Solo Cooking for a Sustainable Planet

By Joyce Lebra

Solo Cooking for a Sustainable Planet is unique in being designed both for those who cook alone and for those concerned for sustainability of our fragile planet. The recipes are therefore vegetarian and pescatarian, minus meat and poultry. The recipes are also reluctant cooks and are therefore simple. Many recipes include suggested variations, in the conviction that experimenting in the kitchen can be fun. Since the author has lived ten years in Japan and over three in India, many recipes reflect the cuisine of these and other Asian nations. Any recipe designed for one person can of course be multiplied for more servings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jul 26, 2019
• ISBN: 9781728320090

Book preview

SOLO

COOKING

FOR A SUSTAINABLE

PLANET

JOYCE LEBRA

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AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

© 2019 Joyce Lebra. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/26/2019

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2010-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-7283-2009-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Introduction

I     SOUPS

Black Bean Soup

Acorn Squash Soup

Root Vegetable Soup for one

Mushroom Soup for one

Cream of Parsnip Soup for one

Asparagas Soup for one

Broccoli Soup for one

Zucchini Soup for one

Borscht for one

Carrot Ginger Soup for one

Cauliflower Soup

Potato and Leek Soup

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Bisque

Sweet Potato Soup with Indian Seasonings

Minestrone Soup for one

Miso Soup

Pinto Bean Soup for one

Lentil Soup with Cheese

Split Pea Soup

Indian Garbanzo Soup (Dhal)

African Peanut & Shrimp Soup

Vichyssoise

Salmon Chowder

Bouillabaise for six

Avocado Cucumber Soup

Gazpacho

Minted Green Pea Soup

Pumpkin Soup

II     SALADS

Beet and Egg Salad

Waldorf Salad

Red Cabbage Coleslaw

Spinach and Mushroom Salad

Roasted Red Pepper and Cucumber Salad

Pinto or White Bean Salad

Lime Jello Salad

Chickpea (garbanzo) Salad

Edamame Salad

Asparagas with Sesame Tahini

Wild Rice Salad

Avocado and Grapefruit Salad

Artichoke Heart and Cauliflower Salad

Tuna Salad

Salmon Salad

Salmon Mousse (for two)

Malaysian Salad

Tofu Edamame Salad

Mushroom and Pea Salad

Green Papaya Salad

Wakame Snow Pea Salad

Fennel Salad

III     SAUCES, DIPS AND DRESSINGS

Basic Mayonnaise

Basic Vinaigrette

Miso Tahini Dressing

Orange Sesame Dressing

Poppy Seed Dressing

Sesame-Tahini Dip

Hummus

Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

Sake-shoyu Marinade

Cilantro-Capers Marinade

Japanese Marinade for Vegetables

Sauce Verde

Pesto

Curry Dip

Eggplant Dip

Spinach Dip

White Bean Dip

Lentil Walnut Pate

Mushroom Almond Pate

Tofu Dip

Walnut Sauce

Bechamel Sauce

IV     LEGUMES

Walnut Lentil Burgers

Dhal

Garbanzo Curry

Garbanzo Burgers

Boston Baked Beans

Vegetarian Chili

Lentil and Vegetable Casserole

Lima Bean Casserole

Adzuki Beans and Sweet Potatoes

Peas with Mint

V     OTHER VEGETABLES

Indian Mixed Vegetables (Navratan Curry)

Vegetarian Chili

Potato Cauliflower Curry

Stuffed Green Peppers

Sweet Potatoes and Parsnips

Asparagas and Artichokes

Zucchini with Bell Pepper

Harvard Beets

Spinach, Kale, and Chard

Broccoli with Cheese

Saag (Spinach- Indian)

Cabbage, Indian Style

Vegetable-Nut Karma

Stuffed Acorn Squash

VI     FISH

Salmon with Sake

Tilapia with Capers

Scallops

African Shrimp

Shrimp Curry

Cod with Chanterelles

Halibut

Catfish

Tuna with Ginger Sauce

Home-made Sushi

Sea Bass with Olives

Scalloped Oyster Casserole

Dover Sole with Mushrooms

Maryland Crab Cakes

Nut-crusted Tilapia

VII     RICE AND OTHER GRAINS

Spanish Rice (Paella)

Italian Risotto

Biryani (Indian rice with vegetables)

Basmati-Wild Rice Salad

Rice Noodles

Polenta

Couscous with Vegetable Sauce

Couscous Salad

Quinoa with Mushrooms

VIII     EGGS, CHEESE, TOFU, AND NUTS

Mushroom Quiche

Shrimp Egg Foo Yung

Curried Egg

Cheese Soufflee

Mushroom-Cheese Fritata

Egg and Cheese Tortilla

Cheese and Corn Fritters

Crepes

Goat Cheese-Vegetable Wrap

Tofu with Rice Noodles

Nut Loaf

Fried Tofu and Zucchini

IX     BREADS AND MUFFINS

Basic Yeast Bread

Zucchini Bread

Apricot Almond Bread

Banana Bread

Oatmeal Spelt Muffins

Scotch Scones

Ginger Orange Scones

Light Gingerbread

Cornbread

Lemon Poppyseed Bread

Date Nut Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Harvest Bread

Pear Bread

X     DESSERTS

Peanut Butter Cookies

Scotch Shortbread

Oatmeal Cookies

Date Nut Bars

Spice Bars

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Rum Fruit Balls

Graham Cracker Log

Polish Tea Cakes

Chocolate Brownies

Lemon Bars

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Indian Rice Pudding (Kheer)

Strawberry Pie

Pecan Pie

Pineapple Macadamia Fruitcake

Lacy Ginger Cookies

Decadent Chocolate Mousse

Apricot Cloud

Easy Key Lime Pie

Useful Ingredients For The Larder

Introduction

There are many cogent reasons in today’s environment for becoming a vegetarian, pescetarian, or following a Mediterranean diet. The effects of chemicals, greenhouse gasses and other pollutants are cumulative and therefore impossible to ignore. Corals are dying in the oceans and species are going extinct everywhere. Extinction is forever, not reversible. Genetic modification of plants and animals destroys natural strains of seeds and affects animals is some ways as yet unknown. Films such as AI Gore’s have clearly delineated the nature of the environmental crisis.

Over half our agricultural land is devoted to feeding animals with genetically modified crops, not their natural grass diet. Moreover, hormones and antibiotics fed to cattle, hogs and chickens often foster drug-resistant diseases.

All these factors add up to an unsustainable pattern of animal and human eating habits. Moreover, three and a half ounces of fish contain the same amount of protein as three and a half ounces of chicken and beef.

This book therefore advocates a vegetarian/pescetarian diet approximating a Mediterranean or traditional Japanese diet.

These concerns also do not even address spiritual or ethical considerations which deter many vegetarians from eating meat. Seeing chickens force-fed or calves cooped up in cramped pens and fed grains is not conducive to consuming these animals. Arguments also abound for eating organic rather than genetically altered grains and vegetables, since those crops have increasing amounts of chemical additives and are increasingly taking over agricultural land. The over-consumption of meat and dairy products by Americans has also contributed to the:highest incidence of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and obesity of any industrial nation. Japanese people who follow a traditional diet have a much lower incidence of these diseases and have one of the longest life spans in the world. The somewhat similar Mediterranean diet relying heavily on the consumption of fruits and vegetables and the use of grains and olive oil is equally beneficial.

There is one caveat about eating fish, however. The oceans have also become polluted, in some areas worse than others. Over-fishing has depleted formerly rich fishing grounds. Eating fish is subject to some risks, since large fish such as tuna contain a high proportion of mercury. Using a guide such as the Monterey Bay Fish Guide points us to the best and worst choices.

I have lived and worked in Japan for a total of ten years and in India for over three and a half years, and my diet has evolved partly under the influence of the cuisines of those two countries. This book accordingly reflects those tastes. I have also spent many months working