Why Binary Geothermal Electric Generation Makes Sense for South Texas

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.

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

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

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)

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

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!

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

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

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

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

Meatless Monday Recipe-Honey Jalapeno Fettuccine with Mixed Vegetable-Tomato Sauce

Honey Jalapeno Fettuccine with Mixed Vegetable-Tomato Sauce

Serves 4; 30 minutes; Vegetarian

So I was talking about this at the Sustainable Meeting, the other night and some said I should post this recipe as this weeks Meatless Monday Recipe. What is great about it, is use what veggies you happen to have on hand. I found the pasta through Shayne Sauce (they have a store opening this weekend in the Artisan Alley on Bitters). It cooks very well, fast, and is fresh, plus it is made in San Antonio.

1 12oz. package Honey Jalapeno Fettuccine

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 portobello mushroom, diced

1 small zucchini, chopped

1 small yellow squash, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 cans 8 oz. tomato sauce (I use Contadina, since it is plain and I can jazz it up for my taste.)

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 pinch of rosemary

1/2 teaspoon sugar (to cut the acidity of the tomato sauce)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain pasta and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat the olive oil. Saute the garlic and onion, until the onion becomes transparent. Add the yellow bell pepper, stirring frequently 2 to 3 minutes. Next, add the mushroom, continuing to stir frequently for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Add the squash and zucchini, stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce. (TIP: start with a 1/4 sugar until you find what measurement you find tasty.) Add the basil, oregano, rosemary and Italian seasonings. (TIP: again use measurements to fit your taste.)

3. Add pasta and sauce in a bowl. Toss to coat. Serve warm.