There are many ways to go about reducing your carbon footprint, but one of the easiest ways is to participate in Meatless Mondays.
Although forgoing meat also helps fight world hunger (and the issue of obesity), it's also proven to be kinder to Mother Earth, even if you're just skipping out on animal protein one day each week. To learn a few of the environmental benefits of going meat-free once a week, keep reading.
It's hard to imagine how Tyler Florence juggles two Food Network shows, three signature restaurants, a burgeoning line of kitchen supplies, and a multimillion-dollar empire, but the chef does so with finesse — and he still finds time to publish a seventh book, a brand-new baby cookbook called Start Fresh.
While promoting the new tome, he took the time to talk about his restaurant, El Paseo, and the second season of Food Network's The Great Food Truck Race.
He weighed in on the latest in beef, why vegetables are superior, and the drama that goes down in his reality TV show's second season. Find out what he had to say when you read on.
The last time Ginnifer Goodwin visited Jimmy Kimmel Live, she was a devoted vegan. But lots have changed: from the sound of it, it seems these days the Something Borrowed star is more about burgers than beans. The actress, who's been animal-free for a couple of years, revealed she's been working meat back into her diet: "I'm always learning and growing and changing," she told Jimmy Kimmel. Check out the clip below to hear the story behind the first animal product she ate and why she's given up veganism.
When I suggested you welcome National Meatball Day with a few major meatball dishes of your own, I was surprised by the number of responses on Facebook from those of you who'd given up animal protein for Lent. Whether you're observing the holiday — or just trying to be healthier on yourself and the planet with a little bit of vegetarianism — here are some suggestions for easy, elegant, and meat-free meals.
As a 2011 culinary New Year's resolution, we here at YumSugar have been all about eating more meatless meals; they're not only better for our wallets and our health but also have less of an impact on the environment.
Not ready to commit to vegetarianism full-time? You can still make your mark by partaking in meat-free Mondays or vowing to eat less meat. One of my favorite fast and easy dinners is this hearty meal of grilled halloumi cheese and vegetables, topped simply with a sprinkling of cumin and a squeeze of lemon for a blast of exotic flavor.
If it's too cold outside to grill, you can easily adapt the recipe by oven-roasting the cheese and vegetables. Halloumi is a Cyprus cheese that is easily fried or grilled; if you can't track it down, substitute paneer instead. Go veggie for one night when you read more.
It's been a long time coming, but this year was the first time that vegetables saw their moment in the spotlight. Call it what you will (bacon backlash?) but in 2010, vegetables were proclaimed to be the "new meat." From Mario's vegetarian cookbook to low-carbon, meat-free restaurant chains, vegetable-driven cuisine simply couldn't be ignored.
Is this trend simply recession flexitarianism, or should we expect to see more carrots, cauliflower, and parsnip bacon on menus next year, too? I asked Annie Somerville, executive chef at Greens restaurant and a California pioneer in meatless eating, what her predictions were for the coming 12 months. What's the future of vegetarianism? Find out when you read more.
While holiday roasts will likely be a seminal part of this year's Christmas celebrations, don't forget that 2010 was the year of the vegetable, too.
Even if you aren't making an entirely meat-free meal, there are a number of ways you can still make the night's menu vegetable-driven without missing the animal protein.
I asked Annie Somerville, executive chef at landmark vegetarian destination Greens in San Francisco, CA, for some of her recommendations.
To see chef Annie's best bets this yuletide season, keep reading!
I've been a vegetarian my whole life. My parents are hippie health nuts who opted to raise me and my sister on fresh, meat-free foods. They introduced us to poultry, fish, and meat as toddlers, but as family legend tells it, I tried chicken once, spit it out, and announced I didn't like it — my taste buds had been taught to crave tofu, beans, and veggies. And so, that is what I ate. I've never carved turkey at Thanksgiving (we do an Italian or Mexican feast). I've never forked up red meat (intentionally). I've never snacked on shrimp cocktail. And, I don't want to. End of story. It's a lifestyle that evokes questions from strangers and dates and "just try my steak once!" taunts from old friends, but it's my choice. I eat delicious, balanced, and nutritious food every day. And I feel great at least 360 days a year.
While my experience is one-sided, it has taught me plenty. Here are some of the more fruitful life lessons grown from my years as a veggie head.
The idea that vegetables should be the star of a meal over perennially-championed animal protein has been a long time coming. It's something we've suspected would happen ever since we learned about non-vegetarian chef Jeremy Fox's vegetable-driven cuisine at Ubuntu.
Today, in "Vegetables Are the New Meat," New York Magazine discusses the vegesplosion, even going so far as to coin the term "vegivore" to describe non-vegetarian eaters who possess "fervent vegetable love rather than ardent meat hate."
I'm the perfect case study: a diner who enjoys eating meat, but can't stop extolling the vegetable. After all, there's nothing more stunning than a savory tomato tart or marinated baby vegetables. Are you a vegivore, too?
Source: Flickr User travisreitter
I'm easily affected by what I write, and with environmental conservation on the brain, I'm consuming less meat, which helps reduce my carbon footprint, among other things. In honor of Earth Day, I encourage you to do the same, whether you're already a vegan, a vegetarian, or simply a flexitarian who's looking for a satisfying meat-free meal on Monday— or any other day. Keep reading for vegetarian lunch and dinner ideas.
