Food has the most intimate connection with our environment.  Cage free livestock offend our conscience less.  Organic produce provides the freshest, toxin free food!  Meals should reflect our lifestyle design. Today's Green consumer desires the source of food to sustain a healthy environment and improve health and energy levels.

Eco Chef Guidelines: -

• Reduce your intake of meat, especially meat from ruminants: cows, sheep, goats, bison, deer.
• Cook chicken and pork which are still high carbon foods, but not quite as high.
• Reduce your intake of dairy, which is also from ruminants.
• Reduce the use of hot-house/greenhouse grown vegetables.
• Harvest from your own garden or buy locally grown veggies.
• Buy organic whenever possible.
• Reduce food waste.
• Reduce your total food miles.
• Avoid processed foods.
• Decrease the amount of packaging you utilize - especially plastic bags and other non-recyclables.
• Increase the efficiency of your cooking methods.
• Decrease your water usage.

DAHL

1 cup split peas

1 cup of coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon cumin 

2 diced cayenne peppers

3 cups water

2 teaspoons tumeric

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

In a saucepan heat olive oil and stir in cumin. Add coconut milk, peas, peppers and turmeric and stir.  Add 3 cups of water. 

Cover and simmer low heat for 1 hour.  ______________________________________

TOFU LASAGNA

1/2 pound whole wheat lasagna noodles

2 (10 oz packages) frozen, chopped spinach

1 (16 oz package) firm tofu

1/4 cup nondairy milk

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tbsps lemon juice

2 tbsps minced fresh basil 

5 cups tomato sauce 

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Cook lasagna noodles, drain and set aside.  Defrost and drain spinach. Blend tofu, milk, garlic powder, lemon juice, and basil until smooth.  Stir in spinach.

Cover bottom of 9 x 13-inch baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce, then a layer of noodles (use about one-third of noodles). Follow with half the tofu filling.

Continue in the same order, using half the remaining tomato sauce and noodles, and all remaining tofu filling. End with remaining noodles, covered by remaining tomato sauce.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until hot and bubbling.

BASCONNAISE

1 cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup pitted black olives

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup finely shredded spinach

1 tablespoon sprouted wheat

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients, toss and serve.
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FALAFEL

12 ozs garbanzo beans

1 cup cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

salt and pepper

1/2 onion, quartered

5 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup olive oil

Place garbanzo beans, cilantro, spices, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, onions, garlic, and red bell pepper in a food processor or meat grinder. Sprinkle flour and baking powder over entire mixture. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Divide chickpea mixture into 16 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patties or disks.

In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Slide in the patties and cook until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes per side.