Other than that, we have been busy preparing for our Newport Beach Film Festival screening  on the 25th April.  So if you’re in California, and want to come to the first screening of ‘PLANEAT’ in the US, you can get your hands on tickets here.  After the screening there’s going to be an after party at Avanti Cafe, with lots of free yummy plant-based food.  If you haven’t done so already, please become a fan of ‘PLANEAT’ on our new facebook fan page.

The screening will take place on Sunday 25th April at 18:00, at The Studio at Sage Hill, 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Beach, CA.

For more information on the Festival, and to get your hands on tickets to the screening, click here.

You can also show your support for PLANEAT by becoming a fan on our newly launched Facebook fanpage, and forward this to friends and family who would be interested.

Awards organiser, Tim Barford from Bristol based hemp firm Yaoh says ”The threat of Climate Change, and the reality of poverty, injustice and environmental destruction, are there for us to deal with - this is the challenge to the generations of today. We aim to focus on the positive, not the negative, it’s the only way forward to achieve solutions, and for this reason we are honouring some of the brightest and biggest achievers on the planet. For them, this is not a rehearsal.’

I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day, although it’s the perfect time to enjoy choosing colorful fresh ingredients and stay at home to cook for someone special. These recipes from Erin are tasty and nutritious!

Here is a suggested starter, main and dessert. Just a quick warning - these recipes are designed for more than two people, so you will have lots of leftovers for the day after.

CHICKPEA CROQUETTES

adapted from Vegetarian Times . makes 8 patties

Chickpea Croquettes on fresh365

1 c whole wheat flour
3/4 c hot water
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 t ground cumin
1 1/2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained well
4 scallions, chopped (spring onions)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 habanero or jalapeno, minced (small hot chili)
3 garlic cloves , minced
2 T chopped cilantro leaves (coriander)
3 T olive oil

In a large bowl, add flour, water, lemon juice, cumin and salt. Stir until well combined. Add in chickpeas, scallions, pepper, habanero, garlic and cilantro. Stir well.

In a large saucepan, heat olive oil, over medium heat. With your hands, form the chickpea mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2“ thick (the patties may be quite wet, but will stay together when cooked). Place 4 patties in the pan, and cook 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. With a spatula, flip patties, and cook 4-5 minutes on the other side, until that side begins to brown. Transfer to a plate, or cook for an additional minute on each side, until desired doneness. Repeat with the remaining 4 patties. Serve with sour cream, salsa, or chopped avocado.

VEGETABLE PAELLA

adapted from Bon Appétit . serves 4-6

Vegetable Paella on fresh365

2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 t paprika
2 c water
2 t salt
15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 large plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped (I used canned)
2 roasted red or yellow peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 c chopped peeled carrots
6 canned artichoke hearts, quartered
1 c frozen peas
large handful fresh cilantro, chopped (coriander)
1/4 t crushed saffron threads
1/4 t cayenne pepper
2 c cooked grains (I used whole wheat rice pilaf)

In a large pot, heat olive oil, over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté, 5-7 minutes, until onions begin to brown. Stir in paprika. Add water, salt, chickpeas, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, artichoke and peas. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 8-10 minutes, until a bit of liquid evaporates (you want some juices, but not like soup). Stir in cilantro, saffron and cayenne, and cook 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over cooked grains.

CRANBERRY TART

serves 6 - 8

Cranberry Tart on fresh365

crust
3/4 c (overflowing) whole almonds
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
2 T sugar
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c cold water

filling
2 1/2 c fresh or frozen cranberries
3 T sugar
1 T flour
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 T water (if using fresh cranberries)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a food processor, pulse almonds until ground into tiny pieces. Add flour, salt, sugar and olive oil. Turn motor on, and slowly add water through top cover. Allow to run 1 minute, until dough forms into a ball. Add 1 T of flour if needed, or transfer to a well floured surface. Roll dough into a large circle, about 11inch, and carefully transfer to a 9inch tart pan (If dough breaks apart, just press to seal back together). Press dough into the sides and bottom of pan. Pierce all over with a fork, and transfer to the freezer for 10-15 minutes. Place tart crust in the preheated oven and bake 7 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside, keeping oven on.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cranberries, sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and water, if using. Stir until well combined. Scoop into the crust, and arrange cranberries in a single layer. Bake 25 minutes, until edges of crust begin to brown and cranberries are tender. Remove from oven, and set aside 5 minutes to cool.

Happy cooking and a big thank you to Erin from fresh365 for sharing her recipes and photos which really make you want to get stuck in!

Students have put together a week of actions, events and fundraisers to raise awareness of the key issues around climate change. Events such as Carbon Speed Dating have been organised by People and Planet as well as a big push on Meat Free Mondays.

Go Green Week is being supported by the NUS and People and Planet groups across the UK. In case you didn’t know they are the largest student network in Britain campaigning to end world poverty, defend human rights and protect the environment.

The PLANEAT team think this is a great opportunity to highlight the issues surrounding climate change and begin to choose a lifestyle which has a smaller impact on our planet and our health.

You can find out what’s happening near you here.

image:shoot art, not each other

A new report from WWF has been released, showing the significance that the food industry plays in greenhouse gas emissions. It is now clear that the only way to make the needed cuts is through big changes in food technology and consumer behavior, including consumption. It is published by WWF - UK and the Food Climate Research Network .

The key new finding in  How Low Can We Go ? concludes that the food we eat accounts for 30% of the UK’s carbon footprint. Previous studies put the figure at around 20%. It is also the first study to take account of the way land is used overseas in the production of our food.

The most controversial proposal of the report is to reduce GHG emissions from the food chain through changing patterns of food consumption. Around the world, people do not consume nearly as much as meat and dairy as we do in the UK, especially in the developing world. So, if UK food consumption habits become the norm, a massive expansion of global land would be needed purely for livestock production. This would caused increased GHG emissions.

The PLANEAT team believe that this is the time for us in the developed world to really think about cutting our consumption of animal based products, especially meat and dairy products. The report mentions the growing amount of scientific research that shows the importance of cutting meat and dairy consumption for environmental and health reasons, which have been touched upon in recent reports in The Lancet and from the Sustainable Development Commission.

This report reaffirms that a change in our consumer behavior, especially in relation to what we eat is key.

Tara Garnett, head of the FCRN said: “We now know enough to conclude that the food system contributes very substantially to the problem of climate change. We also know enough about where and how the impacts arise to start doing something about them. Business as usual – and even business as usual ‘lite’ – is no longer an option.”

image:the library of congress

Yesterday Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs launched the government’s new 20-year food and farming strategy. The strategy was co-ordinated by DEFRA , although it integrates policy on food across every government department for the first time since the second world war.

It acknowledges that the way we produce and consume food in Britain is unsustainable to our planet and to ourselves. This is shown by formally linking how the UK’s food production and distribution affects much more than the countryside and environment but our health, social equity and food security.

Benn believes that Britain needs to grow more food in a more sustainable way, using less water and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in response to climate change and growing world populations.

“We know we are at one of those moments in our history where the future of our economy, our environment, and our society will be shaped by the choices we make now.”

The ‘Food 2030′ strategy emphasises that consumers should lead the way by buying “greener” food, wasting less and growing more of their own: “People power can help bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold.”

Supermarkets also play a key role in the way we buy and consume our food, as well as holding a big slice of power. This issue is not officially addressed in this strategy.

This food and farming strategy is a positive start in raising awareness of such pressing issues which affect us all, although it does not deal with the crucial issue of consumption or address the dangerous amount of greenhouse gas emissions that come from our high meat and dairy consumption. This contradicts the report ‘Setting the Table’ from the Sustainable Development Commission, which advises the government, that concluded that the UK should cut its consumption of meat and dairy from intensive grain-fed systems.

So, not a bad start for 2010, but let’s see what real action is taken.

Smoothie Stall

Yesterday in Trafalgar Square, one of my favorite spots in central London, food cooked up by volunteers was shared and enjoyed by thousands of people. This was crucially to raise awareness of the massive amount of fresh tasty food that is wasted every day in the UK and internationally. This is largely due to cosmetic reasons!

There were queues of very happy looking people waiting on the first day of snow for free veggie curry, fruit smoothies and fruit n veg that would normally be buried in a landfill. The question that I kept hearing was, ”What’s wrong with this?” - an odd shaped carrot or a non supermarket ‘perfect’ banana. You tell me?

The level of waste around the world has many negative impacts on all of us, such as contributing to global warming and deforestation. It’s also shocking when there are about one billion malnourished people in the world. With the amount of the food wasted in the UK and US alone,  they could be lifted out of hunger.

Tristram Stuart, author of Waste: Uncovering the Global Food Scandal organized this event with the support of various NGO’s.

Team PLANEAT spoke to lots of people, who seemed to be enjoying the free food and also learning about our unsustainable global food system. It’s time to be part of the change. Check out our pictures here.

SETTING THE TABLE (image:usepagov)

Today a very exciting report was published by the Sustainable Development Commission, an independent body that advices the Government.

The report concludes that reducing meat and dairy in the diet will have significant health and environmental benefits. It has also called for all food advice from the Government to include environmental considerations as well as health guidance.

Tim Lang, co-author of Setting the Table said, “Cutting down on meat and dairy and eating only sustainably sourced fish, fruit and vegetables, would all help reduce the impact of our food system, as well as improving health.” 

Check out Felicity Lawrence interviewing Tim Lang for The Guardian here. 

The SDC has recommended further research on particular sustainability ‘hotspots’, including meat and dairy, and how different methods of production can affect sustainability. It added that an estimated 70,000 premature deaths in the UK could be avoided if diets matched nutritional guidelines.

WWF-UK are also very supportive of this key report. Mark Driscoll from WWF-UK One Planet Food programme head, said: “This is another impressive report, following on from the study in last month’s The Lancet, which makes the link between a healthy diet and a healthy planet. There can be no doubt that a definition for a sustainable diet should be a priority for Government.”

You can see more details on their meat eating VS global warming debate here. 

We are very hopeful about the policy outcomes of this report as well as raising awareness of these crucial issues relating to our planet and health.

Please let us know your comments.

FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND (image:usepagov)

Next Wednesday in the heart of central London a free lunch will be prepared from fantastic ingredients that would have otherwise been wasted. This will be for up to 5,000 people!

The aim of this exciting and highly relevant event is to highlight how easy it would be to cut down the staggering levels of food waste in the UK and the rest of the world. The event is being organised by Tristram Stuart  who is behind the highly regarded book Waste, which is a must read. The event is also in partnership with Save The Children, This is Rubbish, FareShare and Action Aid. It is also being supported by the Mayor of London, Food For All, London Food Board, Penguin and more.

So come down between 12pm-2pm next Wednesday to grab a sandwich, soup and pedal powered smoothie. Celebrity chefs will also be showing us their handy work. 

WWF will also have their life size ice bear in Trafalgar square at the same time - what a day! 

The PLANEAT team are very happy to be supporting this event. Keep an eye out for us! 

Here are some more details about this not to be missed event.

Team PLANEAT will be joining The Wave with thousands of people from across the UK  this Saturday the 5th December 2009.

This is part of a global series of public actions ahead of  Copenhagen to support a safe climate future for all.

We are calling on world leaders to take urgent action to secure a fair global deal to stop global warming exceeding the danger threshold of 2 degrees C.

PLANEAT will be there to campaign to put the effects of meat and dairy consumption higher on the climate agenda, and make it clear that livestock related greenhouse gas emissions make up a larger percentage of dangerous emissions than transport.

Groups are meeting at 12pm at Grovenor Square to set off at 1pm to march to Parliament for the 3pm climax.

Be part of this collective voice this weekend. Get in touch if you would like to join us!

Don’t forget to wear blue…

image:splorp

Paul McCartney is heading to Brussels this Thursday the 3rd December 2009. Paul is the face of the ever growing Meat Free Monday campaign launched earlier this year.

Paul and Dr Rajendra Pachuri will be addressing members of the European Parliament on the pressing issue of how individuals can significantly reduce their contribution to climate change by consuming less meat. The hearing is titled ‘Global Warming and Food Policy: Less Meat = Less Heat’. This comes days before world leaders meet in Copenhagen to hopefully agree crucial targets to reduce green house gas emissions from their nations.

This is key, as it will ensure that people begin to understand the significant environmental impact that livestock production has on climate change.

Paul says, “By making a simple change in the way you eat, you are taking part in a world changing campaign where what’s good for you is also good for the planet. Having one designated meat-free day a week is a meaningful change that everyone can make. Above all, remember that the future begins with the actions we take now.”

You can listen to this exciting address here on Thursday at 12.30pm.

photo: orphanjones

I know it sounds impossible, but baking without animal products is definitely do-able and delicious!

1. Use soy, rice or nut milks instead of dairy milk.

2. Use bananas, flax meal, or xanthan gum instead of eggs.  These will help bind the mixture.

3. Use cocounut oil instead of butter. (Technically we shouldn’t be eating much fat on a plant-based diet, but if you don’t have a life-threatening disease, then you can get away with having these foods once in a while as a special treat)

http://www.peta.org/feat/passover/PassoverRecipes.html

http://heebnvegan.blogspot.com/2008/04/guest-post-vegan-passover-guide-for.html

photo: orphanjones

We like eating things white.  White bread, white pasta, white rice.  But these are actually ‘refined’ grains, which means that the bran or germ has been removed and so have a lot of the nutrients.  So always look for wholegrain varieties of pasta, bread and rice.

Live a little and try out some new ones:

- Millet (risotto texture)

- Quinoa (small balls with a little crunch)

- and then there’s  spelt, kamut, barley, rye, oats etc.

photo:alsjhc

When you start reading labels, you realise how much sugar we are eating without even knowing it.  It’s best to avoid sugar wherever possible, especially if you have a chronic disease.  But for those of us who are just trying to practice a healthier lifestyle,  we all know a sweet treat from time to time makes life a little easier.  There are lots of sugar alternatives to look into, which are easy to source, and just as good if not better than the white stuff.

Here are some favourites:

- Agave syrup:  syrup from a cactus

- Maple syrup

- Fruit juice

- Brown rice syrup

- Xylitol

Hospitals and doctors surgeries are few and far between, so the emphasis on prevention has led staff at Sri Lanka’s National Cancer Institute to begin studying Dr T. Colin Campbell’s Plant Based Nutrition Course.

For more info:

http://www.realmedicinefoundation.org/initiatives/IN1-27.asp