Is there anyone on planet earth who doesn’t eat? Is it even possible to survive without food? Well, we know how important food is.
However, food systems are responsible for about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
To help reduce our carbon footprint, we have been advised to:
- Eat less meat and dairy
- Source locally produced products
- Dish what we can finish.
Seeing as Christmas is a time to be merry and you may just be a tad bit tempted to impress your family or guests with your culinary skills, you should be mindful of the goal to reduce as much carbon footprint as possible.
For this reason, our fourth Christmas gift to you on our 12 Days of Christmas Special series is these 4 sumptuous low-carbon recipes for you to try for that wonderful meal experience.
These low-carbon recipes do not only help you achieve your sustainability goals, but they also taste good, take less time to prepare and they are sure to give you the right nutritional value required for a healthy body. So, get your aprons, and let’s delve into these low-carbon recipes we have curated for you with love. Enjoy.
Russian Chicken Salad
Ingredients
1 whole chicken breast (boiled and skinless)
4 tbsp. mayonnaise
2 medium carrots (boiled)
1/2 yellow onion
2 large eggs (hard-boiled)
Salt and black pepper
2 large potatoes (boiled)
1 large can of green peas
Instructions
Precook chicken breast and dice into small pieces. Also boil and dice carrots, potatoes, and egg into small pieces.
Add green peas, diced onions, mayonnaise, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.
Pasta e Fagioli
1 ½ small tubes pasta
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves (minced)
Bay leaf (1 fresh or 2 dried)
2 rosemary sprigs
1 small carrot (diced)
1 thyme sprig
1 medium onion (diced)
1 celery rib (diced)
1 can of crushed or diced tomatoes
2 cans of white kidney beans
2 cups or more of water
Vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
Grated cheese for topping
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pot under medium to high heat. Add herbs, vegetables, garlic, and sauté for about 3-4 minutes until softened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the kidney beans, tomatoes, water, and vegetable stock. Increase heat and bring to boil.
Add pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook pasta and ensure that you stir occasionally for about 6-7 minutes.
Remove the stems from the herbs and bay leaves in the soup and let the soup rest for about 5-10 minutes.
Serve garnished with cheese. Dish into bowls and top with cheese.
West African Peanut Soup
Ingredients
1 tbsp. peanut oil (or any oil)
2 c. chopped onion
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 tsp. cayenne ( you can add more cayenne if you want it spicy hot)
2 c. tomato juice (you can substitute with tomato paste mixed with water)
2 c. chopped sweet potatoes
4 c. vegetable stock or water
1 c. chopped carrots
Instructions
Sauté onions in oil until it becomes tender. After that, add cayenne, ginger, and carrots. Sauté for a few minutes more.
Mix in potatoes and stock into the sauté and bring to boil. Ensure it cooks for about 15-20 minutes.
Puree the vegetables and add the tomato juice and peanut butter then reheat gently. Serve hot garnished with chopped chives or scallions.
Rich Chocolate Soufflé Cakes
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 ounces semisweet chocolate (chopped)
1-ounce unsweetened chocolate (chopped)
1/2 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tbsp sugar
Instructions
Lightly coat 8 ramekins with cooking spray and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon sugar.
To make the chocolate mixture, combine sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat while stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add chocolates. Continue stirring with a whisk until chocolates melt.
Combine cocoa, cornstarch, and salt. Add it to the chocolate mixture and continue stirring with a whisk. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, put egg whites and cream of tartar and beat at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 3 tablespoons sugar, adding one tablespoon at a time while beating at high speed until stiff peaks form.
Lightly stir about one-fourth of the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture and fold in the remaining egg white mixture afterward.
Spoon the chocolate mixture into the already prepared ramekins and place ramekins in a large baking dish. Add hot water to the dish to a depth of 3/4 inch.
Bake at 350º for about 15 minutes or until it becomes puffy and slightly cracked. Remove ramekins from the dish, and place them on a wire rack. You can serve immediately.
And so, our fourth day of Christmas ends. We hope you found our low-carbon recipes helpful.
Join us tomorrow as we will be sharing fashion styles you should try out this season.
Don’t forget to share our sumptuous low-carbon recipes. Happy holiday!
