That said, since I don't know what everyone's "food angle" is (that is, veggie or not, local, chain or dumpster, etc), I'll tell you where I am right now in that arena. After contemplating health and environmental impact of meat and highly processed foods for about two years (I should admit, as a chemist, I should research more than I already have, but you know how it goes; though, one thing that really impacted me in an article I read a year ago is that it takes 4.8 lbs of grain and 2,500-6,000 lbs of water to produce 1 lb of beef) and then visiting Ms VanLoo in DC a couple months ago, I decided to take "the plunge" and try to swear off land animals, with the exception of the healthily, ethically, fairly (and local if possible) produced. I've been doing well so far(I love eggs, beans, soy, cheese and nuts, so it wasn't too much of a change), and recently bought Heidi Swanson's (of 101cookbooks.com) veggie, natural cookbook entitled "Super Natural Cooking," which I love and wish I had time to try all of the recipes.
As far as the rest of the "food ethic" goes, I live in the suburbs pretty far out of Seattle, so buying local is a bit of a chore, but there's no time like the present to start! I'm obsessed with blueberries, so I'm hoping to start picking within the next month. Yay! I mainly do my shopping at TJ's, and try to buy a decent amount of organic as I can while still keeping the bill economical. I've done some looking into which foods are "essential" to buy organic (strawberries and carrots being two keys), because I realize it's not always possible to buy everything organic. Maybe I'll post those findings later.
Anyhow, let me start off with a recipe from that new cookbook of mine: Garbanzo Burgers! I tried it a couple weeks ago, and while I opted for making larger patties (I think it made 6) and doing things a little differently based on what ingredients I had/didn't have, I highly recommend this! The leftovers freeze very well, so that' s a bonus. I ate them as a patty with some salsa, romaine, peppers and pickles and was a very happy camper! (Notes: I used canned beans, and omitted the sprouts (they had already gone bad, blast!) and the lemon zest, and they were still great - because I made the patties bigger, they had to cook a lot longer, but just used your best judgement.)
Ultimate Veggie Burger Recipe (101cookbooks.com)
2 1/2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) OR canned garbanzos,
drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
Grated zest of one large lemon
1 cup micro sprouts, chopped (try brocolli, onion, or alfalfa sprouts -
optional)
1 cup toasted (whole-grain) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)
If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until just tender, about 10 minutes. Most of you will be using canned beans, so jump right in and combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick patties. I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium low, add 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favorite fillings, and enjoy immediately. Makes 12 mini burgers.
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