vegetarian recipe – You Choose

Black chickpeas spread

Reduce meat consumption by switching to a diverse, plant-based diet. This delicious recipe is based on chickpeas, a legume full of nutrients and a non-destructive crop that is actually good for the Earth. This recipe is very similar to hummus, but it doesn’t use tahini.

Sustainability tips:

Chickpeas are a sustainable crop that requires little water, is low in calories and generally healthy. Black chickpeas are not always available in grocery stores, but they can be found in ethnic stores such as Indian grocery stores. The variety used here is more of a brown color. Regular chick peas can also be used for this recipe, however I recommend the black variety if available.

Remember that supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment. I can send you free cotton grocery and produce bags entirely upcycled from old fabric. Just contact me if you need any.

Useful things to have ready

Rinse and soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain them and cook them in the pressure cooker until soft. In my pressure cooker it takes about 12 minutes.

These are the black chickpeas after they have been soaked and cooked

Preparation time: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

Ingredients can be adjusted based on personal preferences. With the suggested proportions one gets a flavorful spread, but not too strong in garlic or pepper. One can also adjust the amount of oil to suit personal preferences.

3-4 fistful of black chickpeas
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 red pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
Red chili (optional)
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
3 tablespoon of water
Salt

Procedure

Rinse the soaked black chickpeas, drain them and cook them in the pressure cooker until soft.
While the chickpeas are cooking, place a tablespoon of oil in a pan and roast the red pepper
Roast the garlic

Place the cooked chickpeas in a food processor, a blender, or in a pot where you can blend them by hand

Add the roasted pepper and garlic
Add cumin powder, red chili, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and enough water to blend (2-3 tablespoon of water).
Blend until well smooth

Blend until the spread is smooth and creamy

You can eat this spread as appetizer or a snack, on crackers or bread, or with vegetables.

Enjoy!

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Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

Still undecided? Read here about the destructive impact of the meat industry on forests.

Sprouted lentils with coconut

Reduce meat consumption by switching to a diverse, plant-based diet. This delicious recipe is based on lentils, a legume full of nutrients and a non-destructive crop that is actually good for the earth.

Sustainability tips:

Lentils are a sustainable food, low in calories and rich in fibers and vitamins. Read about the properties of lentils from WebMD.

Useful things to have ready

Rinse and soak the lentils overnight. Drain the lentils and let them stay in a container, covered for about 2 days, rinsing and draining them at least once a day. On the second day the lentils will be sprouted.

I suggest to steam the sprouted lentils in the microwave or boil them for 5-10 minutes in lightly salted water. This will make them softer.

Preparation time: about 15 minutes plus 3 days to sprout the lentils

Ingredients (3-4 people)

Sprouted lentils (about one fistful of dry lentils per person)
1/2 onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 tablespoon of unsweetened shredded dry coconut (optional)
Crushed red chili (optional)
2-3 tablespoons of oil
Salt

Procedure

Rinse the soaked lentils, drain them and keep them in a pot with closed lid.
Check the lentils daily, making sure they don’t become too dry, you can rinse them and drain them once a day.
The lentils should sprout in about 2 days.

These are the sprouted lentils after about 2 days

Option 1: Place sprouted lentils in a pot, cover them with water, add a little salt and bring to a boil for about 10 minutes. This will soften them.
Option 2: Steam sprouted lentils in the microwave for 6-7 minutes.
Heat up the oil and add chopped onions.
Sautee onions until gold add turmeric and red chili (optional)

If desired you can add the coconut powder at this point and sautee for 2 minutes.

Add steamed (or boiled) lentils and sautee for 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

Still undecided? Read here about the destructive impact of the meat industry on forests.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Farro and spinach soup

Reduce meat consumption by switching to a diverse, plant-based diet. This delicious recipe is based on farro, one ancient grain that, after being forgotten for sometime, is making a comeback. Farro was extremely popular in ancient Rome, and a staple food for the Roman legions. I use pearled farro that cooks faster, especially after soaking.

Farro can be used as a side dish, in salads, and I am discovering that it can be used as an alternative to rice.

Sustainability tips:

Organic farro is a sustainable crop that can be part of a diverse diet. Spinach can be loaded with pesticide therefore organic better. Remember that supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment. I can send you free cotton grocery and produce bags entirely upcycled from old fabric. Just contact me if you need any.

Useful things to have ready

Rinse and soak the farro and kidney beans together for about 7 hours. Notice that it is not necessary to soak the pearled farro for so long, but soaking will reduce the cooking time and give a creamy consistency to the final dish. A great thing about this recipe is that it can be made as a soup or as a risotto-style dish.

Soak farro and beans overnight or for ~ 7 hours

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

2 fistful of soaked farro per person
1 bunch of spinach (frozen spinach also works)
2-3 fistful of red kidney beans (soaked with farro for about 7 hours)
1 chopped tomato (I peel it but is not necessary)
half onion (if small) or 1/4 (if large) chopped in small pieces
1 garlic clove-mashed
Crushed red chili
1 carrot
2-3 spoons of olive oil
1 tablespoons of tomato paste (or tomato sauce)
Salt

Procedure

Wash the spinach carefully and chop them.
Wash and peel the carrot and tomato
In a pressure cooker heat the oil, add chopped onion, mashed garlic, carrots, crushed chili, and cook for a few minutes on medium heat.

Add onion, garlic, and carrot to the hot oil

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and spinach and let cook for 5 minutes
Add drained and rinsed farro and kidney beans

For a soup add enough water to exceed the level of farro, for a risotto-like consistency add enough water to just cover the farro.
Close the lid and pressure cook for about 15 minutes from when it starts whistling.
Let the steam out and check consistency. You may need more time depending on the type of cooker and desired consistency.

Enjoy!

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

Still undecided? Read here about the destructive impact of the meat industry on forests.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Zucchini stuffed with millet

This recipe seems complicated, but in reality is quite simple once you have familiarized yourself with millet. It took me a few tries to get the right way to cook millet. I’ll share here the basic cooking, you can try and see if it works for you.

Millet is a variety of whole grain that can be used in several dishes. It is a nice alternative to rice or couscous. If you have never tried it I suggest you give it a try. It doesn’t require soaking and cooks very quickly.

Sustainability tips:

Millet is a sustainable crop that requires less resources compared to other cereals. Diversifying our diet is also a great way to increase crop biodiversity. Please check out this link on millet crops.

https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/05/1092492

The remaining ingredients for this recipe are quite basic and generally sustainable. Remember that supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment.

Useful things to have ready

Cooked millet: I used to follow directions and cook the millet in little water letting the grain absorb the water slowly. However this preparation method resulted in a sticky blob of millet that was difficult to utilize. I therefore suggest the following method for the basic preparation:

Place millet in a bowl and rinse it several times draining the water with a fine mesh strainer (the grains are quite small).
Fill up a pot with water and add salt, water should be abundant compared to the amount of millet.
Add 1 fistful of millet per person (it grows a lot).
Bring the water and millet to a boil on a medium flame and let it boil until the millet is soft (about 10 minutes). The millet should be circulating in the pot.
As soon as the millet is soft drain the water with a strainer and rinse the millet under cold running water, this will stop the cooking and leave the millet intact.
At this point you can store the millet in the refrigerator and use it later or proceed to this recipe or any other recipe.

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

1 large chopped tomato (I peel it but is not necessary)
half onion (if small) or 1/4 (if large) chopped in small pieces
4 zucchini (courgette)
2 scallions
1 garlic clove-mashed
2-3 spoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of tomato paste (or sauce)
1 handful of capers and olives (optional)
Salt

Procedure

Cut zucchini in cylinders about 1 inch high and place them into a pot of water. Bring to a boil until the zucchini are softer, but not fully cooked (about 5-10 minutes).

Carve the zucchini removing the soft center and leaving the outer skin
In a pot heat the oil, add chopped onions, mashed garlic and cook for a few minutes
Add scallions

Add the zucchini pulp, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, olives and capers.

Cook 6-7 minutes until the tomatoes are well cooked, add the cooked millet and check the salt. The millet will quickly absorb any excess liquid.

Place the empty shells on an oven pan and fill up with the millet.
Place in the oven for about 20 minutes

Enjoy as a side dish or a nice appetizer!

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Roasted Napa cabbage

This recipe is very simple and I definitely recommend it if you have never tried Napa cabbage. It makes a delicious side dish that goes very well with vegetarian burgers or even rice. Like all other cabbage variety Napa cabbage is a food low on calories and high in health benefits.

Sustainability tips:

Cabbage is a sustainable crop, especially if grown organically. If you grow your own vegetables I think this cabbage is also fairly easy to grow at home. If you purchase vegetables supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment.

How to clean and cut Napa cabbage

Napa cabbage is quite large, and almost all of it, except for the hardest part can be used. It is enough to remove the outer layer of leaves, cut the cabbage in fourths or eights by the length (4 or 8 pieces depending on the size) and rinse under running water. If you compost, make this a zero waste recipe, don’t trash the leaves of the cabbage, they make excellent compost material.

Reuse cabbage leaves in a compost or just in the yard

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

1 Napa cabbage
3 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 glass of olive oil
Juice of half lemon
salt

Procedure

Preheat oven at 420 F (~220 C)
Combine Dijon mustard, mashed garlic, lemon juice and and olive oil

Garlic cloves can be mashed or kept whole

Place the cabbage in an oven pan and brush all sides with the oil
Add salt

Brush the cabbage with the oil and Dijon mustard mix

Place in the oven for about 20 minutes

Once the cabbage is roasted pull it out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes
The end part of the leaves may still be hard so it is better to remove the end part and slice the tender leaves.
Your cabbage is ready to eat!

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

If you like this recipe please share it!

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Mixed vegetable soup (minestrone)

This is a very popular recipe in my island of Sardinia (where I am from). It requires a variety of vegetables that are easy to find in any grocery store. I’ll post here all vegetables that are commonly used for this dish, however they can be changed depending on availability and what one likes. The trick for a delicious soup is to cut the vegetables in small pieces so their flavors blend nicely together.

Sustainability tips:

If you grow your own vegetables this is a great way to use them. You can also make the soup and freeze it for later use. If you purchase the vegetables supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use. I also suggest to avoid produce in plastic bags and to bring your own reusable bags to help reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment.

Useful things to have ready

Important: If you decide to use dry legumes they should be soaked for 8-10 hours and cooked in advance because they take longer than the other vegetables to cook.

Most other vegetables, except potatoes can be peeled (if necessary) and chopped in advance so they are ready to use. I find it useful to keep chopped onions in the refrigerator.

Preparation time: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

1 large tomato (I peel it but is not necessary)
half onion (if small) or 1/4 (if large) chopped in small pieces
1 zucchini (courgette)
1 small potato
2 fistful of green peas
half cup of green beans
5-6 cauliflower florets
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
half cup of chick peas or white beans (either previously cooked or canned)
2-3 tablespoons of tomato sauce or paste
Salt
One table spoon of vegetable oil

Procedure

Wash all vegetables and chop them in small pieces

In the pressure cooker add oil
When the oil is hot add chopped onions

Add the onions to the hot oil and cook until golden

When the onion is golden add carrots and celery and cook 1-2 minutes
Add all other vegetables and stir for 2 minutes
Add the tomato sauce (or paste)
Add enough water to cover the vegetables and close the lid
Cook with pressure cooker for about 10 minutes from the time it starts whistling. If using a regular pot it will take a little bit longer, about 20 minutes
Turn off the flame and wait until the pressure is entirely gone
Open the lid and add the cooked beans or chickpeas
Cook additional 5 minutes
Add salt

Enjoy a delicious bowl of mixed vegetable soup

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Roasted spicy eggplants

Eggplants are one of those love/hate vegetables that sometime one doesn’t know what to do with. This recipe brings out a nice flavor and it is quite easy to make. The roasting can also be done in the oven, but it takes much longer.

Sustainability tips:

This recipe requires a few spices that are needed to add some extra flavor to the eggplant. For this recipe I usually choose mid size eggplant so it takes less time to cook them. Make sure to choose eggplants that are hard and shiny to reduce the chances that they are bitter. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. As always I’ll mention here that supporting organic and sustainable produce goes a long way to reduce harmful pesticide use and avoiding produce in plastic bags helps reduce the amount of plastic dispersed in the environment.

Useful things to have ready

Eggplants can be roasted in advance and you will need one peeled and chopped tomato. I find it useful to keep chopped onions in the refrigerator.

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

2 medium eggplants
half onion chopped in small pieces
1 garlic clove smashed
2-3 curry leaves (optional)
1 tomato chopped in medium pieces
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 green chili (optional)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
Salt
One table spoon of vegetable oil

Procedure

Wash the eggplants, cut one or two slits and wrap them in aluminum foil
Place an oven rack on the stove top and put the eggplants on the flame
Cook the eggplants turning them until they feel soft (about 15-20 min depending on the size)

Remove from heat and let them cool off
While the eggplant are cooling off heat oil in a pan
When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves

cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves

Add coriander powder
Add onions and cook 3-4 min
Add mashed garlic and green chili
Add turmeric powder and garam masala
Add tomato and cook until is soft (4-5 min)

Add tomatoes last and cook a for few minutes

At this point you can turn off the heat and peel the eggplants. The peel should come off easy.
Cut the cooked eggplants in small pieces and mash them with a spoon or fork
Turn the heat back on and add the eggplants to the spices and tomatoes
Cook for 5 min

You can accompany this with okra and whole wheat bread.

Help reduce meat consumption! If you have a vegetarian recipe you would like to share please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post it on this blog.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

Tomatoes stuffed with rice

Recipe provided by Ermanno and Simona from Rome

Sustainability tips:

This delicious Italian recipe requires few simple ingredients such as rice, tomatoes, onions and some herbs. It also requires only one pot because everything cooks together in the oven. Choose organic vegetables if possible and remember to take your own bags to the grocery store to avoid plastic bags for the produce. I really want to thank Ermanno and Simona for the work they did putting together the pictures and the procedure. Collaborations really help a lot to keep the blog going.

The procedure seems elaborate, but it is really quite simple. If I could get it right the first time, anybody can do it.

Preparation time: 15 minutes + 45 minutes in the oven

Ingredients (3 people)

3 large tomatoes
5-6 basil leaves
Small bunch of parsley
1 garlic clove
Arborio (o Carnaroli) rice – This is available in general grocery stores
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, black pepper
1 potato
1 sweet onion

Procedure

Slice the cap from the tomatoes

Remove the top part of the tomatoes and keep it aside

Finely chop basil, parsley and garlic

Basil, parsley and garlic finely chopped

Empty the tomatoes with a spoon.

Make sure not to break the external skin of the tomatoes.

Place the tomato pulp in a centrifuge or a blender to make a nice smooth tomato juice. Keep a small amount (half cup or less) of the juice on the side.
In the larger part of the tomato juice add the chopped herbs, 2 spoons of olive oil, salt and pepper.
Add one tablespoon of uncooked rice for each tomato plus one extra tablespoon.

Place the tomatoes on a baking sheet, add one basil leaf and little salt at the bottom.
Fill up the tomatoes (up to 3/4 of capacity) with the rice and tomatoes mixture.

Fill the tomatoes with the rice and sauce

Place the caps back on the tomatoes.
Now add the sliced potato, sweet onion and (optionally) one more spoon of rice to the tomato juice that was set aside and place it on the baking sheet between the tomatoes.

Place in the hot oven for at least 45 minutes at about 360 F (180 C) until the rice is entirely cooked.

Cooked tomatoes out of the oven. You can let it broil for a few minutes depending on your preferences

If you would like to share vegetarian recipes please email me at info@choosesustainable.org and I’ll post them on this blog.

The YouChoose App contains links and information about sustainable food choices with a searchable database of common food items.

If you like this recipe please share it and help reduce meat consumption!

Basmati rice with vegetables

Sustainability tips:

This recipe requires few ingredients such as basmati rice, vegetables of choice, turmeric, and and few spices that can be found in Indian stores or general grocery stores, depending on where you live. You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.

Useful things to have ready

I suggest to rinse and soak the rice for about half hour before cooking, however it is not required.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients (3-4 people)

Basmati rice (2-3 fist full are enough for 3-4 people)
One laurel leaf
4 peppercorns (black whole pepper)
1 small piece of ginger root cut in small pieces
3-4 cloves
1/2 finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
1 sliced carrot
5-6 small cauliflower florets
1 fistful of green peas
1 fistful of green beans chopped in small pieces
1 small potato chopped in small pieces (0ptional)
Salt
One table spoon of vegetable oil

Procedure

Wash the rice, soak it for half hour and drain it
In a wok heat the oil and add the laurel leaf, peppercorn, ginger root, cloves

Cloves, black pepper, cardamon, ginger, and laurel leaf are the spices for this rice

When the spices are lightly roasted add the onions
When the onion turn gold add the turmeric powder

Add onion and turmeric powder to the spices

Add the rice and stir for a few minutes until it is coated with the spices
Add the vegetables cut in small pieces and stir for a few minutes

Add enough water to cover the rice and add salt
Cover and cook on low flame until the basmati rice is soft but firm (usually ~15 minutes)

The rice can be served with a yellow lentil soup

When ready the rice can be served with a side of legumes or green vegetables

If you like this recipe please share it and help reduce meat consumption!

Baked mixed roots

Sustainability tips:

This recipe requires a variety of roots. I wasn’t familiar with some of them, but have been pleasantly surprised. They are actually quite easy to make. One can try different roots, I am sure they will be just as good as those listed here.

Useful things to have ready

I suggest to boil some of the roots to make them just a little soft before baking them in the oven.

Preparation time: 15 minutes +30 minutes for baking

Ingredients (3-4 people)

1 Parsnip
1 Red Beet
1 Turnip
1-2 Carrots
1 Taro root
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt
Parsley (optional)

Procedure

Cut the taro, turnip and beet and boil them with little salt just enough to soften them (10 minutes).

Meanwhile peel and slice the turnip

When the roots are soft enough to be peeled drain them, place them under cold water and peel them when cold.
Peel the carrots

Place in an oven pan, dress with olive oil, salt and parsely and place in the oven at 400 degrees F

After about half hour the vegetables should be ready. They can accompany a dish of vegetarian sausage or veggie chicken

Sustainability tips:

Useful things to have ready

Ingredients (3-4 people)

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How to clean and cut Napa cabbage

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Recipe provided by Ermanno and Simona from Rome

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Ingredients (3 people)

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Ingredients (3-4 people)

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Ingredients (3-4 people)

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