Meatless Monday: Spinach Tofu Quiche

We hope the first day of the week has been treating you well so far! As usual, here is our weekly Meatless Monday recipe and statistic.

About 200 studies have been completed that suggest that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables protects against cancer at many sites. People who eat higher amounts of fruits and vegetables have about one-half the risk of cancer, especially epithelial cancers.

Start off your increase in vegetable intake with our new recipe below: Spinach Tofu Quiche!

Spinach Tofu Quiche

Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 unbleached white flour
• 2/3 cold vegan spread (e.g. organic Earth Balance brand)
• 3 tbsp. cold water

Crust Directions:

1. Measure flour into a large bowl and chill in the freezer for a half an hour.
2. Cut in cold vegan butter with a pastry blender or a fork until mixture is the texture of coarse grains.
3. Rub mixture between your hands until it resembles corn meal.
4. Add water bit by bit, mixing it with your hands until dough starts to clump together.
5. Form dough into ball and press flat.
6. Roll out evenly on a floured surface, about 1/8 inch thick.
7. Place in 9″ glass pie plate and crimp edges.
8. Wrap and chill in fridge until filling is ready.

Filling Ingredients:

• 1 pound firm tofu, crumbled
• 1/2 cup raw, unsalted cashews
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 bunches fresh spinach, washed, stemmed and chopped fine; or 16 oz. frozen spinach, thawed, drained and chopped fine
• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 veggie bouillon cube
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• Pinch of cayenne
• 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Table Blend spice mix
• 1/2 tbsp. salt
• 1/4 tbsp. ground black pepper

Quiche Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and assemble ingredients.
2. Place cashews in food processor or grinder and process until it forms fine crumbs.
3. Add tofu and nutritional yeast and process until creamy, set aside.
4. Add oil to a large pot and turn heat to medium/high.
5. Saute onion for about five minutes.
6. Add garlic and continue sauteing until fragrant.
7. Add bouillon cube, marjoram, basil, cayenne, paprika, spice blend, salt and pepper.
8. Add chopped spinach (or frozen spinach) and saute until the spinach is completely wilted
9. In a large mixing bowl, stir together tofu mixture and spinach mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
10. If the filling seems too stiff and thick, add a couple of tbsp. soy milk or flour if it doesn’t hold shape.
11. Add the filling to the crust and spread evenly and smoothly. Dust with nutritional yeast or parmesan cheese.
12. Bake for ten minutes to set pie crust and then turn temperature down to 375 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes more until crust is golden brown.
13. Cool on a rack for five minutes before serving.

Recipe originally posted on Savvy Vegetarian.

 

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Black Bean Stacked Tortillas

Happy Monday! Even though the weekend is over and it’s time to get back to work and/or school, we hope this new statistic and meatless recipe make the start of your week a little better.

This week, we’re going to take a look at how meat consumption and fossil fuels are related.

Did you know that on average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feedlot beef in the United States? This is an astounding number when compared to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy that is needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein.

Let’s cut down on our fossil fuel demand by trying out this week’s new recipe – Black Bean Stacked Tortillas. This recipe incorporates Morningstar Farms Buffalo Wings and is sure to please many!

Black Bean Stacked Tortillas

 Ingredients:

• 1 carton (10.5 oz) Morningstar Farms Buffalo Wings
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Prepare Morningstar Farms Buffalo Wings per package instructions. Cool slightly and slice wings into bite size pieces. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in large non-stick skillet. Add garlic, onions and black beans. Heat until onions are translucent. Remove from heat and add water, cilantro, tomato paste and salt. Reserve one cup of black bean mixture.
3. In blender, place remaining black bean mixture (from skillet), tomatoes, wine vinegar and black pepper. Process until smooth. Reserve one cup of tomato/bean mixture.
4. Place 2 tortillas, side by side, on a foil-lined baking sheet. Evenly layer two tablespoons tomato/bean mixture over each tortilla. Top with reserved black bean mixture, wing pieces, mozzarella cheese and tortilla. Repeat procedure four times, ending with tortillas. Gently press top of each tortilla stack.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until heated and cheese is melted. Cut each stack into four wedges. Spoon remaining tomato mixture over wedges.

Recipe originally posted on Morningstar Farms.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Win Tickets to the Living Peace Series with Her Majesty Queen Noor!

Her Majesty Queen Noor and His Holiness the Dalai Lama

We are so thrilled for our upcoming Living Peace Series event with Queen Noor! As an outspoken advocate of global exchange and understanding, Queen Noor will speak on the importance of overcoming separateness and the idea of “other.”

The event on Wednesday May 2, 2012 at 7pm is the latest installment of our Living Peace Series in partnership with the University of California, Irvine.

Tickets are SOLD OUT, but here is your chance to win a set of 2 tickets to the May 2^nd event!

Ready? To enter the contest, tag us in posts you make on Facebook & Twitter about the Living Peace Series event. Help us spread the word that the event can be watched live online on our website and Facebook page! Tell your friends to watch the event online live and be entered to win! Plus by following or liking us, you can keep up-to-date with upcoming events!

Of the posts we are tagged in, we will choose one lucky winner to receive 2 premier tickets to the speaking event on Wednesday, May 2nd. The deadline to make posts is 11:59pm on Thursday, April 26^th. The winner will be chosen and notified on Friday, April 27^th. Good luck!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out.

Disneynature Makes Good Happen with Jane Goodall Institute

In honor of Earth Day, Disneynature will be releasing a new movie called CHIMPANZEE next week. For every person who sees this movie during the film’s opening week of April 20-26, Disneynature will make a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, which helps protect chimpanzees and their habitats.

The funds raised in this program will go toward the Jane Goodall Institute’s Tchimpounga Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Center in the Tchimpounga Nature Reserve in the Republic of Congo. Learn more about this program and see a preview of the movie here!

We hope you enjoy the movie and contributing to the well-being of chimpanzees!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Corn and Summer Vegetable Saute

A recent study showed that the total direct medical costs in the United States attributable to meat consumption were estimated to be $30-60 billion a year. This was based on the higher occurrence of hypertension, cancer, heart disease, diabetes, gallstones and obesity among omnivores compared with vegetarians.

If there is a correlation between meat consumption and medical problems and costs, imagine how much this could be lowered simply by taking meat out of your diet just one day a week!

To assist with going meatless once a week, we have a new recipe that is perfect for the warmer weather and changing seasons!

Corn and Summer Vegetable Saute

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 4)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup sliced fresh okra (about 4 ounces)
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1)
• 1 finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; saute 1 minute.
2. Add okra; saute 3 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper and jalapeno; cook 5 minutes.
4. Add corn; cook 5 minutes.
5. Stir in beans; cook 2 minutes.
6. Stir in cilantro; sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Recipe originally posted on Cooking Light.

We hope you enjoy!

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Mpilonhle Mural Project

After Charlize Theron and Dr. Michael Bennish of Mpilonhle spoke at the Center for Living Peace Series in 2010, students at Orange County High School of the Arts (OCHSA) were inspired to support artistic education programs in South Africa.

As a result, Mpilonhle (a non-profit organization that focuses on social development and health promotion in South Africa) recently oversaw a project where a mural was painted on a football field at Silethukukhanya High School in Africa. The art has lifted the students’ spirits and has made the walls come alive – take a look below to see for yourself!

Thank you, OCHSA Social Action Squad for inspiring us and making GOOD HAPPEN in South Africa! To find out more about this project, and how these inspiring high schoolers are changing the world, click here.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

The meat industry uses an immense amount of water to raise cows, pigs and chickens for our consumption. It takes 441 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef, while only 14 gallons are used for 1 pound of wheat.

When you take a look at how much water is used every day just for a little bit of beef, it’s no surprise that millions of wells are going dry around the world.

According to Ed Ayres of the the World Watch Institute, “India, China, North Africa, and the U.S. are all running freshwater deficits, pumping more from their aquifers than rain can replenish.”

To learn more about how reducing meat can improve our water supply, take a look here.

This week’s recipe is the perfect example of how to be meatless, healthy and good to the environment. Here is a tasty, guilt-free dessert that will make your Meatless Monday a little brighter!

Spiced Vegan Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup margarine
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp ginger powder
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups quick cooking or rolled oatmeal
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preparation:

1. Cream together the margarine and sugars until smooth. Add vanilla and soy milk and mix well.
2. Add flour, baking soda and spices until well mixed, then stir in oats and cranberries.
3. Spoon 1 1/2 inch balls onto an un-greased cooking sheet and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until done.

Recipe originally posted on About.com.

 

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!

Meatless Monday: Southwest Riblet Sandwich

If the global population shifted to a low meat diet that consisted of 70 grams of beef and 325 grams of chicken/eggs per week, about 15 square kilometers of farmland would be freed.

This new space could be used grow vegetation that would counter CO2, or to grow bioenergy crops that would displace fossil fuels. You can read more about how this kind of diet would affect farmland here.

Just by slightly altering a meal, we can make a world of difference. So let’s see what kind of meatless meal we can make this week!

This week’s recipe incorporates Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets, which can be found in the frozen food aisle of many grocery stores.

Southwest Riblet Sandwich on Toasted Sourdough

Morningstar Farms products look and taste like meat, but they are completely meat-free! All of their foods are delicious and easy to make – perfect for a quick and easy meal!

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 (1/2 inch thick) slices of sourdough bread
• 1 package (10 oz.) of Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets
• 2 slices pepper jack cheese, halved diagonally
• 2 lettuce leaves
• 2 slices thin red onion, separated into rings

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, stir together butter and garlic. Brush one side of each bread slice with butter mixture. Place, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Set aside.
2. Cook Morningstar Farms Hickory BBQ Riblets according to package directions. Top each riblet portion with two half slices of cheese. Let stand for two to three minutes or until cheese melts.
3. Meanwhile, broil bread slices 4 to 5 inches from the heat for three or four minutes or until lightly toasted, turning once. Top buttered sides of two bread slices with lettuce, riblet portions, and onion. Top with remaining slices of bread, buttered sides down. Cut into halves. Serve immediately.

Recipe originally posted on the Morningstar Farms website.

Good Happens.

Peace Grl Out!