BIG GREEN COOKBOOK SHRINKS CARBON “FOOD”PRINTS

Posted on 05. Apr, 2010 by Howard Salus in Dining, Healthy Foods

By Nancy Powell Radlauer (PowellReviews@aol.com)

Are you someone who puts water in a pot on the stove to boil, walks away, and forgets it? According to the BIG
GREEN COOKBOOK, using a whistling teapot will save both time and energy! And that’s just one of many
resources you will find in this extraordinary compedium.
The BIG GREEN COOKBOOK, Hundreds of Planet-pleasing Recipes and Tips for a Luscious, Low-carbon
Lifestyle is the first comprehensive, climate-conscious cookbook, ideal for both culinary novices and experienced
cooks. In it, are clever, environmentally conscious cooking tips to guide you toward a luscious, low-carbon cooking
journey of practical, money saving, eco-friendly cooking. Author Jackie Newgent is a registered dietitian, ecocuisine
expert, and a cooking instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. And every page of this
cookbook was printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste paper with soy ink!
Expect effective strategies for creating an eco-conscious kitchen, Newgent’s top eight “eco-rules” (such as preparing
plant-based meals, going organic, being energy-wise, and practicing the 4Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and
Recycle). There is a green kitchen checklist; practical advice on how to choose, store, and prepare foods; luscious,
low-carbon menus; and a seasonal produce guide. Also planet-pleasing party tips; nutritional information for every
recipe; “green-over how-to highlights”, and seven ways to love your leftovers.

Newgent also shares the three keys to eco-friendly weight management, how to “green-size” your portions; why to
befriend your microwave; and the art of hyper-cooking. Recipes to whet your eco-appetite include: Eco-Beer-
Battered Red Onion Rounds, Shallot-Spiked Veggie Dip, Gingery Red Grapefruit Shrimp Salad, Minted Pilaf with
Pomegranate Seeds, Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Bell Peppers and Cucumber, Garlicky Spinach Flatbread
Pizzette, and Pan-Seared Organic Poultry Breast Paillard with Fresh Blueberry Sauce, and Chocolate Fudge
Brownies with Starfruit. Recipes are organized by season and each season offers “bites and snacks,” “dips, salsas, &
sauces,” “soups & salads,” “vegetarian dishes,” “fish poultry & meat dishes,” and “sips & sweets.”
BIG GREEN COOKLETTER is published seasonally; four times a year. Each newsletter contains a timely feature, a
new eco-friendly recipe, and helpful tips. Sign up to be notified via e-mail when each becomes available on their
website. Follow the link and discover the many “green-over” recipes; they are lower-carbon versions of their highercarbon
counterparts. Below is a sneak peak at one simple and delicious Soba Sesame recipe that exemplifies green
cooking. The “Big Green Cookbook is a fabulous compilation on how to reduce your kitchen carbon footprint. You
can save the earth one recipe at a time. biggreencookbook.com

SOBA SESAME: Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Bell Peppers and Cucumber
Makes 4 servings: 1 1/2 cups each
Soba is a Japanese-style noodle that’s usually made from buckwheat. It’s cooked very quickly with little energy by
use of “lid cooking.” Then, unlike many pasta salads, the noodles aren’t rinsed; they’re tossed with dressing and
cooled at room temperature. Soba is a little gooey when prepared in this eco-friendlier manner, but it adds a nice
creaminess to the finished dressed noodles. It’s a cool entrée filled with vivid colors and textures that’ll please
persnickety people—and their palates.
8 ounces soba noodles or whole wheat angel hair pasta*
1/4 cup rice vinegar (preferably brown rice)
2 scallions, green and white parts, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons mild floral honey or 3 tablespoons local fruit spread or homemade jam
1 1/2 tablespoons naturally brewed soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated scrubbed unpeeled gingerroot
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian garlic-chili sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 large orange or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup very thinly sliced hothouse cucumber
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
1. Bring 4 cups fresh water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.
2. Stir in noodles and return to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat. Let “lid cook” (cook covered while burner is off)
until noodles are just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Drain well. (Do not rinse.)
3. Whisk together vinegar, scallions, honey, soy sauce, gingerroot, and chili-garlic paste in a liquid measuring cup.
Place noodles in a large serving bowl. Drizzle with the oil and toss to coat. Add the dressing and toss again,
separating noodles while tossing.
4. Let sit at room temperature to cool (30 minutes), stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Then chill in the
refrigerator.
5. Just before serving; stir in bell pepper, cucumber, and cilantro (if using). Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve
chilled or at room temperature with reusable chopsticks.

Tags: green, health & beauty, organic