Today's recipe was inspired by the idea of Meatless Mondays. Eating vegetarian is something the Hubs and I try to do regularly, both for health and environmental reasons, so when I discovered that Meatless Mondays was an actual campaign that they were trying to get to sweep the nation I thought that I might as well get in on the act (thereby bringing it one step closer to nation sweeping). We are actually going to try to go one step further by matching a meatless meal with a meat meal. I realize that there is an odd number of days in the week and that sometimes Things Beyond My Control Conspire Against Me, but if we have the idea in our heads we might end up being successful more often than not. (At least that's the current theory.)
I think that it's pretty well established that in many ways, eating a well balanced vegetarian meal is good for our overall health. Just the reduction in saturated fats and cholesterol and the impact that has on cardiovascular health makes Meatless Mondays something worth thinking about. And that doesn't even get into the added benefits of the additional vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber that comes from eating vegetables.
But what about the environmental impact not eating meat (if only for one day a week)? I found this interesting article about the carbon footprint of a cheeseburger that I thought perfectly illustrated the point. According to various estimates the average American diet includes one (Fast Food Nation) to three cheeseburgers per week (the Economist, among other sources) or roughly 50 to 150 cheeseburgers per American per year. In 2000 researchers from Stockholm University and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology issued a report estimating (I'm streamlining here) that the greenhouse gas emissions arising every year from the production and consumption of cheeseburgers is roughly the amount emitted by 6.5 million to 19.6 million SUVs. There are now approximately 16 million SUVs currently on the road in the US. So just imagine the positive impact one meatless meal per week could have if everyone in America embraced Meatless Mondays.
So, in the spirit of doing my part, here's my small contribution to Meatless Mondays:
Curried Chickpeas with Tofu and Cauliflower
1 carton firm tofu
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 15.5 ounce canned chickpeas, drained
2 15.5 ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
3 tbsp prepared chutney
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees while you are cutting the cauliflower into florets. Toss the cauliflower in salt and olive oil and roast for approximately 30 minutes, until the cauliflower has softened and is brown around the edges.
While the cauliflower cooks, saute the onion over medium heat in 1 tbsp of olive oil for approximately 5 minutes, until it has softened. Cut the tofu into 1" pieces. When the onion is softened, remove it from the heat and saute the tofu in the remaining olive oil until it is golden on all sides. Add the tofu to the bowl with the onions. When the cauliflower is roasted, add the onion, tofu, chickpeas, tomatoes, chutney, spices and cauliflower to a large skillet (the one used to cook the onion and tofu). Mix everything together and simmer for 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Bon Appetit!
Serves 6
Note: We ate this in a shallow bowl as is, but this would also be excellent served over brown rice or with some whole wheat naan.
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