COOKING GREEN: Column 2

Plant Based Choices
Can End Factory Farm Pollution

by  Kay Bushnell

The Sierra Club is committed to ending pollution from animal factories where most of the 9 billion animals slaughtered for meat each year in this country are raised.   These giant dairies and hellish hog, chicken, and turkey factories spew vast amounts of animal waste into ground and surface waters, poison fish, and sicken people.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hogs, chickens, and cattle have polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states.

Animal factories dependent on consumers to purchase their environmentally harmful products. In reality, those who buy chicken parts, pork chops, and ground meat are supporting these corporate polluters.  Therefore, making plant-based food choices and encouraging others to do likewise helps to reduce demand for animal-based foods whose production is polluting the environment.

Tantalizing recipes with 100% plant-based ingredients await our discovery in today’s plant-based cookbooks.   Those who want quick meals will find an explosion of new plant-based convenience foods on the shelves of grocery stores.  Helping to end factory farm pollution can be as simple as having veggie burgers instead of meat burgers with our meal of corn on the cob, coleslaw, and watermelon or stirring up a hearty vegetarian chili rather than chili with meat.   Moving toward a plant-based diet has never been easier — or more necessary.

Crunchy Rice Vegetable Salad

A combination of crisp raw vegetables, chewy brown rice, and a zesty basil dressing results in a salad with contrasts of texture, taste and color. In plant-based meals rice salads star as main dishes. Serve the salad with oven roasted potato wedges, whole grain rolls and seasonal fresh fruit for a satisfying and nourishing meal.

3      cups cooked short-grain brown rice

2      medium carrots, thinly sliced

1/2   cup thinly sliced green onion

1      small green pepper, chopped

1      stalk celery, thinly sliced

1      cup chopped parsley

2      Roma tomatoes, diced (squeeze out seeds)

1      thin cucumber, peeled and chopped (remove large seeds)

Basil Dressing:

Whisk together:

1/4    cup seasoned rice vinegar  (such as “Nakano” brand)

2       tablespoons olive oil

1 - 2 medium cloves garlic, crushed (or 1/4 tsp. garlic powder)

1       teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon ground dried basil

1/2    teaspoon dry mustard

1/2    teaspoon sugar

1/8    teaspoon pepper (optional)

Mix rice and vegetables in a bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl. Pour dressing over salad and mix well. Refrigerate while flavors blend.

Copyright,  Kay Bushnell

— Our food choices can make a difference.—