you say cheese!? But, I've been eating cheese all my life how can that be? But, it's true EWG group's study had the dirty truth...I wasn't doing enough to fight climate change. So now I am eliminating cheese from my diet. It's not easy because I do love cheese, but I love my planet more so has to be done. And like everything else, it seems that once you make up your mind to do something and make a plan, it's doable.
For me, the plan involves modifying recipes to exclude cheese, trying some new recipes for 'faux' cheese and checking out the many cheese substitutes on the market.
So today I will share some of my 'cheesy' experiences.
CASHEW CHEESE
Yes, it's possible to make a non dairy product with natural ingredients taste remarkably like the real thing. This is good.
- 190 grams (1 1/2 cups) plain cashew nuts (not roasted or salted)
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) water
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine (optional; substitute water if preferred)
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or good vinegar
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional but I like it here)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Place the nuts in a salad bowl, cover with fresh water, and let stand for 2 hours.
Drain the nuts and place them in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Add 60 ml (1/4 cup) water and the rest of the ingredients, and mix until thoroughly puréed, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl every once in a while. Add a little more water if necessary and blend again to adjust the consistency; the cheese will get a little more solid as it sets.
Transfer to a bowl, cover, and let stand somewhere cool for 24 hours before placing in the fridge, where it will keep for another 5 days.
GRILLED CHEESE
Yep, I've been eating grilled cheese sandwiches made with Daiya cheese and they are delicious!
PESTO,CASHEW RICOTTA and TOMATOE PIZZA
You can make a cheese less pizza but this is better and tastes like the real thing! H/T Post Punk
All you do is spread Basil Pesto (homemade-recipe below) or store bought on your rolled raw pizza crust, spread some Cashew Ricotta(recipe below) add some grated Daiya Mozzarella, some fresh sliced tomatoes and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes or until crust lightly brown and 'cheese' warm and melted.
Cashew Ricotta
3/4 cup cashews
1 14oz tub extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp dried basil
~ 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1. Soak cashews (I used raw, unsalted cashews but roasted, unsalted would probably be good, too) – for an hour or two in cold water and drain.
2. Blend ingredients in food processor, until smooth.
3. Set aside.
Cheeseless Basil Pesto
This is so delicious!
About 1.5 cups
5-6 cups fresh basil leaves
10 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or as much as you need
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts or walnuts
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
5 grinds of black pepper, or as much as you want
red crushed pepper if you want it spiced up
Roughly tear the basil leaves. Combine basil, toasted nuts (walnut or pine nut), garlic, salt and pepper in food processor & process while adding the olive oil in a steady stream. Stop the processor & scrape the sides if you need to. Process till everything is well combined & smooth.
Stir in the lemon juice, & the crushed pepper.
Store it in a sterilized clean container for a few days in the refrigerator. Freeze the extra for later use.
STUFFED SHELLS
Traditional and delish...except it's low fat!!!
For this dish you will need package large pasta shells, marinara sauce (homemade or store bought), shredded daiya mozzarella (optional) and recipe for Basil Tofu Ricotta below
Basil Tofu Ricotta
makes 2 cups
1 lb firm tofu, pressed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 dash fresh black pepper
10 fresh basil leaves or more depending on size, finely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil..more if needed for consistency
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
In large bowl, mash tofu with hands until crumbly.
Add lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and basil. Mash with hands until mixture reaches the consistency of ricotta cheese.
Add olive oil; stir with fork.
Add nutritional yeast and mix all ingredients well with fork.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook pasta shells according to package instructions until al dente. Drain. Stuff with Basil tofu ricotta. Place in baking pan spread with a couple Tablespoons of marinara sauce. Place a few teaspoons of marinara sauce over filled shells. Sprinkle with mozz, if using and place in 350F pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until shells are hot. Serve.
Let's have some delicious fun with the Vegan Zombie as he cooks up some cheese-less lasagna rolls. Here he cooks up two different tasty versions.
Recipe 1
Lasagna noodles, 1 block firm tofu, 1 tomato (spears), Fresh basil (chopped)
Fresh spinach, Lemon juice (1 lemon squeezed), 1 cup diced onion Herb blend, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder) salt & pepper to taste
Add noodles to boiling water. saute diced onion med heat. crumble up tofu drain and add to pan. add basil and herb blend. add lemon juice. place tofu filling on noodles. add spinach and tomato spears. add sauce. roll up and place sideways in pan.
Recipe 2
3/4 cup Daiya cheese, 1 lb Match Meats faux ground beef (or your preferred faux meat) 1/2 container vegan cream cheese. 1 tomato (spears) Fresh basil (chopped) Fresh spinach 1 cup diced onion Herb blend 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1 1/2tsp garlic powder) salt & pepper to taste
Saute onion med heat. add match meat. add vegan cream cheese. add herb blend. add Daiya stir in till it melts. let cool. spread on noodles. add spinach. add tomato spears. add sauce. roll up and add to pan bake in over 350* for 20 mins. Enjoy!…
SPANIKOPITA (cheese-less)
I would never have believed this could be done. H/T to J.M. Hirsch
12 servings
Step 1. Make the cottage "cheese"
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, drained and mashed
3/4 cup soy mayonnaise (I use veganaise...yummy)
3 tsp. onion, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground dill seed
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Don't use a food processor or the cheese will be too smooth. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Step 2. Make the feta "cheese" 1 lb. extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/4-in. cubes
2 cups water
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. onion, finely minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. ground dill seed
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high flame, then simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the tofu and set aside in a bowl.
Step 3. Marinate the feta
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic, finely minced
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Pour the marinade over the feta and toss to coat. Cover and chill for several hours, stirring occasionally. Once marinated, the soy feta can be refrigerated up to a week. Drain and discard the marinade before using the feta.
Step 4. Make the spanakopita
1 lb. package frozen phyllo dough, defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
3/4 lb. kale
3/4 lb. spinach leaves
2 large onions, diced
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
11/2 tsp dill seed
olive oil in a spray bottle
Heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the phyllo dough from its package and cover with a damp cloth. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and spinach. Chop the leaves fine.
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in the oil until translucent, about six minutes.
Crumble the feta into a large bowl and mix in the cottage cheese. Add the onion, salt, dill, kale and spinach, and stir to combine.
Lightly brush the bottom of a lasagna pan with oil. Place a layer of phyllo dough (two or three sheets) on the bottom of the pan, curling the excess up the sides.
Spray the phyllo lightly with oil and spread a 1/4- to 1/2-in. layer of vegetable-and-cheese filling over it. Cover the mixture with another layer of phyllo, again layering any excess dough up the sides of the pan. Spray lightly with oil and repeat until all of the filling has been used or the top of the pan is reached.
Top with a final layer of phyllo, and spray lightly with oil. Bake 45 minutes or until the top of the phyllo is lightly browned.
KILLER CUBAN BRUNCH
This is a kind of a vegan ranchero and is awesome!
Use packaged fried tostadas (8 in.) Place mushrooms sauteed in olive oil, herbs, s&p on top of tostada sprinkle Daiya shredded cheese on top. Place in oven for a few minutes to melt Daiya. Salsa on top. Serve with sauteed Plaintains & Black Beans
"Day Tripper" The Beatles..."she's a big teaser, she took me half the way there"
"Let Me Roll It" Paul McCartney
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle music here!
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