By: NewNaturalista

This week I’m joining the initiative “Meatless Monday!” The goal is to help reduce meat consumption by 15%…improving health and our planet. This non profit initiative is in association with the John Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health. Each Monday I will feature a meatless recipe to help get all of us going!  The benefits? Here are some according to the site:

Health Benefits

REDUCE RISK OF HEART DISEASE. Beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds contain little to no saturated fats. Reducing your intake of saturated fats can help keep your cholesterol low and reduce your risk of heart disease.

MAINTAIN HEALTHY WEIGHT. A plant-based diet is a great source of fiber, which is absent in animal products. Foods rich in fiber make you feel full with fewer calories, resulting in lower calorie intake and less overeating. On average, Americans get less than half the recommended daily quantity of fiber.

IMPROVE OVERALL QUALITY OF DIET. Consuming dry beans or peas results in higher intakes of fiber, protein, folate, zinc, iron and magnesium with lower intakes of saturated fat and total fat.

Environmental Benefits

REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT. The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization estimates the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide . . . far more than transportation. And annual worldwide demand for meat continues to grow. Reining in meat consumption once a week can help slow this trend.

MINIMIZE WATER USAGE. The water needs of livestock are tremendous, far above those of vegetables or grains. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef. Soy tofu produced in California requires 220 gallons of water per pound.

HELP REDUCE FOSSIL FUEL DEPENDENCE. On average, about 40 calories of fossil fuel energy go into every calorie of feed lot beef in the U.S. Compare this to the 2.2 calories of fossil fuel energy needed to produce one calorie of plant-based protein. Moderating meat consumption is a great way to cut fossil fuel demand.

Here’s your first recipe!

“You’ll Never Know” Chili

Meatless Chili

Servings: 6

You’ll never know there’s no meat in this thick, delicious chili, created by chef (and Chili Chancellor) Scott Scrivner.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb Boca Burger patties, broken up
• 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
• 2 chipotle peppers, minced in adobo sauce or 2 tbsp ground chipotele chili powder
• 1 cup vegetable broth or 1 bottle beer
• 1 32-oz can whole plum tomatoes, crushed and chopped
• 1 16-oz can tomato sauce
• 2 tbsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp coarse salt
• 1 14-oz can vegetarian refried beans
• 1 14-oz can pinto or red kidney beans
• 1 tbsp hot sauce or more, to taste

Directions

Over medium heat, add oil to deep pot and add burgers. Break up and brown patties, then add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are softened. Add all chopped peppers and continue to sauté until all are softened. Onions will eventually disappear into sauce. Add vegetable stock or beer — alcohol will evaporate out during cooking. Bring to boil.

Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, and then bring back to boil. Add cumin, chili powder and salt. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Adding refried beans will thicken chili, so add in stages to desired thickness. Simmer 20 30 minutes, adding additional stock as needed. Re-season with hot sauce and additional chili powder as needed.

Related posts:

1. Meatless Monday
2. Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls
3. Meatless Monday: A Visit To The Mediterranean!
4. Recipe: Yummy Pho Soup
5. Meatless Monday – Vegfest 2010