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Food Is the Solution: What to Eat to Save the World: 80+ Recipes for a Greener Planet and a Healthier You
Matthew Prescott
By
Published: Apr 04, 2018
Category:
Food and Wine
We seem to have reached a point when simple decency has become a radical political act.
You and I, we are decent people. We may not know how to deal with the corruption that fills the daily news, so our response — mine, anyway, and, I bet, yours — is to be as kind as possible, all day, every day, to do what we can to make life just a little sweeter for everyone we deal with.
Reading “Food Is the Solution” challenged me.
How kind am I to myself?
How kind am I to animals?
How trapped am I in a way of thinking that will make our grandchildren shake their heads and say: “They were so unconscious.”
Those questions begin and end with food.
As James Cameron — yes, the film director — writes in the forward, “Almost every major environmental problem could be solved by a global shift toward plant-based eating.”
35% of Americans are overweight. Dealing with that accounts for $200 billion in health care costs a year — more than 20% of our health care expenses. Why? Heart disease, the #1 killer. What are key causes of heart disease? Cholesterol, which is only found in animal products. Saturated fat, which is found in high levels in animal products. The cure? A plant-based diet. Which would also cut our outrageous levels of diabetes.
There is a huge global cost for eating the 80 billion animals and 2.7 trillion fish we raise or kill every year. Animals convert only around 11% of the energy they consume into human food — “90% of what we put into turning animals into food is wasted.”
None of this is news. And you may want to skim this book’s 300 pages of investigative reporting, infographics and photos. The appeal of “Food Is the Solution” is the recipes, 80 of them, most not requiring exotic ingredients or hours of prep time. And it is not shrill. Maybe you just eat less meat and more vegetables, maybe you find your own balance. Matthew Prescott may be an evangelist -=– he’s not a zealot. [To buy the book from Amazon, click here. For the Kindle edition, click here.]
Some samples:
BLUEBERRY BUCKWHEAT WAFFLES
Despite its name, buckwheat is actually not related to wheat, but rather to sorrel and rhubarb. Its seeds are the part we eat, and they’re rich in complex carbohydrates—making it a healthier option than white flour, and giving the foods we cook with it an earthier flavor and color. And this recipe for buckwheat waffles uses almond milk instead of cow’s milk, which cuts its water footprint down by 97 percent, and uses aquafaba (chickpea juice) instead of eggs, which reduces food waste and the dish’s carbon emissions.
Makes 8 to 10 waffles
Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes
1½ cups buckwheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp aquafaba (chickpea juice)
2 Tbsp sugar
1 cup almond milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup plain nondairy yogurt
½ cup margarine, melted, plus more for greasing
½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Pure maple syrup, for serving
Flaked almonds, for serving (optional)
Fresh berries, for serving (optional)
In a large bowl, combine the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the aquafaba on medium speed until it holds soft peaks, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the sugar, a little at a time, as you go.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, vanilla, applesauce, yogurt, margarine, and ¼ cup water.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, add the blueberries, and stir to combine.
Carefully fold the beaten aquafaba into the batter—work gently so as to not deflate it too much.
Turn on the waffle iron and let the waffle batter sit for 10 minutes while the waffle iron gets hot.
Lightly grease the waffle iron with margarine and pour in enough batter for one waffle (the amount will depend on your iron). Close and cook for 2 to 5 minutes, until done. Repeat until all the batter has been used up.
Top with warm maple syrup, flaked almonds, berries, and/or any other favorite toppings you have on hand.
FRENCH TOAST
Eggs and milk aren’t the most eco-friendly ingredients. It takes 53 gallons of water to produce a single egg and 820 gallons of water to produce just 8 ounces of milk. Crazy, huh? So this recipe uses almond milk, and is thickened with a little tofu and chia seeds instead. It fries up well and is super-satisfying—all while being lighter on the planet.
Serves: 6
Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes
1½ cup almond milk
½ cup firm tofu
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, plus additional for serving
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1½ Tbsp nutritional yeast
1½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 – 12 slices of bread, about ¾ inch thick
3 Tbsp margarine, for frying, plus extra as needed
Fresh berries, to serve
Powdered sugar, to serve
Add the almond milk, tofu, maple syrup, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a food processor or blender and pulse until mixed and tofu is almost smooth but a tiny bit crumbly. You want this liquidy enough to coat the bread with; if it’s not, add some more almond milk, a little at a time, and pulse.
Place the bread slices neatly inside a large casserole dish and pour the mixture over the bread. Flip the slices to coat the other side, and leave resting in the mix.
SOURDOUGH PANZANELLA
Originally from Tuscany, panzanella — or panmolle — is a light, airy salad made from bread and tomatoes. Plus, you can use stale (or going-stale) bread, which can help cut back on food waste and make the dish extra-eco-friendly.
Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as a side
Prep and cooking time: 20 minutes
3 – 5 big slices of sourdough bread
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp whole grain mustard
½ tsp sea salt
18oz cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup baby spinach
2 Tbsp capers
10-20 fresh basil leaves
Freshly cracked black pepper
Toast the sourdough (in a toaster or grill pan, or under the broiler) until lightly blackened. Let cool.
Combine the olive oil, cider vinegar, mustard, and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the tomatoes, along with the red onion. Stir so that the tomatoes and onion are well coated in the dressing.
Place the baby spinach in the serving bowl. Tear the cooled sourdough into bite sized chunks and place on top of the spinach. Spoon the tomatoes and onion over the sourdough, then pour the remaining dressing over the entire salad. Top with capers and fresh basil and then a generous dash of freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve immediately.
CASHEW CREAM MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
Why rely on boxed mac ‘n’ cheese when you could get a bit crafty with your mac ‘n’ cheese? This dish uses cashews for that rich, fatty flavor—combined with nutritional yeast for a cheesy taste. It’s quick, easy, healthy and better for the planet than using cow’s cheese: cashew trees are lighter on the land than cows, providing wildlife habitat and preventing erosion. So give two big, creamy thumbs up for planet-friendly pasta!
Serves: 4
Prep and cooking time: 30 minutes, plus soaking time for cashews
1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4 hours
2 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp soy sauce
¾ tsp mustard
2 tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 Tbsp margarine
One 1-lb box of pasta (shells or macaroni)
Fresh black pepper
Smoked paprika, to garnish (optional)
Basil, to garnish (optional)
Rinse the soaked cashews. Put them in a blender. Add enough fresh water so that they are just covered, then blend until very smooth—about a minute. Once smooth, add the lemon juice, soy sauce, mustard, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, nutritional yeast and margarine. Blend until well combined. Add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time, until you have a smooth and creamy sauce.
Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly. Return to its cooking pot and add the cashew cheese sauce.
Spoon into bowls and garnish with black pepper, paprika and basil or whatever other toppings you love (sautéed onions, garlic and cherry tomatoes work well!).
Tip: Like baked mac? Put the mac ‘n’ cheese in a baking dish and bake for 10 – 15 minutes at 350°F, or until slightly browned.
KEY LIME AVOCADO MOUSSE
Mousse is the best! Creamy and sweet, it really is the perfect dessert. But with heavy cream and eggs, it’s not the most sustainable or healthy treat. Enter: avocados! They’re lighter on the planet and our waistlines, providing a creamy texture and healthy fat. Combined with maple syrup and tart key limes, you can’t taste the avocado in the final product, and you can rest easy knowing you’re doing something good for yourself and the planet.
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus time to chill
4 small key limes
2 large, ripe avocado
½ cup maple syrup
2 tsp chia seeds
Flaked coconut, to garnish
Fresh raspberries, to garnish
2 lime wedges, to garnish
Juice and zest the limes, placing both the juice and zest into a food processor or blender.
Scoop the avocado flesh into the processor. Add the maple syrup and chia seeds. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, about 1 – 2 minutes.
Transfer the mousse into two serving containers (I use glass tumblers) and let sit in the fridge 1 – 2 hours.
Once ready, top with some flaked coconut and fresh raspberries, and garnish each glass with a wedge of lime.
