San Antonio Sustainable Living

Meatless Monday Recipe: No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies

2012-01-30T21:19:00.001-06:00

No-Bake Thumbprint Cookies
Vegan; Makes about 2 dozen

So, I got this recipe from the Whole Foods Cooking demo a few weeks ago. These are great for a quick snack or a light breakfast with your morning cup of coffee. Sorry about missing last week-it's been a little on the crazy side.... I was sick and just started a new job today, hopefully things calm down and my routine finds a "new" normal....

3/4 cup pitted dates
3 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
zest and juice of one orange
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (I had to bump it up to 1 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup 100% all-fruit preserves, such as cherry or apricot (I used the Rainer cherry from Uncertain Farms)

Directions:

1. Put dates into a medium bowl, cover with hot water and set aside to let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. **Reserve 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, and then drain well.

2. In a food processor, pulse oats until coarsely ground; transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Transfer dates and reserved 1/2 cup soaking liquid to food processor and puree until smooth. Add date mixture, almond butter, coconut, orange zest and juice, cinnamon and salt to bowl with oats and knead together to make dough.

3. Roll dough into 24 balls, transferring them to a parchment paper-lined sheet tray as done. Make an indentation in the middle of each cookie by pressing down with your thumb. Spoon a bit of fruit preserves into each indentation and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Creamy Root Soup

2012-01-20T22:30:00.000-06:00

Creamy Root Soup
Serves 10; Vegan

This soup is made with a variety of root vegetables and supplies an assortment of cancer-fighting antioxidants to help prevent free-radical damage. If you've never tried rutabagas before, you'll come to appreciate the subtle and delicious flavor they add. Pair with some crusty garlic bread to make the perfect "cold" winter meal. I say that since you guys have 75 degrees of winter days.....

Ingredients

3 1/2 to 4 cups water or vegetable broth, divided (1/2 cup, plus 3 cups, plus 1/2 cup)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large baking potato, chopped
2 large carrots, sliced
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper or cayenne pepper
4 cups washed, fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

Directions

Heat 1/2 cup water or broth in a large pot. Add onion and cook over high heat, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
Stir in 3 cups water or broth and remaining ingredients except spinach. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and the soup is thickened, about 30 minutes.
Stir in spinach and simmer until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add remaining 1/2 cup water or broth, if desired, for a thinner soup.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/2 cup):

calories: 70; fat: 0.3 g; saturated fat: 0.1 g; calories from fat: 3.3%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 2 g; carbohydrate: 16 g; sugar: 3.8 g; fiber: 2.9 g; sodium: 386 mg: calcium: 55 mg; iron: 1.5 mg; vitamin C: 16.6 mg; beta-carotene: 3767 mcg; vitamin E: 0.6 mg

Recipe from The Cancer Survivor’s Guide by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Jennifer K. Reilly, R.D.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Portuguese Kale Soup

2012-01-11T07:52:00.000-06:00

Portuguese Kale Soup
Makes 12 1-cup servings; Vegan

This hearty soup is a delicious way to enjoy calcium-rich kale. This is for a cold, rainy night in San Antonio and for me a cold, snowy night in Colorado Springs... Hope everyone is doing well and I miss all of you!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, undrained
1/2 pound fresh kale
1 7-ounce package vegetarian breakfast sausage links

Heat oil in a large pot and add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over high heat, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and stir in potatoes, garlic, oregano, basil, black pepper, and salt. Add water, then cover and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes.

Stir in beans and their liquid and broth. Cover and simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove stems from kale and chop leaves into small pieces. Add to soup.

Cut vegetarian breakfast sausage links into bite-size chunks and add to soup. Cover and simmer until kale is tender, about 5 minutes.

Per 1-cup serving

Calories: 127; Fat: 2.6 g; Saturated Fat: 0.4 g; Calories from Fat: 18.7%; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 7.5 g; Carbohydrates: 19.6 g; Sugar: 1.8 g; Fiber: 4.1 g; Sodium: 334 mg; Calcium: 69 mg; Iron: 2.6 mg; Vitamin C: 12.2 mg; Beta Carotene: 1813 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.9 mg

Found: www.pcrm.org
Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Meatless Monday Recipe: In-the-Red Smoothie

2012-01-04T10:50:00.000-06:00

In-the-Red Smoothie

Bright red berries are among the richest sources of health-promoting antioxidants. This smoothie gives you another way to drink your grapes and berries, along with other nourishing fruits. For all who feel like they over indulged this holiday season and for those who may have left over cranberries in the freezer, this is a perfect recipe.... Happy New Year Everyone! I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what is in season in Colorado since it's winter and cold.... brrr....

Ingredients

Makes about 6 servings

1 cup ice cubes
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup red grapes
1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks, or 1 can (4-ounce) pineapple chunks packed in juice, undrained
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 tablespoon agave nectar, maple syrup, or other sweetener (optional)

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a blender. Turn the blender on low speed and gradually increase to high speed, processing until smooth.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/4 recipe):

calories: 52; fat: 0.2 g; saturated fat: 0 g; calories from fat: 2.8%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 0.5 g; carbohydrate: 13.4 g; sugar: 9 g; fiber: 2 g; sodium: 3 mg: calcium: 20 mg; iron: 0.5 mg; vitamin C: 18 mg; beta-carotene: 21 mcg; vitamin E: 0.4 mg

Recipe by Ellen Jaffe Jones from Eat Vegan on $4 a Day

Meatless Monday Recipe-Chickpea and Date Tagine

2011-12-28T13:40:00.000-06:00

Chickpea and Date Tagine
Serves 6; Vegan

I hope all had a beautiful holiday and I wish everyone a joyous new year!!!!! I made this for a holiday potluck and it was a HUGE success!

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups) **I used less
4 cloves of garlic, minced (4 tsp.) **I used about 2 1/2 tsp.
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes **I used fire roasted tomatoes (organic)
3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup whole-wheat couscous **I used organic regular
1 cup pitted dates, halved
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 10 minutes, or until starting to brown, stirring often. Stir in garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger and cinnamon, and saute 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, chickpeas, and 1/4 cup water; simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, toast couscous in small saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add 1 3/4 cups water, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 minutes. **I had to let it sit a little longer.

3. Stir dates and lemon juice into tagine, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve over couscous, sprinkle with cilantro.

Found: Vegetarian Times December 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Cranberry Bars

2011-12-18T19:59:00.001-06:00

Cranberry Bars
Makes 25 bars

Here is the desert for the holiday feast! Hope all has a Happy Holiday Season! Happy eating and a Bright New Year...... I miss ALL of you!

FILLING
1 lb. fresh or frozen cranberries
7 oz. fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 egg yolks

CRUST
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup graham flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbs. butter, melted and cooled
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Directions

1. To make Filling: Bring cranberries and 1/2 cup water to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, or until berries have burst and are tender. Cool. Blend in blender or food processor until smooth, and strain mixture through sieve. (You should have about 1 cup purée.)

2. Transfer purée to bowl, and whisk in condensed milk and lemon juice. Whisk in egg yolks.

3. To make Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, and coat with cooking spray.

4. Whisk together flours, sugar, and salt in bowl. Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Press into bottom of prepared pan, and bake 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F, and pour Filling into hot Crust. Bake 23 to 28 minutes, or until custard is set. Cool, then chill until firm.

5. Use foil to lift baked dessert out of pan, then remove. Cut into 25 bars. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Nutritional Information

Per bar: Calories: 89, Protein: 2g, Total fat: 3g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 13g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 80mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugars: 8g

Found: Vegetarian Times

Meatless Monday Recipe-Rosemary New Potatoes

2011-12-10T15:50:00.000-06:00

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday season!

Rosemary New Potatoes
Serves 8; vegan

2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375 F

Place new potatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil. Add sea salt and rosemary, mix thoroughly. Spoon onto heated nonstick baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 50 minutes.

Nutrition information per serving: 129 calories, 2.6 g protein, 28.7 g carbohydrate, 0.7 g fat, 4% of calories from fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium

Found: www.pcrm.org

Meatless Monday Recipe-Cranberry Persimmon Relish

2011-12-04T18:18:00.003-06:00

Cranberry Persimmon Relish
Vegan; Makes 2 servings

Cranberries and fuyu persimmons make a colorful autumn relish in which the sweetness of the persimmons is a perfect foil for the tart cranberries. Fuyu persimmons, which are eaten while still crisp, are sold in many supermarkets and natural food stores. This is a perfect match for a tofurkey dinner, or even for the turkey eaters..... Hope everyone has a beautiful holiday season!

Ingredients

2 fuyu persimmons
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon agave or other sweetener
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger

Directions
Remove stems, then coarsely chop persimmons in a food processor. Add cranberries, orange juice concentrate, agave or other sweetener, and ginger.
Process, using quick pulses, until coarsely and uniformly chopped.
Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/2 recipe):
calories: 48; fat: 0.1 g; saturated fat: 0 g; calories from fat: 2.1%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 0.4 g; carbohydrates: 12.6 g; sugar: 9 g; fiber: 2.1 g; sodium: 1 mg; calcium: 6 mg; iron: 0.1 mg; vitamin C: 10.9 mg; beta-carotene: 113 mcg; vitamin E: 0.5 mg

Found: www.pcrm.org

Recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D., from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Cancer by Vesanto Melina, M.S., R.D.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Green Beans and Cranberries

2011-11-27T13:17:00.001-06:00

In honor of the up coming holiday season and EVERYONE in my family asking for this recipe. The next several recipes can be used in your holiday meals..... Happy Holiday Season!

Green Beans with Cranberries

In the spring I like to substitute raspberries

2 lbs. of green beans, trimmed
1 cup of cranberries
1 clove of garlic
2 Tbs. of fresh parsley
4 Tbs. of vegetable oil
3 Tbs. of maple syrup
3 Tbs. of apple cider vinegar
1 cup toasted chopped walnuts/almonds

1.) Cook green beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 5 to 8 minutes or until tender. Drain.

2.) Put the green beans into a dry skillet and heat over medium heat until remaining moisture on beans evaporate. Stir in 2 Tbs. of vegetable oil, cranberries and parsley and coat well. Cook until heated through about 5 minutes.

3.) Whisk together vinegar, maple syrup, and remaining oil. In a large serving bowl add green beans/cranberries and walnuts. Coat with vinegar/syrup mixture tossing to cover the green beans and cranberries. Serve and enjoy.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Vegan Creamed Spinach

2011-11-19T18:48:00.000-06:00

Vegan Creamed Spinach
Serves 6; Vegan

So, last Friday I went to a cooking demo at Whole Foods and learned about this recipe. To make it a complete meal add some tofu and glass noodles for a more stir fry look and feel. Now that things have calmed down I should be on a more regular schedule.... So, Happy Eating and have a Happy Tofurkey Day Everyone!

1 1/2 lbs. baby spinach and/or kale
1 cup plain, unsweetened almond milk or soy milk
2 teaspoons orange zest; finely grated
2 teaspoons lemon zest; finely grated
1/4 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
1/2 cup yellow onion, minced
4 Tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted
Pinch of nutmeg if desired
**glass noodles
**firm tofu--organic

Steam spinach with a few Tablespoons of water until just wilted. Squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop.

Place almond milk or soy, orange zest, and lemon zest in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring frequently until reduced by half.

Heat vegetable stock over medium heat in saute pan and add onion. Cook until onion is translucent. Add spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add almond milk or soy depending what you are using to spinach and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally. Season with a pinch of nutmeg, if desired and garnish with sliced almonds. ** If making with glass noodles cook according to the package and either fry the tofu or cook with "milk" orange zest and lemon zest.

Meatless Monday Recipe: Apple-Almond Quinoa

2011-11-08T08:53:00.001-06:00

I used pears instead of apples, since that is what I like better. This still came out very yummy!

Since apples are in abundance during the fall season, why not take advantage of this versatile fruit? This vegetarian quinoa dish is full of apples, cinnamon and almonds and adds a fun twist to your quinoa. It makes for a nice gluten-free breakfast cereal or for a savory side dish that goes well with a salad. Very comforting and delicious!

Apple-Almond Quinoa

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1¾ cup water
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped
½ cup carrots, peeled and shredded
1 Granny Smith apple or apple of choice, unpeeled and cubed
½ teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1 teaspoon palm sugar or your favorite sweetener
½ teaspoon sea salt
Dash of pepper

Directions:

1. Rinse quinoa well and add to pot along with water. Heat to boiling and reduce to a very low simmer. Cook until liquid evaporates, about 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t stir while cooking.

2. Sauté onions and carrots in pan with olive oil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. After about 5 minutes, add apples and more oil if needed. Cook until tender. Stir in cinnamon, almonds and palm sugar.

3. Mix quinoa with apple mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 to 6. Cooking time 30 minutes.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/apple-almond-quinoa.html#ixzz1d7prYKsB

Meatless Monday Recipe: Honey-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

2011-11-01T15:29:00.001-05:00

Honey-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous
Serves 6

Sorry to be SO late on this, but we're just beginning to get settled from the drive. I'm not sure how this is going to taste, since I don't have anything in the kitchen yet. So, hopefully, this comes out yummy.... If not, one out of the many is not bad! ~_^

Honey-Glazed Tofu
2 10-oz. pkgs. extra-firm tofu
2 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Pumpkin Seed Couscous
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds

To make Honey-Glazed Tofu:

1. Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture, and set aside.

To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous:

2. Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat, stir in couscous and cover. Let steam 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil and honey in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn, and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.

4. To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds into couscous. Spoon onto plates, and top with Honey-Glazed Tofu.

Per SERVING: Calories: 577, Protein: 26g, Total fat: 26g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 71g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 444mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 27g

Found: Vegetarian Times

German designer makes bowl from sand using concentrated solar power and envisions a tool for solar powered production.

2011-10-26T21:00:00.059-05:00

By way of the SASL Facebook group here's a video from Markus Kayser in which he installs a solar powered sintering* 3-D Printer which uses sand instead of they typical resins used in 3 D printers to make a rough bowl.

Although the film is beautiful and some have viewed it an artistic performance, Kayser sees his machine as the beginning of a productive tool for creating objects.

"In August 2010 I took my first solar machine - the Sun-Cutter - to the Egyptian desert in a suitcase. This was a solar-powered, semi-automated low-tech laser cutter, that used the power of the sun to drive it and directly harnessed its rays through a glass ball lens to ‘laser’ cut 2D components using a cam-guided system. The Sun-Cutter produced components in thin plywood with an aesthetic quality that was a curious hybrid of machine-made and “nature craft” due to the crudeness of its mechanism and cutting beam optics, alongside variations in solar intensity due to weather fluctuations.

In the deserts of the world two elements dominate - sun and sand. The former offers a vast energy source of huge potential, the latter an almost unlimited supply of silica in the form of quartz. The experience of working in the desert with the Sun-Cutter led me directly to the idea of a new machine that could bring together these two elements. Silicia sand when heated to melting point and allowed to cool solidifies as glass. This process of converting a powdery substance via a heating process into a solid form is known as sintering and has in recent years become a central process in design prototyping known as 3D printing or SLS (selective laser sintering). These 3D printers use laser technology to create very precise 3D objects from a variety of powdered plastics, resins and metals - the objects being the exact physical counterparts of the computer-drawn 3D designs inputted by the designer. By using the sun’s rays instead of a laser and sand instead of resins, I had the basis of an entirely new solar-powered machine and production process for making glass objects that taps into the abundant supplies of sun and sand to be found in the deserts of the world.

My first manually-operated solar-sintering machine was tested in February 2011 in the Moroccan desert with encouraging results that led to the development of the current larger and fully-automated computer driven version - the Solar-Sinter. The Solar-Sinter was completed in mid-May and later that month I took this experimental machine to the Sahara desert near Siwa, Egypt, for a two week testing period. The machine and the results of these first experiments presented here represent the initial significant steps towards what I envisage as a new solar-powered production tool of great potential. "

SOLAR SINTER (2MIN EDIT) from Markus Kayser on Vimeo.

From Kayser's website:

"Markus Kayser was born near Hannover, Germany in 1983. He studied 3D Furniture and Product Design at London Metropolitan University from 2004 - 2008 and continued 2009 with the study of Product Design at the Royal College of Art and gained his Master in 2011. Markus Kayser Studio was set up in London, UK in 2011.

From early works of furniture and lights in his father’s farm workshop through to today Markus Kayser developed an understanding of materials, processes and technologies which he sees as being key in combination with the natural given. He wants to engage by producing objects that one can relate to, that speak about something else other than just their utilitarian qualities. The layers to be discovered as well as one’s associations with objects interest him.

Experimentation plays a central part in developing his designs. Kayser’s recent work demonstrates the exploration of hybrid solutions linking technology and natural energy to show the great opportunities, to question current methodologies in manufacturing and to test new scenarios of production.
In his process it is important that behind the thorough research and the theory there must be a realistic proof of concept, which elucidates the real potential of a given subject. He tries to tell a story and to balance the seriousness with a sense of humour. This kind of storytelling makes his products as well as his experimental works digestible without losing its depths in content.

The aim of the newly formed Markus Kayser Studio is to engage in discussion about opportunities in the production of design involving new as well as forgotten processes and technologies. The studio draws from science, art and engineering and aims to blur gaps between seemingly separate fields. "

(SASL Finder: Chris)

Microbial Fuel Cells (MFC's) and bio-electrochemical systems (BESs) produce electricity from biological action

2011-10-26T20:00:00.057-05:00

Collecting electric power from the action of bacteria may prove a better solution than solar or wind power for far flung individuals and communities for low watt but highly critical needs.

In the video below one sort of MFC is explained. These are not batteries (to store power) but fuel cels (to generate power)

Lebone (pronounce the final e as a long A) recently announced that they have created an MFC (Microbial Fuel Cell) based in a bucket.

Hugo Van Vuuren, a 2010 TED Fellow founded Lebone Solutions "a social enterprise working in off-grid energy and lighting technology. We work to create global awareness for “Dirt Power” and end the energy and lighting crisis in Africa. We leverage our African roots and growing first-world experience to develop emerging technologies and models in a commercial and sustainable way."

A number of other researchers and aspiring manufacturers are working on the perfection of the biologically based electrical generators which initially would serve off the grid and impoverished communities with small but critical amounts of power.

A great source of information on Microbial Fuel Cells is MicrobialFuelCells.com

By the way Keegotech sells a Mudwatt battery for under $50 if you are inclined to experiment.

(SASL finder: Chris Lee)

Meatless Monday Recipe-Quinoa and Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-10-23T08:57:00.001-05:00

Quinoa and Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

6 Servings; Vegan

So, I've been wanting the flavors of fall. Between the move to Colorado and a lack of time, this needed little "hands on time". Use a little less sage {about 1/2 tsp. so it's not so powerful; also you can double the dried fruit and quinoa and skip the rice.} This can be modified to fit EVERY taste, enjoy and happy eating!

•6 small acorn squash, halved and seeds removed
•6 cups water
•1 cup uncooked wild rice (genuine Ojibwa if possible), rinsed
•1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
•2 tsp. vegetable oil
•4 green onions (white and pale green parts), chopped
•1/2 cup chopped celery
•1 tsp. dried sage
•1/2 cup dried cranberries
•1/3 cup dried apricots, chopped
•1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
•1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh orange juice
•Salt to taste

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange squash halves cut side down in baking dish or roasting pan. Bake until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, make filling. In large saucepan, bring 4 cups water to boil. Add wild rice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender, about 40 minutes. Drain if necessary.

3.In another large saucepan, bring remaining 2 cups of water to boil. Add quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 12 minutes.

4.In large, deep skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add green onions, celery and sage, and cook, stirring often, until vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add dried fruits and nuts and cook, stirring often, until heated through. Using a fork, fluff quinoa and wild rice, then add both to skillet. Add orange juice and mix until heated through. Season with salt.

5.To serve, remove squash from oven and arrange on serving platter. Spoon filling into each squash cavity and serve.

Per serving: Calories: 454, Protein: 12g, Total fat: 6g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 95g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 31mg, Fiber: 6g

Found: Vegetarian Times October 1998

Meatless Monday Recipe-Creamy Roasted Garlic-Squash Soup

2011-10-15T17:41:00.000-05:00

Creamy Roasted Garlic-Squash Soup
Vegan; Serves 10

2 heads garlic
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup vegan margarine
2 cups diced onions
3/4 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
4 lbs. butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
2 Tbsp. freshly chopped sage
1/2 cup plain soy milk
Sea salt and white pepper, to taste

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Cut the garlic heads in half crosswise. Rub the cut surfaces with the olive oil and put back together. Wrap in foil and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.

• Meanwhile, melt the margarine in a large pot over medium heat.

• Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add the squash, broth, and sage. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the squash is tender.

• Once the garlic has cooled, remove and mash the cloves. Stir into the soup.

• Purée the soup in a blender or food processor in batches until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the soy milk. Season with the salt and pepper.

Found: www.PETA.org

Meatless Monday Recipe: Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew

2011-10-08T18:53:00.000-05:00

Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew

With cold weather blowing in, this is a great recipe to warm your insides!

Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings
1 medium onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
Fine sea salt (optional)
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4” cubes
7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 cup brown or red lentils

Directions

1. Heat two tablespoons of the broth over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for two minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes and ginger and cook for three minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt, if using. Cook and stir for two minutes, then taste for seasonings; try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors.

2. Add the sweet potatoes, broth, and lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/4 recipe):

calories: 256; fat: 1 g; saturated fat: 0.2 g; calories from fat: 3%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 13.9 g; carbohydrates: 50.7 g; sugar: 11.9 g; fiber: 10.9 g; sodium: 275 mg; calcium: 78 mg; iron: 6.1 mg; vitamin C: 23 mg; beta-carotene: 7699 mcg; vitamin E: 1.2 mg

Recipe adapted from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet
Found: www.pcrm.org

Meatless Monday Recipe-Butternut Squash Lasagna

2011-10-01T16:25:00.000-05:00

Butternut Squash Lasagna
Vegetarian; Serves 6

When I made this, I added crushed red peppers to the puree-I just can't seem to remember how much I added. So, to be safe add what you like (maybe no more then 1 Tbs.)..... It was bland if you didn't add the crushed red pepper.

•2 12-oz. pkg. frozen butternut squash purée, thawed, or 4 cups fresh butternut squash purée
•1 1/2 tsp. salt
•1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
•1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
•15 oz. part-skim ricotta cheese
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
•8 short no-cook lasagna noodles (about 7x4 inches)

Directions

To make Fresh Butternut Squash Purée:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 2 whole butternut squash (about 2 lb. each) on baking sheet, and bake, turning occasionally, about 1 hour, or until very tender when pierced with tip of paring knife. Let squash cool enough to handle.

2. Halve each squash lengthwise. Scoop out and discard seeds. Scrape flesh into food processor and purée until smooth.

To make Lasagna:

3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine squash purée, 1 tsp. salt, sage, and 1/4 tsp. pepper in medium bowl; mix well. Combine ricotta, 1/4 cup Parmesan, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper in second bowl, and mix well.

4. Coat 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place 2 noodles in bottom of dish, overlapping slightly. Spread half of squash mixture over noodles. Layer 2 more noodles on top, and spread with half of ricotta mixture. Repeat layers—noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta—then sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan.

5. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake 45 minutes, remove foil, and bake 20 to 25 minutes more, or until golden on top. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving: Calories: 265, Protein: 15g, Total fat: 8g, Saturated fat: 4g, Carbs: 34g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 774mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 1g

Found: Vegetarian Times April 2006

Meatless Monday Recipe-Butternut Mash with Orange-Sesame Drizzle

2011-09-25T16:05:00.000-05:00

Butternut Mash with Orange-Sesame Drizzle
Vegan; Serves 4; 30 minutes or fewer

Sorry for missing yesterday.... But, this one is worth the wait. Since we have welcomed fall (still with 90 degree weather), this is perfect for a light fall meal. Serve with a salad and crusty bread for a great compliment.

1 lb. butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces (2 cups)
1 1/4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 1/2 Tbs. thawed frozen orange juice concentrate (I use fresh squeeze)
2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp. reduced-sodium tamari
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 green onion, trimmed and thinly sliced

1. Bring squash and broth to a boil in saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover, and cook 12 minutes, or until squash is very tender and most of the broth is absorbed. Mash with a potato masher until chunky-smooth. Transfer to serving bowl.

2. Whisk together orange juice, sesame seeds, tamari, sesame oil, and ginger in a small bowl. Drizzle over squash, and garnish with green onion.

Per 1-cup serving: 62 cal.; 1 gram prot.; 2 grams total fat (<1 gram sat. fat); 11 grams carb.; 0 mg chol.; 105 mg sod.; 2 grams fiber; 4 grams sugars

Found:Vegetarian Times October 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Roasted Spaghetti Squash

2011-09-17T16:22:00.000-05:00

Roasted Spaghetti Squash
Vegan or Vegetarian; Serves 4

1 spaghetti squash
4 Tbs. olive oil (divided)
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 Tbs. Parmesan cheese; or nutritional yeast
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Drizzle 1 halved, seeded spaghetti squash with 1 Tbs. olive oil. Roast until tender, about 40 minutes.

2. Once cool, scrape flesh with a fork and toss with 3 Tbs. olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Serve and enjoy!

Per Serving: 200 cal.; 15 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat); 0 mg chol.; 16 grams carbs.; 130 mg. sod.; 2 grams prot.; 3 grams fiber

Found: Whole Living October 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Collard Greens Frittata with Crispy Croutons

2011-09-10T19:10:00.001-05:00

Collard Greens Frittata with Crispy Croutons
Serves 6; Vegetarian

Down South, it's common to add a drop or two of Louisiana-style hot sauce to lift the flavor of bitter greens. Here, it works the same magic in a veggie frittata.

3 slices semolina cheese bread, cubed
1 Tbs. plus 4 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced (1/2 cup)
1/3 lbs. collard greens, ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced (2 1/2 cups) {This also works with mustard greens too!}
6 Peppadew peppers, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp. sugar
5 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss bread cubes with 1 Tbs. olive oil, and spread on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden. Toss with hot sauce in bowl.

2. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in 10-inch oven proof skillet over medium-high heat. {Cast iron works great for this.} Add onion, and saute for 7 minutes. Add collard greens, and cook until wilted. Stir in Peppadews and sugar. Transfer to a different bowl.

3. Heat remaining 2 tsp. olive oil in same skillet over medium heat. Whisk eggs in large bowl, and add collard greens mixture. Pour into skillet, and cook 3 minutes, or until bottom and edges have begun to set. Scatter croutons over top, and press gently. Transfer pan to oven, and bake 13 to 15 minutes, or until croutons are golden and eggs are set. Cut into 6 wedges.

Per wedge: 161 cal.; 10 grams prot.; 10 grams total fat (3 grams sat. fat); 10 grams carbs.; 158 mg chol.; 178 mg sod.; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times October 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Toasted Panzanella

2011-09-03T08:11:00.000-05:00

Toasted Panzanella
Vegan; Serves 4

This hearty bread salad is ideal for picnics and cookouts because the longer it sits, the better it gets. Try making it with colorful heirloom tomatoes.

Ingredient List

•1 small loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
•1/4 cup olive oil
•3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 Tbs.)
•1 1/2 lb. tomatoes, diced (about 3 1/2 cups)
•1 medium-size cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
•1 small red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
•1/4 cup green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
•1/4 cup basil, cut into thin ribbons
•2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
•2 tsp. capers, drained and coarsely chopped
•1 tsp. sugar
•1/2 tsp. lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread bread cubes on baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

2. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook garlic 2 minutes, or until fragrant.

3. Place all remaining ingredients in large serving bowl. Add olive oil mixture, and toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Adjust seasonings if necessary, and serve.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 260, Protein: 4g, Total fat: 14g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 29g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 266mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 7g

Found: Vegetarian Times July 2006

Meatless Monday Recipe-Zucchini "Fettuccine" with Fresh Marinara

2011-08-27T17:56:00.000-05:00

Zucchini "Fettuccine" with Fresh Marinara
It's WAY TOO hot to "cook" anything right now! This is perfect for this 111 degree temps! Enjoy.....

SERVES 6

•1 1/2 lb. plum tomatoes, quartered
•1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, plus sprigs for garnish
•1/3 cup dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes, softened in warm water and chopped
•1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
•1 shallot, minced
•Sea salt or kosher salt to taste
•Freshly ground black pepper
•8 oz. mixed summer squash (green and yellow), ends trimmed
•1 orange bell pepper, halved and seeded
•8 oz. soy or fresh mozzarella, diced
•1 cup chopped walnuts
•Grated regular or soy Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
•6 basil sprigs for garnish, optional

Directions
1. Put tomatoes, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, 3 Tbs. oil, shallot, dash of salt and several grinds of pepper into food processor, and process until sauce resembles finely textured salsa.

2. Pare squash lengthwise on 4 sides into paper-thin slices, about 1-inch wide, using sharp vegetable peeler. Discard soft centers, or save for another use. Stack slices, and cut into 1/4-inch-wide "fettuccine" strips. Cut bell pepper into paper-thin strips.

3. Put "fettuccine" into bowl with mozzarella, walnuts, remaining 1 Tbs. oil and salt to taste; toss gently. Pour sauce into 6 shallow bowls, and top with "fettuccine" mixture. Grind fresh pepper over each and, if using, top with Parmesan cheese and basil sprigs. Serve.

Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories: 320, Protein: 16g, Total fat: 26g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 14g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 590mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 7g

Found: Vegetarian Times July 2005

Meatless Monday Recipe: Low-Fat Pasta Salad

2011-08-20T22:14:00.001-05:00

Low-Fat Pasta Salad
Makes 6-8 servings; Vegan

This is a great recipe to use what is in season and is a great dish to take to potlucks. I used summer/yellow squash and zucchini instead of the olives. Hope you enjoy! Sorry it's really late.....

1 1/2 cup whole wheat bowtie or corkscrew pasta, uncooked
1 cup broccoli, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 red onion, diced
1 12-ounce can of water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cup cooked cannellini beans
2 tomatoes, seeds removed and diced
1/4 cup sliced black olives
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and allow to cool.

Lightly steam the broccoli, until just tender.

In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, broccoli, and remaining ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Allow to marinate in the refrigerator one to two hours before serving. Toss again before serving.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/6 of recipe)

calories: 367; fat: 3 g; saturated fat: 0.6 g; calories from fat: 6.8%; cholesterol: 0mg; protein: 16.6 g; carbohydrate: 70.3 g; sugar: 8.1 g; fiber: 13.3 g; sodium: 553 mg; calcium: 112 mg; iron: 5.2 mg; vitamin C: 52 mg; beta-carotene: 837 mcg; vitamin E: 2 mg

Recipe from Food for Life instructor Kay Kitchens

Meatless Monday Recipe-Grilled Peaches with Sweet Balsamic Glaze

2011-08-13T18:44:00.001-05:00

Grilled Peaches with Sweet Balsamic Glaze
Makes 4 servings; Vegan

This is the last weekend for most peach vendors. (Pearl Brewary included.) But, this is perfect for the summer grilling that is still on despite the 100+ temps. Hope all enjoy!

In this delightful recipe, two techniques—grilling and reduction—create a dessert that is bursting with flavor, bringing out the best of each ingredient. When grilled, peaches become almost caramelized, creating a sensationally sweet flavor without added sugars. By boiling the balsamic vinegar and reducing it by half, the vinegar transforms to smooth flavorful syrup. With just five ingredients, this dessert is a spectacular finish to any meal.

Ingredients

4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, etc.)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
fresh mint sprigs

Directions

1.) Heat a gas grill to medium-high. Coat peach halves with cooking spray (use about 2 sprays per peach half).

2.) Place peaches cut side down on the grill and grill for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until grill marks appear and peaches are slightly softened.
While peaches are grilling, prepare the glaze. Add vinegar to a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil vinegar until it is reduced by half and looks thick. Add agave, lemon juice, and almond extract.

3.) Remove peaches from the grill and place cut side up on a dessert dish. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with a mint sprig.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1/8 recipe)
calories: 88; fat: 0.1 g; saturated fat: 0 g; calories from fat: 1.2%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 1 g; carbohydrate: 20.1 g; sugar: 16.6 g; fiber: 2.6 g; sodium: 15 mg; calcium: 16 mg; iron: 0.9 mg; vitamin C: 6.7 mg; beta-carotene: 524 mcg; vitamin E: 1 mg

Recipes from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb

Meatless Monday Recipe-Yellow Squash and Zucchini Tacos

2011-08-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

Yellow Squash and Zucchini Tacos
Vegan; 30 minutes; Serves 4

I'm sorry for being late.... This is adapted from one of the farmer market vendors. She used Japanese eggplant and sweet bell peppers. (Feel free to substitute what you have on hand.)

2 med. or 1 large yellow squash, cut into strips
2 med. or 1 large zucchini, cut into strips
1 cup of Portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet red bell pepper cut into strips
1/4 cup olive oil (enough to coat the pan)
1/2 lime
2 Tbs. cilantro
tortillas
arugula
salsa (I used a blackberry, peach, chipotle salsa)

1. On medium heat coat pan with olive oil. Add yellow squash and zucchini. Cook for about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Add mushrooms and cook for about 2-3 minutes until brown. Add red bell peppers and while that's cooking add cilantro and squeeze lime. Cook till heated through.

2. Serve on heated tortillas, arugula and add salsa. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday Recipe-Cucumber Gratin

2011-07-30T14:28:00.001-05:00

Cucumber Gratin
Serves 6; Vegetarian (Vegan)

This dish takes the inspiration from Julia Child's recipe for baked cucumbers in Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

I used a mix of fresh and dry herbs. So, use what you find in your pantry before buying the fresh stuff or if you have it fresh from your garden-Even better!

2 Tbs. unsalted butter (use vegan margarine/butter)
2 English cucumbers or 3 garden cucumbers, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 2-x1/2 inch strips (about 4 cups)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. sugar
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 tsp. coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (use vegan Parmesan cheese)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes, or until beginning to brown.

2. Toss cucumbers in 13 x 9 inch baking dish with 1 Tbs. brown butter, salt, and sugar. Bake 25 minutes.

3. Remove dish from oven, and preheat the broiler. Add chives, tarragon, dill, and lemon zest to cucumbers, and toss to coat. Season with pepper, if desired.

4. Stir together breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and remaining 1 Tbs. brown butter in bowl. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over cucumbers. Broil 2 minutes, or until crumbs are golden brown.

Per 1/2 Cup Serving: 85 cal.; 2 grams prot.; 6 grams total fat (3 grams sat. fat); 7 grams carb.; 13 mg chol.; 355 mg sod.; <1 gram fiber; 2 grams sugar

Found:Vegetarian Times-September 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Home-Style Squash and Pinto Beans

2011-07-23T12:39:00.000-05:00

Home-Style Squash and Pinto Beans
Makes 4 servings; Vegan

1/4 cup vegetable broth (or more, as needed, for sautéing)
1/2 cup diced onion
2 teaspoons minced seeded jalapeño pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup sliced yellow squash (1/2-inch thick)
1 cup sliced zucchini (1/2-inch thick)
**1 cup sliced patty pan squash (1/2 inch thick-I added this to the origianl recipe)
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 16-ounce can pinto beans, drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained, or 1 1/2 cups freshly chopped tomatoes plus 1/2 cup tomato juice, water, or vegetable broth
3 fresh thyme sprigs
2 cups cooked brown rice, couscous, or pasta

1. Heat broth in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeño, and garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in squash and zucchini and sauté 2 minutes. Add corn, beans, tomatoes and their liquid, and thyme. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

2. Discard thyme. Serve over rice.

NOTE: Spoon leftovers into a dish and let them cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for up to two to three days.

Veggies, rice, and beans make this all-American dish a welcome guest after a hard day. This recipe contains 12 grams of fiber and less than two grams of fat. Serve with a salad and fruit wedges.

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 268 Calories; 1.9 g Fat; 0.3 g Saturated fat; 6.4% Calories from Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol; 11.6 g Protein; 53.6 g Carbohydrates; 5.6 g Sugar; 11.9 g Fiber; 323 mg Sodium; 91 mg Calcium; 3.4 mg Iron; 14.9 mg Vitamin C; 270 mcg Beta-Carotene; 1.6 mg Vitamin E

This recipe is from the NEW BOOK

Found: The Cancer Project

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spaghetti Squash w/Sauce

2011-07-16T14:26:00.001-05:00

Spaghetti Squash with Sauce

Cooked spaghetti squash has a thread-like texture, similar to spaghetti, but is much higher in fiber and anti-cancer compounds.

Directions
Makes 6 servings
1 large spaghetti squash (about 3 cups cooked)
2 cups fat-free spaghetti sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast or dairy-free (vegan) parmesan
cheese substitute (optional)
radishes for garnish (optional)

1.) Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash the outside of the squash and carefully puncture with a knife 5 times. Place on a baking sheet and bake 1 hour or until very tender when tested with a knife. Set aside to cool.

2.) Cut the cooked squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Remove the spaghetti-like threads with a fork and place in a baking dish. Toss with spaghetti sauce. Cover lightly with aluminum foil. Return to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until well heated.

3.) Sprinkle with basil and nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan substitute, if using. Garnish with radishes if desired.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe): 48 calories; 0.3 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat; 4.6% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 0.9 g protein; 11.7 g carbohydrate; 8.4 g sugar; 1.6 g fiber; 274 mg sodium; 25 mg calcium; 0.5 mg iron; 6 mg vitamin C; 205 mcg beta-carotene; 0.4 mg vitamin E

Found: The Cancer Project

Meatless Monday Recipe: Grilled Mushroom Steaks

2011-07-09T15:05:00.000-05:00

Grilled Mushroom Steaks
In honor of summer and grilling season, I hope all enjoy this one! Add your own toppings....

Makes 4 servings

4 large portobello mushrooms
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1.) Clean mushrooms well and leave whole. Place vinegar or other sauce in a small bowl. Brush mushrooms with this sauce on both sides and grill over medium coals for about 10 minutes on each side. Brush with more sauce while grilling. Serve at once alone or on buns with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, ketchup, and mustard.

Per serving (1/4 of recipe): Calories 46; Fat 0.7 g; Saturated Fat 0.1 g; Calories from Fat 13.9%; Cholesterol 0 mg; Protein 3.3 g; Carbohydrates 9.5 g; Sugar 0.6 g; Fiber 3.3 g; Sodium: 3 mg; Calcium 9 mg; Iron 2.6 mg; Vitamin C 6.1 mg; Beta Carotene 0 mcg; Vitamin E 0 mg

Source: Mary McDougall of the McDougall Program www.drmcdougall.com

Meatless Monday Recipe-Zucchini Pasta

2011-07-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

Zucchini Pasta
Serves 2; Vegan

This is for all the raw foodies out there! I found this recipe, and it's great for the horrible heat! Sorry for being late.....

8 oz. cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts
2 Tbsp. torn fresh basil, plus leaves for garnish
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Sea salt
1 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise, slices cut into 1/4-inch-long strips

1. In a bowl, slice combine tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, basil, and oil. Season with salt. Let stand for 20 minutes. Toss with zucchini and garnish with basil.

Per Serving: 255 cal.; 24 g fat (3 g sat. fat); 0 mg chol.; 10 g carbs.; 14 mg sod.; 5 g prot.; 3 g fiber

Found: Whole Living August 2011

June Meeting to feature Kevin Coleman, Compressed Earth Block builder

2011-06-28T11:58:00.002-05:00

Greetings, Fellow SASL Members,

Tonight's meeting of the San Antonio Sustainable Living group features Kevin Coleman. Many of us are big fans of compressed earth block and other earthen-based wall systems construction. Kevin has been the supplier of earthen blocks in the San Antonio area for years and is well versed in the production and building techniques related to the erection of compressed earth structures. He knows all too well the problems not with the material itself, but with the aspects related to using the material such as finding a bank to finance a compressed earthen structure.

To get the answers to the questions you may have regarding the overall aspects of earthen construction as well as the small details we seldom hear about, this is the meeting you want to attend. We will be meeting tonight (Tuesday) in the classroom inside Whole Foods Market in the Quarry Shopping Center (US 281 @ Jones-Maltsberger @ Basse) at 7pm. I hope to see many of you there.

Mark your calendar for the next 4th Tuesday (July 26th) when Kerry Davis from AirCheck is scheduled to speak on Daikin and mini-split air conditioning/heating systems.

Stephen Colley, COORDINATOR
San Antonio Sustainable Living

Meatless Monday Recipe-Quick Pesto w/Broiled Tomatoes

2011-06-24T19:00:00.001-05:00

Quick Pesto with Broiled Tomatoes
Serves 8; Vegan; 30 minutes or fewer

So, I did this recipe and it was SUPER easy and VERY yummy, however, I had a problem with my broiler burning the bread crumbs (even at 3 minutes). I set my oven to 325 degrees and "baked" them for a little longer. Since I'm seeing tomatoes everywhere, I figured this was the best post. If you serve with some garlic bread it turns into a light meal-perfect for summer!

Quick Pesto

3 cups basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (I had to use both)

Broiled Tomatoes

4 medium tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise
5 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. panko breadcrumbs

To make pesto: Place basil and garlic in food processor , and process until finely chopped. Add pine nuts and nutritional yeast, and process for 1 minute, or until pine nuts are finely chopped and mixture is paste-like. (I put all of above into the food processor at one time, and added the oil as directed.) With motor running, add olive oil in a steady stream. Process 1 minute more, or until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

To make tomatoes: Preheat oven to broil. Place tomatoes cut-side up on baking sheet. Spread each tomato half with 2 tsp. Quick Pesto, and sprinkle with 2 tsp. panko breadcrumbs. Broil 3 to 5 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are browned and pesto is bubbly. Serve as a side dish.

Per Serving (1/2 tomato with topping): 84 cal.; 2 g. prot.; 6 g. total fat (<1 g. sat. fat); 6 g. carb.; 0 mg. chol.; 12 mg. sod.; 1 g. fiber; 2 g. sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times July/August 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Black Bean Burgers

2011-06-17T16:06:00.000-05:00

Black Bean Burgers
Makes 6-8 patties

1 15-ounce can black beans (or 1 1/2 cups if cooking from scratch), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
4 tablespoons finely chopped onions
4 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
4 tablespoons finely chopped mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Mash beans with fork or potato masher, leaving some texture. Add all remaining ingredients and mix with your hands. It will be very thick. Form into 6 to 8 patties.

2. Lightly spray a frying pan with nonstick spray or wipe lightly with oil. On medium high-heat, brown patties on both sides.

Nutrition Information | Per serving (1 patty)

calories: 186; fat: 1.4 g; saturated fat: 0.2 g; calories from fat: 6.1%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 10.3 g; carbohydrates: 34.3 g; sugar: 1.6 g; fiber: 11.7 g; sodium: 288 mg; calcium: 87 mg; iron: 3.3 mg; vitamin C: 2 mg; beta-carotene: 428 mcg; vitamin E: 0.1 mg

Found: Food for Life instructor Delisa Renideo of www.yestolife.info.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Roasted Green Beans, Fennel, Red Pepper, & Cauliflower w/ Dill

2011-06-10T17:10:00.001-05:00

Roasted Green Beans, Fennel, Red Pepper, and Cauliflower with Dill
Vegan; Makes 8 servings

2 medium fennel bulbs, tops cut off, halved, trimmed, and sliced
1 medium cauliflower, trimmed, broken into florets, and sliced
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and thickly sliced
6 cups trimmed fresh green beans or frozen whole young green beans
1/2 cup fat-free Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dried dill weed, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1/4 cup chopped fennel leaves
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Combine fennel bulbs, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, dressing, lemon juice, dill, garlic granules, fennel leaves, salt, and black pepper in a single layer in large, shallow baking pan, coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray. (Use two pans if necessary to keep the vegetables in one shallow layer.)
Place the pan or pans on the bottom oven rack. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown slightly. Serve hot.

Per serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories: 83; Fat: 0.9 g; Saturated Fat: 0.2 g; Calories from Fat: 9.7%; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 4.2 g; Carbohydrates: 18.1 g; Sugar: 8.2 g; Fiber: 7 g; Sodium: 355 mg; Calcium: 91 mg; Iron: 1.7 mg; Vitamin C: 116.4 mg; Beta-Carotene: 1373 mcg; Vitamin E: 1.2 mg

Recipe from Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs by Neal D. Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Bryanna Clark Grogan

Meatless Monday Recipe-Hawaiian-style Sweet & Sour Roasted Pineapple & Bell Peppers

2011-06-03T10:00:00.001-05:00

Hawaiian-style Sweet and Sour Roasted Pineapple and Bell Peppers

This tropical medley is a fresh alternative to a vegetable side dish. To stretch it into a main dish for four, serve it with tofu and over steamed rice.
Serves 6; Vegan

•3 cups cubed fresh pineapple
•1 medium red bell pepper, cubed (1 1/2 cups)
•1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges (1 1/2 cups)
•1 Tbs. toasted sesame oil
•1 Tbs. vegetable oil
•1 Tbs. dark or light brown sugar
•1 Tbs. sweetened coconut flakes, optional
•1 Tbs. lime juice

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange pineapple cubes, red bell pepper cubes, and red onion wedges on ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with toasted sesame oil and vegetable oil, sprinkle with brown sugar, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Toss to coat.

2. Roast pineapple mixture on center oven rack 30 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning once. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sweetened coconut flakes, if using, then drizzle with lime juice. Remove to serving bowl and toss well to combine. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information
Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 108, Protein: 1g, Total fat: 5g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 17g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 3mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 12g

Found: Vegetarian Times May/June 2010

Meatless Monday Recipe-White Bean and Sage Patties

2011-05-27T16:16:00.001-05:00

White Bean and Sage Patties
Vegan; Serves 6 to 8; Makes 12 patties

So, this is perfect for the Memorial Day Weekend! Serve this with a Fire Roasted Tomato-Chipotle sauce (the recipe will follow) for a nice kick....

1 19-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed (reserve 2 Tbsp. liquid)
1/2 shallot, finely diced (I used 2 small green onions)
1 small carrot, finely grated
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. chopped fresh sage (I used dried sage)
Coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Drain beans, reserving 2 Tbs. of liquid. Transfer to a bowl and mash. Stir in shallot, carrot, cornmeal, and sage. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 Tbsp. of reserved liquid. If mixture is dry, add the other.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil. Form mixture into 12 patties (about 2 1/2 inches diameter each) and saute in batches until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and patties. Season patties with salt and serve.

Per Serving: 214 cal.; 10 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat); 0 mg. chol.; 26 grams carbs.; 103 mg. sod.; 7 grams prot.; 5 grams fiber

Found: Whole Living June 2011

Fire Roasted Tomato-Chipotle Sauce (Super Easy!)

1 15-oz. can crushed fire roasted-tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper
2 cloves of garlic

1. Combine fire roasted-tomatoes, chipotle peppers and garlic in a food processor until coarse puree forms.

May's Monthly Meeting Topic

2011-05-22T23:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's that time again. On Tuesday evening, we meet in the classroom in the Whole Foods Market in the Quarry at 7. This month's presentation will be by Kerry Davis of Air Check of Texas. One of the most efficient central HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems one can install are mini-split heat pump systems. Unlike conventional central systems, mini-split systems can be installed without air ducts and therefore avoid the problems that often beset ducts.

Air Check is a dealer and installer of the Daikin line of mini-split HVAC systems for residential and commercial applications. With the number of different manufacturers and system types to choose from, it's wise to learn the different advantages and disadvantages of each system when considering comfort, cost, and durability. Kerry brings years of expertise to our monthly meeting, and there will be no better time for you to find out everything you ever wanted to know about mini-split systems, why they are favored around the world, and why they are just now coming into favor in the US. For more information on Air Check of Texas, please visit their webpage.

Hope to see you at Whole Foods at 7pm on Tuesday evening.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Quick-Braised Broccoli w/Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

2011-05-20T18:34:00.001-05:00

Quick-Braised Broccoli with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Ingredient List

Serves 6

•2 Tbs. pine nuts
•1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
•2 large heads broccoli (1 lb.), cut into small florets
•1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (2 oz.)
•1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
•2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. Toast pine nuts in dry skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to large bowl.

2. Heat oil in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, and cook 2 minutes, or until florets are evenly coated with oil and beginning to soften and brown, stirring constantly. Carefully add 1/3 cup water; cover tightly with lid. Steam broccoli 4 minutes, or until water has evaporated and broccoli is tender.

3. Transfer broccoli to bowl with toasted pine nuts, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Sprinkle goat cheese over broccoli, and stir in sun-dried tomatoes. Drizzle vinegar over top, and serve warm.

Nutritional Information

Per 1 1/4-cup serving: Calories: 115, Protein: 5g, Total fat: 8g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 7g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 74mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: g

Found: Vegetarian Times

To eat or not to eat? Pangasius aka Basa, Basa Catfish, Bocourti Catfish, Helicophagus hypophthalmus, Mekong Catfish, Pangas Catfish, Pangasius bocourti, Pangasius hypophthalmus, Pangasius pangasius, Pangasius Sutchi, River Catfish, River Catfish, Royal Basa, Silver Striped Catfish, Striped Catfish, Sutchi catfish, Swai, Tra or White Roughy

2011-05-16T22:52:00.000-05:00

Is it sustainable to eat Pangasius? It is a complicated subject. If you google "Pangasius" as of today (5/18/2011) the first result is entitled "Don't Eat this Fish".

This page from 1/30/2008 contains a transcription of a French 18 minute documentary that is more than damning of the Vietnamese farm raised river catfish. Frozen in contaminated water, teeming with high levels of poison, and fed dead fish remains are among the statements which seem to settle the matter.

Qu'est ce qu'un Panga ? by sudotone

On the other hand QVD Seafood's video "QVD From the Mekong to the World" argues that their Mekong Delta pangasius is not only environmentally sustainable but a "pillar of culture". They tout their Vietnamese factory's certification by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Seafood Inspection Program (often refered to as USDC inspection for the NOAA's parent department the US Department of Commerce).

A Deutche Welle piece from 2009 "GLOBAL 3000 A Fish Named Pangasiusis" paints a somewhat mixed picture by including accusations by an Alabama catfish farmer that the fish contain substances banned in the USA, while also interviewing an employee of German firm "Deutche See". Deutche Welle says the fish is subject to strict controls on residues. The spokesman for the company says that they are buying organic Pangasius from one of two producers in the delta.

For me a partial answer is found in the report by Seafood Watch, a program of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They label Pangasius as a "good alternative", not a "best choice" in their report last updated 12/07/2007. They point out that since Pangasius is native to the Mekong Delta it does no harm when farmed Pangasius escape into the wild. This is a major point in its favor since transfer of invasive species through aquaculture is a major problem.

Seafood Watch considers the rish of transfering diseases from the farm raised Pangasius to the wild stock to be moderate since there is no reason to believe that it will not happen. Aquaculture can produce a great deal of polution, but the scientists at Seafood Watch concluded that the risk from polution to the Mekong Delta is only moderate.

"Siting and locations for cage production in the Mekong River Delta is relatively benign. The environment in this region is already highly degraded from non-aquaculture sources, and the area is heavily used by a large human population. Additionally, large-scale cage aquaculture serves a dual purpose when combined with housing, which is built above submerged aquaculture cages (Phillips 2002). This method may aid in reducing impacts on land from development."

They note that what regulation of polution comes from import regulations of other countries rather than from the government of Vietnam. For that reason they state that the management regime is ineffective.

Perhaps things have improved in the Delta since 2007 on the otherhand things might have gone downhill with the economic downturn.

In any case, American farm raised catfish is still considered a better choice but especially if you can confirm the conditions under which your Pangasius were raised you have a choice that is much more sustainable that most other fish you can purchase.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Potato and Cauliflower Burritos

2011-05-13T16:50:00.000-05:00

Potato and Cauliflower Burritos
30 minutes or fewer; Vegetarian or Vegan

Since Cauliflower is still in season, here is a recipe to try that hits the yum factor!

1 15-oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, drained
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tsp. canola oil
1 small onion, halved and sliced (1 cup)
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
3 cups small cauliflower florets
1 medium Yukon gold or russet potato (I used 2-3 small red potatoes since I can find them local), cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 Tbs. chopped cilantro
4 8-inch flour or whole-wheat tortillas, warmed
1 cup cooked brown rice, warmed
1 cup grated vegan Monterey jack cheese

1. Pulse tomatoes, chipotle chile, and garlic in food processor until coarse puree forms.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and oregano; saute 2 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, potato, and tomato mixture, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover, and simmer 5 minutes more, or until cauliflower and potatoes are tender. Stir in cilantro.

3. Divide cauliflower mixture among tortillas, top with rice, and sprinkle with cheese. Roll up tortillas, leaving one end open.

Per burrito: 366 cal.; 10 grams prot.; 12 grams fat (<1 gram sat. fat); 55 grams carbs.; 0 mg chol.; 491 mg sod.; 7 gram fiber; 7 grams sugar

Found: Vegetarian Times June 2011

Vegan Black Metal Chef episode 1 Pad Thai

2011-05-13T14:02:00.000-05:00

If the tasty Meatless Monday recipes haven't inspired you to go veg, perhaps this will.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Grilled Portobello Tacos w/ Salsa Verde

2011-05-06T18:19:00.000-05:00

Grilled Portobello Tacos with Salsa Verde
Ingredient List
Vegan; Serves 6

Marinade
•1/3 cup canola oil
•3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
•1 tsp. black pepper

Tacos
•6 large portobello mushroom caps
•6 6-inch soft corn tortillas
•2 avocados, sliced
•2 cups chopped tomatoes
•3 cups shredded cabbage
•Vegan sour cream, optional

Salsa Verde
•4 tomatillos, chopped (or 1 cup canned)
•1 large green bell pepper or poblano chile, roughly chopped
•1 large bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only
•1 medium onion, chopped
•3 cloves garlic
•3 tsp. organic sugar or agave nectar
•1 1/4 tsp. canola oil
•1 tsp. pepper
•1/2 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Preheat grill or grill pan to high heat. To make Marinade: combine all ingredients in small bowl.

To make Tacos:

2. Brush mushroom caps with marinade. Grill mushrooms 3 to 5 minutes per side. Cool until easy to handle, then slice into strips.

To make Salsa Verde:

3. Purée all ingredients in food processor 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour salsa over mushroom strips, and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Lightly warm tortillas 15 seconds per side in skillet or on griddle. Fill tortillas with sliced mushrooms, avocado slices, tomatoes, and cabbage. Top each taco with sour cream, if using.

Nutritional Information

Per taco: Calories: 278, Protein: 6g, Total fat: 15g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 35g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 257mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugars: 12g

Found: Vegetarian Times April 2010

The Strangest Advertising for a water saving toilet you will ever see: Numi by Kohler

2011-05-03T19:11:00.000-05:00

I'm quite comfortable talking about toilets. Talking about Joseph Jenkins and humanure doesn't phase me. I have talked plenty about our Toto with its soft close seat. I've even investigated the after market bidet converters like the Tushy Clean that turn an ordinary commode into a bidet. I am perfectly willing to advocate for the toilet tank sink.

But, the advertising for the $6,000 Numi toilet from Kohler suggests that the fashionable elite will install them in their glass walled high rise living rooms. I suppose that when the fashionable couple is in need they will just drop trousers and get down to the necessaries without having to miss their view of the city. Even for me, that is just too much.

Follow the link. If they haven't removed it yet you'll find the pictures to which I refer under the "home" tab. I'm sure they will have to take it down some day so if you are reading this in 2012 try this link to a design blog.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Zucchini Pesto

2011-04-29T17:29:00.001-05:00

Zucchini Pesto

Since I'm seeing lots of zucchinis at the farmers markets I thought this would be a great recipe to share. If you like an added kick, add (depending on taste) 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper.

Pesto is a delicious topping for steamed vegetables.

2 small zucchini or other summer squash
1 medium garlic clove
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut zucchini into 1-inch chunks (you should have about 2 cups). Steam chunks over boiling water for about 5 minutes, or until it is just tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
Place garlic and basil into a food professor fitted with a metal blade and chop until fine. Add zucchini, oil, and salt. Pulse until everything is finely chopped.

Per 1 tablespoon

Calories: 17; Fat: 1.2 g; Saturated Fat: 0.2 g; Calories from Fat: 62.4%; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Protein: 0.5 g; Carbohydrates: 1.6 g; Sugar: 0.5 g; Fiber: 0.8 g; Sodium: 75 mg; Calcium: 20 mg; Iron: 0.4 mg; Vitamin C: 3.2 mg; Beta Carotene: 454 mcg; Vitamin E: 0.2 mg

Source: Foods That Fight Pain by Neal Barnard, M.D.; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

Found: PCRM.org

Waste Collection as a Resource and a Way of Life: Garbage, Recycling, Community and Egypt's ultra efficient trash sorters, the Zabaleen.

2011-04-24T09:00:00.003-05:00

In his TEDxYYC (Calagary, Canada) talk, James Furniss sets out to convince us that we can learn more about recycling from the Zabaleen of Egypt than from Singapore (who represents the extreme of the western model of trash removal). He says that the most dynamic developments in the world of waste are happening in the developing world by people who are not environmentalists.

The Zabaleen collect trash from city streets of Egypt and recycle it through hand sorting, claiming to recycle 80% of what they collect. In his talk, Furniss brings up the conflict between the "Sanitary Landfill" method of trash handling which is about rapid removal of material to distant places and the Zabaleen's trash as a resource method. He points out that the reason the reason most of the recyclers are Christians is that Christians are free to raise pigs which are excellent converters of food waste into meat.

Unfortunately in 2009, Egyptian officials slaughtered as many of the country's 300,000 garbage eating pigs due to a mix of religious prejudice and unfounded fear of a swine flue epidemic. The loss of pigs caused organic waste to pile up which caused officials to see the flaws in their plan according to this Mother Earth Network article.

While Furniss's talk includes some excellent images of the Zabaleen community, the trailer for Lauren McCarthy's film "Zabaleen" brings out the beauty of their neighborhoods and people. The details of Egyptian vernacular rascuachismo design amid the garbage is striking.

Zabaleen: A Documentary Film by Lauren McCarthy TEASER from Zabaleen on Vimeo.

A more melancholy point of view is found in the film "Garbage Dreams". A major political problem for the Zabaleen involves Egypt's attempts to implement the western solution for hiding trash rather than reusing it.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake

2011-04-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Spring Rooted Vegetable Bake
Vegan; 15-20 min prep. time; 1 hour bake time
Serves 6-8

In my quest to invoke the flavors of spring, I found the perfect recipe the other day. I used small, farmers market fresh veggies, so please modify and enjoy to suite your taste! Serve with some crusty bread and on a bead of arugula. P. S.-This is perfect for Easter! Happy Easter and Earth Day Everyone.....

4 beets, diced (tear the beet tops to add-about 4)
2 turnips, diced
5-6 carrots, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, diced
6-8 red potatoes, diced
1 15-oz. can black beans (rinsed or you can make your own)
1/3 cup white wine (I used Bonterra-Chardonnay)
1 Tbs. thyme
1 Tbs. fresh mint leaves torn
2 pinches of rosemary (I did large pinches since I like rosemary)
vegetable broth drizzled over the vegetables (I think 1/3 cup)
extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of the dish)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9x13-3quart casserole dish with olive oil.

2. Place all of the diced/chopped vegetables in the dish and pour in the wine, mint, rosemary, thyme and beet tops and stir together until coated with the olive oil. (Add more if needed.) Drizzle with the vegetable broth and stir again.

3. Bake for 45 minutes to and hour; the veggies should be tender to a fork pierce. (The time will vary depending on how large or small you dice the veggies.) Allow to cool, but serve warm.

A sustainable hamburger? Max Hamburgers in Sweden thinks they have it

2011-04-21T17:00:00.003-05:00

Can a fast food hamburger be healthy and sustainable? Here from TEDxPresidio is a video featuring Par Larshans, Chief Sustainability Officer for Max Hamburgers of Sweden. Beginning in 2003 they began to add menu items with low fat and low sugar and to include high fiber in their breads.

In response to "An Inconvenient Truth" they began to look at the sustainability of their products. They found that over 70% of their carbon emissions were due to their beef. They began to list the carbon impact of their products on their menus and to plant trees in Africa to offset their carbon emissions.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Southwestern Breakfast Hash

2011-04-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

Southwestern Breakfast Hash
Vegan; Serves 4

Okay, so I know what you are thinking. But, sometimes you want breakfast for dinner or just need a really yummy idea for any meal.

2 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 Tbs. canola oil
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
3 scallions, cut into 1/4-inch slices (reserve 1 for garnish)
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (I kept them whole to cut on time)
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tsp. nutritional yeast seasoning
1 8 oz. package plain, pasteurized organic temph, crumbled
1 medium avocado, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Bring potatoes to a boil in a pot of salted water. Cook until tender, about 6 minutes.

2. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

3. Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Cook jalapeno, scallions, tomatoes, beans, yeast, and temph, stirring until tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes. Add potatoes and cook until heated through. Remove pan from heat and gently stir in avocado. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved scallion.

Per Serving: 457 cal.; 24 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat); 0 mg chol.; 46 grams carbs.; 100 mg sod.; 19 grams prot.; 11 grams fiber

Found: Whole Living April 2011

Open Hardware Design: 50 robust, efficient machines to make a farm or village and transcend artificial scarcity, and that's just the start of Marcin Jakubowski's vision

2011-04-20T21:11:00.006-05:00

I've been reading through various versions of the Open Source Ecology website for several years previously known as openfarmtech.org. My interest has been drawn to it repeatedly by my interest in compressed earth block construction. (The first machine they focused on is an open source compressed earth block machine.) I seem to recall that I was intrigued but skeptical. It sounded too ambitious to be true. But it seems to be coming true, at least Chris Anderson, the curator for TED thinks so.

Marcin aims to create designs for fifty essential machines (apparently up from forty mentioned on one video). He intends the machines to be repairable, modular, robust, highly efficient, long lasting and cost much lower than other their closed source competitors. The machines are meant to be bolted together when possible so that they can be broken down for transport.

Among the fifty machines, those which have been at least been prototyped are a compressed earth block machine (the Liberator) , a drill press, a general power unit aka the Power Cube, a big tractor known as the Life Trac and a walk behind version called the Micro Trac, and a Torch Table a digitally controlled cutter for shaping metal. Other machines including a sSawmill, an agricultural spader, a micro combine, a hammer mill, a well drilling rig, energy production devices, a lathe and bakery machinery are to come. This FAQ from their wiki is quite informative as is this brochure.

The designs are to be open sourced meaning that others can add to them and use them without payment, though the exact licensing terms haven't been worked out. The intention is that people will be able to build modify and improve these devices for resale. Though the designs will be open source, significant mechanical skills are required to create them just as substantial programming skills are required to work on open source programming projects.

Here is video that appears on the website which explains more about the Marcin's goals. There are lots of other videos there, but this is one with much higher production values making it easier to watch.

Global Village Construction Set in 2 Minutes from Open Source Ecology on Vimeo.

Here is a 41 minute talk Marcin gave in San Francisco in July 2010 which conveys an even more expansive vision.

Marcin Jakubowski - part 1 from East Bay Pictures on Vimeo.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spicy Spinach Frittata

2011-04-08T12:43:00.001-05:00

Spicy Spinach Frittata
Serves 8; Vegan

Frittatas are a popular menu item for breakfast and brunch. Have your own dining-out experience by making this dish at home. It's hearty, filling, and can easily be doubled for family or friends. Feel free to substitute the spinach for kale as it contains more bioavailable calcium.

Ingredients

1 pound raw spinach, kale, or other leafy greens
1/4 cup soy creamer or other nondairy milk
1/3 cup vegetable broth
2 medium potatoes, chopped into 1/2" cubes
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 16-ounce package of extra-firm tofu, crumbled
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder

Directions

Remove spinach leaves from stems. Reduce spinach until it is thoroughly wilted by sautéing in a large pan on medium heat with the soy creamer and vegetable broth. Once spinach is reduced, add potatoes and garlic. Cook until potatoes are soft.

Preheat oven to 375 F while potatoes and garlic are cooking.
Purée half the tofu with turmeric, salt, black pepper, and chipotle powder in a food processor. Crumble the other half. Combine puréed tofu, remaining crumbled tofu, and spinach-potato mixture in a 6"x6" baking dish and mix thoroughly. Bake for 20 minutes.

Allow frittata to set for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information | Per 1 cup serving

calories: 108; fat: 4 g; saturated fat: 0.4 g; calories from fat: 31.2%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 7.6 g; carbohydrates: 12.6 g; sugar: 1.7 g; fiber: 2.3 g; sodium: 110 mg; calcium: 160 mg; iron: 3.2 mg; vitamin C: 10 mg; beta-carotene: 2198 mcg; vitamin E: 0.8 mg

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb

Found: www.PCRM.com

Please feel free to tailor PCRM recipes to suit your individual dietary needs.

Where in the world is the USA? Collected statistics related to the environment compare the USA to other nations.

2011-04-05T17:55:00.002-05:00

Often in the midst of conversation, Lee Moore will throw out a cogent statistic or two related to the subject at hand. While some folks make up such statistics, Lee's interests have led him to compile reliable statistics on a wide range of subjects. Here are a number of lists largely related to environmental concerns from his personal collection.

Gasoline Prices: USD per gallon (2005)
Norway 6.2
Britain 6.0
Germany 6.0
Italy 5.9
France 5.7
Poland 5.0
Japan 4.4
Australia 3.7
USA 2.4
(Raw cost is everywhere $2/gal; the difference is tax to discourage consumption and fund mass transit.)

Gasoline Consumption : Gallons per person per year (1997)
USA 459
Germany 140
Japan 113
(Germany is the second largest consumer worldwide, so the USA really stands out.)

Fuel Economy : avg passenger vehicle mpg and average engine size (2005)
Japan 48 mpg
Europe 41 mpg 1.6 (avg engine size in liters)
Australia 32 mpg
Canada 28 mpg
USA 24 mpg 3.4 (avg engine size in liters)

Oil Consumption : barrels per person per year (1999)
USA 25
Japan 16
Europe 14
Latin Amer 4

Oil Reserves
Billions of barrels (2005) and years remaining at current extraction rates. New fields will of course be found.
Saudi Arabia 260 billion barrels, 66 years at current rate
Iran 140 billion barrels, 93 years at current rate
Iraq 115 billion barrels, 100 years at current rate
Kuwait 100 billion barrels,100 years at current rate
UAE 100 billion barrels, 97 years at current rate
Venezuela 80 billion barrels, 73 years at current rate
Russia 75 billion barrels, 21 years at current rate
Kazakhstan 40 billion barrels, 80 years at current rate
Libya 40 billion barrels, 63 years at current rate
Nigeria 40 billion barrels, 38 years at current rate
USA 35 billion barrels, 12 years at current rate
Canada 20 billion barrels, 15 years at current rate
China 20 billion barrels, 12 years at current rate
Mexico 15 billion barrels, 10 years at current rate

Water Consumption: Cubic meters per person, includes agriculture (2002)
USA 1690
Canada 1430
Australia 940
Japan 720
Germany 710
France 700
Britain 200

CO2 Emissions : Tonnes per person (2002)
USA 20
Singapore 14
Czech Rep. 10
Russia 10
Japan 9
Poland 8
Hungary 6
Mexico 4
China 3
India 1.5

Organic Farmland: % agricultural land certified organic (2004)
Switzerland 10.3
Austria 9.8
Finland 7.1
Italy 7.0
Denmark 6.2
Sweden 6.0
Britain 4.2
Germany 4.1
Australia 2.6
Spain 2.5
Canada 0.9
Japan 0.7
USA 0.2

Environmental Taxes: Taxes on energy use, big cars, etc -- as % of total taxes. (2005)
Denmark 9.5
Holland 9.5
Germany 7.0
Britain 7.0
Japan 6.0
Poland 6.0
Spain 5.5
France 5.0
Canada 3.5
USA 3.0
(As total taxes are lowest in the USA, the actual environmental taxes are very low.)

Miscellaneous Facts

In 2000 the Total National Energy Use in average BTUs per person per day was 48 in Europe and 368 in the USA.
The average American generates over 1600 pounds of garbage per year, more than twice that of the average European.
The average American consumes nearly 750 pounds of paper per year, by far the most in the world.
If the world's 6 billion people consumed like the average American, we would need at least 4 more planets to supply the resources and absorb the wastes.
In 2003 the average American consumed 53 times more resources than a Chinese, and 35 times more than an Indian.
American use of oil: 66% to all transportation, 40% to auto/truck gasoline.

Sources ‒ OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), US Census Bureau, Office of Economic Development, US Energy Information Adm., US Dept of Health, Justice Policy Institute, Standard and Poor's, UNICEF, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Education Statistics, Eurostat

Meatless Monday Recipe-Mexican Rice

2011-04-02T08:16:00.000-05:00

Mexican Rice

For extra protein in this quick side dish, stir in a can of rinsed, drained black beans just before serving.

** This is a good side dish for this Monday Meatless Monday Recipe**

Ingredient List
Serves 4

•1 Tbs. olive oil
•1 cup instant brown rice
•1 cup frozen corn
•1 cup frozen peas
•8 green onions, chopped (1/2 cup)
•3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
•1 tsp. ground cumin
•1/2 tsp. dried oregano
•2 Tbs. tomato paste

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes, or until beginning to brown. Add corn, peas, green onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and sauté 1 minute.

2. Spoon tomato paste in 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to make 2 cups, and stir to combine. Pour tomato paste mixture into rice, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, and fluff with fork just before serving.
Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories: 190, Protein: 6g, Total fat: 4.5g, Saturated fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 32g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 427mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 4g

Found: Vegetarian Times March 2008

Simple Salad with a Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-03-25T15:57:00.000-05:00

Simple Salad with a Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette
Vegan; Serves 4

So, when I was at the Farmers Market the last weekend, I was able to pick up all of these... Serve as a light lunch or a side with your meal. I know that this is a simple salad, but the dressing WAS very yummy!! Put what you like, and the more you add--the more filling it will be.

1 bunch Romaine lettuce
1 cup yellow tomatoes
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Ingredients for the dressing:

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I used a pomegranate balsamic vinegar)
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar (this is optional**note** You can use up to 2 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (I used basic black pepper)
3/4 cup olive oil

Beat the vinegar in a bowl with the optional sugar, garlic, salt and pepper until sugar and salt dissolves. Then beat in the oil by droplets, whisking constantly. (**Or place all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake to combine-This was easier.) Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Toss a few tablespoons of the dressing with the salad mix and desired salad ingredients and serve immediately.

If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, whisking or shaking again before use.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spicy Garden Couscous

2011-03-18T16:55:00.001-05:00

Spicy Garden Couscous
Vegan

Adapted from The Co-Op Cookbook, by Rosemary Fifield (Chelsea Green, 2000).

Couscous only takes 5 minutes to make. When you load it up with fresh garden veggies like zucchini and red bell peppers, you get great antioxidant nutrition. Add some ginger and hot pepper flakes and you’ve made one fast and spicy treat for a night when you don’t have a lot of time to cook.
This is one quick-to-make and tasty crowd-pleaser.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup dried couscous
3 cups vegetable stock or water, divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
4 carrots, cut into coins
pinch hot red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Put the couscous in a large bowl and add 1 cup of boiling stock or water. Cover the bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add carrots, red pepper flakes, coriander, and remaining stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Add red bell pepper, and cook uncovered for 3 minutes.

3. Fluff couscous with a fork. Pour vegetables and cooking liquid over it, mix, and serve.
Serves 6.

Found: Care2.com

Meatless Monday Recipe-Portobello Swiss-Chard Sandwiches

2011-03-11T19:46:00.001-06:00

Portobello–Swiss Chard Sandwiches
Serves 4; Vegan

Pete Solomita of Brooklyn , NY , teaches public and private cooking classes. He developed this recipe to showcase how tasty veg food can be. Swiss chard is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium, and is delicious in this sandwich.

Ingredient List

**4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed (1 lb.) (I had better luck with the baby bellas)
4 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
**2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.) (I used green garlic, it was a more subtle taste)
1 large bunch Swiss chard, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
**1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar (I used a pomegranate balsamic vinegar and it came out SO yummy!)
1 medium-size yellow tomato, thinly sliced (1 cup)
4 crusty French sandwich rolls, split

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place mushrooms, stem side up, on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Cool to room temperature, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add chard and 2 Tbs. water, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until leaves begin to wilt, turning frequently with tongs. Cover; remove from heat.

3. Whisk remaining 3 Tbs. oil with balsamic vinegar in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Divide mushroom slices and chard among bottoms of rolls. Top with onion and tomato slices, and drizzle each with 1 Tbs. oil-vinegar mixture. Cover with roll tops, and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories: 353, Protein: 8g, Total fat: 19g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 38g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 525mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 6g

Found: Vegetarian Times July 2006

Meatless Monday Recipe-Tomato Basil Bisque

2011-03-04T07:06:00.001-06:00

Tomato Basil Bisque
Vegan; 2 hrs.

1 small beet, trimmed and peeled
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped celery
6 cups vegetable broth
12 small tomatoes, coarsely chopped, or 1 15-oz. can whole tomatoes
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 cup cubed tofu
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Basil leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the beet on a baking sheet and bake until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, chop and set aside.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the broth, tomatoes, basil, thyme, and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool.

Transfer the soup, the cooked beet, and the tofu to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. This may have to be done in batches. Return the soup to the pot, gently reheat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with a whole basil leaf and serve at once.

From The Candle Café Cookbook
by Joy Pierson and Bart Potenza with Barbara Scott-Goodman

Meatless Monday Recipe-Chickpeas in Sauce

2011-02-25T12:53:00.000-06:00

Chickpeas in Sauce

This is a very simple Indian recipe that takes very little effort and the results are quite tasty. I would make this again and add some spinach or swiss chard stirred into it toward the end of the cooking and then you would have a complete meal. I served it with basmati rice, and it would also be good with naan.

This recipe is from the cookbook At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.

3 tbsp olive or canola oil
3/4 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger
3/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups cooked, drained chickpeas
2 cups torn spinach leaves
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp lemon juice

1. Pour the oil into a frying pan and set over medium heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. After 10 seconds, put in the onions. Stir and fry until the onions turn brown at the edges. Add the ginger and stir once. Add the coriander, cayenne, and turmeric and stir once. Put in the tomatoes and stir for a minute. Now add 1 cup water and the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas. Bring to a boil. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook 15 minutes. Add the garam masala, spinach and lemon juice. Stir and cook, uncovered, on low heat, another 5 minutes.

Found: Treehugger.com

Meatless Monday Recipe: Portobello-Swiss Chard Sandwiches

2011-02-17T13:08:00.002-06:00

Portobello–Swiss Chard Sandwiches
Vegan; 30 minutes; Serves 4

Pete Solomita of Brooklyn , NY , teaches public and private cooking classes. He developed this recipe to showcase how tasty veg food can be. Swiss chard is a good source of vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium, and is delicious in this sandwich.

Ingredient List

4 large portobello mushroom caps, stemmed (1 lb.)
4 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
1 large bunch Swiss chard, coarsely chopped (4 cups)
1 small Vidalia onion, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 medium-size yellow tomato, thinly sliced (1 cup)
4 crusty French sandwich rolls, split

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place mushrooms, stem side up, on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush with 1 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tender. Cool to room temperature, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook 30 seconds. Add chard and 2 Tbs. water, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until leaves begin to wilt, turning frequently with tongs. Cover; remove from heat.

3. Whisk remaining 3 Tbs. oil with balsamic vinegar in small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Divide mushroom slices and chard among bottoms of rolls. Top with onion and tomato slices, and drizzle each with 1 Tbs. oil-vinegar mixture. Cover with roll tops, and serve.

Nutritional Information
Per SERVING: Calories: 353, Protein: 8g, Total fat: 19g, Saturated fat: 2g, Carbs: 38g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 525mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 6g

Found: Vegetarian Times: July 2006

Meatless Monday Recipe-Veggie Parmesan

2011-02-10T21:37:00.002-06:00

Veggie Parmesan
Makes about 12 one-cup servings; Vegan

This recipe is loaded with a variety of delicious vegetables, interesting textures, and strong flavors—perfect for a memorable meal like this.

In honor of Valentine's Day this Monday, this may just be that special dish one was looking for! Happy Valentine's Day from my family to yours!

1 12.3-ounce package firm silken tofu
1 cup bread crumbs or panko Japanese-style bread crumbs
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms
1 zucchini, sliced in circles
1 large eggplant, sliced in circles
1 26-ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup nutritional yeast, divided
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. In a bowl, mix tofu, garlic, and 1/2 cup nutritional yeast well, until smooth.

2. Layer as follows in a large casserole dish:

1/3 of the spaghetti sauce
all eggplant slices
1/2 of the tofu mixture (spread well)
all zucchini slices
1/3 of the spaghetti sauce
all sliced mushrooms
1/2 of the tofu mixture
all diced tomatoes
all spinach
1/3 of the spaghetti sauce

Spread remaining 1/2 cup nutritional yeast over top. Cover with bread crumbs and basil.

3. Bake for about 40 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and veggies are soft.

Serve with warm, soy-buttered bread!

Per 1-cup serving: calories: 192; fat: 4.3 g; saturated fat: 0.7 g; calories from fat: 19.5%; cholesterol: 0 mg; protein: 11.5 g; carbohydrates: 31.4 g; sugar: 10.1 g; fiber: 6.5 g; sodium: 426 mg; calcium: 76 mg; iron: 2.9 mg; vitamin C: 10.7 mg; beta-carotene: 704 mcg; vitamin E: 1.9 mg

Recipe from Isis Israel, at Saladmaster

Found: The Cancer Project and PCRM.com

Meatless Monday Recipe-Vegetable Paella

2011-02-04T06:20:00.000-06:00

Vegetable Paella
Vegan

3 1/2 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 medium green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 cups dry brown rice
1 teaspoon saffron
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained, or 1 8-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
kosher or sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 1/2 cup broth in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and rice and sauté for 5 minutes.
Add remaining 3 cups broth, saffron, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes. Add artichoke hearts, peas, and beans. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, until rice is tender. Season with salt and black pepper.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe): 302 calories; 2 g fat; 0.4 g saturated fat; 5.4% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 11.4 g protein; 61.7 g carbohydrate; 6.1 g sugar; 14.3 g fiber; 945 mg sodium; 61 mg calcium; 2.6 mg iron; 23.3 mg vitamin C; 315 mcg beta-carotene; 0.3 mg vitamin E

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb
Found: PCRM.org

Meatless Monday Recipe: Whole-Wheat Rotini with Wilted Mustard Greens

2011-01-29T19:44:00.001-06:00

Whole-Wheat Rotini with Wilted Mustard Greens
Vegetarian (can be made Vegan); 30 minutes or fewer

“More mustard greens!” That’s what the VT staff asked for when they tasted the first version of this recipe. Now it’s an even better source of vitamins C and E. Shaved Parmesan provides tryptophan, and canola oil offers omega-3s.

So, when I first tried this recipe I followed it to a "T". I didn't care for it as much as the way I modified it! Everything I put a star next to is how I modified the recipe.....

Green garlic is picked before it has a chance to mature, the flavor is not quite as over powering as the 4 gloves of "mature" garlic.

Ingredient List
Serves 4

•1 1/2 lb. mustard greens, trimmed and coarsely chopped (9 cups)
•**1/2 lb. whole-wheat rotini pasta (I used a tomato and basil based spaghetti)
•1/4 cup canola oil
•**4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped (4 tsp.) (I used 1 green garlic with 1/2 the leaves)
•**1 tomato, seeded and chopped
•1 oz. shaved Parmesan cheese, optional

Directions

1. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add mustard greens, and blanch 3 minutes. Remove greens to colander with slotted spoon. Add rotini to  water, and cook according to package directions.

2. Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add greens, increase heat to medium, and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Drain pasta, and reserve 1/4 cup cooking water. Stir pasta, tomatoes and reserved cooking water into mustard green mixture, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until sauce is hot and bubbly. Serve 1 cup pasta sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 382, Protein: 12g, Total fat: 16g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 51g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 137mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 5g

Found: Vegetarian Times

January Meeting Announcement

2011-01-24T22:33:00.003-06:00

We resume our monthly meetings at Whole Foods Market in 2011 by welcoming Joe Alderman from PCM South. Joe contacted me after running across something I had said about one of compressed earth blocks' best attributes, that of being host to a phase change material. In the case of compressed earth block (and likewise adobe, rammed earth, and other earthen construction) the phase change material is water. The earthen material absorbs moisture out of the air overnight and gives it up to evaporation in the heat of the next day. The act of evaporation, phase changing from liquid to gas, requires heat to occur, and draws that heat from the surrounding spaces. Swamp coolers operate in much the same way.

Joe Alderman has a patented process of adding phase change material, in this case specific salts, to cellulose insulation to be used in standard wood stud construction in wall cavities, ceilings, or immediately under roof decking. Instead of fluxing between liquid and gas like water does, the salts flux between solid and liquid phases. All the detail you can burn your brain cells on can be found on Joe Alterman's website, PCM South. So if you are intrigued with the cooling attributes of phase change materials and you don't happen to be fortunate to live in a compressed earth block home (yet), all is not lost. You can benefit from phase change materials in your conventionally-built home. Come to the meeting on the 25th to learn more.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spinach, Beet, and Orange Salad with Ginger-Agave Dressing

2011-01-21T08:01:00.001-06:00

Spinach, Beet, and Orange Salad with Ginger-Agave Dressing
Vegan

All of these are in season right now!

Beets pair beautifully with citrus, and this salad is a delicious example. Beets come in a variety of colors—not only several shades of red and purple, but also pink, yellow, and even white! And have you ever wondered what to do with those beautiful green leafy beet tops? They don’t have to go to waste, the tops are very nutritious and can be lightly steamed or served fresh in a salad mix.

Directions
2 small beets, scrubbed and trimmed, stems removed
6 cups baby spinach
2 medium oranges, peeled and cut into sections
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
juice of 1 lime

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Wrap each beet in foil to seal. Place beets on a baking sheet.

2. Roast beets until fork tender; this may take as little as 40 minutes or as much as 1 hour and 20 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Let beets cool, unwrap, and peel beets under running water. Cut beets into bite-size wedges.

3. Arrange spinach on a platter and top with beets and oranges.

4. To prepare the dressing: Add vinegar, agave nectar, paprika, ginger, and chili powder to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add lime juice. Let dressing cool and drizzle over spinach salad.

Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/4 of recipe): 89 calories; 0.5 g fat; 0.1 g saturated fat 5%; calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 2.5 g protein; 20.6 g carbohydrate; 13.5 g sugar; 3.5 g fiber; 59 mg sodium; 100 mg calcium; 2.3 mg iron; 51.1 mg vitamin C; 2947 mcg beta-carotene; 1.5 mg vitamin E

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb

Meatless Monday Recipe-Kale Lasagna Diavolo

2011-01-13T11:58:00.000-06:00

Kale Lasagna Diavolo
Vegetarian; 1 hr. 20 min

In honor of MLK day, I'm hoping that most of you will have time to make this dish. My whole family loved it, and left me 2 slices. I made it in an 8x11 glass baking dish. So, I made more then the recipe calls for.

Warm up a winter evening with a spicy lasagna that gets hearty texture from chopped kale. Goat cheese mashed into traditional ricotta gives it flavorful tang.

1 tsp. olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
1 8 oz. bunch kale-stems removed (I ran out of kale, so I added spinach to this mix)
1 15 oz. pkg. fat-free ricotta cheese
4 oz. chevre or soft goat cheese (I used 5 oz. chevre cheese that had black pepper in it)
2 cups prepared tomato puree (I used 1 15oz can diced tomatoes and 1 8 oz. can contadina sauce and pureed it together using my blender-came out to 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (with the black pepper in the goat cheese, I cut this to 1/4 tsp.)
6 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained or 6 no-cook lasagna noodles (I used 9 noodles)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Coat 8 inch square baking pan with oil.

2. Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 2 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Thoroughly wring out kale, then chop. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and set aside. (I did not season.)

3. Mash together ricotta and chevre in bowl, set aside.

4. Heat 1 tsp. oil in small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook 15 seconds, or until fragrant. Add tomato puree and red pepper flakes; simmer 5 minutes, or until thickened.

5. Spread 1/4 cup sauce in prepared baking dish. Place 2 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Top with half of cheese mixture, half of kale, and 1/3 cup sauce. Top with two more noodles, remaining cheese and remaining kale. Top with remaining lasagna noodles and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake 40 minutes, or until cheese has melted and lasagna is bubbly.

Per 1 cup serving: 183 cal.; 14 grams prot.; 5 grams total fat; 3 grams sat. fat; 21 grams carbs.; 13 mg chol.; 450 mg sod.; 2 grams fiber; 5 grams sugars

Found: Vegetarian Times Jan./Feb. 2011

Meatless Monday Recipe-Tempeh Sloppy Joes

2011-01-07T17:52:00.000-06:00

Tempeh Sloppy Joes
Makes 4 servings

1 cup water, divided
1 small onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 8-ounce package tempeh, crumbled into small pieces
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 multigrain hamburger buns

1. Heat 1/2 cup water in skillet. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until cooked through. Add remaining 1/2 cup water and tempeh. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, allowing the tempeh to get well-done.

2. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, agave nectar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic powder and cook for 15 minutes.

3. Serve on buns.

Note: You can substitute faux meat crumbles, textured vegetable protein (TVP), or even lentils in this recipe.

Nutrition Information

Per serving: 273 calories; 7.9 g fat; 1.6 g saturated fat; 24.5% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 17.6 g protein; 36.6 g carbohydrate; 14.4 g sugar; 6.3 g fiber; 666 mg sodium; 143 mg calcium; 3.9 mg iron; 27.7 mg vitamin C; 239 mcg beta-carotene; 1.5 mg vitamin E

Found: PCRM Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard, M.D. and Robyn Webb

Some concerned that new South Texas Oil Boom (with Fracking) may destroy our water supply.

2011-01-05T17:53:00.001-06:00

Will the Eagle Ford Shale oil boom destroy our underground water supply?

Read all about it in the San Antonio Current Sinking feelings: Gas fracking may already be lowering water tables in South Texas

Meatless Monday Recipe-Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate and Lime

2010-12-31T09:05:00.001-06:00

Happy New Year Everyone! From my family to yours we wish you a safe and wonderful holiday!

In honor of the holiday I chose this recipe because of all of the beautiful jewel tones.....

Sweet Potatoes with Coconut, Pomegranate and Lime
15 min. prep.; 45 min. bake time; vegan

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup light coconut milk (divided)
1/4 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup pomegranate seeds
2 limes cut into wedges
Kosher salt or sea salt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Arrange sweet potatoes, pricked with a fork, on rimmed baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. To toast coconut flakes: heat a pan on medium heat and toss in flakes, stirring until they turn golden and become fragrant.

2. Slice tops and mash sweet potatoes with a fork. Divide coconut milk, toasted coconut flakes, cilantro and pomegranate seeds among the sweet potatoes.

3. Season with salt if using. Garnish with additional sprigs of cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

Per Serving: 272 cal.; 8 grams sat. fat; 1 gram unsat. fat; 0 mg chol.; 44 grams carbs.; 58 mg sod.; 5 grams prot.; 9 grams fiber.

Found: Whole Living December 2010

The amazing ancient modern building material that improves the environment every time it is used

2010-12-27T21:43:00.000-06:00

Architect Stephen Colley, coordinator for San Antonio Sustainable Living spoke at the 2010 TEDx San Antonio. In his talk he introduces the audience to adobe and compressed earth block. He explains how the words adobe and shack connect the material to its historic roots.

He shows how adobe and compressed earth block allows for deeply green, environmentally and physically friendly building. He explains the phase change that makes adobe homes cooler in the summer and introduces the so called "Mexican green roof" which insulates, protects and cools.

"Put the Grease in the Bin" : a message for Londoners that applies to San Antonians equally if not more

2010-12-27T17:16:00.000-06:00

San Antonio Water System is wrestling with EPA over sewage spills. The current SAWS "Don't feed the grease monster" campaign is part of an effort to control sewage spills. When the fat congeals it clogs the pipes. When the pipes get clogged, they overflow. This is a problem where ever there are sewers.

In San Antonio Water Systems and the EPA are negotiating on a solution to all too frequent sewer discharges into area rivers and streams. Grease diversion is believed to play a major role in preventing sewer overflows.

If you care enough about the environment to not litter and to recycle then add diverting grease to your list.

The video below features London sewer workers on location with a message in song concerning keeping the fat out of the drain.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Cashew Nut Roast with Herb Stuffing

2010-12-24T08:35:00.000-06:00

Cashew Nut Roast With Herb Stuffing
Vegan

Serve with a colorful salad!

For the Roast:
1 cup margarine
2 large onions, finely chopped
3 cups unroasted cashews
1 1/2 cups white bread, crusts removed
3 large cloves of garlic
1 cup water or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
nutmeg
2 Tbsp. lemon juice

For the Stuffing:
3 cups bread crumbs
1 cup margarine
2 small onions, grated
1/2 Tsp. each thyme and majoram
3 Tbsp. parsley, chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a greased 1-lb. loaf pan with a long strip of greased nonstick paper.

2. Melt margarine in a medium-sized saucepan, add the onion and sauté until tender. Remove from heat.

3. Grind the cashews in a food processor with the bread and garlic and add to the onion, together with the water or stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon juice, to taste.
Mix all stuffing ingredients together.

4. Put half the cashew mixture into the prepared pan, top with the stuffing, then spoon the rest of the nut mixture on top. Dot with margarine.

5. Stand the pan in another pan to catch drippings and bake for about 30 minutes or until firm and lightly browned (cover the roast with foil if it gets too brown before then).

6. Cool for a minute or two, then slip a knife around the sides, turn roast out, and strip off the paper.

Makes 8 Servings

Found: PETA VegCooking.com

Council Approves mandatory availability of recycling for multi-family residents unanimously. Votes down delay in enforcement by 6 to 4

2010-12-21T22:05:00.000-06:00

Figure 14-43.1 Showing acceptable and unacceptable recycling center locations

The San Antonio City Council unanimously voted to require apartment owners to offer recycling to their residents. However Justin Rodriguez, John Clamp, Elisa Chan, and Philip Cortez voted to delay the enforcement of the ordinance. Their attempt failed by a vote of 6 to 4.

Beginning July 2011, the operators of the largest apartment complexes will need to provide for recycling. Triplexes and fourplex owners will need to provide recycling by April 2012. The ordinance includes diagrams showing that the recycling centers will need to be co-located with the garbage collection centers so that residents will not need to take their garbage to one location while having to travel further to drop of recyclables.

The ordinance in its entirety appears below:

AN ORDINANCE 2 0 1 0 - 1 2 - 0 9 - 1 0 2 6
AMENDING CHAPTER 14 OF THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, TO ADD A NEW SECTION REQUIRING RESIDENTIAL MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES TO PROVIDE OR CONTRACT FOR ON-SITE RECYCLING COLLECTION SERVICES FOR RESIDENTS WITHIN MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES.
* * * * *
WHEREAS, on June 24, 2010, the San Antonio City Council approved a 10 Year Recycling and Resource Recover Plan which creates a "Pathway to Zero Waste'" and ensuring that all residents in San Antonio have convenient access to recycling programs is a component of the Plan; and WHEREAS, recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water and minerals; recycling reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps prevent global climate change; recycling increases waste diversion from landfills; and manufacturing goods from recycled materials requires 65 to 95 percent less energy; and
WHEREAS, there are approximately 150,000 multi-family housing units in San Antonio and the City obtained significant community input in developing this ordinance and worked extensively with the San Antonio Apartment Association, the San Antonio Housing Authority, the Downtown Resident Association, area recycling collectors, waste haulers and area material recovery processors, holding eight community wide town hall meetings for property owners and managers with over 250 owners, managers, haulers and tenants in attendance; and
WHEREAS, the goal is to provide recycling services that are as convenient, accessible and equivalent to the tenant and resident as garbage collection service while emphasizing tenant education and outreach, collection flexibility for spatial constraints, and effective program delivery through performance measurement; and WHEREAS, this Ordinance would require all multi-family complexes within the City to provide adequate and convenient recycling service to all residents, with a phased-in service delivery approach over a twelve month period; NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO:
SECTION 1. Chapter 14 of the City Code of San Antonio, Texas is hereby amended by adding the following text to Article IV as a new Section 14-43 entitled Multi-Family Recycling: Section 14-43. Multi-Family Recycling
fa) DEFINITIONS. For the purposes of this section. the following terms shall have the meaning shown:
1) "Manager" means a person, corporation, partnership or entity, who acts as an agent for the Owner in managing a multi-family property.
2) "Multi-family Property" means a property with three or more residential dwelling units including but not limited to, apartments, townhomes. condominiums, high rise condominiums and San Antonio Housing Authority properties.
3) "Owner" means any persons, corporation, partnership or entity. or their agent (such as a condominium or homeowners association), jointly or severally, having an ownership interest in a multi-family property responsible for solid waste collection.
4) "Recycling Collection Service" means a property that is serviced by a recycling collector for recyclable materials.
5) "Recycling Collector" means a 'person, firm, corporation, partnership or entity that collects recyclable material from multi-family properties within the City.
6) "Recycling Container" means a container marked with signage clearly indicating that it is only to be used only for the collection of recyclable materials and with signage clearly indicating the types of recyclable materials accepted.
7) "Recyclable Materials" mean those materials that are separated from garbage and trash for the purpose of recycling, such as. but not limited to. newspaper. mixed office paper, corrugated cardboard, kraft paper, aluminum and tin cans, magazines, steel aerosol cans, glass bottles, glass containers, plastic bottles and plastic containers with resin code mobius numbers 1-7.
8) "Recycling Facility" means a recycling materials recovery or reuse facility.
9) "Refuse" means any mixture of putrescible and non-putrescible solid and semi-solid wastes including garbage and trash.
10) "Self-Haul" when used in reference to recyclable materials generated by a multi-family property means the collection and transportation of such materials where an owner or employee or agent of the entity hauls the material to a recycling facility rather than hiring a recycling collector to perform this function.
11) "Source Separation" means to divide solid waste at the place of generation, prior to collection. into separate containers that are designated for recyclable materials and refuse.
12) "Tenant" means a person or group that rents and occupies a residential space within a multi-family property from a multi-family owner for a period of time.

(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR OWNERS OR MANAGERS OF MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES
1) Owners or managers of multi-family properties shall provide a recycling plan in accordance with Section 14-43(b)(5) below and shall provide recycling collection service in accordance with Section 14-43(b)(6) below. Owners or managers of multi-family properties with eight
(8) or less units may apply to receive and pay for the City's curbside recycling and garbage service as provided by the Department in Section 14-30.
2) Recycling collection service shall be provided in accordance with Chapter 14 of the City Code. Recycling collection service shall be required on a frequency sufficient to avoid containers which are overflowing.
3) Owners or managers of multi-family properties must supply recycling containers through private contracts with their recycling collector or other appropriate means, placed in an appropriate location, to make the disposal of recycling material as convenient as garbage material and which offers equal access opportunity to a recycling container as a garbage container for tenants of the properties.
a) Recycling containers shall be of appropriate size and number for anticipated recyclables generated at the property.
b) Recycling collection service shall be as convenient to the tenant as garbage collection service. Owner is required to have or to secure recycling collection service that allows for the placement of recycling containers as close as possible to garbage containers.
i) Should a complex offer door to door valet garbage collection service, then the recycling service should be of a similar nature.
ii) Should a high rise complex have a designated chute for garbage collection service, then the recycling service should be of a similar nature or should be as convenient for the tenant.
c) Figure 14-43.1, Multifamily Recycling Container Placement Example, demonstrates in a graphical manner what is meant by the "appropriate number" number of containers and the "convenient" placement of containers that will allow for equal access opportunities by tenants.

d) At a minimum, owners or managers of multi-family properties must provide clear and visible signage on the containers indicating:
i) The container is only for recyclable materials, and
ii) The types of accepted recyclable materials.
e) This requirement does not prohibit owners or managers of multi-family properties from negotiating with a recycling collector to provide recycling containers as a provision of a service agreement or contract.
4) Owners or managers of multi-family properties must ensure that tenants are educated about recycling services as follows:
a) Information, including the types of recyclable materials accepted and the location of recycling containers must be distributed to all tenants upon the commencement of providing recycling services and upon move-in of a new tenant.
b) All occupants must be given information and instructions upon any change in recycling services to the property.
5) Prior to the multi-family property owner or manager initiating the start of recycling collection service in accordance with this ordinance, a "recycling plan" must be developed and submitted to and approved by the Department. The Department will make forms for this plan available in both a printed form and in an electronic format.
a) All recycling plans will be due to the Department no later than three months prior to the indentified start time of the recycling services as follows:
i) For multi-family properties with 300 units or more, recycling plans must be submitted by April 1, 2011.
ii) For multi-family properties with at least 200 units but not more than 299 units, recycling plans must be submitted by July 1, 2011.
iii) For multi-family properties with at least 100 units but not more than 199 units, recycling plans must be submitted by October 1, 2011.
iv) For multi-family properties with 3 to 99 units, recycling plans must be submitted by January 1, 2012.
v) Owners or managers of new multi-family properties established or receiving a certificate of occupancy after the plan submission dates above shall submit a recycling plan to the Department within 30 days of receiving a certificate of occupancy.
vi) If the recycling plan is rejected by the Department, the owner or manager of the multifamily property has thirty (30) days from notification of the rejection to submit a revised plan for approval. A rej ected plan will not constitute an acceptable excuse to not start the service by the date prescribed below.
b) Owners or managers of multi-family properties shall submit an update to their recycling plan to the Department whenever one of the following occurs:
i) A change in the ownership or a change of management of the property.
ii) A change in recycling collector services.
iii) A change in the method of collection, such as a change in the types of containers.
6) Recycling service and program implementation consistent with the approved recycling plan
will be required to begin at all multi-family complexes by the following dates:
a) For multi-family properties with 300 units or more, recycling service must start on or before July 1, 2011.
b) For multi-family properties with at least 200 units but not more than 299 units, recycling service must start on or before October 1, 2011.
c) For multi-family properties with at least 100 units but not more than 199 units, recycling service must start on or before January 1,2012.
d) For multi-family properties with 3 to 99 units, recycling service must start on or before April I. 2012.
e) Owners or managers of multi-family properties established or receiving a certificate of occupancy after the recycling service start dates above shall start recycling service on or before 30 days of receiving approval for their recycling plan.
7) The minimum parking required for the multi-family property may be reduced in order to provide adequate space for recycling container storage areas as required by this section. In such cases the recycling container storage area shall be screened in accordance with §35-511
(c) of the City's Municipal Code.
(c) REQUIREMENTS FOR RECYCLING COLLECTORS
1) All recycling collectors shall register with the Department prior to providing collection of recyclable materials. The Department will make the registration form available in both a printed form and in an electronic format.
2) Recycling collectors who collect recyclable materials generated from multi-family properties within the City shall deliver those recyclable materials to a recycling facility for processing.
3) Recycling collectors who collect recyclable materials from multi-family properties within the City shall submit an annual report by March 1 st of each year, beginning March 1, 2012, to the Department in a format prescribed by the Director or his designee. Annual reports shall include the following information for the period January I through December 31 of the immediately preceding twelve month period:
a) Total number ofliving units served for such multi-family properties;
b) Total number of tons of recyclable material collected for such collection services:
c) The names and addresses of the recycling facilities to which the recyclable materials collected within the City were delivered for recycling;
d) Additional information as required by the Director or his designee.
4) An owner or manager of a multi-family property that elects to self-haul recyclable materials generated at such multi-family property shall be required to submit an annual report. Self haulers may opt to submit their annual reports through their material recovery facility.
(d) REQUIREMENTS FOR CITY OF SAN ANTONIO
1) Upon request, the Department shall provide, in a printed form and an electronic format, educational and promotional material such as posters. introductory letters and signage to all owners or managers of multi-family properties upon submittal of an approved recycling plan.
2) The Department shall manage the components of the program by providing:
a) The property owner or manager with technical assistance in the development of the Recycling Plan.
b) Approval of the Recycling Implementation Plan submitted by the property owner or manager.
c) Periodic site inspection to ensure compliance and to follow up on any complaints.
3) The Department will be responsible for collecting, tabulating and reporting on recycling data. Reports will be produced on an annual basis to report on the tons of materials recycled by the multi-family properties.
(el ENFORCEMENT
1 ) The Director or his designee shall have authority to designate personnel to enforce and to administer the provisions of this Article. Those designated by the Director or his designee may exercise any enforcement powers as set forth in Sections 1-5 and 14-60 of this Code.
2) Such enforcement shall not hold owners or managers of multi-family properties responsible for tenants' participation or non-participation in the recycling program or for contamination of recyclable materials.
3) In accordance with Sections 250.003 and 250.004 of the Texas Local Government Code, an individual who is an employee of the owner of a multi-family property cannot be cited for non-compliance with this ordinance as long as he or she provides the owner's name, current street address and telephone number to the enforcement official.
4) It is an offense for a person to do or perform any act prohibited in this section and it is an offense for a person to fail to do or perform any act required hereby. Each day's violation hereof shall constitute a separate offense for which the conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed two thousand dollars ($2.000.00). Violators of this section, pertaining to waste hauling, shall be subject to the penalties recited above. Should the court impose a fine in excess of five hundred dollars ($500.00). the finder of fact must find that the offense was committed knowingly, intentionally, or recklessly.
*****
SECTION 2. All other provisions of Chapter 14 of the City Code of San Antonio, Texas shall remain in full force and effect unless expressly amended by this Ordinance.
SECTION 3. Should any Article, Section, Part, Paragraph, Sentence, Phrase, Clause, or Word of this ordinance, for any reason be held illegal, inoperative, or invalid, or if any exception to or limitation upon any general provision herein contained be held to be unconstitutional or invalid or ineffective, the remainder shall, nevertheless, stand effective and valid as if it had been enacted and ordained without the portion held to be unconstitutional or invalid or ineffective.
SECTION 4. The City Clerk is directed to publish notice of this Ordinance in accordance with Section 17 of the Charter of the City of San Antonio. The penalty, fine or forfeiture provisions in this ordinance shall apply five days after publication.
SECTION 5. The publishers of the City Code of San Antonio, Texas are authorized to amend said Code to reflect the changes adopted herein and to correct typographical errors and to format and number paragraphs to conform to the existing code.
SECTION 6. This ordinance shall be effective immediately upon passage by eight or more affirmative votes; otherwise, it shall be effective on the tenth day after passage.
PASSED and APPROVED this 9th day of December, 2010.

Where should San Antonio’s residential focus be?

2010-12-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

by Randy Bear, Concerned Citizens, http://www.concernedinsa.com/

As many of you probably know I’m a resident of downtown San Antonio and have been for over a year now. I moved into the urban core as an experiment to see how living downtown might be. It’s been a good experience so far but, after living here for a while, I’m starting to see where the real focus of residential living should be for downtown and it’s probably not in the core. While San Antonio has aspirations to be a big city like many other urban areas across the country at its heart San Antonio is really a bunch of collective small towns linked by freeways and streets. So what should the focus be?

After participating in the last SA 2020 public forum and talking to some architectural leaders in San Antonio I have come to the conclusion that the real focus should be on the small ring of neighborhoods right around the urban core. In the public forum one of the key indicators listed for Neighborhoods and Growth was the number of pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods in the city, something that would be difficult to achieve in the urban core of San Antonio.

In a blog entry in Kevin Harris’ Neighbourhoods blog he cites 13 points of a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood as defined by US planning/architects DPZ. Of those points are things like a variety of dwelling types such as houses, rowhouses, and apartments, an elementary school close enough children can walk to it, and a small playground accessible to every dwelling. There are several other points listed that the urban core might meet but if you’re really talking about building a thriving and vibrant neighborhood with some longevity you need children, something the urban core is not very friendly to.

But if you look to the areas surrounding the urban core you start to find opportunities for growth in many areas. Just to the north are neighborhoods like Alta Vista and Tobin Hill with existing homes and opportunities for new development such as apartments and condominiums. To the east is Dignowity Hill and Government Hill. South has SoFlo and the Nogalitos/South Zarzamora area. The west has the Guadalupe/Westside neighborhood. Each has its own culture and attractions but, more importantly, all are easily accessible to downtown by both streets and transit.

Recently Ben Olivo of the Express-News’ Downtown blog featured the Cevallos Street Lofts and talked about the developing area located south of downtown. In that area are several schools and parks as well as opportunities for small groceries and other amenities needed by a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood. With other development planned and its proximity to downtown and Southtown the SoFlo area could really become a great walkable neighborhood and close to the urban core.

In seeing how San Antonio rates regarding walkable neighborhoods I put my own address into their Walk Score tool and came up with a 91 out of 100 (you should try it out yourself for your neighborhood). Overall San Antonio rates at about 49 (pretty low) but comparable with most of Texas (Austin is a 51 and Dallas is a 49). Looking at the areas surrounding downtown most walk scores for the neighborhoods rank in the top 10 areas of the city. That means there’s not much gap to cover to turn them into a true pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.

Right now the city is starting to set the plans for our future through the SA 2020 plan process. While much focus has been to really develop downtown into a residential neighborhood I would contend that based on the feedback from the public, the amount of work it would take to make the urban core resident-friendly, and the limited resources the city will have to work with in the coming years maybe the focus should be on the ring of neighborhoods surrounding downtown.

By building up the infrastructure for these areas such as improved public transportation, more business investment and better streets and parks the areas will become attractive places for people of all ages to relocate to and still achieve a goal of avoiding urban sprawl. It also allows the growth to continue inward as market demand increases. It creates new opportunities for growth that don’t overly tax our cities public infrastructure such as public safety and works. It just seems like the right thing to do.

Randy Bear is an observer and participant in San Antonio politics and business. His December 20, 2010 post in his blog, Concerned Citizens, is re-posted here with his permission.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Garbanzo Salad Sandwich

2010-12-15T18:28:00.000-06:00

Garbanzo Salad Sandwich
Makes 4 sandwiches

Garbanzo beans make a delicious and very nutritious sandwich filling.

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Tofu Mayo or other vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
8 slices whole wheat bread
4 lettuce leaves
4 tomato slices

1. Mash garbanzo beans with a fork or potato masher, leaving some chunks. Add sliced celery, chopped onion, Tofu Mayo, and pickle relish.

2. Spread on whole wheat bread and top with lettuce and sliced tomatoes.

Per sandwich: 268 calories; 12 g protein; 48 g carbohydrate; 4 g fat; 7 g fiber; 348 mg sodium; calories from protein: 17%; calories from carbohydrates: 69%; calories from fats: 14%<

Recipe from Healthy Eating for Life to Prevent and Treat Diabetes by Patricia Bertron, R.D.

Found: PCRM.com

San Antonio to require Apartment owners to offer recycling if proposed ordinance passes

2010-12-12T20:55:00.001-06:00

Although curbside one bin recycling has been a part of trash service provided to single family homes and some duplexes and tri and four plexes by the City of San Antonio' Solid Waste Management Department for several years, multi-family residents have not had access to recycling unless the apartment owner has made special arrangements with their trash hauler.

Since at least 25% of households in San Antonio live in apartments that's a lot of recyclables going into the landfill.

Now it looks like the city council is going to require multi-family complexes to offer recycling and to have their recycling plans approved by the city. According to the Express News some business interests are asking that the plan be delayed.

Below you can find the text of the supporting documents that were included in the council's 12/09/2010.

SUBJECT:
Multi-Family Recycling Ordinance

SUMMARY:

The City of San Antonio's 10-Year Recycling and Resource Recovery Plan, approved by City Council in June 2010, strives to ensure convenient access to recycling for all residents of San Antonio and increase waste diversion from local landfills. This ordinance will require owners and managers of all multi-family properties to provide adequate and convenient recycling collection services for residents.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Ensuring that San Antonio residents living in multi-family units have convenient access to recycling programs is a key component of the 10-Year Recycling and Resource Recovery Plan approved by City Council in June 2010. Multi-family property units represent approximately 30% of all housing units in San Antonio and generate between 100,000 and 150,000 tons of waste annually. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's estimates, over 50% of household waste is paper, plastic, metals, and glass. These items are generally accepted in a single-stream recycling program.

Over the past 16 months, the Solid Waste Management Department has met with property owners, managers, tenants, private waste haulers and various associations to design a multi-family recycling policy that will effectively recover recyclable waste. On September 29, 2010, staff provided an update on the multi-family recycling ordinance at a City Council “B” Session and anticipated bringing the ordinance forward for consideration of adoption in December 2010, allowing additional time for the San Antonio Apartment Association to work through the new ordinance.

Since the last update to City Council on this topic in September, the Department has met with stakeholders and organizations that potentially will be affected by this ordinance. Staff has met with the San Antonio Housing Authority on numerous occasions. Staff also has met with Downtown Residents Association Board of Directors and the Community Association Institute (an organization that represents most local condominium associations) and has continued to engage the San Antonio Apartment Association. These organizations are generally supportive of the proposed ordinance.

During November 2010, the Department held an additional four community meetings across the City, hosting a total of eight community meetings in the last several months. These meetings offered the opportunity to explain the proposed policy and to receive feedback from property owners and managers. Overall, these eight meetings allowed staff to reach approximately 250 owners and managers. The result of this process is a proposed recycling policy that emphasizes tenant education and outreach, provides collection flexibility for spatial constraints, and ensures effective program delivery through performance measurement.

ISSUE:

This policy item provides a recommended proposed ordinance that would regulate recycling at multi-family complexes. The proposed policy would require all multi-family complexes within the City to provide adequate and convenient recycling service to all residents. The policy includes a phased-in service delivery approach over a twelve month period where the larger complexes would begin providing recycling services opportunity first. Specific requirements of the ordinance include:

Provision of Recycling Services

The requirement to provide service will be phased-in over time, with larger multi-family complexes going first. The following table outlines the required date for starting recycling service. All owners/managers of multi-family complexes regardless of size will be required to submit a recycling plan to the City three months prior to the start of recycling services at the complex. This plan will be reviewed by the City and approved if acceptable. The City will provide ample technical and other assistance toward the development of these plans.

Complex Size


Recycling Service to Start By:

300 units or more July 1, 2011

200 to 299 units October 1, 2011

100 to 199 units January 1, 2012

3 to 99 units April 1, 2012

If the Department rejects the recycling plan, the owner or manager of the multi-family property has thirty (30) days from notification of the rejection to submit a revised plan for approval. Even if a recycling plan is rejected, the owner or manager of the multi-family property must start the service by the date prescribed.
Owners or managers of new multi-family properties established or receiving a certificate of occupancy after April 1, 2012 shall provide a recycling plan within 30 days after receiving a certificate of occupancy and the recycling collection service shall start within 30 days of receiving approval for their recycling plan

Updates to the recycling plan are required when there is a change in the ownership or a change of management of the property, a change in recycling collector services, and/or a change in the method of collection, such as a change in the types of containers.

Collection and Container Requirements
The goal is to provide recycling services that are as convenient to the tenant and resident as garbage collection service. Tenants and residents in multi-family complexes need to be provided with access to recycling collection service that is equivalent to access provided for garbage collection service.

The placement of recycling containers must be as close as possible to garbage containers. The “Exhibit A” attached to this briefing memo is a reflective example of this.
Minimum parking requirements may be reduced to provide adequate space for recycling container storage.

Containers must incorporate signage that indicates container is for recyclables only and a list of accepted recyclable materials.

Education Requirements
* Tenants must be provided information on recycling services (i.e., location of containers and accepted recyclable materials) upon commencement of the recycling program.
* Tenants must be provided information on recycling services (i.e., location of containers and accepted recyclable materials) on move-in.
* Tenants must be notified should any change in recycling collection service occur.
* The Department will provide educational and promotional materials, introductory letters, and signage to multi-family property owners in electronic format.

Collector Requirements
* Collectors must submit an annual performance report by March 1 of each year, starting March 1, 2012.

ALTERNATIVES:
Should City Council choose not to support these strategies, staff would explore other strategies to improve recycling at multi-family complexes. Other strategies for the multi-family recycling program might include setting a minimum level on the number of units needed for compliance or extending the period for compliance.

FISCAL IMPACT:
Through the FY2011 Budget process, the Department allocated $250,000.00 for the multi-family recycling program implementation.

RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of this ordinance requiring multi-family properties to provide or contract for on-site recycling collection service, in accordance with initiatives adopted in the 10-Year Recycling and Resource Recovery Plan.

ATTACHMENT(S):
File Description   File Name
Exhibit A-Multi-family Recycling Container Replacement    Exhibit A-Multi-Family Recycling Container Placement.pdf
Proposed Multi-Family Ordinance    Proposed MF Recycling Ordinance 12 03 2010 DL4 _2_.pdf
Voting Results

DEPARTMENT HEAD AUTHORIZATIONS:
David W. McCary     Director     Solid Waste Management

APPROVED FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION:
Peter Zanoni     Assistant City Manager

Thanks to Concerned Citizens for posting about this on Facebook.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Butternut Squash Lasagna

2010-12-10T08:54:00.001-06:00

Butternut Squash Lasagna

By Melissa Breyer, Care2 Green Living Producer

I replaced ricotta with an easy bechamel sauce made with milk for a lighter (that’s a relative term here) lasagna. If you want to skip the whisking, substitute ricotta for the sauce—two 15-ounce containers will do the trick.

For the Filling
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted for about 3 minutes at 350 degrees
1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

For the Sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons white whole wheat flour
5 cups organic milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

For the Rest
8 ounces (about 2 cups) grated fresh (if available) mozzarella
3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) finely grated Parmesan cheese
12 fresh pasta sheets (you can use no boil pasta sheets, but they will work better if you are using sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash in olive oil, maple syrup, and salt and roast on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, or until squash is lightly browned and tender.

2. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Remove squash, dump in a bowl and gently toss with raisins and pine nuts.

3. Saute garlic in butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium low heat, for 1 minute. Whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in salt and cayenne and remove from heat.

4. Mix cheeses together.

5. In a buttered 13-inch by 9-inch baking dish spread 2/3 cup sauce and cover with pasta sheets. Spread with 2/3 cup sauce and 1/3 of filling, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with remaining 3 pasta sheets, remaining sauce, and remaining cheese.

6. Cover baking dish with foil and bake lasagna in middle of oven 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden and bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes more.

7. Always let lasagna sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Serves 8.

By Melissa Breyer, Care2 Green Living Producer

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/butternut-squash-lasagna.html#ixzz17ih5xM1u

Dan Phillips' TEDx Houston talk gives insight into Texas's recycled material builder

2010-12-05T20:31:00.000-06:00

Here's a link to our previous post "Dan Phillips, Huntsville recycled building material artisan and home building benefactor"

Meatless Monday Recipe-Any Veggie Coconut Curry

2010-12-01T12:51:00.000-06:00

Any Veggie Coconut Curry
Makes 6 servings; Vegan

The vegetables listed below are favorites, but any vegetables you have on hand can be used along with the coconut milk and spices. If you decide to use coconut milk, it is important to note that this product has a high fat content and should be used in moderation. Try lite coconut to get the sweet nutty coconut flavor without all the fat. Cauliflower, squash, and sweet potatoes are other tasty choices. This is a great way to use up “going-bad” fresh or frozen vegetables! Serve over rice or your favorite whole grain.

1 cup dry (uncooked) brown rice
2 cups water
1 large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
3 large carrots, cut into rounds or diced
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch cayenne pepper
1 medium potato, diced (peeling optional)
3 cups chopped kale
2 cups chopped broccoli florets, or 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli florets
8 mushrooms, sliced
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
1 cup lite coconut milk, or 1 cup nondairy milk + 1 teaspoon coconut extract
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1. Bring rice and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Lower heat and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed (about 30 minutes.)

2. In a large saucepan, sauté onion, garlic, and carrots in vegetable broth or water on medium-high heat until onion become translucent. Add curry, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne. Cook for 2 to 4 minutes, stirring often. Add potato, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, beans, peas, and coconut milk or nondairy milk mixture. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potato can be pierced easily with a fork. Sprinkle with soy sauce before serving.

Note: This veggie curry will keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Transfer leftovers to a dish and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.
Nutrition Information
Per serving (1/6 of recipe): 320 Calories; 5.2 g Fat; 2.5 g Saturated Fat; 14.7% Calories from Fat; 0 mg Cholesterol; 12.3 g Protein; 59.3 g Carbohydrate; 5.9 g Sugar; 12.3 g Fiber; 407 mg Sodium; 115 mg Calcium; 4.7 mg Iron; 37.7 mg Vitamin C; 6312 mcg Beta-Carotene; 1.7 mg Vitamin E

Found: The Cancer Project Sept. 2009

Houston's Mark Johnson talks sustainable housing at TEDx Houston 2010

2010-11-27T22:06:00.001-06:00

In this June 12, 2010 talk at TEDx Houston Mark Johnson touches on a number of issues related to sustainable housing with insight and humor. Commenting on the number of Tuscan and French Provencal mini-mansions popping up in Houston he shares his dream of someday traveling through France and seeing buildings based on the style Houston ice houses.

He observes the absurdity of showing the strength and permanence of a building by using brick (but only for 25% of the house) and decorative shutters which not only have no hinges but which are too small to cover the windows to which they are adjacent.

In his wide ranging talk he says that he thinks that people who build should be more concerned with impressing their children than their neighbors and friends and advocates for a slow home movement for housing similar to the slow food movement. Finally he points to the Beer Can House as an building of unique style made possible by Houston's loose architectural design control.

Mark Johnson operates Hometa.com, a source for stock modernist home plans.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach

2010-11-24T09:24:00.000-06:00

Stuffed Shells with Lentil Ragout and Spinach

1 small cinnamon stick
1/4 medium-size onion, peeled but left intact, plus 1/2 onion minced
1/2 cup dried brown or green lentils
3 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 package jumbo pasta shells (about 20 pieces)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium-size carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
2 1/2 cups tomato puree
1/4 tsp cayenne
Ground black pepper
4 cups spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed and finely chopped
Parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

1. Bring 1 cup water to a boil with cinnamon stick and the intact 1/4 onion in a small saucepan. Add the lentils, cover and lower the heat to low. Cook for 25 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and onion. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt and stir.

2. In a large saucepan, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add the shells and 2 teaspoons of the salt and cook for 12 minutes; the shells will still be a little tacky. Drain and transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Untangle the shells to prevent sticking.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the carrot, celery, the minced 1/2 onion, and garlic. Stir and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and thyme, allowing the wine to reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and cayenne, stir to combine, and cook over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lentils and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Add the reamining 1 teaspoon of salt and the black pepper, and taste, adding more as you see fit. Discard the thyme sprig, if using fresh. Stir in the spinach, turn off the heat, and cover.

4. Heat the oven to 350F. Ladle a small amount of ragout into a square or rectangular baking dish. Line up the shells in dish, then with a small spoon, fill each shell with the ragout. Top off the shells with a ladleful of ragout, followed by cheese, if using. Bake for 30 minutes.

Found: Treehugger.com

Virginia is now for lovers of family too. Tiny temporary houses for the infirm made legal .

2010-11-17T22:56:00.049-06:00

Accessory or secondary dwelling units are a way to increase the population density of suburban neighborhoods. With an increase in density public transit is more likely to be successful and businesses within walking distance have more potential customers. For these reasons and others advocates for sustainable development around the country are promoting government action to make small additional homes legal.

In Virginia a special type of secondary dwelling unit has been made legal. HB 1307, "Zoning Provisions for Temporary Family Healthcare Structures," over rides local ordinances to allow a secondary dwelling unit to be temporarily placed on a property to provide a dwelling for an ill family member.

The dwellings require a doctor's authorization and are to be removed when the medical need has passed.

MedCottages (288 sq feet) are specifically designed for the infirm elderly. With remote monitoring, an overhead rail to allow easier transfer from bed to bathroom, roll in showers and HVAC which will allow either positive pressure to keep pollutants from entering the home or negative pressure to keep infectious agents from leaving the dwelling.

The dwellings rent for upward of $2000 per month and are intended as an alternative to nursing home care.

The video below is a bit lengthy but explains some of the ideas behind the MedCottage law and the inspiring story of its passage.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Smashing Corn Casserole

2010-11-16T09:15:00.000-06:00

Smashing Corn Casserole (from Christina Pirello)
This truly deluxe casserole is a snap to make and a hit with everyone who has tasted it. It blends the sweet taste of fresh corn, tangy roasted red peppers, rich sesame tahini, sweet squash and the nutritional kick of beans.

1 cup cooked black beans, smashed with a fork
1/3 cup sesame tahini
soy sauce
yellow corn meal
spring or filtered water
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed
several clean corn husks
1 red pepper, roasted and diced
2 cups (approximately) pureed pumpkin or winter squash
pinch sea salt

Puree the beans with tahini and season lightly with shoyu. Set aside. Mix corn meal with salt and enough water to make a thick paste. You will need about 1 1/2 cups of this mixture. Fold in corn kernels. Set aside. Line a lightly oiled, deep casserole dish with several clean corn husks, allowing them to hang over the sides a bit. Begin layering (like lasagna) by spreading some corn meal mixture on the husks. Add some of the bean mixture, pureed squash and sprinkle with a bit of the red peppers. Continue layering until the dish is full, but be sure to end with corn meal on the top. Fold the husks over the casserole and press into the topping to hold them in place. Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes, until firm. Remove the cover and return to oven to brown the top slightly. Serve immediately.

Found: PCRM.org/3sisters

Sustainable Route Optimization seeks to reduce energy use by finding the shortest route from A to B

2010-11-13T12:32:00.000-06:00

by Jack Lundee

From algae-based fuel substitutes to solar energy, finding new ways to reduce our carbon footprint comes forms. Numerous 21st-century findings are aimed at long-term viability for increased efficiency, as to contend with oil companies. For the moment however, who do we have looking into short-term energy challenges?

Municipal fleets, including city transportation (i.e. – buses), use a heavy amount of energy every year. Much like the military however, we’ve seen a steady decline in the rate at which they consume. Reasons for this may include any of the following:

Fewer people traveling
People living closer to work
Hybrid transportation

Nevertheless, I think most would argue that these slowly declining numbers are part of an attempt to increase fuel efficiency through the direct use of technology. One particular means involves fleet route optimization.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), a phlilanthropic organization created by Doug J. Band, is one instance of a large number of non-profits, corporations, political figures, and that are helping in the work of route optimization. Route optimization can be distinctly defined as an attempt to find the fastest route from point A to B. (An easy comparison for the average consumer would be the algorithm found in most modern GPS systems.)

In a partnership with San Francisco, ESRI, and NAVTEQ, the CGI provides a pledge to add in plans to decrease greenhouse gas emissions from fleets in the San Francisco Bay Area through Fleet Route Optimization Software.

This involves anything from buses to work force vehicles. NAVTEQ actually produces digital maps and content that drive navigation- and location-based services solutions worldwide, including:

Mobile navigation devices
Internet-based mapping applications
Government and business solutions
Auto navigation systems

Utilizing GIS mapping software, ESRI also helps the user interpret data, further aiding in transportation-based decision-making, reliant on the best information and analysis. Much of this is similar to what the average consumer finds on his/her portable GPS. Furthermore, it’s important to note that this technology has been around and is widely used.

Again, this is comparable to the “alternate routes” feature on most automobile GPS systems. Similarly, Google Maps can simulate different routes with times, distance, etc…

Both ESRI and NAVTEQ hope to provide powerful solutions for technology companies that enforce municipal transportation efforts. Once a seamless integration of communication and navigation has been implemented, transportation will become much more efficient. Again, this is something that has already taken effect and will continue to improve energy efficiency in regards to transportation fuel costs. As we technology progresses and becomes more affordable, individual consumers will begin seeing GPS as longer just an option, but rather a integral part of any vehicle.

(Jack Lundee is follower of all things green and progressive. Jack has been an involved member of the Green Blogosphere for quite some time now, illustrating his ideas regarding green infrastructure, sustainability, conservation and more.)

Meatless Monday Recipe-Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers

2010-11-12T19:11:00.001-06:00

Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
Ingredient List
Serves 8

•1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
•2 Tbs. olive oil
•2 ribs celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup) (I didn't use)
•1 Tbs. ground cumin
•2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
•1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I used fresh)
•2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
•1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
•3/4 cup quinoa
•3 large carrots, grated (11/2 cups) (I'm not a fan of carrots-I used Patty Pan Squash)
•11/2 cups grated reduced-fat pepper Jack cheese, divided
•4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs removed (I used Polbalmo Peppers)

Directions

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and cook 5 minutes, or until soft. Add cumin and garlic, and sauté 1 minute. Stir in spinach and drained tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes, or until most of liquid has evaporated.

2. Stir in black beans, quinoa, carrots, and 2 cups water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 20 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Stir in 1 cup cheese. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour liquid from tomatoes in bottom of baking dish.

4. Fill each bell pepper half with heaping 3/4-cup quinoa mixture, and place in baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake 1 hour. Uncover, and sprinkle each pepper with 1 Tbs. remaining cheese. Bake 15 minutes more, or until tops of stuffed peppers are browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Transfer stuffed peppers to serving plates, and drizzle each with pan juices before serving.

Nutritional Information
Per 1/2 stuffed pepper: Calories: 279, Protein: 14g, Total fat: 10g, Saturated fat: 3g, Carbs: 36g, Cholesterol: 15mg, Sodium: 518mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 9g

Found: Vegetarian Times

International Forum on Climate Justice, with Jim Hightower November 11, 2010

2010-11-08T11:36:00.000-06:00

From the Texas Drought Project:

The Texas Drought Project presents populist author and radio host Jim Hightower along, with international experts on climate justice issues. Most will be attending the COP-16 Conference in Cancun later this year. Victor Menotti, Director of the International Forum on Globalization will headline a stellar panel, along with Genaro Lopez-Rendon of Southwest Workers' Union and Movement Generation.

For detailed directions, see the link on the church website. The church is near the intersection of (North) IH 10 and Loop 410 and it has plenty of parking!

Watch this Facebook page for more updates!

We're asking $10 donation per person, but NO ONE will be turned away.

The event will be live streamed according to a post on Facebook.

Buy NOTHING Day November 26, 2010 is coming!

2010-11-08T08:28:00.000-06:00

Will you be buying nothing??

11 year old Birke Baehr's TEDx Ashville talk on "What's Wrong with our Food System"

2010-11-07T10:33:00.000-06:00

I shared the video of Birke Baehr with various friends yesterday, and decided that it needs a wider audience! Birke is an extraordinary home-schooled child, 11 years old, ranting about what's wrong with our food system on TEDx(*) in Asheville, NC. It's a MUST-WATCH!

In searching for more information I found a blog, OUR NATURAL LIFE: Provocative Discussions About Leading A Holistic, Sustainable, and Healthy Life, that featured Birke and how he inspired his own family.

I also think this sweet comment from Birke's mom to someone who had criticized him on the YouTube site was worth sharing here:

"As this 11 yr. old's mother I can assure you Birke plays outside more than most kids and he doesn't sit in front a computer 24/7. He also reads more than just about organic foods -- he is quite the historian, knows aï»¿ lot about geography, sports and other subjects. His 'soul' is quite intact and isn't lost or pitiful. He has a mind of his own and is curious about the world around him and is allowed the freedom to follow his interests. He is also much better at spelling than you are."

BTW, for those of you who are familiar with the TED conferences, here's the scoop on TEDx:

Created in the spirit of the TED.conference mission, "ideas worth spreading," the TEDx program is designed to give communities, organizations and individuals the opportunity to stimulate dialogue through TED-like experiences at the local level. TEDx events are fully planned and coordinated independently, on a community-by-community basis.

(reblogged from SparkPeople.com with permission from the author.)

Caps not accepted in San Antonio recycling, but Aveda will help schools collect and recycle many of the plastic ones.

2010-11-06T11:42:00.000-05:00

Many recycling programs do not accept caps to the recyclable jars and containers that they do accept. In San Antonio we're not to include any sort of cap in "Blue is the New Green" recycling carts.

Aveda, the salon products company has a program that will accept many of the plastic caps. It is administered through schools.

They can't accept metal caps of any kind or caps with pumps but they do accept caps that twist on with a threaded neck such as caps on shampoo, water, soda, milk and other beverage bottles and pharmaceutical lids, flip top caps on tubes and food product bottles (such as ketchup and mayonnaise), laundry detergents and some jar lids such as peanut butter.

Students and parents collect the lids then they are placed in prepaid UPS shipping boxes. Aveda pays for the shipping. For more information on how to sign up a school Aveda has separate pdf for parents and for teachers. I haven't found a list of participating schools though I understand that the Aveda salons and the Aveda Institute in San Antonio also accept the caps as does Whole Foods.

http://www.aveda.com/docs/ReCap-CollectionSheet-Aug16.pdf

Top Ten advantages of Geothermal Electrical Production from existing hydrocarbon wells to the Oil and Gas Industry

2010-11-06T06:00:00.009-05:00

By Randy Carroll-Bradd

Hydrocarbon wells can generate electricity. Using the waste fluids from hydrocarbon wells, owners can now generate electricity for their pumping needs, with any additional electricity sold to utilities as renewable energy. A small binary electric turbine (250 kW+) is attached between the separation stage and re-injection well. This can be done on one well or multiple wells with temperatures over 225°F and 200+ gpm of combined fluid. Thus waste fluids become a valuable commodity! The amount of electricity is dependent on input and cooling temperatures and fluid flow rate.

Top Advantages for the Oil & Gas lndustry:

1) In Texas there is now an exemption from oil and gas Severance Taxes for oil and gas co-produced with geothermal energy.
2) Geothermal energy recovery should cover electrical pumping needs and may generate extra energy to sell to utilities;
3) The technology is grounded in practices of the hydrocarbon industry;
4) The infrastructure already exists, i.e., roads, power lines, etc;
5) Geothermal power production can use existing reservoirs or modify them after production ends to increase the available water;
6) Costs are lower than start-from-scratch geothermal development, with estimated payouts possible in 3 - 5 years;
7) Power plants are scaleable with moveable turbines to meet the changing needs of an oil/gas field, plus as systems develop the technology continues to evolve;
8) Renewable Energy Credits (RECS) are an additional commodity that the Hydrocarbon lndustry can use or sell .... It’s GREEN POWER!
9) Pricing of geothermal leases is lower than oil/gas leases;
10) The global Geothermal lndustry has 40+ years of experience in dealing with high temperature drops and geochemistry;
11) Government grants and loans may be available to develop new systems for demonstration sites.

Basic Economics
Current prices and tax incentives for electricity produced renewably
-$0.06/KWh wholesale
$0.021/KWh U.S. tax credit
-$0.005/KWh REC
Thus revenue from a binary turbine installed to produce 225 kWh/yr is approximately $200,000 and 500 kWh/y generates approximately $368,000 in revenue.
Approximate estimated installation costs $500,000 - $1,500,000 for 250 to 500 kW plant.

Thanks to Randy Carroll-Bradd for permission to publish this article which was distributed to attendees at the October 27, 2010 meeting of the Texas Green Network. Randy is a sometimes attendee at San Antonio Sustainable Living meetings and an expert in the manufacture of SIPS panels with EH Systems LLC.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Malpe-Roasted Acorn Squash

2010-11-02T13:37:00.001-05:00

In light of Wold Vegan Day (yesterday). I found this recipe to help bring in the Fall weather. Great as a side dish and with little tweeking, made Vegan!

Adapted from Comfort Food (Taunton Press, 2004).

Hurray for the nutty sweetness and deep nourishment we get from roasted harvest squashes! This ultra-simple recipe practically makes itself, and the results embody all the colors, textures, and flavors of fall.

A touch of butter and maple syrup is all it takes to turn this dish into a masterpiece (or you can add optional fresh ginger and pecans to really gild the lily). Anti-oxidants, minerals, and true fall taste: Maple-Roasted Acorn Squash has it all.

INGREDIENTS

2 acorn squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (use vegan margarine)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons maple syrup
3 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
4 tablespoons chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice a thin piece off both ends of the squash, including the stem. Cut the squash in half crosswise (perpendicular to the ribs). Scoop out the seeds with a sturdy spoon.

2. Line a pan in which the squash can fit snugly with foil or parchment paper. If you use foil, rub with butter to prevent squash from sticking.

3. Set the squash halves in the prepared baking pan and smear the flesh with the softened butter. Sprinkle with the salt. Drizzle maple syrup over the cut edge of the squash and into the cavity (most of the liquid will pool there) and sprinkle with the ginger, if using.

4. Roast the squash halves until nicely browned and very tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a small to medium squash (larger squash may take longer); add the pecans, if using, for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Do not undercook. Serve warm with a spoon.

Serves 4.

Found: Care2.com

Why Binary Geothermal Electric Generation Makes Sense for South Texas

2010-10-31T09:34:00.000-05:00

By Randy Carroll-Bradd

Texas geothermal heat can provide a viable, cost-effective alternative to expanding current coal and nuclear power generation. Solar and wind generation are practical and get a lot of press, but they’re often dismissed as too intermittent for base load electric generation. Geothermal resources are not intermittent and currently provide more electricity, nationwide, than all solar and wind installations combined.

Southern Methodist University’s Geothermal Lab has studied the geology of Texas since the 1970s and identified the local potential lying between the coast and I-35, using binary technology, a workable, low-cost solution available today. Using binary systems, the geothermal resource does not need to be as hot as that around the Pacific Rim. Deep source hot water or low-temperature steam (190-300 degrees F) goes through a heat exchanger to vaporize a refrigerant, similar to that used in your air conditioner, which expands and drives a turbine. The working fluid is then radiator or water-cooled into a liquid again, while the cooled well water is re-injected into the geothermal reservoir. The two fluid streams are separate and never mingle.

Binary units take much less space than coal or nuclear plants, require no fuel to mine or buy, emit no toxic or greenhouse gases, consume no water, have no security issues, and no waste to dispose. They run outdoors, unattended, and are so reliable they have the best uptime percentage of any power source: at 98%, easily beating both coal and nuclear.

Geothermal equipment manufacturers have built power plants around the world, some for over 40 years. Binary generators are typically very similar to industrial AC chiller units, allowing economies of scale since chillers are mass-produced and readily available. ln fact, they are so similar, the number of parts required to convert a United Technologies (Carrier) chiller into a geothermal generator is extremely small- 13 geothermal parts replaced or added to 171 original chiller parts.

A single, binary geothermal unit fits easily on a truck trailer and generates about 250 kW so power plants consist of generator arrays, sized by the available heat source reservoir and desired electrical output. Because of these constraints, geothermal arrays vary in size and location, creating a distributed, decentralized supply. Unlike large centralized plants, they’re immune to the catastrophic breakdowns experienced last summer at CPS Energy coaland gas-fired units.

An equivalent-output geothermal array costs no more than a conventional coal plant and millions less than a nuclear plant. According to a Texas State Energy Conservation Office report, a 1 MW plant costs about $1.5 million, including the big expenses of well exploration, drilling and grid connection.

Fortunately, of Texas’ 600,000+ existing oil and gas wells - producing and not- over 100,000 wells have geothermal resources at depths and temperatures suitable for binary generation:
- All oil and gas wells depth and initial fluid temperature are recorded with the Railroad Commission, greatly reducing exploration costs.
- Since drilling is a large portion of the cost of geothermal generation, the ability to use existing even abandoned wells saves significant site development money.
- Roads and power lines remain in place at all but the oldest wells, so connection-to-grid costs can be mitigated even in relatively remote areas.

The hottest well recorded with the Railroad Commission is 5 10°F @ 23,800 ft., east of Victoria, Texas. In 2004 the U.S. produced over 5xl01° bbl (that's 2, l00,000,000,000,000,000,000 gallons !) of “waste” water along with the oil and gas production, primarily from the Gulf States with temperatures high enough to produce electricity. This hot water could be used to generate power directly, without impacting oil and gas production. Some estimates suggest up to 5000MW of additional power could be generated in Texas alone -- that's more than 10 times the amount of power used by the entire State of Alaska!

So, there’s no reason local geothermal power generation in South Texas couldn’t be developed at significantly reduced cost. All that’s needed is entrepreneurial vision and political will.

Some Geothermal Power Facts
- Direct (non-binary) geothermal energy currently provides more than 2700 megawatts (MW) of electric power to U.S. residents - comparable to 60 million barrels of oil per year, enough for 3.5 million homes. This is only a small fraction of the potential value of geothermal energy in the U.S.
- Geothermal electricity is clean - no fossil fuels are burned. Geothermal electricity produced in the U.S. displaces the emission of 22 million tons of carbon dioxide a year!
- Geothermal electricity is reliable - plants have average system availabilities of 95% or higher, compared to 60-70% for coal and nuclear plants.
- Geothermal electricity is cost-effective - today's cost of geothermal electricity ranges from $0.05 to $0.10 per kilowatt-hour, and technology improvements are steadily lowering that range.
- The average geothermal field uses 1-8 acres per megawatt (MW) versus 5-10 acres per MW for nuclear operations and 19 acres per MW for coal power plants.
- Geothermal electricity is homegrown - it reduces our need for coal and uranium, reduces the trade deficit, and adds jobs to the U.S. economy.

Resources and References
Southern Methodist University Geothermal Department
MIT Evaluation of U.S. Geothermal Potential
Texas State Energy Conservation Office
Pratt & Whitney (binary system manufacturer)
Ormat Technologies (binary system manufacturer)
Sologen (San Antonio geokinetic technology development company)
Greenfire Energy (Geothermal technology utilizing CO2 as well fluid in binary system)

Thanks to Randy Carroll-Bradd for permission to publish this article which was distributed to attendees at the October 27, 2010 meeting of the Texas Green Network. Randy is a sometimes attendee at San Antonio Sustainable Living meetings and an expert in the manufacture of SIPS panels with EH Systems LLC.

Want to feel good about San Antonio progress on sustainable issues? Michael Burke of the San Antonio Clean Tech Forum offers up these encouraging points to consider.

2010-10-29T16:03:00.000-05:00

Michael Burke of the San Antonio Clean Tech Forum recently offered this list of interesting signs of sustainability in San Antonio. His list is upbeat, positive and comprehensive. He gave his kind permission to republish his message here. He entitled his email "San Antonio, We are not in Kansas anymore". Be sure to click on the links to learn more about the companies, institutions and products mentioned. They will amaze.

"San Antonio, We are not in Kansas anymore"

In recent travels to Austin and Houston, I heard numerous comments along the lines, “Wow, I understand San Antonio is on a roll and building significant momentum in the area of Clean Tech and Sustainability.” So I have decided to prepare a summary list to explain just why they would say that. Here is version one, with much more to come in future weeks.

TWO INCREDIBLY NEW INITIATIVES THAT HAVE HUGE IMPLICATIONS

·The establishment of the UTSA- Texas Sustainable Energy Research Institute headed by Les Shephard of the Sandia National Labs is huge. And now with the announcement of $50 million of funding from CPS Energy we are positioned as a potential national leader in clean technology research.

·The decision of Mir Imran (Thomas Edison II and CEO of InCube Ventures) to establish a major presence in our community backed by a new San Antonio $100 million venture fund is also huge. Yes, most of the work will focus on bio-med and medical products, but Mir also has a very strong interest in Clean Technology.

A PUBLIC POWER UTILITY THAT STANDS TALL in the NATION

·Hiring Doyle Beneby, a highly qualified CEO at CPS Energy to lead a major transformation of our public power utility sets the stage for continued progressive leadership for our community. And we have one of the few public power utilities in the nation with a Chief Sustainability Officer – Cris Eugster.

·Wind Power - Electricity generated from the West Texas plains and Texas coastal wind farms makes CPS Energy the largest publicly owned purchaser of wind power in the country. – 710 Megawatts

·Solar – In April 2010, CPS Energy announced the development of the largest solar pv farm in Texas – The Blue Wing Solar Project. A 14 Megawatt installation of Duke Energy and Juwi Solar Inc. A few weeks ago they announced an agreement to partner with Sun Edison for 30 megawatts of solar power. The project also offers the possibility of opening a regional office in San Antonio, collaborating with CPS' research partners on solar research and development, and opening an education center at one of the installations.

·CPS Energy’s STEP program will provide $850 million in funding for energy efficiency projects over the next ten years.

·CPS Energy recently launched one of the first solar feed-in tariff programs in the nation.

·San Antonio enjoys the lowest cost of electric power of the 20 largest cities in the nation

A PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM that also Stands Tall in the Nation

·The San Antonio Water System has been recognized for developing one of the most effective water conservation initiatives in the nation.

·SAWS has constructed the nation’s largest direct recycled water system which to date has reused almost 12 billion gallons of “waste water.”

·Earlier this year, SAWS was recognized with a 2010 Ethics in Business Award presented by The Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health and the UTSA College of Business.

·SAWS is the first large wastewater utility to partner with a private sector company, Ameresco, to actively sell biogas (produced from sewage) in the United States. SAWS ratepayers will receive a royalty on the sale of the gas, estimated at $200,000 a year.

IMPRESSIVE PUBLIC, PRIVATE REGIONAL INITIATIVES

·Mission Verde Center at Cooper Middle School, in the heart of San Antonio, is a revolutionary model to achieve national sustainability goals through Economic Stimulus and green jobs creation; Training/Education and workforce development and sustainability education; and Demonstration/ Validation of energy and water insertion.

·The process of the San Antonio partnership with the Texas A&M university system , UT Austin, UTSA, and SWRI in response to a federal grant of $130 million to demonstrate energy efficiency advancements in homes set the stage for future beneficial collaborations. We may not win the grant, but the process has been very productive and positive.

INITIATIVES to ADVANCE the SA GREEN ECONOMY

Mayor Julian Castro’s Green Jobs Leadership Council, chaired by Larry Zinn, has transitioned into the Mission Verde Foundation initiative. This future non-profit will focus on developing a green economy in San Antonio.

IMPRESSIVE ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPANIES

We will feature many in the future, but for now San Antonio’s Cinco Solar stands out. They have constructed the two largest solar hot water installations in the nation: at the Army Residence Community (ARC) in San Antonio and at the Bexar County jail.

K-12 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

·James Madison High School Agriscience Magnet offering has long been a model for urban agricultural education and is one of the largest and most active agricultural programs in Texas. But their new $23.5 million facility is over the top. I doubt that there is a more impressive sustainability
initiative of any high school in Texas, if not the nation.

A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR WORTH FOLLOWING

·At 21 years old, UTSA alumnus David A. Gonzales II, UTSA graduate 2008, already has a superb resume to offer to prospective employers. The young inventor was awarded ConocoPhillips' first Energy Prize in October for his Layered Mag Wheel,a revolutionary invention with applications in the auto and wind and industry. Established to recognize and foster creative solutions to the U.S. energy crisis, the ConocoPhillips competition was punctuated by a $100,000 grand prize. David has decided to advance his innovations while living in San Antonio. You will be hearing much from this young man in the future.

OTHERS

·There is so much more to share with you, and I will do so in the near future.

·Great things are going on at USAA, SWRI, HEB, Valero, Port SA, Rackspace, the Military Joint Base Operations, and many others.

·A number of impressive Clean Tech start-ups have emerged in San Antonio in the past six months.

·The San Antonio Chamber, the Hispanic Chamber, and the North Chamber have all established Sustainability committees this year.

·And we are most fortunate that our media: SA Express News, SA Business Journal, KLRN –PBS, and Texas Public Radio are doing an excellent job of advancing Sustainability issues.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Autumn Vegetable Tagine

2010-10-28T12:40:00.001-05:00

Autumn Vegetable Tagine
Vegan; Serves 6

This recipe shows you how to quick-soak dried chickpeas in a pressure cooker in about 5 minutes—a good technique to know because you can use it with any dried bean. When cooking beans, adding a tablespoon of oil to the pressure cooker minimizes foaming. This dish calls for harissa, a North African chile paste available in Middle Eastern markets and some supermarkets. If you can't find harissa, substitute sriracha sauce and 1/4 tsp. each of ground cumin and ground coriander. To make the tagine gluten free, substitute quinoa for the couscous.
Ingredient List

* 1 cup dried chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 2 Tbs. olive oil
* 1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)
* 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs.)
* 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (3 1/2 cups)
* 1 lb. collard greens, coarsely chopped (8 cups)
* 1 lb. plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (2 cups)
* 1 Tbs. harissa
* 1 10-oz. pkg. whole-wheat couscous
* 2 Tbs. chopped cilantro
* Lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Combine chickpeas and 4 cups water in pressure cooker; bring to a boil. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 2 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or carefully transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape. Rinse and drain chickpeas. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes, or until onion is soft. Add chickpeas and 3 cups water. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape.

3. Stir in squash and collards. Lock lid in place. Bring to high pressure over high heat. Reduce heat, and cook 5 minutes. Release pressure using automatic pressure release, or transfer cooker to sink, and run cool water over rim of lid. Remove lid, tilting away from you to let steam escape. Stir in tomatoes; cover, and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in harissa. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

4. Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions. Fluff with fork. Serve tagine over couscous. Sprinkle with cilantro, and garnish with lemon wedges.
Nutritional Information

Per serving (1 1/3 cups tagine; 3/4 cups couscous): Calories: 414, Protein: 16g, Total fat: 8g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 74g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 142mg, Fiber: 16g, Sugars: 8g

Found: Vegetarian Times Issue: October 2009

October Monthly Meeting Topic

2010-10-24T16:18:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, October 26th, the San Antonio Sustainable Living monthly meeting will present another informative program free of charge to the general public. This month, we feature Todd Nava of Soil Management. Soil Management is a professional organic company that specializes in proper application of compost and other soil amendments. Their years of experience in the organic industry is the background for the information they will present on lawn care as we enter the fall season. The trick to having a beautiful landscape depends largely on what you do to your yard in the fall. Just like a bear eats heavily before hibernation, soil needs the correct nutrients just before it goes into the yearly dormant season. Compost is the key for the energy the soil needs for a healthy landscape, water retention, and healthy microbial activity in the spring.

Our regular meetings are the 4th Tuesday of each month (except December), so make a bookmark for these dates on your calendar in advance and check back to this site or the SA Environmental Meetup page for more details on each months' programs. Please attend the next San Antonio Sustainable Living meeting at 7pm on October 26th. The meeting will be held in the usual location in the classroom within Whole Foods Market in the Quarry Shopping Center (Basse @ 281 @ Jones-Maltsberger). There is no admission fee. Hope to see you there.

SPEEDY WEEDFEED in Austin, Sunday October 24, 2010. Attend and get in the movies (details below)

2010-10-21T12:05:00.001-05:00

Here's a message we just received from our friends at Useful Wild Plants

Hi All! It's Speedy Weedfeed time!
This is the Sunday afternoon short intensive class that Scooter Cheatham teaches on the Edible, Medicinal, and Otherwise Useful Wild Plants of Central Texas. It will be the last class of 2010.

WHEN: Sunday afternoon, October 24, starting at 1:30 p.m. and going until dusk.

COST: $75 per person. Your place in the class is reserved when you pay. You may pay by cash, check, or money order. Make your check out to Lynn Marshall (if it is made out to any other name it will be returned to you for replacement). Mail or bring your tuition to 4700 Loyola Lane, Suite 104, Austin, 78723. That’s at the corner of Manor Road and Loyola Lane. You must be at least 18 to attend.

SPACE IS LIMITED: Space is limited. You need to register in advance.

WHERE: We’ll meet at 1:30 p.m. at the Useful Wild Plants Project office for a short introduction to the class. We will spend the rest of the time in the field. You’ll need a notebook and pen/cil for taking notes (no tape recorders or video cameras allowed, but do bring a still camera if you want). Wear comfortable walking shoes.

WE WILL BE FILMING: Portions of this Speedy Weedfeed will be filmed for a documentary. If you are in the witness protection program, you may want to wear a mask or stand to one side. We won’t ask why you are doing either.

WHAT IS WEEDFEED? In case you are forwarding this to a friend who doesn't know, the Fall and Spring Weedfeeds are Scooter Cheatham's (more about him two paragraphs down) legendary class on the Edible, Medicinal, and Otherwise Useful Wild Plants of Texas. The long class runs for 7 weeks, spring and fall. The Speedy Weedfeed is the condensed version (see next paragraph).

WHAT IS A SPEEDY WEEDFEED? The Speedy Weedfeed is the "bullion cube" version -- lots of plants packed into an afternoon of outdoor fun. We'll go to some interesting locations with plenty o' plants (you've probably noticed that around Austin, that could be just about anywhere you look, including your own back yard, the roadsides, any number of parks, and even some parking lots). We'll look at whatever is where we are -- trees, vines, flowers, understory plants, floating things, stickery things, pretty things, spiny stuff, nuts, fruits, berries, leaves, stems, petals, roots... and talk about their uses -- foods, pharmaceuticals, medicines, domestic goods, and other good and eminently useful stuff. If you haven't done the long Spring or Fall Weedfeed, a Speedy Weedfeed is a good way to "test the
waters," like sticking in a toe before you jump into Barton Springs. And if you have done the long classes, the Speedy is a good refresher.

WHO IS SCOOTER CHEATHAM? He is, among other things, the lead author of 15-volume (three published, the fourth getting close) The Useful Wild Plants of Texas, the Southeastern and Southwestern United States, the Southern Plains, and Northern Mexico. He started teaching Weedfeed in 1974 not long after he founded the Useful Wild Plants Project.

QUESTIONS?” Call Lynn Marshall at 512-928-4441 or email her at weedfeed01@gmail.com or lynnmarshall@usefulwildplants.org for more information. Please put Weedfeed in the subject line. Visit the UWP website at usefulwildplants.org for information about the Useful Wild Plants Project.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Simple Butternut Squash Soup

2010-10-20T09:47:00.002-05:00

Simple Butternut Squash Soup

Vegan; Serves 4

1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 cup white wine
5 cups water
2 large onions, diced, with 1/4 cup reserved
3 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch of nutmeg, to taste
Chopped parsley (optional)

1.) Place the carrot, celery, thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf, white wine, water, and all but 1/4 cup of the onions in a large pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Strain the soup, discard the pulp, and return the liquid to the pot.

2.) Add the squash and remaining onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until the squash is tender.

3.) Transfer the squash, onion, and one cup of the liquid (reserving the remaining liquid in a separate container) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

4.) Pour the purée back into the pot and add some of the reserved liquid, stirring to achieve the desired consistency. Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Found: VegCooking.com (PETA)

Is the Texas Department of Transportation making ugly the Texas Highways that Lady Bird Johnson sought to beautify? Dr. Royce Keilers says yes they are!

2010-10-16T17:42:00.011-05:00

by Dr. Royce Keilers (Republished by permission of Show Daily Magazine,the comprehensive guide to the twice annual Antique Week in and around Warrenton, Texas.)

In the 1960s, Lady Bird Johnson reportedly said to John Connally, as they sat in their car under one of the giant live oak trees on the highway, that the beauty of State Highway 159 in Fayette County should never be destroyed. Her opinion was that Highway 159 is one of the most beautiful roads in Texas. One passing of TXDoT’s broadcast of poison has changed all that. Brown ugly limbs and swaths of dead grasses are now seen along many Texas highways.

Poisoning the beautiful highways throughout the state of Texas is leaving an ugly scar on our landscape. In the name of economy, TXDoT trucks are spraying thousands of gallons of herbicide, killing and disfiguring beautiful trees, vines, and shrubs. The poison affects grapes, dewberries, and other edibles that both humans and wildlife ingest. The wildflowers, of which we Texans are duly proud and which attract thousands of visitors annually, can be killed by spray drift. Clusters of dead birds and fish have been found in sprayed roadside areas.

TxDot claims that they cannot afford to spend funds on trimming. They further claim that esthetics must be sacrificeds because all TxDoT money is needed for paving. TxDoT claims that it costs thousands of dollars per mile to trim trees versus one hundred per mile to spray. It is hard to imagine that trimming is ten times costlier than spraying. One cannot help wondering whether this cost comparison includes the funds for specialized spraying equipment, on-going training, worker turnover, quality control oversight, and other hidden costs.

There is the matter of motorist safety. It has been stated that spraying is necessary in order to give a clear view of highway signs. However, the decay of sprayed obstructing branches requires years, and one can’t read the sign through dead limbs. The danger of limited visibility could be corrected immediately by a few minutes-or even seconds-of trimming. Should we wait years for the ugly dead branches to fall off-or be blown onto passing cars during a windstorm-before that sign warning of dangerous curves can be seen by the approaching motorist?

The chemical in question, aminopyralid, was banned in England after malformed vegetables grew from fields fertilized with the manure of cattle that had eaten grass from sprayed areas. Birds, rabbits, and other small animals use fence-line growth as homes and as covers to protect from predators. Organic farmers cannot grow chemical-free crops if runoff from roadways contaminates their fields, which may be rendered unusable for years. Rain from sprayed ditches runs onto our fields and pastures and into farm ponds. If this poison can deform vegetables, what could happen to our fish, frogs, and their affected food sources? This poisoning must be stopped before the damage done is irreparable.

The EPA says that this chemical is safe; however, in the past they also stated that many other poisons were safe. Despite aminopyralid’s current designation as a “green” chemical, in years to come it may be found to have caused problems unimagined at this time. Remember DDT? Chlordane? Agent Orange? An award-winning website, helpfulgardener.com, posts the following quote: “lf something is easy, it will usually have detrimental consequences .... So, my advice is to not use any poison at all as it will not only cause future ill effect on your soil and plant life but, also for you and your community.”

Herbicides used in a responsible manner can be beneficial to mankind in the proper circumstances, but irresponsible blanket spraying with thousands of gallons of this poison, as currently utilized by TXDOT, is harming Texas. It affects Texans, our wildlife, our vegetation, and ultimately those tourists that we hope to attract to beautiful rural Texas. Who want to look at dead roadsides?

Public opinion must prevail in making this issue known, by Texans and our visitors alike. Only by negative publicity and pressure on our elected officials can we stop this atrocity by TXDoT. Remember, this agency follows the directions of our state and local governments. We need the public to help spread the message and to influence your officials. Timing is critical, as poisoning continues even now!

(Dr. Royce Keilers a nationally known leader among osteopathic physicians has been advocating for the health and well being of Texans for many decades.)

Show Daily Magazine serves as a four color guide to the unbelievable number of antique related activities that take place in the vicinity of Warrenton and Round Top, Texas during the twice annual Antique Week. It is an indispensable guide to the show. Many thanks to them for allowing us to republish Dr. Keilers' article and to make it available to an audience beyond Antique Week.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Spinach-Zucchini Soup

2010-10-15T11:23:00.002-05:00

Spinach-Zucchini Soup
Vegan; Gluten Free; 30 minutes or fewer
Serves 6

Ingredient List

* 1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil
* 1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
* 1 medium zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch pieces (2 cups)
* 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
* 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, or 1 15-oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
* 4 cups baby spinach (4 oz.)
* 2 Tbs. lemon juice
* 2 tsp. grated lemon zest
* 4 tsp. finely chopped mint leaves

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté onion 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add zucchini, and cook 8 minutes more, or until vegetables are well browned. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil. Stir in beans and spinach, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes, or until spinach is wilted. Stir in lemon juice, zest, and mint. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Nutritional Information

Per 1-cup serving: Calories: 133, Protein: 6g, Total fat: 4g, Saturated fat: <1g, Carbs: 21g, Cholesterol: mg, Sodium: 189mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugars: 4g

Found: Vegetarian Times- September 2009

Compressed Earth Block Workshop

2010-10-13T22:20:00.002-05:00

Probably the greenest construction one could choose would be earthen construction, adobe, cob, pise, rammed earth, and compressed earth block (CEB). In November, Jim Hallock and Tierra y Cal return to San Antonio to offer their CEB workshop along with arguably the premier CEB machine maker in the world, our very own Laurence Jetter of AECT (Advanced Earthen Construction Technology). This series of instruction offered by an outstanding earthen construction crew, Tierra y Cal and AECT in compressed earthen block design and construction is the best instruction you can get on CEB and finishing plasters for many months and for hundreds of miles. If you are interested in a great, natural, and durable construction technique using pure earth, you are not going to want to miss this opportunity. Thursday, November 11th through Saturday, November 13th. Cost of the workshop is $350. Find all the detailed information you need on this link to a pdf from Tierra y Cal and while you are there, you can find all the ways you can register for the workshop either online or by mail.

Meatless Monday Recipe-Chickpea Salad Romaine Wraps

2010-10-07T15:41:00.001-05:00

Chickpea Salad Romaine Wraps

Makes 4 servings; Vegan

11/2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup finely chopped or grated carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 green onions, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fat-free or low-fat vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
1 medium tomato, sliced, or 6 to 8 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1. Coarsely mash the beans with a fork or potato masher, leaving some chunks. Add the carrot, celery, green onions, vegan mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.

2. Place about one-quarter of the mixture on each lettuce leaf. Add one-quarter of the tomato, roll the lettuce around the filling, and serve.

NOTE: Stored in a covered container in the refrigerator, leftover Chickpea Salad Romaine Wrap filling (without the lettuce and tomato) will keep for up to 3 days.

Variations:

Chickpea Salad Sandwich: Spread one-third of the chickpea mixture on whole-grain bread. Top with the tomato slices, lettuce leaves, and another slice of bread. Makes 3 sandwiches.

Chickpea Salad Pockets: Stuff one-quarter of the chickpea mixture into a pita pocket. Add chopped cucumber, tomato slices, and shredded lettuce. Makes 4 pockets.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (1/4 recipe): 163 calories; 4 g fat; 0.5 g sat. fat; 22% calories from fat; 0 mg cholesterol; 25.6 g carbohydrate; 6.5 g fiber; 3.5 g sugar; 8 g protein; 15.2 mg vitamin C
2555 mcg beta-carotene; 1.2 mg vitamin E; 72 mg calcium; 2.9 mg iron; 525 mg sodium

Recipe from The Cancer Survivor's Guide