Friday, August 27, 2010

Meatless Monday Recipe-No-Cook Cannellini Salad with Pesto Dressing

No-Cook Cannellini Salad with Pesto Dressing

Serves 4; 30 minutes or fewer

  • 2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 3 cups shredded red cabbage
  • 2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 2 to 3 Tbs. prepared basil pesto
  • 1 Tbs. chopped capers

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Let stand 15 to 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature.

Nutritional Information

Per SERVING: Calories: 285, Protein: 13g, Total fat: 7g, Saturated fat: 1g, Carbs: 42g, Cholesterol: 2mg, Sodium: 490mg, Fiber: 12g, Sugars: 4g
Found: Vegetarian Times-September 2005

Friday, August 20, 2010

Meatless Monday Recipe-Colorful Veggie and Quinoa Salad

This particular recipe, too, can be enjoyed either warm or chilled. I tossed together some of my favorite fruits and veggies, including fresh zucchini, golden beets, red bell peppers, andcherry tomatoes. I added fresh lemon juice, cilantro, and green onions to enhance the natural flavor of the fresh vegetables. This dish is great to share—it’s perfect for picnics and potlucks and for proving to friends and family that vegans can get their protein from a plant!
Colorful Veggie and Quinoa Salad
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1 golden beet
1 zucchini
1 red bell pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
10 cherry tomatoes
1/2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
Juice from 1 lemon
3 green onions, sliced
• Pour the quinoa into a medium-size sauce pan and add the water. Bring to a boil, then switch to low heat and cover. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until quinoa is fluffy. Set aside.
• Remove the skin of the beet with a knife or potato peeler. Slice into thin rounds, then cut into strips (resembling fries).
• Halve the zucchini, then cut into slices approximately 1/4-inch thick.
• Cut the red bell pepper into strips, then cut the strips into thirds.
• Halve the cherry tomatoes.
• Sauté the beet, zucchini, and bell pepper in olive oil on medium heat until just soft. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Set aside.
• Mix the cilantro into the cooked quinoa. Add the lemon juice and stir. Place a scoop of the quinoa mixture onto each plate and cover with the sautéed veggies. Top with the sliced green onions.
Makes 4 servings

Found: PETA VegCooking.com guest post-Jaime Johnson.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

August Meeting Announcement Rainwater Harvesting


On Tuesday, August 24th, the San Antonio Sustainable Living monthly meeting will present another informative program free of charge to the general public. This month, we return to Rainwater Harvesting (RWH), one of the most important and sometimes controversial topics in our region and one we haven’t featured in many months. The presenters are new to our group but not new at all to the industry, Susan Oualline and Jim Champion of Texas Rainfall Catchment. If you are looking for a real in-depth discussion of rainwater harvesting, you will not want to miss this meeting. In addition to her expertise in rainwater harvesting, Susan is a Master Naturalist and will be able to add her vast knowledge of native/adapted plants and landscape design to the irrigation aspects of RWH. Susan and Jim will also discuss the current roadblocks arising from our country’s history of the development of waterworks. We as a nation are almost forced to use potable water for all our needs because of a failure to differentiate the various types of non-potable water and develop appropriate codes and standards. They will also mention the energy savings related to RWH because of the large amount of energy required to distribute and pressurize potable water (SAWS is CPS Energy’s biggest customer). The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that up to 58% of water demand could be appropriately met with non-potable water instead of potable water as at present. Think of the energy savings! This promises to be a very informative meeting that I hope you will attend. For more information regarding Susan and Jim, go to their website, www.texasrainfallcatchment.com

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 August 24th. 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.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Meatless Monday Recipe-Dan Dan Noodles with Tofu

Dan Dan Noodles with Tofu

For the Sauce
1 Tbsp peanut oil4 Tbsp ya cai (preserved mustard greens) or tianjin (preserved cabbage)3-4 green onions1 1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce4-5 Dried Chinese Chiles, depending on heat preference1 1/2 Tsp Chianking vinegar (black Chinese vinegar)1 Tsp Sichuan pepper

For the ToppingSplash peanut oil1/2 lb tofu 1 large handful mustard greens, washed and dried1 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine2 Tsp light soy saucesalt to taste
8 oz dried Chinese Noodles

1. Drain and press the tofu to remove some of the water. Chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Toast the chilies and the sichuan pepper in a hot dry pan until fragrant. Set aside the pepper to cool.

3. Add water to the pan and simmer the chilies until they soften enough to chop. Set aside to cool and chop finely, being careful to thoroughly wash the knife, cutting board and your hands before reuse.

4. In a large wok over med-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pickled vegetables and stir-fry until hot and fragrant. Set aside.

5. Add another tablespoon of oil and when it is hot, add the tofu. When the tofu begins to crisp, add the shaoxing wine, soy sauce and salt. When cooked through, turn off the heat. Add the greens and set aside, allowing them to wilt over the tofu, stirring occasionally.

6. Grind the sichuan pepper in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, and thinly slice the green onions.

7. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. When the noodles are cooked and drained, add them to the bowl with the sauce. Top with the tofu and vegetable mixture, and stir gently just before serving to combine.

Found on: Treehugger.com weekday vegetarian

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Meatless Monday Recipe-Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches

Avocado and Tomato Sandwiches

These simple sandwiches are perfect when you only have a few minutes to whip up lunch. The creamy avocado and sweet tomatoes are satisfying and easy to pack.

Hummus
2 slices thick-crusted sourdough bread
4-6 slices of avocado
1-2 leaves of lettuce
2 thick slices of tomatoes

1. Spread desired amount of hummus on both slices of bread.

2. Place avocado slices, lettuce and tomato in between.

Makes 1 sandwich

Found: PETA VegCooking.com