Green Options » potato

Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Builders

Lucille Chi — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:21:36 +0000

If you are a vegan and want to build up your protein intake here is a guide to grains, beans, nuts, and veggies that will help. Remember to seek out local and organic whenever possible.

Grains and beans are a truly remarkable way to add protein to a meat and dairy free diet. Quinoa (pictured in a field above) has nine grams of protein. Tempeh is a vegan food that has 41 grams of protein in a cup. Sometimes it is made from cultured organic soybeans, water, organic barley, organic brown rice, and organic millet, like this lightlife tempeh. Here are more grain facts:

Quinoa (shown growing in the image above) has 9 grams of protein
Bulgur, cooked into cup has 6
Brown rice, cooked into a cup has 5

Sunflower seeds make great additions to salads. 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (pictured below) has six grams of protein.

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The Healing Dish: Organic Red New Potatoes

Lucille Chi — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:50:15 +0000

Organic red potatoes are in season and make a delightful accompaniment to any meal. Their bite size is great for all sorts of side dishes. These little lovelies taste good boiled and mashed, baked and browned, tossed in a summer salad or simply enjoyed on their own. Red potatoes are just as healthy as they are delectable. According to the World’s Healthiest Foods:

“Analysis of Red and Norkotah potatoes revealed that these spuds’ phenolic content rivals that of broccoli, spinach and Brussels sprouts, and includes flavonoids with protective activity against cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems and certain cancers.”

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Wheatless Wednesday: 6 Alternatives to 87,000 Slices of Bread

Gina Munsey — Wed, 20 May 2009 20:40:20 +0000

Over the course of a lifetime, the average American consumes over 87,000 slices of bread. Yes, you read that correctly — eighty seven thousand. That’s more than a loaf per week per person, not counting the additional 5,000 hot dog buns and 12,000 hamburger buns each American devours in his or her life.

All that wheat calculates out to a lifetime grand total of 21,947 loaves and buns. The National Geographic Society’s Human Footprint project has illustrated this shocking bread obsession in a stunning visual (see the video clip below). In the words of my little brother, who is no stranger to wheatless ways, “That is a totally nasty amount of bread.”

There’s no argument that bread is an American staple. Amber waves of grain are, after all, an American icon. But we can’t live by bread alone. So what are some wheatless alternatives?

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Eat Potatoes with Potatoes - Use Biodegradable Tater Ware

Brenda Keener — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:56:00 +0000

Every day, we are faced with the question of whether it is greener to serve meals on reusable dishes and waste water to wash them with, or contribute to the landfill problem by using paper plates and plastic utensils. Biodegradable Food Service Products (abbreviated BDFS) has a solution to this dilemma by using the humble potato to manufacture a whole line of food service products that include clam shell take-out trays, “silver”ware, plates, cups with lids, and deli trays.

Tater Ware is heat stable to 375 degrees, meets FDA requirements for direct food contact, freezer safe, microwarmable, and suitable for both hot and cold foods.

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Twas the Night Before Christmas - and Santa Delivers the Spuds

Lisa Kivirist — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 20:02:42 +0000

Twas the night before Christmas,
when what was to be seen,
Not a fossil fuel stirring, as Santa went green.
He’s already horse-powered, no petrol on his list,
But this year he’s adding a new sustainability twist,
In our crazy-busy world, we needed someone to share,
A way to live with joy and appreciation, a reason to care.
Too many messages today of fear, emptiness and dread,
Santa wanted transformation to dance in our head.
So as young and old nestled all snug for the night,
Santa’s sleigh took off in a different light.
Sure he packed toys for good kids but there was more,
Something that comes from a garden, not just store.
Santa dug in his root cellar and brought out his . . .
Yukon Gold . . .

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Spuds! International Year of the Potato in Palmer, AK

Bryan Luukinen — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:46:34 +0000

Just 15 minutes down the road from Sarah Palin’s stomping grounds of Wasilla, there is a party going on. A potato party. Bill Campbell, a local agronomist, hosted the Palmer Potato Pageant at the Railroad Depot in Palmer, AK.

The litany of alliteration unfolded with a planned Potato Potluck, exhibition of potato paraphernalia, potato poetry, and a potato party in the pomme de terre province of Palmer.

All bad puns aside (seriously), many societies would not have survived if it wasn’t for the humble potato, and some almost didn’t make it because of the potato. In fact, each American eats over 100 pounds of potatoes a year, and we are not alone. The United States produced just over 17.5 million tons of potatoes in 2007, which was a slight decrease from the previous year, but still enough to put us at the number 5 spot worldwide.

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Fear of Frying

Stuart Stein — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 12:00:54 +0000

Doesn’t everyone love fried foods. Yet as Russ Parson’s said in How to Read a French Fry, “Most people would sooner tune their own car or perform minor surgery on a family member before they would try to fry in their own kitchen.”

Frying basically involves cooking food in hot fat. But it’s not quite that simple. Parson’s writes, “Anyone doubting that cooking is a complex craft, need only consider frying. Perhaps no other type of cooking involves quite as many variables or requires as many decisions on the part of the cook.” Type of fat, main ingredient, coating and temperature to name just a few.

You need to take care when frying, because if the fat is too hot, the food will scorch or burn before it is completely cooked; and if it’s too cold, the food will soak up fat and become soggy with grease. It’s a question of balance.

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Kid Friendly Recipes: Vegetarian Potato Leek Soup

Jennifer Lance — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 23:22:11 +0000

No matter what the weather, my family eats soup. I find soup to be an easy way to get my children to eat their veggies. This potato leek soup is a favorite of my kids, and a great way to use up leeks from the garden. It is adapted from the Horn of the Moon cookbook, and of course, organic ingredients are a must!

Vegetarian Potato Leek Soup

Boil in large pot

6 cups of water or vegetarian stock

Add

6 cups diced potatoes (leave the skins on for optimal nutrition)

Cover and cook for 25 minutes until tender. Turn off the heat, then puree 3/4 of the potatoes and stock in a blender. Add the pureed potatoes back to the pot.

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