A wonderful date, fig, and fall veggie couscous! Vegetarian night is not so bad!
OK, so far this 30 day eco challenge has been pretty easy: Breathe fresh air, sign up for the nature challenge, and now… cook up a fantastic vegetarian meal. Sure beats the killer kickboxing class last night!
So why is reducing our carnivorous instincts such an important part of the eco challenge? I was certainly surprised at the many different reasons that I came across. Apparently, after reducing the amount of traffic on our roads, reducing the amount of meat that we consume can have the second most significant impact on the environment.
According to David Suzuki, it comes down to the amount of precious water used to produce various foods. The production and processing of meat requires a disproportionate amount of water compared to any other form of food production. Here is a comparison chart that really brought the issue home for me:
A pretty amazing summary of water needed to put food on the table.
Furthermore (and no giggling here), according to Gillian Deacon in ‘Green for Life’ “a full 16% of the world’s greenhouse gasses come from the methane tooted out by flatulant livestock –and methane is 23 times worse for the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.”
And last, we really eat more meat than we need!
Tonight we made (ok, Paul made…) one of my favourite dishes “Date, Fig, and Cinnamon Tagine” (his creation is pictured above) from the World Food Café 2 Cookbook. It’s full of fall veggies and packed with flavor. I have included the recipe at the bottom of this posting –well worth trying, or you can check out the book here.
My vegetarian friends also sent me a few links for good vegetarian recipes and Montreal restaurants. I am including them here for anyone who is looking for some resources:
Recipes: http://www.vegetariantimes.com/, http://www.vegcooking.com/, http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/, http://www.epicurious.com/community/groups/vegetarian
Veggie eating guides in Montreal: http://www.happycow.net/north_america/canada/quebec/montreal/, http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/Blogs/Epicurean-Life/Best-vegetarian-restaurants-in-Montreal, http://www.veganmontreal.com/
So, I think that the shift to a vegetarian meal at least once or twice a week is one that we can stick with. A pretty successful challenge day. But, I have to say, it is a lot harder to be creative and to whip up a simple vegetarian meal (other than salad and grilled veggies), than throwing a burger on the grill. Having a well stocked pantry with a good selection of fresh, delicious veggies, spices, and other great items is certainly a good way to start and stay motivated.
For the full Tagine recipe, click the more button below:
Date, Fig, and Cinnamon Tagine
(Serves 6 . Note: we improvised some of the ingredients, and we cooked it in a regular pot vs a tagine. We also served it over couscous vs bread. The recipe looks daunting but all the work is in the vegetable prep. Actually cooking the dish is a snap.)
6 largish carrots, cut into quarters lengthwise
3 sweet red bell peppers, cut into thirds lengthwise
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2×1 inch chunks (3-4 cups)
12 ounces Jerusalem artichokes, left whole unless large.
1 med red onion, thinly sliced
18 pitted dried dates
18 dried figs
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, cubed
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground ginger
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground turmeric
Good pinch of saffron
2 tsp honey
2 cups warm water
Salt, to taste
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into quarters
2/3 cup almonds, for garnish
Butter, for sautéing
2 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
Layer the vegetables, dates, and figs in the bottom of a tagine or heavy pot, in the order given in the ingredients list, and dot with the butter. Combine the ground spices and saffron with the honey and 1 cup of the warm water, and pour this over the vegetables. Add the salt, the broken cinnamon sticks, and the remaining water. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a minimum and gently cook until the vegetables are really soft.
Meanwhile, sauté the almonds in a little butter until golden and dry roast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan until golden.
Serve garnished with the almonds and sesame seeds along with crusty bread.
Enjoy!
Yummy!
BUT I gave him no choice but to make me an organic cappuccino – he moaned about the poor foam quality BUT has agreed to support my 30 day challenge – we’ll see after that if he will start carrying organic milk and fair trade coffees!
I have a daily habit of stopping at Lili & Oli for my daily dose of caffeine, I have no plan of giving up coffee during my challenge so have been thinking how to make my visit part of my ECO acts. I arrived with my personal supply of orgnic milk (owner Patrick Hebert was not impressed
If you haven’t been to Lili& Oli before, it is the best coffee in the hood, located on Notre Dame Street and Charlevoix. Just don’t arrive with cartons of milk
Actually, make sure that you request your coffee with organic milk…. and help Alex in her quest!
Great information Liseanne and I must try that couscous recipe.
When people find out I’m a vegetarian, one of the first questions they ask is “what do you eat?” followed by “don’t you get sick of salad?”. There is still a perception that vegetarians eat salad and sprouts. I would starve!!
I love to eat and I have to say that I tend to explore a larger variation of foods than most the carnivores I know (yes I still hang with meat eaters). For example, indian foods which are so delightful in flavor and there are so many wonderful meatless dishes to choose from.
Remember that the protein found in lentils, chick peas and other legumes are high in protein, fibre and low in fat and calories. I bet the right lentil burger could convert most people to make the move toward a meat-free meal.
This is a perfect time to explore your culinary options.
Very ambitious and inspiring! Get Paul to consider converting to buying slow (local and seasonal) foods. I am trying to commit to slow food in a fast world as an ideology, but it certainly isn’t easy.