Meatless meals and suggested reading list

We've put together some tasty meatless recipes and readings from the catalogue. These recipes are tried and tested by library staff. After you've tried one of these tasty recipes, take a look at the suggested reading list. The readings provide information about the benefits of meatless meals on climate action.

Recipes

1. Zucchini Tian

2. Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

3. Pineapple Tempeh Kebabs

4. Vegan Chocolate, Spice, Sweet potato muffins

5. Pasta in “rose” sauce

Zucchini Tian

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs (approx. 4 cups) zucchini, grated
• 1 cup onion, diced finely
• 2 garlic gloves, minced
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 ½ cups liquid (zucchini juices and milk), heated
• 2/3 cups parmesan cheese, grated
• ½ cup white rice
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• Black pepper

 Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Grate the zucchini into a colander. If you have zucchini with large seeds, hull out the centre first. Mix the grated zucchini with salt, adding slowly to about 2 tsp. Taste to ensure that it is not too salty and leave in colander to allow juices to sweat out for about 20 minutes.
3. Squeeze remaining juices out of zucchini and collect in a bowl. You can do this with paper towel but I recommend using cheesecloth or a clean tea towel.
4. Boil ½ cup rice for exactly 5 minutes in small saucepan. Strain and set aside.
5. Measure 2 ½ cups of liquid by adding milk to the reserved zucchini juice. Warm in the microwave or small saucepan and set aside.
6. Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a very large frying pan or wok over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until onions are starting to turn golden, about 8 minutes.
7. Turn heat to medium-high and add zucchini, stirring frequently for 5 minutes.
8. Add flour and cook 2 minutes, ensuring that it's well mixed.
9. Remove from heat and add all but 2 tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Add rice and warmed liquid to pan and bring contents to simmer.
11. Pour contents of frying pan into a shallow, well-buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese on top.
12. Cook covered in the top half of the oven for 15 minutes.
13. Remove cover and cook an additional 10-15 minutes. The dish is ready when the top is golden and the pan can be tilted slightly without the liquid pooling.
14. Let stand for 10 minutes to absorb remaining liquid and serve.

Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup Buffalo sauce, divided (I use Frank's Buffalo wing sauce)
• 1-2 tsp. Garlic powder
• 1 tsp. chilli powder
• 4-6 tsp. olive oil
• Wraps
• Ranch dressing
• grated cheese

You can add whatever veggies you'd like to these tacos! Here are some ideas:

• Lettuce
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Avocado
• Onion
• Cilantro
• Radishes

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place the chopped cauliflower in a bowl and mix in the olive oil, garlic powder, chilli powder and ¼ cup of the Buffalo sauce.
3. Bake cauliflower on a large pan for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes. I also like to broil the cauliflower for an additional 5 minutes to make it nice and crispy.
4. Remove the cauliflower from the oven and place back into the bowl. Mix in remaining ¾ cup of Buffalo sauce.
5. Serve your tacos with whatever toppings you would like!

Pineapple Tempeh Kebabs

Ingredients:

• (2) 8-ounce packages tempeh, cut into squares 
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges
• (2) bell peppers
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into triangles

Marinade:

• 3/4 cup pineapple juice
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp. tamari
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1 tbsp. minced red onion

Directions:

1. In medium pot, steam tempeh for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, cool slightly and place squares in large sealable container.
2. Add onion, bell pepper and pineapple to container with tempeh.  In small bowl, whisk together all marinade ingredients, pour into container, seal and shake.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour, flipping/shaking every 15-20 minutes to redistribute marinade.
3. Heat grill to medium-high and cook kebabs 3-4 minutes per side until cooked through.  Remove from heat and serve.

Vegan Chocolate, Spice, Sweet potato muffins

Wet ingredients:

• 2 tsp. of ground chia seeds (or one tablespoon of ground flax seeds)
• 3 tsp. of water
• 3 cups of cooked and mashed sweet potato
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and fill muffin pan with liners or grease with coconut oil/cooking spray
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the ground chia seed and water together, and set aside for 2-3 minutes to thicken.
3. Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the bowl and stir until smooth
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix until well combined
5. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup to about two-thirds full
6. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Pasta in “rose” sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of hummus
• 1 jar tomato sauce
• 1 box pasta
• Optional toppings:
  • Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh basil
  • Olive oil
  • Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions
2. Mix hummus and pasta sauce together in a pot and heat until warm
3. Assemble together, and top with parmesan, basil, olive oil, and/or balsamic vinegar

**Alternatively, if you have an immersion blender, you can use a can of drained cannelloni beans or chickpeas, and blend until smooth. You will likely want to add salt and seasoning to the sauce.

Suggested reading:

1. Looking for foods that are good for both you and the environment? Resolve to eat more veggie-based foods like Lightlife's new Smart Stuffers[TM] to satisfy your health--and the earth's
2. What's For Dinner? Our chef whips up a tasty meatless meal that's good for you--and for nature too.(Visions 21/Health & Environment)(Brief Article)
3. Save hundreds of calories, enjoy nutritional benefits by swapping out meat just once a week: veggie-burger pioneer, health advocacy group join forces to promote lunchtime alternatives.(Meatless Monday)
4. Development of a Climate Choice meal concept for restaurants based on carbon footprinting
5. Meat consumption and climate change: the role of non-governmental organizations
6. Consumer Readiness to Reduce Meat Consumption for the Purpose of Environmental Sustainability: Insights from Norway
7. Greenfield Natural Meat Co. asks North Americans to go meatless on Mondays
8. Healthy Food, Healthy You, Healthy Planet
9. Sustainability of plant-based diets: back to the future
10. Cows Can Help Save the Planet