PLANT & PLANET: Sustainable and Delicious Vegetarian Cooking for Real People came out today, and it’s a must for your holiday shopping! There are 75 plant-based recipes to choose from with several low-waste strategies included—like ways to grow your own ingredients and turn your scraps into delicious treats—to help people live a more sustainable life. Beautifully photographed, this cookbook is super practical and impactful, with surprising and easy ways to reduce environmental impact, shopping guides and meal plans, information about repurposing food waste, plus a guide to growing your own ingredients. You will learn how to:
• Approach cooking from a seasonal perspective • Minimize packaging while maximizing flavor • Clear out your fridge and freezer to make comforting soups, salads, and other dishes [caption id="attachment_29305" align="alignnone" width="527"]
Plant and Planet: Sustainable and Delicious Vegetarian Cooking for Real People, $26 @amazon.com[/caption]
Featuring contributions from experts DeVonn Francis, Lorena Ramirez, Lauren Singer, Nadiya Hussain, Kelis Rogers, David Zilber, and Ben Flanner, Plant and Planet is filled with tips and quick hits of information about the environmental impact of these recipes–all to deliver a low-stress, high-impact path to a low-waste kitchen. Recipes include Samosa Frittatas; Garden Focaccia; Potato Donuts w/ Fruit Glaze & Basil Sugar; Fire Cider and more. Let’s get started off with some Breakfast nachos – ideal at-home brunch fare. They’re messy, they’re fun, they encourage interaction. It’s the perfect dish to loosen up and let the gossip flow. If you know this particular brunch is going to be following a long night, get prepped the day before. The salsa will only improve while marinating in the fridge, and the tofu can be made ahead and reheated. Soak the cashew mixture in the fridge overnight and then blend it up while the chips bake. Done! Work smarter, not hungover.
Loaded Breakfast Nachos [caption id="attachment_29304" align="alignnone" width="700"]
Loaded Breakfast Nachos by Plant and Planet: Sustainable and Delicious Vegetarian Cooking for Real People[/caption]
Serves 6
NUTRITION, per serving – Calories: 370, Fat: 23 g, Carbs: 29 g, Protein: 19 g, Fiber: 11 g, Sugar: 3 g
Cheese
¾ cup raw cashews
½ cup boiling water
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Salsa
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, both stems and
leaves, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Tofu
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu,
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
drained
Nachos
1 (12-ounce) bag tortilla chips
1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and
rinsed, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
1 avocado, sliced
- Make the cheese: In a blender, combine the cashews, boiling water, nutritional yeast, oil, and salt. Let soak in the blender jar for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the salsa: In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, onion, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, and salt. Set aside to marinate.
- Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
- Prepare the tofu: In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is becoming translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Crumble the tofu in large clumps into the skillet. Add the salt, cumin, turmeric, and 3 tablespoons water. Stir to combine and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tofu is warmed through and resembles scrambled eggs, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Make the nachos: Arrange the chips on a sheet pan and scatter the black beans on top. Bake until the chips are slightly toasted, and the beans are slightly dried and cracked, about 10 minutes.
- While the chips are baking, blend the cheese on high until a smooth sauce forms, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Remove the chips from the oven and spoon the tofu on top. Spoon the salsa on top, leaving as much liquid behind in the bowl as possible. Toss the avocado slices in the reserved salsa liquid, then arrange them on top of the salsa. Drizzle the cheese sauce over everything and serve immediately.