(RE)Solutions to Reduce Future Climate Vulnerability in Food Systems

Source: www.wholebodyreboot.com

It is clear that one of the main issues we face when ensuring global food security is climate change. Therefore, it seems obvious that our main solution here is reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, switching to renewable sources of energy, adapting more sustainable agricultural practices, et cetera. As mentioned in other previous posts, we would benefit to staving off red meats and switching to more plant-based diets, as well as highly reducing our waste of food, and even our consumption. However, it's all well and good to say these things coming from a western perspective, where everything is readily available... Yet, most of our food is often grown abroad. Especially staple goods, like rice and wheat. It may be easy for us to switch these parts of our society, but it's not that simple for others developing nations, who rely on selling off rainforests for agricultural land (like in Amazonian countries), vast fossil fuel industries (like China) and large industries that need to increase their GDP at the expense of exploiting their workers. Things aren't always as black and white as they seem... But as privileged people, we should be doing more.

As mentioned in a few previous posts, food security is characterised by three main pillars: access, availability and utilisation. Therefore, to reduce vulnerability to external factors, such as climate change, conflict, disease and the likes, we need to ensure that we achieve security in all of these individual sects.

Availability

Gregory et al. (2005) believe that boosting production is our solution to increasing availability of food. Although this is difficult to dispute, they interpret this as increasing intensification of agricultural production, cultivating new agricultural land, increasing widespread use of chemical inputs (fertilisers, pesticides, etc.) and furthering development of genetically modified crops (which will be discussed in further detail next time).  Contrarily, the FAO disagree by stating that we need to move forward with "climate-smart" methods of agriculture. To be fair, we cannot expect nations to switch to sustainable practice, if they have not been educated or encouraged to do so. Therefore, we must campaign to reduce government subsidies that push small farmers to engage in unsustainable practices, and educate the globe about how to integrate pest management and boost yields with minimal fertilisers. Additionally, we need to increase international funding for the adaptation and mitigation of climate change for developing nations, as presented in the COP21 agreement, to reduce future global food insecurity.

Access

Poverty and infrastructure are two key elements impacting global access to food, which both boil down to economies and available money. Gregory et al. (2005) comment that we need to improve food distribution, such as enhancing transport infrastructure and political agreements that circulate food faster in cases of emergency, as well as increase economic access to food by introducing policies that cut out middle men, lowering price of production, encouraging economic growth and providing political stability. The latter point (to increase economic access) contradicts the ideas put forward for improving availability, as industrial practices reduce agricultural employment, increase production costs, and reduce GDP per capita. Thus, to improve access, we must introduce more sustainable and local agricultural practices, that serve local communities. In respect to improving transportation, this can indeed certainly be said for developing countries, however possibly less so for developed nations, who should in turn be working hard to reduce their carbon footprints within the transport sector, and instead look to grow and import food more locally.

Utilisation

Defined as the "appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care", utilisation refers to the education of its users and producers. Thus, to increase security in food utilisation, our main priority must be to educate farmers, producers and consumers in sustainable and secure practices, healthy and environmentally-friendly eating, and the reduction of food waste.


In short, it's incredibly difficult to gauge how to best increase future food security, and one that policy-makers have found challenging for decades. In a world where individuals focus on gaining personal profit at the expense of others, and environmental degradation is a "future matter", it's hard to see everything for what it truly is, instead of how it may appear... As westerners, our smart phones are often made out of conflict materials, our clothes made through slave labour, our electricity provided at the expense of suffocating smog, GHG emissions and pollution, our food processed beyond recognition, and our wars that serve agendas to be seen fighting the "war on terror". We have it so easy, yet it is never enough... So, to really reduce your impact, think about what you need, why you need it, and how best to obtain it ethically and environmentally...

Happy New Year AND 2000 Views! Have a Cookie

Hello all, I hope you had a wonderful New Year, and are still feeling as terrible as I am! Today also calls for another reason to celebrate... The Global Hot Potato has just reached over 2000 views!!! What better way to celebrate than with an absolutely, mouth-wateringly indulgent vegan, dark chocolate cookie recipe?!?!

OK... So it's not perfect in terms of environment sustainability... Chocolate isn't locally sourced, neither is coconut oil... BUT... It's a hell of a lot more environmentally friendly than buying chocolate bars or pre-packaged sweets... It's also cheaper in the long run, and more rewarding! I encourage you to select fair trade ingredients only! And no dairy products included, which gives us extra brownie points...


Vegan, Dark Chocolate Cookie Recipe

Ingredients
(makes ~20)

110 g (or 1/2 cup) coconuit oil
100 g (or 1 cup) soft (light) brown sugar
50 ml (or 1/4 cup) almond/soy milk (water if neither)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250 g (or 2 cup) plain flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
120 - 150 g (1 cup) dark chocolate (chopped) - check to see if it contains milk products!!

Additional:
Baking parchment

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C (fan oven) or 350F/320F (fan oven)
2. Mix the coconut oil and brown sugar together in a large bowl until creamed.
3. Now add the almond milk and vanilla extract, until mixed well. The mixture should be quite wet.
4. In a separate bowl, combine flour with the baking soda and baking powder.
5. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet one, until well combined. After this, add in the roughly chopped chocolate chips, and any other additions of your choice (e.g. hazelnuts, cinnamon, fruit, etc.) and mix together.
6. Use a tablespoon to scoop out balls from the mixture, roll them in your hands gently to form a sphere, and then place them on baking parchment (on a tray). Then, flatten the balls with your hands, and ensure there is a lot of distance between each one. (I do about 3 batches with 2 separate baking trays - each with 5 cookies on).
7. Bake for about 10 mins - check after 7 to see how they're doing. Ensure that they're not too squishy before taking out. Sometimes my cookies needed 15 mins - use your judgement! (REMEMBER: cookies will harden when removed from the oven, so don't over-bake!!!)
8. ENJOY! :)

Open Your Eyes: Sustainable Agriculture

Over the last few weeks, we have explored the largely damaging impacts of industrial agriculture, characterised by the exploitation of resources, large-scale single specie regimes, and high consumption of fossil fuels, pesticides and fertilisers. The destruction of this farming methodology is undeniable, from the emissions, pollution and deforestation of the livestock industry to the water depletion, desertification and toxic chemicals produced by crop production. This cannot go on indefinitely. But what can we do? Surely there are no other options?

Wrong! Sustainable agriculture is an alternative which, in its various practices, involves fulfilling present and future demands of food, water, health and ecosystem demands, whilst maximising societal benefits and environmental well-being. These systems typically focus on conserving resources, utilising natural ecosystem relationships between animals and plants, preserving biodiversity, reducing chemical inputs and incorporating renewable forms of energy. Additionally, sustainable agriculture tends to bring the consumer closer to the producer by decreasing the size of farms, distance travelled and emphasis on economic gains (that inevitably push hidden costs onto society), and in the long term sustaining healthy soil, land, communities and ecosystems.

What makes this type of agricultural more beneficial? In a world where resources and economic expansion are limited, we need to move away from our desire to drive profits, and push toward a more secure future. Sustainable agriculture tends to rely on small-scale, independent and local farms, which generate local employment, local spending and boost average incomes. Unsurprisingly, agribusinesses and farming industries are shown to do the opposite, with the core aim to turn high yields and profits at the expense of farmers, communities and the environment. These big businesses can actually be highly inefficient/ For example, despite rice farmers in Japan, Korea and Taiwan using more than 50% of all insecticides sprayed on rice globally, they yield only 2% of the Earth’s crops.

So, if sustainable agriculture benefits consumers, producers and the environment, why aren’t we doing it? Maybe the techniques used are hard to achieve? Wrong again! Here are some examples of the typical methods used by sustainable farmers:

• Rotation of two or more crops – to reduce pests, increase biodiversity and soil fertility
• Improved soil management –  by decreasing chemical inputs, and increasing organic material suitable for helpful bacteria and fungi
• Maintaining topsoil – by reducing the use of heavy machinery on the soil, this is known as tillage
• Allowing animals to graze rotationally – by relocating animals to different fields to improve soil quality, restore vegetation, and reduce high-protein feed, need for manure management and costs.
• Nitrogen management – by decreasing use of high-protein feeds, fertilisers and pesticides, farmers can effectively monitor nutrient content in soil and prevent contamination of waterways and air quality.

I don't know about you guys, but this was always my idea of how normal farms operated (until discovering the reality and widespread existence of factory farms), and I ascertain that that is how they should be! So, what do we need to do to push for more of these systems?! 

1. Raise awareness of the importance and social benefits of sustainable agriculture
2. Campaign for climate and social justice in the agricultural sector
3. Make sensible dietary choices that eliminate industrial means, i.e. opt for local, seasonal and organic produce
4. Put press on industrial farms by holding them accountable!
5. Reduce animal products, particularly from caged animals

Source: http://s.hswstatic.com

Dietary Decisions: Part 2 - Lettuce is Worse Than Bacon!?

Source: www.cohabitaire.com

I cannot lie, and say that I haven’t found writing this post incredibly difficult! First of all, reaching a scientific consensus was a bit of a challenge, with many conflicting opinions and interests on the issue, and many studies only focusing on certain impacts (direct emissions, land-use, etc.). You begin to wonder who you can really trust. Despite this, after many days of research, I finally felt that I had reached a solid understanding of the literature and concluded that plant-based diets are the clear winners when it comes to the environment (as is often echoed). "Yay!", I thought, now I can commence the writing process... However, literally minutes before my fingers hit the keyboard, I come across this article boldly claiming “Lettuce is ‘three times worse than bacon’ for emissions and vegetarian diets could be bad for the environment”. Sensationalist to the max, I know, but I couldn’t help getting caught up in the drama and feeling like my many hours of research were nothing but a complete waste of time and effort. Luckily, I manage to trundle through the article and associated research paper, and deduce that the conclusion was based upon dietary recommendations, not vegetarian diets, and that it was totally twisted out of context. Not to mention that lettuce is very water and carbon intensive as vegetables go. So, finally, I manage to regain my confidence and comprehension.. And then, BAM! I realise that, although I don’t eat a great deal of meat, sometimes I really love beef burgers, cheese and bacon, and I start to feel the need to totally reassess my life and values…

But, fear not! All hope is not lost for the meat enthusiasts… If you dare to read further, you may find some surprising (and some not so surprising) results.

An Emissions-Based Approach

The most common measure of climate impact within the food industry is the amount of direct greenhouse gas emissions produced, equivalent to the mass of CO₂. This excludes any emissions produced by land use, deforestation, transportation, cooking, storage, etc.

My research began through the investigation of five American diets – Meat Lover, Average, No Beef, Vegetarian, and Vegan – compiled by the USDA’s Economic Research Service and adapted by Shrink That Footprint, inferring a consumption of approximately 2,600kcal per day.

Source: Shrink That Footprint

Unsurprisingly, the results showed that GHG emissions escalated with increased meat consumption, with vegans at the low end of the scale, and meat lovers at the other. Interestingly, vegetarianism did not fall too short behind veganism, despite the vast proportion of animal products consumed by vegetarians coming from dairy cows – which are shown here (and in my previous blog post) to contribute massively to potent greenhouse gas emissions. An even more surprising finding is that simply omitting red meat from the diet has a drastic reduction in carbon footprint, and contributes to a similar measure of emissions compared to vegetarianism. It seems maybe we should consider ending our romanticism with beef and lamb, and rediscover our love for white meats (or none at all). The research concluded that, in the average American diet, 60% of emissions were produced by meat and dairy, although only equating to 25% of the energy in the diet.

Source: Shrink That Footprint

However, plant-based diets aren’t totally off the hook, as fruit is shown to be the second most carbon intensive food group measured for direct emissions, likely due to the high volume of fruit that becomes waste and is often grown out of season. Although, with that being said, this still only contributes to a third of the average emissions produced by ruminant animals, and is almost identical to the amount produced by dairy. Additionally, meat eaters still eat 80+kcal of fruit on average, reinforcing that this is not just the responsibility of herbivores!

Source: Hallstrom et al., 2015

It cannot be ignored that this study does carry limitations, particularly as it only takes into account American dietary habits and fails to include the amount of studies it includes. Despite this, the findings are supported by another paper, conducted by Hallström et al., 2015, which compiles together twelve independent studies, between 2009 and 2014, looking at the emissions produced by various diets. This report confirmed that vegan, vegetarian and diets without red meat contributed to the lowest amount of greenhouse gas emissions, with a reduction of approximately 20 to 55% in total. However, interestingly, a moderate reduction of about 20% of average meat intake had an insignificant effect, due to the common replacement of meat with equally highly carbon intensive food groups, such as dairy, and out of season and imported fruit and vegetables. It is abundantly clear from the evidence that meat derived from ruminant animals is the main driving force that causes devastation to the environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.

An additional component of this study was the inclusion of the “healthy” diet, characterised by an omnivorous palette, abiding by an array of different dietary guidelines. The reduction of emissions were highly variable (between 0 to 35%) with nine out of fifteen studies closer to a 10% reduction or less. The definition of a healthy diet was very loosely described, and is therefore difficult to take seriously into consideration.

Land-Use Contribution

Within the same paper, the impact of diets on land-use were also examined, compiling evidence from four separate studies which compared the diets of vegans, vegetarians, meat partially replaced by plant-based food and healthy diet with an average meat-eating diet. Again, the results deduced that ruminant livestock farming was the main driver of land-use change in agriculture.

The current availability of agricultural land globally per capita is estimated to be 7000m². As developing countries continue to grow economically, and Western countries continue to indulge, the global average per capita land demand is set to reach a whopping 5000m² by 2050. This will begin to put a serious strain on humanity, as we edge closer toward a self-inflicted carrying capacity. However, if the consumption of red meat can be reduced through any of the dietary scenarios investigated, it is predicted that the land demand could potentially reduce to between 2200 to 3500 m². This could significantly reduce environmental damage caused by land-use change, reduce deadly climate change, and allow us to continue expanding our population more freely.

Source: Hallstrom et al., 2015

How much of an impact do these diets appear to have? Replacing all food products from animals with plant-based alternatives, i.e. veganism, on average, decreases the land demand by 60% compared to an average meat-eating diet. Fascinatingly, a substitution of 75% of red meat with poultry or pork has the potential to reduce the land demand by 40%. Whereas, contrarily, substituting half of monogastric meat consumption with plant-based food has little effect, with an estimated 5% reduction on land demand. Therefore, it is apparent that pork and poultry have fairly similar demands on land-use to plant-based foods.

There are, unarguably, some uncertainties within these studies, due to individual differences and the difficulty in accurately modelling certain processes, such as predicting the emissions produced by ruminant animals and soils, variability in socioeconomic status, geographical location, temporal variability, gender and age. Despite this, the results overall consistently reach the same conclusion, that plant-based diets are generally kinder to the environment.

Alternative Diets

So, “what about all those other diets that haven’t been included in the context of this study?” I hear you say. Let’s take a look at a few of these individually!

Paleo Diet

If you are unaware, the so-called “paleo” or “paleolithic” diet is based upon the perception of what our early, nomadic ancestors, who once foraged and hunted for their food, used to eat. (If you’ve forgotten about our hunter-gatherer friends, you can check out my blog post about it here). This relatively new diet consists of largely meat, fish, nuts, berries and vegetables, with no grains, dairy, sugar, legumes or alcohol allowed - encouraging a high protein, low carbohydrate diet. It is shown that eating food of this nature on a regular basis puts unnecessary strain on the body and can lead to serious health problems, such as, heart disease, renal failure, high cholesterol and cancer.

Source: www.blakebeckford.co.uk

To not forget that the high meat content within the diet (which particularly focuses on red meat) puts mass pressure on the environment through increased greenhouse gas emissions and land-use change, as discussed above. This makes the paleo diet a poor contender for being environmentally friendly, as well as for sustaining a healthy lifestyle.

Additionally, the diet has been heavily criticised as the circumstances in which animals are bred within modern agriculture are not representative of the wild animals hunted thousands years ago. For example, today livestock are fed with high-protein and high carb feed, alongside an abundance of antibiotics, which contradicts the “healthy” and grain-less demure of the paleolithic diet.

Raw Diet

Source: http://rawgourmets.com

Another diet which claims to be the best for health and the environment is the raw food diet, consisting of purely uncooked and unprocessed ingredients. This diet is relatively variable as some continue to eat raw meat and dairy, while others maintain vegan or vegetarian diets as well. Regardless, the main argument for raw foodism is that recipients believe that they’re acquiring all the nutrients available within their food, as they are not “destroying” them by cooking. However, contrary to popular belief, cooking food aids digestion and allows our bodies to access more nutrients, compared to raw ingredients. It is common for women to stop ovulating due to the lack of nutrients being absorbed, despite them being abundantly available within the food. This is no surprise when we acknowledge the fact that civilisations expanded greatly after the discovery of fire, due to prevalence of cooked food, which continues to be a central element of almost all cultures in modern day.

However, from an environmental standpoint, raw food does reduce the emissions caused by cooking, processing and packaging food. Despite this, the ingredients needed to sustain such a diet may be more resource and carbon intensive, due to the high consumption of fruit, and out of season produce, which potentially puts additional strain on the environment compared to other diets.

Top Tips for a Healthy and Environmentally Friendly Diet

1.      Reduce red meat intake to a minimum, preferably omit completely
2.      Purchase seasonal and local produce
3.      If you wish to consume monogastric meat, elect for grass-fed or pasture-raised
4.      If you wish to consume fish, stick to sustainably sourced
5.      Reduce food waste – waste not, want not!
6.      Buy certified organic produce
7.      Consider reducing your dairy intake
8.      Try composting
9.      Only eat as much as you need!!

Source: https://extraportionnatur.files.wordpress.com/

Dietary Decisions: Part 1 - An Overview

Dietary decisions are, unarguably, a part of our everyday lives. For most, these choices are personal and of intrinsic importance, which makes the task of telling people what they should or shouldn’t eat a great challenge.  Vegetarians and vegans are particularly stigmatised for their approach to combatting environmental damage and animal cruelty, and are often labelled as irritating or preachy. Equally, the ignorance of these issues surrounding food production probably does cause vegans and vegetarians alike to become a bit self-righteous and cheesed off, and subsequently berate their meat-eating counterparts. So, how do we stop this endless cycle? I guess by presenting the hard, cold facts and letting people see for themselves.

But, sometimes it’s really hard to get all the facts… There are so many diets out there claiming to be the best, the healthiest, and the most environmentally friendly, with countless recipes, pictures and ideas on the internet for you to gaze upon. But, which way do we turn? Vegan? Vegetarian? Paleo? Raw? Gluten Free? Pescatarian? Raw? No Red Meat? Ahhhh!!

Is this really the correct balance in our diets?
Source: here

Many diets have potential pitfalls, and it’s important having an awareness of what these are and how to combat them. For example, meat-based diets raise concerns of animal cruelty, diets containing red meat impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, and vegetarian and vegan diets often face issues of iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Additionally, there are other limitations to certain diets, such as, health conditions, pregnancy, socioeconomic status, geographical location, access to food and religious beliefs.

Before embarking on my blogging journey, I had never before put a label on my dietary habits. I have eaten meat my entire life, and still cannot quite call myself a vegetarian (even though my consumption is now relatively limited). As a child, meat was on the table at almost every meal. For a time, I could not imagine many meals that didn’t have meat on the menu. It wasn’t until half way through my mathematics undergrad degree that I started running low on money, and made a conscious decision to start cutting down on my consumption.

Source: http://bridgetnielsen.com

Since then, I have discovered lots of amazing vegetarian recipes that are tastier, healthier and cheaper than my original meat ones. I know that I do not suffer from deficiencies as I was already B12 deficient (so have regular injections), and have a very high iron count (which is tested every 16 weeks when I give blood). Now, I only purchase meat when it is in the reduced section and is about to expire, and only if it is chicken, turkey, pork or fish. Additionally, if a meal is prepared for me, I will not let it go to waste.

In this respect, I suppose that I now consider myself a “flexitarian”. George Monbiot says I’m a cheating vegetarian… I hardly think that’s fair when I consciously avoid red meat in particular, rarely eat meat at all, and do my best to purchase local and seasonal food (with exception to my dessert choices – by far my greatest weakness!). Despite this, I do often think I’m not doing enough. As Chad at Sown on Stony Grown has questioned, can you eat meat and still call yourself an environmentalist? I want to, but I can’t help feeling like I’m not doing enough…

Upon undertaking this blog, I have truly discovered the most pressing environmental impacts that our food choices have, and I continue to be utterly stunned at how food production is never at the forefront of the climate debate. So, if it isn’t being talked about enough, let’s take matters into our own hands! What diets should we be working toward to do our bit of climate change? How much power do we have as consumers?  And should we be doing more to put pressure on the food industry?

Please join me next time, when I will be spilling the beans!

Luxurious Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Tart

OK, so this recipe isn't necessarily of the strictest important... But I made it as a bit of an experiment, and it was unbelievably indulgent. If anyone can suggest any ways to make this recipe suitable for vegans, I would be very happy!

Ingredients

Pastry
160g butter (unsalted)
100g (golden) caster sugar
225 plain flour
50g almonds
1 egg

Chocolate Filling

100g hazelnuts
50g golden caster sugar (or soft brown sugar is preferrable if you have it)
200g dark chocolate
100g butter

1 tbsp amaretto (optional)
1 egg
3 egg yolks








Recipe

1. First of all, make the pastry. Cream together butter and sugar, until mixed well. Then add flour, and ground almonds. Beat the egg, and then add to the mixture. Leave the pastry to cool in the fridge for approximately 30 mins. Once cool, roll out into a pastry tin (23cm diameter). (When I tried this step, the pastry completely fell apart.. Don't worry if this happens for you, just press all the scrap pieces of pastry in the tin at an even level). Then chill again for 15 mins.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Take the pastry out of the fridge, line with baking paper, and fill with baking beans (or dried beans or lentils or anything to weigh it down), then bake for 10 mins. Remove the beans, and cook for another 10-15 mins, or until the casing is golden.
3. Whilst you wait, toast the nuts in a pan (without oil) for a few mins. Turn to a low heat, and add 3 tbsp of sugar and caramelise the nuts gently for a few mins. Take off the heat and leave to cool. Once cooled, roughly chop.
4. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter in a heat-proof dish over a pan of simmering water. Once melted together, add the amaretto (if using), and put on the side to cool. In a separate bowl, add the eggs, yolks and leftover sugar, and beat together well. Fold this into the cooled chocolate mix.
5. Once the tart case is cooked, take out of the oven, and turn down the heat to 160C/140C fan. Distribute most of the chopped hazelnuts along the bottom of the case, then add the chocolate mix until level. Cook the tart for 15-20 mins until the chocolate has almost set. Once cooled, scatter the remaining nuts on top for decoration.

Honey and Mustard Seasonal Veg Medley

For today's COP21 Recipe Challenge, I have opted for a medley of local, seasonal veg in a wonderful honey, mustard and balsamic dressing! If you wanna go vegan, try swapping the honey out for a sweet alternative, such as agave nectar or even squeezed lemon. Look at that lovely rainbow of colours!

Ingredients

200g white potatoes (chunky)
1/4 red cabbage (chopped)
3 carrots (chopped)
1 leek (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
100g broccoli
100g mushrooms
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp mixed herbs

Recipe

1. If you own a microwave, steam the potatoes in a microwave-safe container for about 6 mins. Otherwise, boil potatoes in pan for approx 6 mins, and then drain.
2. Fry onions in a large frying pan until softened. Add carrots and courgette, and cook for 5 mins. Then add paprika, leek and mushrooms, and cook for a further few mins. Now, add cabbage and garlic, and cook for a minute. Lastly, add the broccoli, potatoes and herbs with 100-200ml of boiling water, and cover with lid (or tray).
3. Combine honey, mustard and balsamic vinegar separately in a little bowl or cup, and mix well.
4. Once the potatoes, cabbage and carrots are tender enough for your liking, and the water sufficiently reduced, add the honey, mustard and balsamic to the mixture, and mix well. Serve, and enjoy!

Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff

No need for beef in this stroganoff! Use a cream alternative for extra environmental brownie points, and feel free to chuck in any seasonal veggies lying around. I added green lentils to this traditional recipe for extra protein. You don't need to fulfil your dietary needs at the expense of the environment!

Ingredients

300g mushrooms (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
1 leek (chopped)
150g broccoli
1 can green lentils
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 portions of brown rice
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp mixed herbs
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or vegetarian alternative (optional)
300ml stock (beef or vegetable)
200g low fat soured cream (or Elmlea Double for vegans)
2 handfuls kale (finely chopped) (optional)
2 handfuls spinach (chopped)

Recipe

1. Start the rice and cook as per the instructions on the packet.
2. Fry onion until softened, approx. 3-5 mins. Add courgette, and fry for 5 mins. Add leek, and fry for a few mins. Add paprika and garlic, and cook for 1 min. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 mins.
3. Combine the Worcestershire sauce (if using) with the stock, and mix well. Afterwards, pour into the pan, turn up the heat, and bring to the boil. Add in the lentils, spinach, kale, broccoli, and mixed herbs, and mix all together. Leave to reduce  and thicken for approx 15 mins.
4. Once thickened (and the rice is ready), take the pan off the heat and leave to cool for a few mins. Stir in the pepper, mustard and soured cream, once the mixture is cool enough to not split the sauce. Serve with the rice.

Homemade Gnocchi

A tastier and seasonal alternative to pasta, which you can proudly call your own! It's super quick and easy, and incredibly tasty and filling. Ditch the processed foods, and start making your own! Make sure you try to select ingredients from the UK or, at furthest, from countries in Europe, as there is so much growing here in abundance (even at this time of year) - especially potatoes!

Ingredients

Gnocchi (makes 8)

450 g white potatoes
250 g flour
1 egg

Tomato Bake (makes 4)
(optional)

1 leek (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
1 aubergine (chopped)
150 g broccoli
75g spinach (chopped)
500 g passata
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp black pepper
Fresh basil (finely chopped)


Recipe

1. To make the gnocchi, boil a large pan's worth of water, peel potatoes and chop them into medium-sized pieces. Add to the saucepan and cook for about 10-15 mins, until they have softened but are still quite firm. Drain the water, and leave to cool for about 15 mins.
2. In the meantime, prepare any sauce you'd like with your gnocchi! I've opted for a classic tomato-based one! Fry leeks, and courgettes for approx 5 mins. Add paprika, aubergine and garlic, and cook for a further few mins. Add in the passata, broccoli, black pepper and basil, and leave to thicken with the lid on.
3. Once the potatoes have cooled sufficiently, mash together with a potato masher or fork. Now add flour and mix well. Well-flour a flat surface and empty out the mixture onto it. Crack an egg in the centre of the doughy mixture, and carefully fold the outsides into the centre, repeatedly, and knead well for approx 5 mins.
4. Cut the dough into 8 equal sized pieces, and roll each one out separately into a sausage shape (as pictured above) using the palms of your hands. Once rolled, cut into bitesize gnocchi pieces (and decorate with fork if you'd like, although it's incredibly time-consuming).
5. Pre-heat oven to 200C/180C fan (if making the bake) and boil water to cook the gnocchi. Place half of the gnocchi into a freeze-proof bag, or in the fridge if using again in the next few days. Put the gnocchi in a pan with the boiling water, and cook for 3-5 mins on high heat, or until gnocchi has risen to the top!
6. Combine the cooked gnocchi with the sauce, and place in the oven for 15-20 mins. Or eat without baking (as it's better for the environment!!)...

Veggie Bean Chilli with Potato Wedges

Try this vegan alternative to Chilli con Carne! Almost all the ingredients are seasonal, and none of them come with any further than Spain! Maybe swap out some beans or the butternut squash with red split lentils. Have a rummage around the cupboards for any veg you wanna put in! Don't be shy, food is for experimenting!

Ingredients

Bean Chilli

1 onion (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 can kidney beans
1 can cannellini beans (or any other beans)
1 leek (chopped)
1 courgette (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
1/2 butternut squash
800g-1000g passata
4 tsp cumin
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
2 handfuls fresh spinach (for serving)
and, any other veg that you want!


Potato Wedges
g white potatoes
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp jerk (or paprika)
1 tsp salt


Recipe

1. Fry onions in oil until softened. Add cumin and chilli, and fry for 1 min. Add courgette and fry for 3 mins. Then, add leek and peppers, and cook for 3 mins.
2. Boil 700ml of water, and preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Add passata, cinnamon, drained beans and butternut squash to the mix, and pour in enough boiled water to cover all the ingredients in the pan. Leave on a medium heat with the lid on, until the squash has softened and the mixture reduced.
3. In the meantime, coat the wedges in oil in a large bowl or tray. Then cover with jerk seasoning or paprika, and afterwards add flour. Mix well until all are thoroughly coated. Place chips in a roasting tray, and cook in the oven for approx 30 mins (or until crisp).
4. When cooked, serve all components together with fresh spinach on the side.

Delicious, Vegan Nut and Lentil Roast with Cranberry Sauce Gravy

Try this tasty (accidentally vegan) nut and lentil roast, with crispy roast potatoes and cranberry sauce gravy, as an alternative to a traditional meat roast. Almost all the ingredients selected are seasonal and from the UK (although some occasionally travelling as far as Spain), to have as a low carbon impact as possible! Try and buy local next time you shop, instead of importing all your food from across the globe.

Ingredients

Nut Roast
100g mixed nuts (roughly chopped)
150-200g red split lentils
2 large carrots (grated)
2 cooked beetroot balls (grated)
1/2 large leek (chopped)
1 red onion (chopped)
50g dried cranberries
20-40g breadcrumbs
1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp mixed herbs
1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
1 clove garlic (crushed)

Gravy
g cranberry sauce
1 red onion (chopped)
1 tbsp cornflour (or plain flour)
1 vegetable stock cube (or chicken will do for non-veggies)

Roast Potatoes
g white potatoes (chunky)
1-2 tbsp plain flour
3 tsp paprika or jerk seasoning
1 tsp salt
cooking oil

Additional
Baking paper

Recipe

1. First, let's make the nut roast mixture. Fry onions for 5 mins on medium heat until softened. Whilst waiting, prepare 750ml stock. Add leak to mixture and fry for 3 mins. Then add carrots, beetroots and herbs/spices, and cook for a few mins. Now, add cranberries, nuts, lentils and stock; cover and turn to a low temp for 20-30 mins, until the lentils are softened. (Add more water if the mixture is dry and the lentils are hard)
2. Once mixture is quite sticky and not too wet, take off the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 200°C/180°C fan, and boil water for the potatoes.
3. Once boiled, boil the potatoes in a pan for approx. 6 mins on high heat. Cover with lid for energy efficiency! After this, drain the potatoes with a colander and then shake colander with lid on top to get rough edges on the potatoes. Now add the flour and seasoning, and shake well. Place in a roasting tray with plenty of oil covering the potatoes, and cook for 50-60 mins until crispy and golden.
4. Now your nut roast mixture has cooled, add the egg and breadcrumbs, and mix well. Place the mixture in a loaf tin lined with baking parchment, and put in the oven once the potatoes only have 30-40 mins left.
5. Now, let's make the gravy! Fry onions in oil until softened on medium heat. Add cranberry sauce to onions and cook for 2 mins on a low heat. In the meantime, prepare 600ml stock. Once ready, slowly add stock to mixture, approx 100ml every couple of mins, and mix thoroughly.
6. In a mug, add cornflour and 2 tbsp cold water, and mix until completely liquid with no lumps. Add this to the gravy to thicken, stirring continuously as you pour. Keep gravy cooking on low-medium heat with lid covered until serving time. (If gravy's too watery, turn up heat. If gravy's too dry, add water). Add any seasoning you like, or even brown sugar for sweetness.
7. Prepare any vegetables you like! I chose steamed carrots and broccoli, with roasted parnips and courgettes!
8. Once the potatoes and nut loaf are ready, combine all elements onto one tasty looking plate, and ENJOY!