Author: Camellia Moors ‘22
With the semester quickly coming to an end and the holidays nearly upon us, now is the perfect time to flex your cooking skills and try out some new recipes. If you were looking for culinary inspiration, search no further! The EcoReps have compiled some of their personal favorite sustainable recipes into a “book” below. Please give them a try, and don’t forget to check out our weekly Sustainable Meals for Busy Students posts with Greening Dining!
Breakfast
Cider Pumpkin Waffles: Sure, pumpkin spice might be a bit of an autumn cliché. (But note that it got that way because it is delicious). Spice up your breakfast and make the most of the end of the pumpkin season by making waffles! Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Lisa Nicolaison, OOS Staff)
Pumpkin Muffins: Continuing with the pumpkin spice theme, also try your hand at pumpkin muffins! Adam Wickham notes that this recipe can be adapted to a vegan version by substituting ¼ cup of applesauce for each egg and swapping regular milk with plant-based options. Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Adam Wickham ‘22)
Spreads and Toppings
Apple Butter: To make a quick, festive, and delicious seasonal condiment, try apple butter. This recipe is very customizable, so get creative with your spices and flavors! Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Lisa Nicolaison, OOS Staff)
Spiced Pumpkin Butter: Not a huge fan of apples, but still looking for something more interesting than peanut butter to put on toast? Try out pumpkin butter instead! Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Lisa Nicolaison, OOS Staff)
Soups and Dips
Vegan 3-Bean Chili: For a quick, easy, and one-pot recipe that makes for great leftovers, try one of our EcoReps’ own recipes for vegan chili! Here’s how to make it:
- Ingredients
- ~2 cups (10 oz) of frozen or fresh chopped bell peppers and onions
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 15 oz cans of fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 2 15 oz cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 15 oz can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 15 oz can navy or great northern beans (rinsed and drained)
- ~2 cups (10 oz) frozen corn
- 2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
- 1 ⅓ Tbsp mild chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- Some salt and pepper
- Optional:
- 24 oz can diced green chiles
- Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, cook the veggies and garlic for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a tablespoon or so of water at a time as needed to keep the veggies from sticking.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot. Increase heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until veggies are tender (about 10 minutes).
- Enjoy!
(Recipe contributed by: Julia Harisay ‘21)
Ful Medames: Not in the mood for soup, but still looking for an easy one-pot recipe? Try ful medames, a Middle Eastern bean dip/porridge often served with pita bread. Beans are an excellent source of protein with a far smaller carbon footprint than meat. Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Camellia Moors ‘22)
Side Dishes
Baked Tofu: Tofu can be eaten on its own or as part of a larger dish, and it makes for an excellent sustainable meat substitute due to its smaller carbon footprint. Whether you already frequently eat tofu or are just starting to try it, here is one of our EcoReps’ personal recipes to try out!:
- Ingredients
- 1 lb. firm tofu
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic (or to taste)
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- Black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Wrap tofu in a dish towel for 10-15 minutes to remove excess water, then slice the tofu into 6-8 pieces lengthwise.
- Combine all other ingredients except sesame seeds in a square baking dish.
- Tip: You can double the marinade if you want more sauce.
- Add tofu to the marinade; turn to coat before sprinkling the top of tofu with sesame seeds.
- Bake the tofu on the top shelf of the oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
- Enjoy! Some serving suggestions include:
- Serve the tofu over rice, quinoa, or noodles.
- Serve the tofu on a sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
(Recipe contributed by: Naomi Frim-Abrams ‘23)
Tofu Stir Fry: Sticking with the tofu theme, try your hand at making some tofu stir fry! It’s easy to customize what vegetables you add in; to be environmentally conscious, tailor your recipe to the vegetables that are in season. Maddy Chong says: “I usually add shredded/chopped carrots, spinach, egg, and edamame, but this would be really good with most veggies.” Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Maddy Chong ‘23)
Main Meals
Sweet Potato, Kale, and Quinoa Bowl: Grain bowls have grown in popularity in recent years as they have gained recognition for being healthy, customizable, and easy to take on-the-go. To make your own healthy and sustainable grain bowl, try Julia Harisay’s recipe:
- Ingredients
- For the sweet potatoes:
- 1-2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp salt
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Several cracks of pepper
- Rest of bowl:
- 1 small bunch curly kale
- Cooking spray
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Juice of ¼ wedge of lemon
- Cooked rice or quinoa, to taste
- For the sweet potatoes:
- Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub sweet potatoes and slice them in half lengthwise, then slice each potato widthwise into ½ in pieces.
- Put the potatoes in an even layer on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with oil, syrup, salt, cayenne, and a few cracks of pepper. Rub potatoes well to coat.
- Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Tear the kale into bite-sized pieces and discard stems. Rinse the kale (do not dry it).
- Spray a pan with cooking spray and put it on the stove on medium heat.
- Put wet kale in the pan and sprinkle it with sea salt and garlic powder. Stir the kale and cover the pan.
- Cook the kale for 3 minutes or until bright green and tender. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Combine sweet potatoes, kale, and quinoa or rice in a bowl and enjoy!
(Recipe contributed by: Julia Harisay ‘21)
Peanut Noodles: For a filling and easy meal that takes under 15 minutes, try peanut noodles! Combine with the tofu stir fry recipe above for a particularly delicious dish. Find the recipe here.
(Recipe contributed by: Maddy Chong ‘23)
We hope you enjoy these recipes, and happy cooking!