In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including:better health, animal rights, food safety, public health, frugal living, global food crisis and the immense contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would save:
100 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the homes in New England for almost 4 months;
1.5 billion pounds of crops otherwise fed to livestock, enough to feed the state of New Mexico for more than a year;
70 million gallons of gas -- enough to fuel all the cars of Canada and Mexico combined with plenty to spare;
3 million acres of land, an area more than twice the size of Delaware;
33 tons of antibiotics.
If everyone went vegetarian just for one day, the U.S. would prevent:
Greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.2 million tons of CO2, as much as produced by all of France;
3 million tons of soil erosion and $70 million in resulting economic damages;
4.5 million tons of animal excrement;
Almost 7 tons of ammonia emissions, a major air pollutant
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/McCartney music!
I'm still finding some wonderful looking greens in my market and that suits me just fine. Mustard greens, collards, kale and escarole are a staple in my kitchen. I love the hardy smoky taste they impart to beans and grains and the substance they give to vegetarian recipes. I have a lot of greens recipes to share with you today because when it comes to these down-home delicious earthy veggies, it's easy being green.
This ESCAROLE SALAD is an great choice for year round green eating. I love the addition of the tangy lemon segments.
SPICY GREENS and BEANS
year round healthy, economical, comfort food in the South US. Serves 4-6
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of cooked beans-your choice I usually use navy here
4 cups chopped chard, spinach, or other leafy green
1 teaspoon oregano
1 16-ounce can tomatoes
2 cups veggie broth
pinch of cayenne
1/2 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste
water as needed
Heat the oil in a big pot. Add onions and cook on a low heat until onions are soft, not brown. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Add everything else. Put in more water if you want it more soupy. Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 25 minutes to let all of the flavors mingle.
Serve with brown rice or cornbread.
QUINOA & GREENS PIE
Also called Peter Rabbit Pie, from Vegetarian Times. This is a favorite of mine, it's great for a brunch or for a special Easter or Passover dinner because it's non gluten.
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch chicory (1 to 1 1/4 lb.), cut into bite-sized pieces (bottom 1 1/2 inches of hard stems removed) or use mustard greens, collards, watercress or arugula.
1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
3 Tbs. olive oil, divided
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (optional)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably Greek (1 oz.)
1/4 cup grated aged goat cheese or Swiss cheese (1 oz.) (I use 1/2 cup feta and no goat cheese because I am a feta fanatic.)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1. Place quinoa in small saucepan, and toast over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes, or until almost dry. Add 1 cup water, and season with salt, if desired. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and transfer to large bowl.
2. Heat large pot over medium heat. Add chicory or other greens, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, or until wilted, stirring frequently or tossing with tongs. Add romaine, and wilt 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer greens to strainer, and squeeze out excess moisture. Transfer to cutting board, and chop into small pieces. Stir greens into quinoa.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, and sauté 10 minutes, or until browned. Add cooked onions, green onions, dill, feta cheese, and goat cheese to quinoa mixture. Stir in eggs; season with salt and pepper, if desired.
4. Pour 1 Tbs. oil into 9-inch pie pan, and place in oven. Heat 5 minutes, or until oil is hot. Swirl oil to coat bottom of pan, then spread quinoa mixture in pan with spatula. Bake 20 minutes. Drizzle pie with remaining 1 Tbs. oil, and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, or until golden brown.
CALLALOO
This world famous Caribbean dish is a spicy, hot addiction and much deserving of it's reputation. Serves 8
3 Tbs. canola oil
1 large onion, cut into thin slices (2 cups)
1 lb. collard greens, chopped
1 lb. spinach, stems trimmed
5 cloves garlic, minced (1 1/2 Tbs.)
Hot Pepper Vinegar
1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 to 1 Scotch bonnet chile, minced
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. sugar
To make Callaloo: Heat oil in stockpot over medium heat. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes, or until beginning to brown.
Add collard greens, spinach, and garlic; cover, and increase heat to medium-high. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, stirring often with tongs, or until greens wilt. Add 2 cups water, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 45 minutes, or until greens are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
To make Hot Pepper Vinegar: Combine bell peppers and Scotch bonnet chile in 2-cup glass measuring cup. Stir together vinegar, sugar, and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan. Bring vinegar mixture to a boil, then pour over peppers. Cool.
To serve: Top each serving of Callaloo with Hot Pepper Vinegar.
My fave way to serve is with brown rice and fried plantains..very traditional.
SICILIAN CHICKPEAS with ESCAROLE and CARAMELIZED ONIONS
Easy, hearty, yummy and adapted from Jack Bishop. 4 servings
1 large escarole (or endive) (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 cup dark raisins
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups drained Basic Chickpeas (recipe below), plus 1/3 cup cooking liquid reserved OR 3 cups canned chickpeas with 1/3 cup canning liquid reserved (recommended: Eden Organic Garbanzo Beans)
1. To Prep the Escarole: Discard any tough leaves. Trim and discard the core and any tough stems. Wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water. Tear the leaves into large pieces, and set aside.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the sugar, and continue cooking until the onions are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the raisins and escarole. Cook, turning the escarole occasionally, until the leaves are tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Stir in the chickpeas and their liquid. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors have blended, about 3 minutes. Adjust the seasonings, and serve immediately.
Basic Chickpeas
I make my chickpeas like this and keep them on hand for salads etc.
Makes about 6 1/2 cups
1 pound dried chickpeas (2 1/2 cups)
3 large garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
Salt
1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl, and add enough cold water to cover them by several inches. Soak them for at least 8 hours or overnight. (Or, bring the chickpeas and water to a boil in a large saucepan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat, cover and set aside for 1 hour.)
2. Drain the chickpeas, and transfer them to a large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover them by several inches. Add the garlic and bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chickpeas are still a little firm, tender but not falling apart, 35 to 60 minutes, depending on the freshness of the chickpeas and how long they were soaked.
3. Add salt to taste, turn off the heat, and let the chickpeas cool in their cooking liquid. (The cooled chickpeas and cooking liquid may be poured into a large airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Or, divide the cooled beans and cooking liquid among several smaller airtight containers, and freeze for up to several months. Thaw before using.)
4. Reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid and set aside before draining the chickpeas. Discard the garlic and bay leaves. Use the chickpeas and cooking liquid in recipes or season as desired.
SWISS CHARD PIE with OLIVE OIL CRUST
adapted from Martha Stewart..serves 8
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, cut into small dice
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 pounds Swiss chard, stems cut into small dice and leaves torn
3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (use the good stuff)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 1 large lemon, plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 large egg yolk (optional)
For the Olive Oil Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Make olive oil dough: In a bowl, combine all-purpose flour, extra-virgin olive oil, cold water, and coarse salt. Stir with a fork to combine, then turn out onto a work surface and knead 1 minute. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature, 30 minutes.
In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Add onion and garlic; cook until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add chard stems and red-pepper flakes; cook until stems begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
Pack chard leaves into pot; season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until chard leaves wilt, about 4 minutes. Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is soft, about 4 minutes. Drain, pressing out as much liquid as possible. Place chard mixture in a large bowl and toss with Parmesan, flour, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper.
Roll two-thirds the dough to a 12 1/2-inch round; fit into an 8-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). Fill bottom crust with chard mixture. Roll remaining dough to a 9 1/2-inch round; place over filling. Pinch edges of dough together and tuck in to seal; cut several vents into center of pie. Combine yolk with 1 teaspoon water and brush over dough, avoiding edge of pan. Freeze pie if you like (see below). To bake without freezing, reduce the baking time to 40-45 minutes
To serve, preheat oven to 400, with rack in lowest position. Bake frozen pie until crust is deep golden brown, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.
How to freeze: Freeze pie (in its pan), unwrapped, for 30 minutes. Wrap pie in plastic wrap and then in foil. Store in the freezer, up to 2 months. You can use any combination of flavorful greens in this pie, such as spinach, kale, or escarole.
TROPICAL BLACK BEAN and COLLARD GREEN SOUP
I love hot, spicy, sweet Caribbean flavors. This from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen... yummy
This recipe has instructions for pressure cooking for you who have been asking. Serves 8
Long-cooking or cooking in a pressure cooker often mellows out seasonings, so add them in two stages, some before the beans are cooked and some after. Be sure to taste your beans to decide if and how much extra seasoning they need.
1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger-root, minced
1 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon Ancho chili powder (or other pure, mild chili powder)
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder or cayenne
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup carrots, diced or sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
additional chili powder, to taste
salt, to taste
12 ounces collard greens, cut into bite-sized pieces (or use the greens of your choice)
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 orange, sliced, for garnish
Rinse the beans and pick over them to remove any debris. Cover with water and either allow to soak at least 8 hours or do a quick soak by bringing to a boil for 1 minute and then allowing to soak for an hour. Keep soaking until you are ready to cook, and then drain the soaking liquid.
Heat a large pot or pressure cooker; spray lightly with olive oil if desired. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Add the drained beans, 7 cups of water (6 if pressure cooking), thyme, chili powders, allspice, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil.
If pressure cooking, lock on the lid and bring to high pressure. Cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. Remove from heat and allow pressure to come down naturally.
If cooking in a regular pot, simmer until beans are very tender, 1-2 hours depending on your beans. If beans seem too dry, add additional water.
Once beans are tender, puree using a hand blender or in batches in a regular blender or just leave as is. Return to pot(if pureeing) and add remaining ingredients, except orange juice, and add salt and chili powder to taste. Simmer until carrots and collards are tender. Add orange juice just before serving. Serve garnished with orange slices on top or on the side.
"Mean Mr Mustard", "Polythene Pam", "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"" The Beatles from Abbey Road
"Golden Slumbers", 'Carry That Weight" The Beatles from Abbey Road
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle/McCartney music here!