The Red, White, and Green

[Watch video on TED.com]

If, like me, you’ve been participating in Meatless Mondays for some time now, you might be looking to push the envelope a bit further, since of all the things you can personally do to help the environment, reducing your meat consumption is perhaps the most effective: Eighteen percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the livestock industry. That’s more than cars, trains, and planes combined, by the way.

So what about becoming a ‘weekday vegetarian,’ a la TreeHugger‘s Graham Hill? His conscientious compromise was profiled last week in Time magazine, and I have to admit that before reading the article, the thought had never occurred to me. (Though Hill had discussed his recent lifestyle change at the TED Conference in February; see video, above.)

The only potential problem I could foresee is the same one that happens to weekday dieters: You spend all week feeling so deprived that Saturday marks the commencement of a 48-hour cheesesteak and rib-eye binge. (Although I will say that a) a well-planned vegetarian diet doesn’t have to be synonymous with starvation; and b) the times that I’ve gone long stretches with eating very little meat, I usually feel so “clean” and healthy that I either stop craving meat altogether or only need a little taste to satiate my appetite.)

Have you tried the weekday veg approach? If so, do you notice a difference in the way you feel during the week versus the weekends?

–Jennifer Grayson

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I’ve noticed that I have an easier time whipping up vegetarian recipes (for Meatless Monday and the rest of the week) when I have time to visit my beloved farmers market and stock up on fresh, local fruits and veggies. Part of the reason is that I tend to overbuy a bit when I’m there, since everything is so mouthwateringly beautiful (and reasonable!); and once my fridge is packed with produce, I feel compelled to not let any of it go to waste. (After, all I’ve met the farmers face-to-face who’ve worked so hard to feed me!)

Turns out I’m not the only American with a fondness for the farmers market: There are now 6,132 farmers markets nationwide — a 16 percent increase since last year, and an incredible 114 percent increase over the past 10 years. This, according to the Department of Agriculture‘s newly updated National Farmers Market Directory.

The region with the most growth? The Midwest, which saw states like Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio increase offerings by up to 77 percent.

Not surprisingly, the Golden State still leads the pack, with 580 farmers markets; rounding out the top 10 are New York (461), Illinois (286), Michigan (271), Iowa (229), Massachusetts (227), Ohio (213), Wisconsin (204), Pennsylvania (203), and North Carolina (182).

It may seem surprising to see a surge of farmers markets in a bad economy, but I say these results blast the bias that shopping for local (and even organic) food is somehow a privilege reserved for those with a big enough paycheck for Whole Foods.

–Jennifer Grayson

Do this now: Click here to find a farmers market near you.

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Meatless Monday sounds like a pretty simple lifestyle change: One day a week, swap out the meat in your diet for healthier, plant-based foods. But what if you live in an area without any access to plants (i.e., fruits and vegetables)?

It seems inconceivable in a land of plenty like the US, where 40 percent of all food is thrown out, but an estimated 23 million Americans live in areas known as food deserts — that is, places with little or no access to food beyond what can be purchased on a Dollar Menu. Forget the farmers market; these neighborhoods don’t even have a supermarket.

So how can people in these places (who are usually lacking a Whole Foods budget) start eating more fresh produce?

Have them grow their own, says New York City–based organization Adopt-A-Farmbox, which builds and donates planter boxes made from 100 percent recycled materials — complete with organic soil and seeds — to local schools and community institutions so they can start their own urban farming projects.

The inspiring initiative is already collaborating with several schools in Manhattan and the boroughs (including Children’s Workshop School, Brooklyn Brownstone School, and the Garden School in Queens), but needs your help to break the cycle of diabetes and obesity for the approximately 3 million New Yorkers living in food deserts. Click here to donate.

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo via Flickr: Ayogist

I know, I know — it’s a bit odd to be posting about burgers on Meatless Monday. But let’s be realistic: The whole reason you’ve likely embraced the MM movement is because you are, in fact, a meat eater on the other days of the week. So let’s talk about something that doesn’t get addressed often enough in the whole vegetarians vs. meat-eaters debate, and that is what kind of meat you should be eating when you’re not sucking down sprouts and tofu.

And that, my friends, is grass-fed. As in the grass-fed sliders served at Los Angeles’ food truck sensation the Patty Wagon. Why grass-fed?

• No fossil fuels, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers. Grazing cows eat grass; factory-farm fed livestock are fed corn that comes at a cost of about 1.2 gallons of oil per bushel.
• It’s good for the land. Managed grazing returns vital nutrients (via the cows’ natural fertilizer) to the soil, helping to reduce erosion and fight water pollution.
• It’s healthier. Grass-fed beef has significantly less saturated fat than the factory-farmed version, not to mention higher amounts of the heart-healthy stuff like beta carotene, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids.

And let’s not forget about taste. While Americans have become accustomed to the heavily marbled taste of corn-fed beef, a lot of carnivorous connoisseurs actually prefer the leaner taste of grass-fed. Do these Patty Wagon sliders look any less scrumptious than a fast-food burger?

Photo via Flickr: Nomsnotbombs

Not all of you have access to the Patty Wagon (sucks to be you!), so to find out where to get your grass-fed beef and other meatless animal products (eggs and dairy also come in grass-fed varieties), check out Eatwild.com. And remember: Grass-fed food costs more than factory farmed, but by splurging only on the good stuff, you won’t be able to eat meat every day — which is the way it should be.

–Jennifer Grayson

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I woke up this morning to the scent of dill perfuming my apartment; evidently, the bunch of leftover dill in my fridge from a lovely white bean and grape tomato salad I made over the weekend proved to be quite the air freshener.

Dill doesn’t last that long in the fridge though, so in the spirit of Love Food Hate Waste, I decided to toss it into a batch of lentil soup I had planned for today’s Meatless Monday recipe. The result was truly scrumptious, and with a squeeze of fresh lemon at the end, added a fragrant summertime twist to an otherwise hearty, stick-to-your-ribs recipe.

By the way, dill is a must-eat for those concerned about environmental toxins; it contains special “chemoprotective” compounds that can help neutralize the carcinogenic benzopyrenes found in car exhaust fumes, coal tar, and cigarette smoke.

Add in the phytoestrogen-packed lentils (protects against breast cancer) and the lycopene-rich tomatoes (may fight prostate cancer), and you’ve got a bowl of benefits for men and women alike.

Dilled Tomato Lentil Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups of water
1 1/2 cups dried French green lentils (du Puy, if available)
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and black pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic; season with salt and black pepper and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add water, lentils, dill, red pepper, and tomato paste. Cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 40 minutes until lentils are tender, adding additional water if necessary. Stir in fresh lemon juice and additional salt and black pepper to taste.

Voila! A week of cancer-fighting Meatless Monday lunches.

–Jennifer Grayson

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What do you get when you cross a virtually empty refrigerator/pantry with a hungry pregnant lady so besotted by the 95-degree heat (and no air conditioning) that there’s not even a chance in hell that she’ll venture off the couch to head to the supermarket? Answer: Some seriously creative kitchen wizardry.

You most likely know by now that I’m a big anti–food waste fanatic; so I must say I was rather proud of myself for whipping up this pasta salad from half a leftover bag of gluten-free pasta spirals, a yellow pepper, a tomato, some capers, and a BPA-free can of Eden Organic kidney beans. It may not look that glamorous, but it proved the perfect light-but-filling lunch for a scorching summer day. (Actually, four days, since this recipe yielded enough for that many meals.)

Oh, and did I mention it was Meatless Monday? Make that doubly proud of myself…

Simple Summer Pasta Salad

Serves 4

1/2 bag of pasta spirals (wheat or gluten-free; I like the Trader Joe’s organic brown rice spirals)
1 15-oz. can kidney beans
1 small yellow pepper, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons capers

For the dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Italian seasoning (I love the one from Morton & Bassett)

Boil water for pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cool water. Drain and rinse kidney beans, then combine with with cooked pasta in a large bowl along with chopped pepper, tomato, and capers.

In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing; pour over pasta salad in large bowl and toss thoroughly to coat. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until cold.

–Jennifer Grayson

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This recipe is featured today on the Meatless Monday website.

I’m starting to wonder if one of the buyers for my local Ralphs supermarket isn’t a secret locavore health food nut, because I’ve been discovering some amazing buys hidden between the aisles of MSG-laden snack food and neon-colored cereals. I’m talking stuff I’ve never even seen at Whole Foods — tubs of hormone-free whole-milk yogurt from a local creamery, a 13-bean dried soup mix that costs just over a dollar, and my newest obsession: Hodgson Mill buckwheat flour.

I had completely forgotten that buckwheat is naturally gluten-free. It’s related to rhubarb and sorrel and is technically a fruit seed, not a grain. Buckwheat in the form of kasha makes a delicious side dish, but the flour is something magical: It stands up in baked goods in a way that other gluten-free grains can’t. Pancakes, muffins, dumplings, you name it; the taste is characteristically dense and nutty (I love it), but the texture is light and fluffy.

Why am I telling you all this on Meatless Monday? Well, cooking vegetarian has been a bit of challenge since we discovered my husband is sensitive to gluten and eggs. (Suddenly even breakfast, arguably the easiest meal to go meatless, has become a test.) But these banana buckwheat pancakes are so unstoppably delicious (and nutritious — rich in fiber, magnesium, and flavonoids) that you don’t even know what you’re missing. I’ve already made them for dinner on several occasions.

Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

Serves 2

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten (or equivalent of Ener-G egg replacer)
1 cup milk (or rice, almond, or soy milk)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 banana, sliced thin
butter, as needed

Heat large skillet or griddle over medium heat. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients together with a whisk. One at a time, add egg, milk, and oil to dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Cut banana into thin slices and put aside.

Grease heated skillet with small amount of butter, then pour one small ladleful of pancake batter for each pancake onto hot skillet. Place three slices of banana onto each pancake. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, flipping when edges look brown and bubbles break on surface of pancake. Cook on other side for approximately 1 minute.

Serve immediately, or place on a cookie sheet in warm oven until all pancakes are ready to be served.

Best breakfast ever!

–Jennifer Grayson

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Since becoming a flexitarian, I’ve really come to rely on eggs as a main source of protein: They’re cheap, easy to prepare, and packed with heart disease–fighting nutrients. (Yolk-chuckers beware; your egg-white aversion may actually be hurting your health.)

Still, I can only eat so many eggs a week before I’m just all egged out; that, plus the discovery that my husband is allergic to eggs has put the kibosh on our standard frittata breakfasts.

Solution: Scrambled tofu. At $1.29 for a carton of tofu at Trader Joe’s, it’s about the budgetary equivalent of an omelet. Add a pinch of curry powder — which packs a powerful anti-inflammatory punch — and you’ve got a beautiful meal (great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner) that almost looks like the real thing

Turmeric Scrambled Tofu

Serves 2

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 14 oz. package firm or extra-firm organic tofu
1 generous teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and cook 1-2 minutes until soft and translucent.

Remove tofu from package and drain off any excess water (no need to press tofu; just blot lightly with a towel). Crumble the block of tofu into the skillet with your hands, leaving some larger pieces for texture.

Add curry powder to skillet. With a wooden spoon, gently “scramble” tofu as you would eggs, until mixture is evenly yellow in color. Turn heat down to medium low and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes, scrambling occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy with multi-grain toast or eat healthy on the go: Wrap in a flour tortilla to make a delicious breakfast burrito.

–Jennifer Grayson

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Photo via Flickr: Masahiro Ihara

Time flies when you’re having fun in the kitchen. It just occurred to me that it’s now been well over a year since I first took the Meatless Monday pledge; vegetarian eating has become such a part of my daily life that I barely even notice I’m doing it. Though I can’t vouch for any positive changes in my physique as a result of eating less meat (being seven months pregnant kind of disguises any cumulative weight loss that may have occurred), I will say that my health has been stellar. I had been concerned that eating vegetarian more often would make it difficult to control my blood sugar (I tend toward hypoglycemia), but a few weeks back I passed my glucose tolerance test (ick) with flying colors.

And of course, it feels pretty great that my decision to eat less meat — not just on Mondays, but throughout the week — has been the single most important change I’ve made this year on behalf of the environment.

So in honor of this anniversary, I thought I’d share a few vegetarian nuggets of wisdom I learned over this past year’s foray into meat-free meals. Hopefully it’ll inspire you to take the Meatless Monday pledge, too.

Easiest Meatless Monday dinner: Fried tofu. When I first started MM, I thought I’d have to make all sorts of elaborate dinners to convince my husband to get on board, but it turns out that his favorite meal is this simple pairing of fried tofu and rice with a little furikake sprinkled on top. Fine with me — it takes about 20 minutes to make, and it sets us back about 3 bucks.

Best dish for a vegetarian dinner party: Homemade gourmet pizza. Everyone loves pizza, and if you make the dough from scratch and cook up a few vegetarian varieties with a really top-notch mozzarella, believe me — no one will ever complain. Round out the meal with a big chopped salad and an appetizer of white bean crostini.

Favorite Meatless Monday resource: Love Food Hate Waste. Think you’ve got to have loads of farmers market goodies to whip up a healthy and delicious vegetarian meal? Then you’ve never visited the Love Food Hate Waste website, which offers up fabulous recipe ideas for even the most scantily stocked refrigerators. A recent winner: Lentil, Aubergine, and Tomato Moussaka, made from nothing more than the couple shriveled eggplants I had left in my fridge and a few meager pantry staples.

Here’s to another year of MM!

–Jennifer Grayson

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Just got back from four days in Chicago. Walked into my apartment, starving, only to be faced with a completely empty fridge and a meagerly stocked pantry. Oh man! It shouldn’t have come as a surprise; I always try to use up everything in the kitchen before I travel so nothing spoils.

But after all the schlepping, I can’t bear the thought of leaving the apartment to grab some lunch or hit up the grocery store — especially not with the pile of work and unanswered emails I’m facing.

Luckily, I spy a bag of red lentils in the corner of the pantry. Do I have an onion? Check. Do I have a few pathetic stalks of wilted celery? You betcha. Are there any vegetable bouillon cubes to whip up some stock? Hooray! Add a liberal dose of the curry powder in my spice rack, and I’ve got the makings of a hearty, flavorful Meatless Monday soup.

It’s a spartan meal, but after all the fries and char dogs I ate this weekend (OK, only two hot dogs, but that’s a lot for someone who hasn’t eaten one in almost a year), it’s a welcome cleanse.

Quick Curried Lentil Soup

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
8 cups vegetable broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and celery and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Add lentils and broth, cover pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially uncovered, until lentils are tender and soup has thickened, about 45 minutes. Remove pot from heat, discard bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and puree with a hand blender until soup is smooth. Serve garnished with a dollop of plain yogurt.

–Jennifer Grayson

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