Welcome to our Week One Meatless Monday post. For a bit of background on why we started this:
http://greenfamiliesuk.blogspot.com/2010/04/meatless-mondays.html
I thought I'd offer a new recipe each week for you to try (or consider)! All will be kid-tested and meat-free. Can it get any better?
For dinner this Monday, how about:
Spinach with Red Lentils
(serves 2-4 depending on age and appetite)
700-800 g spinach
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
2 TBSP canola oil
200 g lentils
500 g vegetable stock
130 g corn (frozen is easiest)
salt, chili powder-depending on age of kids
1/2 bunch cilantro
1 bunch salad onions
150 g yogurt
1. Rinse and soak the lentils while you are getting the spinach, onion and garlic ready. Wash spinach thoroughly in cold water until water is no longer dirty, making sure you break off thick stalks. Drain and chop roughly. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet (make sure you have a lid for the skillet, or something to cover it). Soften the onion and garlic. Add the (drained) lentils and stir well. Add the stock, cover, and reduce heat. Cook lentils for about 15 minutes, until they are soft.
3. Add the corn and spinach to the lentils. Season with salt and chili if you are using and cook covered for a few minutes until the spinach leaves almost fall apart.
4. Wash cilantro and shake dry. Chop the leaves finely. Wash the salad onions and finely slice the onions and crisp green parts into rings. Then add both and yogurt to the spinach and lentil mixture. Stir in, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately!
We serve this over rice and it's quite lovely. It's great as lentils are a plant food, so they do not contain cholesterol; and the protein derived from them is much easier to digest than the animal equivalent, or even soybeans. Next to soy beans, lentils have the highest protein content at 25%.
What do you think? Are you excited about Meatless Monday? Or maybe you're a vegetarian full-time (as one member of my family is) - share your experiences with us! Want to contribute a recipe, please contact me at stclair@greenfamilies.co.uk! :)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Can washing your hands be toxic?
I recently discovered that my Ecover hand wash contained Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. I know! Now I admit I am partly to blame for the oversight. I needed hand soap and quickly added the Ecover brand to my Ocado shopping. I trusted them - they are eco-friendly, etc and since I was in a rush I didn't conduct the background research. But come on, Ecover, SLS?
For a bit about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), a foaming agent that is a human irritant, see the Environment Working Group's Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database. It's a moderate hazard on their database, but considering my toddler is going to use it and little ones are more sensitive and susceptible, I want to be damn sure it is safe. (He just LOVES to wash his hands, and would nearly every 20 minutes if I would let him.)
It ain't easy being green. So I spent my Sunday morning looking for safe, cost-effective alternatives to the Ecover hand soap.
I found the Method Olive Leaf Moisturizing Hand Wash (300 ml for £3.99), but it contains Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES, a cousin of SLS), Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate*, Sodium Lauromphoacetate*, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate. Not really any better than Ecover.
We've used Neal's Yard Citrus Hand Wash in the past, but for £10.90 for 200 ml it is quite a pricey selection. With 62% organic ingredients, it doesn't contain SLS or SLES, but uses Cocamidopropyl betaine, which is a known human immune system toxicant. Augh!
Green People Organic Liquid Soap (£6.99 for 200 ml) clearly labels its ingredients: *Potassium Oleate (from Sunflower Oil), *Potassium Cocoate (from Coconut Oil), *Glycerin (Plant-derived), Betaine (from Sugar Beet), etc. -- with 93.89% organic products! Very transparent, very admirable in an industry of greenwashing and smoke and mirrors.
So many choices! Hope this brief overview helps! xx
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Organic Box Schemes
While we can all agree that the idea of organic veggie boxes is great, there is inevitably some practical issues that we take for granted having our groceries delivered by a large chain than the local farmer (which is learned helplessness I'm sure, but "helplessness" nonetheless).
First, I'll spare everyone the standard details as I would hope that if you're reading this blog, you're already convinced that organic seasonal produce is not only the most flavorful way to feed your family, it's also nutritious and much less taxing on the earth.
Now, onto the fun part: London is a fantastic place for organic veggie box schemes as there's a wide variety that deliver, on top of the other local London farms where you can actually go participate in the growing, much less the community plots that exist. Since the Times wrote an article on just this in 2008, I'm not going to go re-inventing the wheel, especially since they're all different and we all have different eating/purchasing/cooking habits. My top picks are also theirs:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article1380105.ece
However, I would like to say some quick words about things to look for when choosing a provider (other than basic questions like - do they deliver to my area, are they accurate with my orders etc).
1) They should all clearly mark where their produce is coming from. While organic, not all produce will be coming locally - especially bananas, so be on the lookout for these.
2) How flexible are they in their boxes? Can you choose to exclude certain veggies that show up every month of the year (and for which you only have a handful of recipes)?
3) What other products on your weekly list can you include in your box (i.e. dairy, meats, coffee, pantry items etc) and how do they compare with local organics that you normally purchase from?
4) In what condition are the fruits and veggies when they arrive? Granted most will not be as pristine as in conventional stores, but are the carrots so caked in dirt that you're paying more for dirt than for carrots?
5) How much do they give you for what you pay for? Is it worth it? I'm a firm believer that organic fruits and veggies do not equal anemic fruits and veggies.
I've been pretty happy with the Organic Delivery Company in London and would recommend it to others. I have liked how flexible they are with the boxes, the quality (and size, I admit) of their produce and the local dairy and other organic pantry items that we've been able to include in our order. It also helps that delivery is free and they include organic orange juice and other goodies if you order regularly.
Besides the standard delivery schemes, there are, as I mentioned the local farms, such as Farmaround in Richmond http://www.farmaround.co.uk/ where you can go visit the farm and purchase your goods there. A great reprieve from city life.
Finally, there is also the option of growing your own in your garden (I believe average community plot wait times are about 2-3 years. I'm American. I don't have that kind of patience.) which we've started doing as well and these are great in fostering closeness to the earth with our son Henry while at the same time reaping some immediate rewards (anyone up for fresh mint tea? One of the great joys of a spring/summer London garden). Bon veggie!
PS. If you've ordered your organic box and don't know what to do with all your veggies, check out http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/recipes-index.php for great recipes and ideas organized by vegetable for quick and easy searching!
First, I'll spare everyone the standard details as I would hope that if you're reading this blog, you're already convinced that organic seasonal produce is not only the most flavorful way to feed your family, it's also nutritious and much less taxing on the earth.
Now, onto the fun part: London is a fantastic place for organic veggie box schemes as there's a wide variety that deliver, on top of the other local London farms where you can actually go participate in the growing, much less the community plots that exist. Since the Times wrote an article on just this in 2008, I'm not going to go re-inventing the wheel, especially since they're all different and we all have different eating/purchasing/cooking habits. My top picks are also theirs:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/real_food/article1380105.ece
However, I would like to say some quick words about things to look for when choosing a provider (other than basic questions like - do they deliver to my area, are they accurate with my orders etc).
1) They should all clearly mark where their produce is coming from. While organic, not all produce will be coming locally - especially bananas, so be on the lookout for these.
2) How flexible are they in their boxes? Can you choose to exclude certain veggies that show up every month of the year (and for which you only have a handful of recipes)?
3) What other products on your weekly list can you include in your box (i.e. dairy, meats, coffee, pantry items etc) and how do they compare with local organics that you normally purchase from?
4) In what condition are the fruits and veggies when they arrive? Granted most will not be as pristine as in conventional stores, but are the carrots so caked in dirt that you're paying more for dirt than for carrots?
5) How much do they give you for what you pay for? Is it worth it? I'm a firm believer that organic fruits and veggies do not equal anemic fruits and veggies.
I've been pretty happy with the Organic Delivery Company in London and would recommend it to others. I have liked how flexible they are with the boxes, the quality (and size, I admit) of their produce and the local dairy and other organic pantry items that we've been able to include in our order. It also helps that delivery is free and they include organic orange juice and other goodies if you order regularly.
Besides the standard delivery schemes, there are, as I mentioned the local farms, such as Farmaround in Richmond http://www.farmaround.co.uk/ where you can go visit the farm and purchase your goods there. A great reprieve from city life.
Finally, there is also the option of growing your own in your garden (I believe average community plot wait times are about 2-3 years. I'm American. I don't have that kind of patience.) which we've started doing as well and these are great in fostering closeness to the earth with our son Henry while at the same time reaping some immediate rewards (anyone up for fresh mint tea? One of the great joys of a spring/summer London garden). Bon veggie!
PS. If you've ordered your organic box and don't know what to do with all your veggies, check out http://vegbox-recipes.co.uk/recipes/recipes-index.php for great recipes and ideas organized by vegetable for quick and easy searching!
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