Tag Archives: Recipes

Cook With the Sun: Solar Oven Recipes

by SunnyCorin33131 Posted on July 2, 2019

Sweltering summer temperatures can be a serious drag, but here at Earth911, we try to look at the glass half-full. An unseasonably warm summer may lead us to crank our air conditioners more than usual, but it can also hold the secret to energy-free cooking. We’ve put together five solar oven recipes to help you kick start your solar oven cooking.

You may be familiar with solar ovens from whipping up s’mores other camping treats, but you can actually use these sun-powered wonders to cook just about anything — without using a single kilowatt-hour of electricity. Check out these five tasty recipes for a solar oven, and take advantage of summer heat by cooking with the power of the sun.

Solar ovens consist of a system of reflectors and a cooking pot. The rest is up to your imagination! Once you have assembled or purchased your solar oven, you can use it to prepare hot meals in the backyard, at a campground or wherever your heart desires — even a sunny beach. Photo: Flickr/EBKauai

Choosing & Using Your Solar Oven

Basically, a solar oven consists of a system of reflectors and a cooking pot. The setup coverts the sun’s rays into heat energy to bake, boil, or steam your next meal. In a solar oven, you can cook anything that you can cook in a conventional electric or gas oven and many meals that you can cook on the stove.

As an added bonus, heading outside to use a solar oven makes cooking your meals a fun-filled event for the whole family. The young (and young-at-heart) will love watching lunch slowly cook under the sun’s rays, and your meals will be even tastier after you’ve had to work a little for them. Solar ovens are also easily portable, meaning you can cook a hot meal at the beach, park, campground, or wherever your heart desires.

If you’re the DIY type, you can easily make your own solar oven out of items like cardboard, a thermometer, foil, glass, and black spray paint. Use these step-by-step instructions from Instructables, or check out this how-to video from aysproject to build your oven.

You can also opt for a store-bought solar oven. As you may expect, purchased models will cost a bit more than DIY alternatives, but they tend to heat up faster and reach higher temperatures. If you’d rather purchase a ready-made oven, check out the GoSun Sport or the Sunflair Mini Portable Solar Oven.

No matter which model you choose, the cooking method for your solar oven remains about the same. Start by placing your oven in direct sunlight, and allow the internal temperature to reach at least 200 degrees Fahrenheit before placing your meal inside.

Think cooking with the sun takes all day? Think again. If you refocus the oven to follow the sun’s rays every 30 minutes, your cooking time will be similar to cooking with a conventional oven or stove. You can also use a solar oven for recipes you’d use in a slow cooker (like a Crock-Pot). If your cooking pot does not have a lid, you may want to create some sort of makeshift cover to keep heat from escaping the pot, which can greatly increase cooking time.

Keep in mind that browning is unlikely in a solar oven due to lower temperatures and lack of air circulation. On the bright side, this means that you don’t have to worry about your food getting dried out or burned. On the not-so-bright side, you probably won’t achieve the crispiness or caramelization you could expect from a conventional oven. So, choose your recipes accordingly to avoid surprises.

As for the best solar cooking vessel, a dark, thin-walled pot with a lid works best, according to Solar Cookers International. Dark pots change the sun’s rays into heat energy, while shiny aluminum pots cause light to be reflected outward, reducing the oven’s temperature. Glass casserole dishes with lids will also do the trick.

5 Solar Oven Recipes

Photo flickr/Megan

1. Mediterranean Flatbread Recipe

What you’ll need:

1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Six pieces of flatbread
3/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cups arugula, roughly chopped

For hummus:

1 can chickpeas, ½ cup liquid set aside
1/4 cup tahini
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

How to make it:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste. Set your vinaigrette in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Meanwhile, start preparing your hummus spread. Add chickpeas, reserved chickpea liquid, tahini, salt, pepper, and garlic to a food processor or blender. Pulse lightly while drizzling in olive oil until smooth, about two minutes.

3. Arrange your flatbread pieces in the bottom of a large metal casserole dish with a lid. Spread about 2 tablespoons of hummus on each flatbread piece. Top with Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

4. Cover the casserole dish with a lid, and place it in a pre-heated solar oven for about 20 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted.

5. Top with a small handful of arugula and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette before serving.

Solar cooking tips:

This simple preparation is ideal for your sun-powered oven. As is usually the case with solar cooking, it’s best to eyeball it or use a thermometer rather than sticking to a designated cooking time. This recipe should take 20 to 30 minutes in your solar oven, but cooking time will vary based on outdoor temperatures and sun exposure.

For best results, allow your solar oven to heat up to at least 250 degrees Fahrenheit before putting your flatbread inside. Check on your meal regularly, and remove it once the cheese is fully melted.

Keep in mind that your flatbread pieces will be warm and tasty, but you’ll have a hard time making them crispy in a solar oven. If you crave a crispy texture, brush your flatbread pieces with olive oil, and sear them in a cast-iron skillet on your stove for about a minute on each side before putting them in your solar oven.

Photo Flickr/Alan Levine

2. Whole Bean Enchiladas Recipe

What you’ll need:

16-ounce can of whole black beans
16-ounce can of sweet corn (or two cups of fresh corn)
3/4 cup of red onion, diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
16-ounce can of enchilada prepared sauce
Six whole wheat or corn tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, corn, red onion, tomato, cilantro, and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow your mixture to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour before cooking.

2. When you’re ready to cook, retrieve your filling from the refrigerator, and add half of the enchilada sauce. Stir to combine.

3. Scoop your filling into a tortilla, about six tablespoons at a time. Roll up the tortilla and place it into a medium-sized glass casserole dish with a lid. Repeat until you’ve filled all six tortillas.

4. Pour the remaining enchilada sauce on top, and cover with cheese. Cover the casserole dish with a lid and place it in your solar oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the filling is warmed through.

Solar cooking tips:

The one-pot nature of this tasty vegetarian recipe makes it perfect for solar oven cooking. For best results, cover your enchiladas with a lid before putting them in the solar oven. Place your oven in direct sunlight, and refocus as needed to keep it out of the shadows.

Ideally, allow your solar oven to heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before putting your enchiladas inside. If using a DIY model, allow your unit to get as hot as possible (probably between 250 and 300 degrees Fahrenheit) before you start cooking.

To make sure your meal comes out right, keep an eye on your enchiladas and take note when the cheese begins melting. When you suspect they may be finished, use a fork to gauge done-ness. Your tortillas should be soft, the cheese should be fully melted, and the filling should be heated through.

Although it may be tempting, avoid lifting the lid on your casserole dish too often; allowing heat to escape your cooking vessel will increase baking time.

Photo by weightwatchers.com via thedailymeal.com

3. Slow-Cooker Lentil Soup Recipe via The Daily Meal

What you’ll need:

2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry lentils
3 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
8 cups canned chicken broth (substitute vegetable broth for a vegan treat)
4 ounces Canadian-style bacon (optional)

How to make it: View full instructions and tips at The Daily Meal.

Solar cooking tips:

Slow-cooker recipes work wonderfully in solar ovens. To set-it-and-forget-it, simply position your oven in a clear area of the yard, place covered soup inside and allow it to cook all day. Your soup should be ready for dinnertime in about six hours using this method (the same as a standard Crock-Pot).

For a slightly speedier meal, refocus your solar oven throughout the day to follow the sun’s rays, which should shave at least an hour off your cooking time.

Photo Flickr/Ben Millett

4. Rockin’ Ratatouille Recipe

What you’ll need:

1 cup eggplant, chopped
1 cup zucchini or summer squash, chopped
1 cup red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup tomato, chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8-ounce can of no-salt-added tomato puree
Salt and pepper to taste

How to make it:

1. Combine eggplant, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, cumin, and tomato puree in a large metal or glass pot. Salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cover and cook in your solar oven for 4 to 5 hours, or until vegetables are tender. For faster cooking, refocus your solar oven to follow the sun around your yard, which should shave at least an hour off your cooking time. Serve alone or with cooked brown rice, mashed potatoes, or quinoa.

Solar cooking tips:

Packed with vitamin-rich veggies like eggplant and zucchini, ratatouille carries troves of obvious health benefits. But it’s also a perfect energy-free entree that couldn’t be simpler to whip up in your solar oven.

For a fresh-from-the-farmer’s-market flavor, cook your ratatouille over medium-low heat (between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit). Any hotter could cause vegetables to lose their crunch, and tomato sauce may begin to brown around the edges.

To maintain consistent internal temperature, refocus your solar oven to follow the sun’s rays, and avoid lifting the lid of your pot too often. It’s fine to stir your ratatouille occasionally, but removing the lid too frequently can increase cooking time.

If you plan to leave your solar oven unattended while slow cooking, you may want to place it on a table or weigh down the lid to dissuade curious critters.

Photo courtesy of Cooking Light via thedailymeal

5. Roasted Cauliflower, Chickpeas, & Olives Recipe via The Daily Meal

What you’ll need:

5 1/2 cups of cauliflower florets
10 green Spanish olives, halved and pitted
8 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
15-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

How to make it: View full instructions and tips at The Daily Meal.

Solar cooking tips:

Rather than racking up your energy usage to prepare this tasty roasted cauliflower recipe from The Daily Meal, pop it in a solar oven to shrink your footprint (and your monthly electric bill).

This recipe takes about 20 minutes when prepared in a conventional oven heated to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. So, expect it to take about an hour in your solar oven. Refocusing the oven every 30 minutes to follow the sun’s rays will help you cut cooking time for an even speedier snack.

Since you’d like a bit of a crunch to your cauliflower, opt for a dark-colored metal roasting pan with a lid. Dark colors draw in heat, and metal creates that sizzly effect that leaves your meal with a crisp-tender consistency.

What are your favorite recipes for cooking in your solar oven? Share them with the community in the Earthling Forum.

Feature image courtesy of Erik Burton

Editor’s note: Originally published on January 23, 2016, this article was updated in July 2019. Pictured foods are not actual prepared recipes but rather representations of main ingredients.

10 Delicious Vegan Slow Cooker Dishes

Vegan slow cooker meals have a positive one-two punch on …Kimberly ButtonJanuary 10, 2019

Solar Ovens Serve Up Yummy Food Almost Anywhere
For an Earth-friendly epicurean treat, switch off your stove and …Patti RothJuly 17, 2018

11 Ways to Use Solar Energy Besides the Home
Solar panels can be installed on your home and save …Jenna CyprusJune 21, 2017

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Cook With the Sun: Solar Oven Recipes

Posted in alo, Casio, eco-friendly, FF, food processor, GE, Instructables.com, LAI, LG, ONA, oven, Pines, Prepara, PUR, solar, solar panels, solar power, Uncategorized | Tagged cover, daily, eco-friendly, energy, king, pur, recipe, Recipes, recipewhat, share, solar, solar-oven | Comments Off

The Surprising Recycling Mistake You’re Probably Making

by MatthiaSteele Posted on March 19, 2019

Who else has been proudly removing the cap from plastic bottles before tossing then into the recycling bin? After all, caps and bottles are generally made of different?types of plastic. Making sure that they are not stuck together is helpful, isn’t it?

It used to be. In the past, recycling plants didn’t have an?effective?way to separate the two different plastics, so capped bottles would jam up the entire system.?Recycling programs actually did ask us to start taking the plastic caps off our bottles (so good job remembering!).

But now, with our modern recycling methods, it appears the opposite is true. That’s right?most of us should be leaving the plastic caps ON our bottles before recycling them!

Why You Should Leave Bottle Caps on for Recycling

Modern processing involves?crushing the two types of plastic into particles and separating them in a water bath. The cap material sinks, while the bottle particles float, making it easy to keep them apart. And we’re not just talking water bottles. You should be leaving the caps on laundry detergent, shampoos, lotions, condiments, et cetera.

It makes the caps significantly easier to deal with and keep track of.

In fact, if you remove the caps, you might as well just be just tossing them straight into the landfill. Their small size often leads to improper sorting at the recycling center?likely, they’ll bypass processing altogether and just get tossed into the trash heap.

Of course, this isn’t true for 100 percent of recycling centers. Check in with your local center to make sure they’re equipped with modern sorting machinery. They’ll?definitively instruct you on whether to leave your cap on or off.

Another?Common Recycling Mistake

Don’t crush your plastic bottles before recycling. What?! But aren’t we helping to save space? The answer is no, and by flattening your bottles, they?are easier to missort, particularly at single-stream recycling plants. It’s generally easier for the machines to handle them if they are intact.

An estimated 5 billion plastic bottle caps pollute the shores of California alone. It’s important that we all do our part to clean this mess up.?Recycling centers already are dumping tons of our plastic recyclables into landfills?ever since China stopped?processing our low quality recycling for us?it’s a massive issue. Don’t let your bottle caps be part of the problem. Keep them screwed.

Related on Care2:

How I Learned to Love My Body, As-Is?
How to Discover Your Core Values
6 Tasty Infused Water Recipes for When You’re Sick of Lemon Water

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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The Surprising Recycling Mistake You’re Probably Making

Posted in alo, bigo, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Uncategorized | Tagged california, Discover, discover-your, dry, how to recycle, lai, pollution, Recipes, water-recipes | Comments Off

3 Clever Uses for Leftover Almond Pulp

by ZulmaLovett699 Posted on March 17, 2018

Almond milk…it’s delicious, nutrient-rich and a great solution?for those of us?who are vegan or lactose intolerant. That said, if you’re making your own almond milk, you’ve probably got a fridge full of leftover almond pulp just staring you in the face.

Today, I’ll be giving you the rundown on my three favorite uses for leftover almond pulp, including scrumptious almond pulp crackers, almond pulp hummus (yes, I said hummus!) and almond pulp body scrub. Let’s dive in!

How to Make Almond Pulp Crackers (Vegan + Paleo)

This recipe for Easy Almond Pulp Crackers was designed by Megan at Detoxinista to help you make use of ingredients you likely already have on hand, including olive oil, coconut oil and various herbs.?They’re absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:

1 scant cup wet almond pulp
3 tablespoons olive or coconut oil
1 tablespoon ground flax or chia seeds
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh or dried herbs
1 garlic clove, minced
Water as needed

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine all ingredients and stir well. If it looks dry, add water one tablespoon at a time, just until it can be pressed together into a firm dough.
Transfer the mixture to a sheet of parchment paper, place another sheet on top, then use a rolling pin to roll to 1/8-inch thick (Thin = Crispy).
Cut the dough into whatever shapes you like, then poke them with a fork so they’ll bake evenly. This recipe should make approximately 20 crackers.
Bake until crisp and golden ? about 15?20 minutes.
Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to a few days.

How to Make Almond Pulp Body Scrub

Raw almond pulp (leftover after straining homemade almond milk) also makes a delightful body scrub. Simply mix 1 cup of raw almond pulp with?2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil?and?5?10 drops of your favorite essential oil, and you’re set!

Use it to gently?exfoliate in the shower or bath, then store the rest for up to a few days in an airtight container in the fridge.

How to Make Almond Pulp Hummus (Vegan)

Don’t knock it till you try it?? this Almond Hummus recipe?made by the lovely Liberty at Homespun Capers is actually really?fantastic!?And the only equipment you need?is a food processor.

Ingredients:

1 small clove of garlic
1 tightly-packed cup of leftover nut pulp
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup cold-pressed olive oil
1/4 cup hulled tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)
Ground black pepper, to taste
Top with fresh herbs, paprika, and olive oil drizzle

Directions:

Mince the garlic and add to a small bowl.
Use a fork to stir in the nut pulp and water till combined, then mix in the remaining ingredients (excusing toppings).
You may need to add more water to reach your ideal consistency ? just don’t let it get too runny!
Taste and add more lemon juice, olive oil, salt, or tahini to taste.
Serve drizzled with olive oil, herbs, and a dusting of paprika.
This hummus will keep in the fridge for up to one week, assuming you make it the same day as you make your almond milk.

Do you think you’ll try one of these? Let us know how you fare!

Cooks, Illustrated: Why So Many Chefs Have Tattoos

by HWWSabinardfi Posted on December 16, 2016

Mother Jones

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When it was time for sailor and cook Mandy Lamb to get a tattoo, she decided on two arrows arranged in an “X” on her forearm. They remind her, she says, of a painful lesson learned on her first boat: “Don’t fall in love with the captain.”

Fishing-boat cook Mandy Lamb

Lamb’s is one of more than 65 illustrated vignettes (and probably my favorite) on display in the artful book Knives and Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos, by BuzzFeed books editor Isaac Fitzgerald and prolific illustrator and graphic journalist Wendy MacNaughton, who appeared on our latest episode of Bite. The duo previously worked together on the 2014 book Pen and Ink, which was inspired by their popular Tumblr blog of the same name and portrayed tattooed people of all professions.

But for Knives and Ink, they zeroed in on cooks and chefs, a breed well known for sporting body art. Fitzgerald, who had a short stint as a sushi chef in San Francisco, says one reason for the propensity for tattoos is that chefs want a symbol for their “dedication to the craft.” Some chefs feel they’ve landed in a career perfectly suited to their talents—and that getting a tattoo is a way of publicly dedicating their lives to the craft. Fitzgerald explains:

For a very long time, being a chef is one of the very few industries where you could just be covered head to toe, tattoos on your face, it didn’t matter as long as what you were making is good. It’s this idea of, ‘If I tattoo my neck, if I tattoo my knuckles, I can’t just walk away from this and start selling cars or just go work in a business or put on a suit or sit in a cubicle. This is going to be my life.’

Personal Chef Roze Traore; Chef Timmy Malloy

MacNaughton, who learned to cook while working on a cookbook project a few years ago, points to another reason for kitchen tattoos: “Chefs are preparing food for a lot of people, but it is about their distinct dishes and their distinct flavors and they’re expressing themselves in everything they do,” she says. “I think that the marks on their body are also manifestations of the same thing, the stories and experiences that are meaningful to them.”

The tales in Knives and Ink range from sentimental to flippant, sometimes revealing deep truths about a chef’s past, sometimes simply revealing her favorite seasoning. When asked about the most popular tattoo inked by the cooks they interviewed, Fitzgerald and MacNaughton were unequivocal: the pig. “It seems to be the official or unofficial logo of professional chefs,” MacNaughton says. Sure, the quintessential butchering diagram showing a quartered hog is a favorite, but Fitzgerald found fascinating the extent to which some chefs had “tried to one-up this classic pig tattoo design” with neck tattoos of pig skulls or a gory image of a zombie ripping up a pig from the inside. If that isn’t a reason to check out this delightful book, you’re sure to enjoy the recipes or artistic renderings of favorite ingredients accompanying many of the portraits.

Sous Chef Catherine Doyle

Bite is Mother Jones‘ new food politics podcast, out every other Friday. Listen to all our episodes here, or by subscribing in iTunes or Stitcher or via RSS. Please rate us and write us a review—it helps get the word out!

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Cooks, Illustrated: Why So Many Chefs Have Tattoos

Posted in FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta, wind power | Tagged first, fitzgerald, food, francisco, japanese, lai, malloy, media, radius, Recipes, stories | Comments Off

With These Veggie Burger Ideas, You’ll Never Crave Beef Again

by BonnyMcclellan8 Posted on April 27, 2016

Veggie burgers have gotten a bad rap over the years. Flaccid, bland, mushy and unsatisfying, the veggie burgers you remember may have been anything but appetizing. But, times have changed. In fact, two of the most highly demanded burgers in NYC right now are actually veggie burgers. That’s right, today’s veggie burgers encourageequal opportunity salivation from vegans and carnivores alike.

Not only can veggie burgers taste as good as their beefy cousins, but their rising popularity is a powerful factorinthe fight against climate change. Americans eat around 50 billion burgers a year, or about 40 pounds of bun-nestled ground beef per person.

Unfortunately, the livestock industry uses precious resources at a rate that is harming our planet. Just one pound of grain-fed beef requires 1800 gallons of water, while a single quarter-pounder is responsible for creating 6 1/2 pounds of greenhouse gases.

That being said, if merely 1 out of every 5 beef burgers consumed were veggie burgers, wed save trillions of gallons of water and 32.5 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, among other benefits. And thats just if everyone were to swap 2 of the average 12 burgers we consume each month for hearty veggie burgers. Does that seem like too much to ask? Watch the video below to learn more about how our relentless hamburger consumption impacts our environment and our health.

The first step toward change is creating a delicious veggie burger you’ll want to eat. When it comes down to it, all good veggie burgers have 6 basic component: a bulky base, vegetables, textural ingredients, binding agents, liquid ingredients and flavorings.

Here is a great guideline to develop your own unique veggie burger recipe, or to help you experiment with any of the recipes below!

Care2 Veggie Burger Guidelines

– 2 to 2 1/2 cups bulky base: cooked rice, mashed beans, cooked quinoa, mashed tofu, corn masa, chickpea flour, cooked teff flour, almond meal, coconut flour, et cetera (feel free to mix multiple ingredients into your base)

– 1 to 1 1/2 cups vegetables: onions, zucchini, sweet potato, broccoli, kale, carrots, chard (make sure you cook them first to avoid mushy burgers)

– 2-4 tablespoons of texture: chopped nuts, seeds, tempeh, olives, et cetera

– 1/2 to 1 cup of binding agent: around 1 cup gluten-free rolled oats/breadcrumbs, or a few eggs/flax eggs

– a dash of flavor: use plenty of sauted garlic, ginger, paprika, fresh oregano, cumin, curry powder, salt, pepper, chile powder, et cetera, in quantities to suit your tastes

– 1 to 4 tablespoons of liquid (if needed): umeboshi vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, unsweetened hemp/almond milk, vegetable broth

Add base (making sure any grains are precooked) along withchopped, roasted veggies to a food processor and pulse until combined. Quickly pulse in textural ingredients. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir/knead in your binding agent and flavorings. Stir in liquids at this time if needed. The dough should be neither too wet nor too dry, with the ideal consistency being that of soft sugar cookie dough. Roll the dough into balls and flatten into 1/4 inch thick patties. Sprinkle on a coating of masa, chickpea flour or panko breadcrumbs to ensure your burgers are extra crispy on the outside (optional). Cook in a light coating of your favorite cooking oil over medium heat, or bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through. If you create a sturdy enough burger, you can even try grilling!

Not into experimentation? Try these 6 veggie burger recipes to inspire and expand your tastebuds:

The Basic Veggie Burger: Looking for a basic yet tasty recipe to get you started? Look no further. Fork and Knives offers a great recipe that includes a base of vegetables, beans, rice, seasonings and nuts (optional). The burger is covered in cornmeal or chickpea flour to ensure an extra crispy crust develops during baking.

The Grill-Worthy Veggie Burger: While seriously lacking in vegetables, this burger is both high in protein and sturdy enough to handle a good grilling. The grill is what makes a burger quintessentially a burger, after all. These hearty burgers from Minimalist Baker contain brown rice, walnuts, onions, beans, breadcrumbs and spices.

The Paleo Veggie Burger: Just because you are Paleo doesnt mean you only eat meat. In fact, people in the Paleolithic era most certainly only binged on meat once in a while when a hunt went successfully. But, can a burger without beans, meat or soy really live up to American burger standards? You be the judge. This burger from Apples to Zoodles uses coconut oil, cauliflower, carrots, onions, sweet potato, zucchini, almond flour, coconut flour, eggs and spices to concoct a tasty veggie patty that is totally Paleo-friendly. Even better, the vegetables are cooked prior to using to ensure a less mushy interior. Give it a tryliving a Paleo lifestyle is no excuse not to tread lightly on the planet.

The Green Veggie Burger: Cant get enough green vegetables in your life? Then you should make sure you pack your veggie burger chock full of greens. Filled with peas, kale, broccoli and celery, this bright greenburger isnt trying to hide the fact that its loaded with vegetables. This completely vegan burger comes from Vegan Heaven.

The Red Veggie Burger: Its natural that you should alternate your favorite green burger with a red one. This beet-based burger includes shiitake mushrooms, smoked tofu, tempeh, sundried tomato, garlic and sunflower seeds. Sound tasty? You bet! Check it out at Love and Garnish.

The Foodie Veggie Burger: If you love to cook and you love playing with interesting flavors in the kitchen, this recipe from New York Times Cooking has perfected the flavor, texture and look so that even the staunchest carnivore will crave it on a delicate brioche bun. The secret to this burgers success is the variety of different ingredientswet, dry and binding and that the most watery ingredients are roasted beforehand to prevent mushiness. With a combination of soy, egg, cheese, nuts and breadcrumbs, this recipe isnt allergen-friendly, but, for those who can enjoy, its sure to be tasty.

Once you have your favorite veggie burger recipedown, get creative! Add Thai flavors, homemade BBQ sauce, smokey chipotle, curry spices or your favorite flavors. Veggie burgers dont have to be mushy and boring. They should be nutritious and delicious flavor explosions that make both you and the planet happy!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

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With These Veggie Burger Ideas, You’ll Never Crave Beef Again

Posted in alo, Casio, Everyone, FF, food processor, G & F, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, oven, PUR, Radius, Ultima, Uncategorized | Tagged alo, base, eating for health, first, greenhouse, lai, Recipes, texture, vegetarian | Comments Off

Introducing "Bite," Our New Podcast About Food Politics

by RamonKraegen901 Posted on March 6, 2016

Mother Jones

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Earlier this winter, an essay on the food and culture website First We Feast laid out some complaints about contemporary food journalism: “Food media has felt, for lack of a better word, soft,” editor Chris Schonberger wrote. To find investigative reporting on food issues, readers must look outside the “food media” bubble. As legendary culinary writer Ruth Reichl told Schonberger and company: “If you’re interested in the politics of food, you can go to Mother Jones or something.”

Indeed, Mother Jones has delved into food and agriculture’s thornier topics for decades. We’ve taken full advantage of our tagline of “smart, fearless journalism” to expose the nut industry’s voracious thirst, observe fast-food’s sway on nutrition policy, illuminate the environmental toll of snacks’ excessive packaging, and examine the industry cover-up of sugar’s health risks. And now, we’re excited to take this knack for no-bullshit reporting to a brand new medium: Bite podcast.

Bite is a podcast for people who think hard about their food. In each biweekly episode, my co-hosts Tom Philpott and Kiera Butler and I will interview a writer, scientist, farmer, or chef to uncover the surprising stories behind what ends up on your plate. We’ll help you digest the major food news of the week. We’re interested in how your food intersects with other important topics like identity, social justice, health, corporate influence, and climate change.

Don’t worry—we’ll have some fun, too. We’re happy to indulge in some full-on foodie-ism from time to time. (Check out our recipes for wine-braised short ribs and cranberry salsa.) We’ll reflect on the weirdest things our guests have eaten as of late. And we’ll try to solve your food mysteries—especially if you get in touch with us on Twitter or Facebook, or by sending an email to bite@motherjones.com.

Subscribe to Bite on iTunes to hear our teaser, and get ready for our first episode, which will drop very soon. We hope you’re hungry.

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Introducing "Bite," Our New Podcast About Food Politics

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No ‘Poo: Get Beautiful Hair with Just Baking Soda & Vinegar

by CindyTroy86 Posted on January 18, 2016

Truly natural or organic shampoos can be pretty pricey, but you don’t need to drop big bucks for shiny, healthy hair. It might sounds like the recipe for a hair volcano, but baking soda and vinegar work great as shampoo and conditioner substitutes. Folks who use baking soda and vinegar instead of shampoo often call this technique the “no ‘poo” or “no shampoo” method.

Here are some tips on how to wash your hair with baking soda and vinegar!

Why Do No ‘Poo?

Like I mentioned above, it’s much cheaper than truly natural or organic shampoo and conditioner, but why not just grab a cheap bottle of Herbal Essences and be done with it, right? The trouble with conventional shampoo, including faux natural brands like Herbal Essences, is that they contain potentially harmful ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate and fragrance.

For me, fragrance is the worst synthetic chemical in beauty products. “Fragrance” is actually an unregulated term that could refer to any cocktail of thousands of largely under-tested chemicals. Companies can get away with this misleading labeling under the guise of “proprietary information.” Meanwhile, we’re washing our hair with potential allergens and carcinogens. Boo on that!

I used to wash my hair with shampoo every other day, and after a few months doing no ‘poo, I only have to wash it once or twice a week, depending on how active I am. That means that not only do you save money, but you save water and the energy used to heat it for all of those longer showers.

Before we get into the ins and out of no ‘poo on the next page, I think it’s important to talk about one downside to making this switch: many people experience a breaking in period.

The Breaking In Period

I will warn you right now that almost everyone who switches to no ‘poo initially does have a breaking in period that can last from a few days to even a few weeks while your scalp adjusts. Some folks write the no ‘poo thing off after just a week or less, saying that it doesn’t work, but chances are that is because their body hasn’t gotten used to this more natural method for cleaning their hair.

Shampoo strips your hair of natural moisture, so your scalp might still be in oil-production overdrive for a little while while you adjust. The breaking in period can be pretty unfun, but there are a couple of things you can do to make it easier on yourself.

If you have short hair, brush it regularly. This helps distribute the oils more evenly, so your hair won’t look so greasy during the transition. Brushing can help distribute the oil in long hair, too, and you might want to go for updos, like pony tails or buns until your hair adjusts.

Image Credit: Creative Commons phoot by trenttsd

The Basic No ‘Poo Recipe

There are a couple of different ways that you can do this thing, but the basic idea is that you “wash” your hair in baking soda, rinse it thoroughly, then follow with a diluted vinegar rinse that you also rinse out thoroughly.

What you’ll keep in your shower are a water-tight container full of baking soda, and a squeeze bottle with your vinegar mixture. The amount of baking soda you use and the vinegar to water ratio that works for you really depends on your hair. If your hair is oily, you’ll want to up the baking soda and use less vinegar in your rinse. For dry hair, go the opposite direction. Here’s what works for me:

1. Pour about 1 tablespoon of baking soda into the palm of your hand, and moisten it. Massage it into your hair and your scalp. Wait a minute, then rinse.

2. Combine 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white vinegar and 1 cup water in your squeeze bottle. You can do this in advance, so you don’t have to mix it up every time you wash, and you probably won’t need the whole cup for a single washing. Give the bottle a good shake, then squeeze some of the vinegar mixture onto your scalp. Massage it into your scalp and your hair, wait another minute or two, and rinse thoroughly.

Like I said, this is the mixture that works for me, but depending on your hair type, you may need to adjust the amounts of baking soda and vinegar that you use.

No ‘Poo for Curly Hair

The most common question I get when I talk about no ‘poo is whether it works on thick or curly hair. My hair is thick and a little bit wavy, and it works just fine for me, but I couldn’t speak for truly curly hair. A little research turned up an account from Lorissa from Beautiful Somehow who did a 30 day no ‘poo experiment. Here’s what she had to say:

I am so completely happy with my curly hair now! The curls are bigger, more defined, and not as frizzy as before. I am still using a tiny, tiny, tiny bit of mousse to set the curls. I am currently looking for a more natural alternative for it though. So if you know of one, please share!

You can read all about her no ‘poo experience over at Beautiful Somehow, and if you have any tips for an alternative to mousse, I bet she’d love your suggestions!

Tips from Fellow No-’Pooers

Stephanie Moram from Good Girl Gone Green does a slightly different mix for her hair. She recommends about 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of water, and about the same ratio for vinegar. You can read about her no ‘poo method here.

My Healthy Green Family doesn’t like to call this method no ‘poo, but over there, Free Range Mama talks about the baking soda and vinegar method that she uses. She likes the same ratio as Stephanie recommends, and she also talks a little bit about a common question that folks have when they’re new to no ‘poo: the vinegar smell. As she describes, that smell should fade quickly as your hair dries. If it doesn’t, try using less vinegar in your mix next time.

Do any of you do the no ‘poo thing? I’d love to hear what’s worked for you – and what hasn’t! – in the comments.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Original article:

No ‘Poo: Get Beautiful Hair with Just Baking Soda & Vinegar

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8 Organic Foods You Can Make at Home

by RosalinSimms Posted on January 14, 2016

Have you ever shopped in an organic grocery store or the natural foods aisles of a regular grocery store only to be taken aback at the cost? It’s great and healthy to eat organic, but occasionally the cost feels like a barrier for those with limited income. However, eating organic doesn’t have to be accessible only to those with more funds than the average citizen. This infographic from Quid Corner goes into details about 8 different organic foods you can make on your own. Not only will you have fresh, organic food to enjoy, but you’ll also learn some great recipes in the process.

Infographic via Quid Corner

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Link –

8 Organic Foods You Can Make at Home

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The 9 Best Cookbooks of 2014

by JillianSnelling Posted on December 20, 2014

Mother Jones

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Another year, another spate of brilliant cookbooks. Here are the ones that made the biggest impression on me, in no particular order.

Bitter: A Taste of the World’s Most Dangerous Flavor, with Recipes, by Jennifer McLagan. In 2005, nearly a decade before “bone broth” emerged as a craze, McLagan came out with Bones, a delicious defense of a culinary resource people normally discard. Three years later, when people like me were still mostly shunning the lard jar, she produced the equally excellent Fat, which she called an “appreciation of the misunderstood ingredient.” McLagan, perhaps the most idiosyncratic and underrated cookbook author of our time, has now trained her powers on the stuff that makes you grimace the first time it hits your palate: radicchio, dandelion greens, hops, brassicas, chicory, citrus zest, coffee, etc. “Without bitterness we lose a way to balance sweetness,” she instructs. “Food without bitterness lacks depth and complexity.” Bitter brims with luminous mini-essays on the science and philosophy of taste, and delivers dozens of straight-ahead recipes that teach us to tame and celebrate the most challenging of the five basic flavors.

Great gift for: People with adventurous palates.
Killer dish: Dandelion salad with hot bacon and mustard dressing.
Dish I’m dying to try: Pork chop (bone-in, fat lined) in coffee and black currant sauce.

Bar Tartine: Techniques & Recipes, by Nick Balla and Cortney Burns. Based on a single meal several years ago, I’ve always assumed San Francisco’s Bar Tartine—sister to the justly venerated Tartine Bakery—specialized in simple bistro food. So I wasn’t overly excited when this substantial, beautifully produced tome arrived. But rather than deliver yet more versions of steak frites or coq au vin, the book reads like a manifesto written by radical gourmet homesteaders—one of the weirdest and most compelling cookbooks I’ve picked up in years. I got lost in the rabbit warrens of the opening “projects kitchen” section, where the authors lay out in detail all the stuff they make from scratch. “Our dairy program began humbly—with yogurt, sour cream, and kefir—and evolved to include all the products we currently use: blue cheese, pepper Jack, gouda, triple creams, feta, and fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, goat cheese, and farmers cheese,” the authors declare. Whoa. Ever wondered how to make your own kefir butter? Balla and Burns have you covered. I had never heard of “black garlic” before. Turns out, “holding garlic at 130 F for two to three weeks renders the cloves as black as tar.” Is that a good thing? “All of the characteristic sharpness disappears and is replaced with a molasses-like sweetness and an aroma reminiscent of licorice.” Then there’s the spice mixes. Forget, say, homemade curry powder. Think “charred eggplant spice,” a powder that “tastes like the pure flavor of earth and smoke” (other elements: charred, dehydrated chile peppers, huitlachoche—a corn fungus—and green onions.) Surprisingly simple (but never obvious) recipes follow the opening section’s wild innovations. I predict this book will be seducing and flummoxing me for years. Also, I’ve got to get myself back to Bar Tartine.

Great gift for: Anyone with radical gourmet homesteader tendencies; and jaded home cooks in search of inspiration.
Killer dish: Chilled beet soup with coriander & yogurt.
Dish I’m dying to try: Someday? Smoked potatoes in black garlic vinaigrette with ramp mayonnaise.

Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking from London’s Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi. Have we reached peak Ottolenghi? That was my question when I cracked the latest from the ubiquitous London chef, whose classics Plenty and Jerusalem seem to grace the shelves of most everyone I know, and won a spot in my 2012 best-of list. Known for his colorful, vibrant, vegetable-centered Mediterranean fare, the London-based, Israeli-born chef has been profiled in The New Yorker and interviewed on every foodie podcast. Does he have anything more to say? Hell, yes. Plenty More ventures farther afield from the author’s native Mediterranean region than his other works, copping techniques and ingredients from Thailand, Iran, India, and more. It draws you in with the delectable photography, and keeps you hooked with irresistible combinations: oranges and dates; beets with avocado and peas; leeks with goat cheese and currants; and so on. Ottolenghi isn’t a vegetarian, but he’s a wizard of vegetables, and a master at conjuring up hearty meals by combining them with grains and legumes.

Great gift for: Anyone who thinks vegetarian food is boring; anyone who likes to cook and eat.
Killer dish: Pea and mint croquettes.
Dish I’m dying to try: Fried umpa (an Indian semolina porridge) with poached eggs

Honorable mentions

• In Afro-Vegan: Farm Fresh African, Caribbean & Southern Flavors Remixed, the Bay Area writer/chef/activist Bryan Terry pulls off a mean feat: He uses stylish, spicy vegan fare—light on tofu and heavy on grains, greens, and legumes—to lure readers into recognizing the “centrality of African-diasporic people in defining the tastes, ingredients, and classic dishes of the original modern global fusion cuisine—Southern food.” Terry’s argument is unassailable—as convincing as his gorgeous peanut stew with winter vegetable and cornmeal dumplings.

• Despite the ongoing gluten-free fad, bread is having its day, as are books on baking. No home baker will want to miss In Search of the Perfect Loaf, in which the food politics writer and editor Sam Fromartz visits the epicenters of the global baking renaissance—Paris, Berlin, San Francisco, etc.—talking to its main characters and committing an epic and appealing nerd-out (with recipes) in service of home-cooked leavened dough. In Josey Baker Bread, San Francisco’s most celebrated young baker (yes, his name and vocation are identical) shows us how the pros do it.

• San Francisco’s The Slanted Door is a fancy restaurant that applies Vietnamese techniques and condiments to Northern California’s bounty. The Slanted Door, by chef-owner Charles Phan, is a surprisingly unfussy guide to working the restaurant’s magic at home.

• For the drinkers on your list, American Spirit is a spirited guide to what author James Rodewald calls the nascent “craft distilling revolution.” At the center of Rodwald’s book is a scandal. Because of loose labeling laws, most of the “artisanal” liquor on the market involves clever businesspeople “rebottling something that had been made at a larger distiller and calling it their own.” Rodewald profiles the (still relatively few) mavericks who actually are producing their own hooch—and teases out the considerable challenges of making great whiskey and other spirits on a small scale in an industry dominated by liquor giants and false marketing.

• After reading Rodewald, you’ll want to sip something stiff. Death & Co.—a sumptuous cocktail manual from the instant-legend East Village speakeasy of the same name—delivers dozens upon dozens of ideas for taking the edge off in high style. I can’t imagine a more comprehensive snapshot of the mixology craze.

Original link:

The 9 Best Cookbooks of 2014

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Why We Should Eat More Dandelions

by LakeshaDQZ Posted on August 14, 2014

Excerpt from:

Why We Should Eat More Dandelions

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