Vegan Recipe - Shiitake & Soba Noodle Bowl

What if you could prepare a meal that is delicious, healthy and Eco-friendly? Sounds like the perfect scenario, doesn't it? Well, good news ... it's absolutely doable! We know about foods that are delicious and healthy but ... how does one make their meal "green"? Easy ... make it meatless. Plant-based foods take far fewer natural resources to produce than animal-based foods. With recipes like the one we're going to share today, you won't be thinking "vegan" ... you'll just be thinking "mmmmm".

Please meet Justin Fox Burks, the author (and brilliant photographer) behind The Chubby Vegetarian. There's so much to love about The Chubby Vegetarian ... "seriously-make-you-drool" photography, great articles on such things as making vegetarian sushi, and, of course, recipes. Justin's recipes aren't "run of the mill" ... nope ... you'll find exotic dishes such as:

• Vegetarian Kimchi + Korean BBQ Sliders
• Vegetarian Pad Thai
• Socca Stuffed With Creamed Arugula & Topped with Artichoke & Pine Nut Ragout
• Baked Lemongrass Tofu + Coconut Jasmine Rice

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine too!

Justin has very kindly agreed to share one of his recipes with us. I hope you will enjoy it!

Shiitake + Soba Noodle Bowl (for one):

Pan-Asian Broth*
Soba Noodles (enough for one)

1 carrot (shredded using a juilenne peeler)

1/2 cup broccoli florets

prepared shiitake mushrooms**

chives

hot sauce (like La-Yu)

soy sauce (or Braggs)

Bring your broth up to a roiling boil. Cook the carrots in the broth until just tender. This will take about 30 seconds to a minute. Using a spyder, fish the carrots out of the broth; repeat the same process with the broccoli, and then cook the noodles in the broth until tender. Remove the noodles from the broth and reserve the broth.

Place the noodles in a bowl. Top on one side with carrots, the other side with broccoli, and in the center, add the mushrooms. Pour about a cup and a half of the hot broth over the noodle bowl. Garnish the dish with chives, hot sauce, and a little soy sauce.

*For the Pan-Asian Broth:

3 cups good vegetable broth

3 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

splash of rice vinegar

splash of soy sauce

splash of mirin

Combine all ingredients in a pot.

**For the mushrooms:

5-6 shiitake mushroom caps (sliced into thirds)

1 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

pinch of smoked salt

splash of soy sauce (or Braggs)

splash of mirin

Turn on your vent hood -- this recipe creates a bit of smoke! Heat a medium-sized pan over high heat and add the sesame oil. Once the oil starts to smoke, throw the mushrooms in and toss them around. Allow them to cook for about a minute before removing the pan from the heat. Add the smoked salt, soy and mirin. Set mushrooms aside.


I'd like to thank Justin for sharing this fabulous recipe with Reduce Footprints.

For all of the recipes that we've posted on this blog, please click HERE or use the tab at the top of the page. If you have a vegan recipe which you'd like to share, please send it to me HERE. And stay tuned for more recipes ... we post them on the first Friday of each month.

Switching to a Manual Lawn Mower by Jakob Barry

Switching to a Manual Lawn Mower

Lawn mowers as we know them were introduced to the masses in the early 1800s and were powered by people or animals.

Eventually gasoline and electric versions made their way onto the market and the old style manual “reel” or push mowers got lost in junk yards or the dark corners of basements.

In retrospect the transition made sense since using gas or electric made everyone’s lives easier when it came to cutting large lawns or trying to mow over tall grass.

However, in recent years sheer practicality is bringing back the manual reel.

• It costs less both to purchase and operate
• The newer ones are easier to push than their manually oriented predecessors
• There’s no running on empty (no need for fuel or electricity)
• There’s little if any maintenance though wiping down blades preserves them
• The extra push to cut the grass adds a little workout fever to the chore
  

Meanwhile, grounds for switching back to manual mowers or at least having one as an option can further be justified through two other very important issues: curbing pollution and personal safety.

Pollution

Did you know the level of emissions released over time by gasoline powered mowers for personal or commercial grounds maintenance can eventually equal what automobiles emit over hundreds of miles? Also, fumes or oil spills can poison grass or other plant life in the yard much like it harms vegetation along busy streets.

For these reasons and more the US Environmental Protection Agency has been setting new restrictions for small lawn equipment hoping to reduce the environmental impact. Still, next to wearing a gas mask the best way to not breathe in fumes while mowing the lawn is to use a manual mower.

Alternatively, noise is another type of pollution motor powered mowers cause. A gasoline or electric powered mower engine produces enough racket to affect our hearing and sour relationships with neighbors, especially if the lawn is mowed at the wrong time of day.

With a push mower it’s easy to listen to music and if necessary mow the lawn at six in the morning without making enemies.

Safety

Despite there being various sources calculating the annual amount of people injured in lawn mower accidents its clear those numbers are around 100,000 or higher, many children included. It’s also a fact that negligence is only part of the story as most of these accidents are related to the engine’s powering of high speed blades. In an instant they can cut up many hard substances sending pieces flying like shrapnel.

Electric models themselves have separate issues, as extension cords often get run over or tangled up causing damage to other things in the yard. With gas powered mowers the fuel is a hazard and homeowners have been known to throw out their back trying to start them up.

The bottom line: When it comes to safety there can be no compromising. That’s why although the powered mower is convenient and great for big jobs whenever possible the manual mower should be put to use.


Jakob Barry writes for Hometalk.com, a growing community of homeowners and contractors getting the most from their resources by sharing and monitoring projects together. He covers various eco-friendly home improvement topics including Green landscaping and lawn services.

Summer Solstice

Happy Summer Solstice and the longest day of the year! The weather is warming up and many of us are thinking about vacations and outdoor activities. This time of year, however, can present us with some unique environmental challenges ... keeping cool, vacationing in a responsible way, maintaining a beautiful & Eco-friendly yard, etc. Is it possible to turn unique environmental challenges into opportunities? Well sure! Here are some ideas:

• Turn your A/C thermostat to 75 degrees or higher. Better yet, don't use it at all.
  

• Use ceiling fans. Adjust them so that they run in a counter-clockwise direction (stand under the fan and if you feel a breeze, it's set correctly).

• Use box fans or small space fans to help circulate air. And here's a tip ... when it's cool outside, put a fan in the window facing in and blow cool air into the room. When it's hot inside, reverse it ... put a fan in the window facing out and blow the hot air outside. It works amazingly well.
  

• Adjust the curtains and windows. Open them when it's cool and the sun isn't shining in. When the sun comes around, close both the windows and the shades.

• Turn off all electrical devices when not in use. For example, when you're not using the computer, turn it off ... you'd be surprised at how much heat a computer puts out (there's a reason there are little fans inside of computers). And don't forget lights ... they generate quite a lot of heat as well.
  

• Eat local and organic. Summer is the perfect time to eat fresh, local, organic produce. Support farmer's markets, CSAs and roadside stands. Or, start a garden and grow your own.

• Get some exercise and leave the car at home. This is the perfect time of year to walk or ride a bike ... so give the car, and our air, a break.

• Are you planning some landscaping this summer? Be sure to opt for native plants ... they'll require far less water and fertilizer.

• When mowing lawns, use a push mower instead of the power version.

• Does your deck, patio or walkway need cleaning? Sweep it instead of using a vacuum, blower or hose.
  

• If you use large appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers ... operate them either early in the morning or late at night ... you'll not only save money by not running them during peak hours, you'll save energy.

• Consider using a clothes line and make use of the sun.

• Going on a picnic? Be sure to use reusable dishes and utensils ... no paper plates or plastic forks. And don't forget cloth napkins instead of paper. When the picnic is over, be sure to clean the area ... leaving nothing but your footprints.

• Carry a reusable water bottle with you instead of buying bottled water.
  

• Opt for counter top cooking rather than using an oven ... toaster ovens and crock pots make wonderful meals without using a lot of energy.
  

• Are you planning a vacation? Consider a "staycation", playing tourist in your own town. If you decide to leave town, check out this post first: Vacations - The Eco-Friendly Way.

• When buying typical summer products (sun lotions, swim suits, pool toys, etc.) be sure they are Eco-friendly.

• Forgo expensive souvenirs and take digital photos instead. If you really want a souvenir, consider something from nature ... a rock or piece of driftwood.
  

• Start a compost bin ... summer is the perfect time for composting.

• Planning a little hiking or camping this summer? Remember to carry out what you carry in ... no littering. In fact, it's a pretty good rule for any activity, anytime.
  

I haven't forgotten those of you who are moving into winter. For our friends on the other side of the world, check out these posts:

• 15 Energy Saving Tips for Fall
  

• Winter Solstice

With just a little effort, any season can be Eco-friendly ... and wonderful!

Happy Summer (or Winter) everyone!