#healthyeah

ENVIRONMENTALISTS FOR BLACK LIVES MATTER. Everyone for Black Lives Matter. Every single day. Inspired by @greengirlleah ‘s thoughtful words on the intersection of environmentalism and social justice. One does not exist without the other. People for the planet, people for people. So much of our work around sustainability is siloed across communities. As white allies we have to actively do the work to lift up, empower, and showcase the work being done in Black communities, around the world. We have an obligation to put marginalized communities ahead of our own, as theirs are more often than not the individuals most impacted by food insecurity, injustice, and accessibility issues.

FOOD IS POLITICAL. It is the universal language across all cultures and a tool of the opressor. Access to healthy, plant-based eating is a luxury, a commoditized privilege of predominately white communities. Access to healthy, plant-based eating should be a human right of EVERY community. We must actively ban together to support equitable ingredients, wherever we live. This means empowering Black farmers to take back land and provide opportunity to grow their own food and share with Black families. This means recurring donations to your local food pantry (instead of one time donations.) This means inviting someone new to your table to create conversation and cultivate love. This is VITAL. We must be the change we wish to see in the world.

Closed Loop Cooking will continue to put out content here, on the website, and in our weekly newsletter collaborating with and highlighting the incredible work of BIPOC folx. The work that enables us all to have a future on this planet. We see you. We hear you. We love you.

Regrowing green onions

Green onions aka scallions are a seriously resilient piece of produce. You can eat right up to the root, using the green and white parts in salads, stir-fries, chili, and more. Thicc soups just don’t feel complete without a handful of scallion rings on top, am I right? 

How to regrow green onions: 1. Leave approx 1 inch of white stem / root. Chop off the rest and eat / store for later use. 2. In a small container place roots and fill with about 1/2 inch of water. 3. Leave on counter for 5 - 7 days, changing the water every other day to avoid any mold growth. Make sure the roots are always covered with water. You’ll see growth over the next few days! You can snip off the greens to eat and allow the plant to keep growing. 4. You can also plant your onions in soil and keep in the kitchen! Just make sure to always leave a bit of white to keep the growth process going.

Low waste lunch 10.21 <3

Leftover veg curry with sweet potatoes, daikon, red onion, quinoa, red lentils, and loads of greens. Repurposing dinner into a package-free lunch is super satisfying.

10 cookbooks by BIPOC plant lovers

If you know me, you know my cookbooks. Multiple shelves dedicated to a variety of food and food adjacent inspiration. I’m obsessed with cookery focused literature. Anyone else read Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat like a textbook, spread out on the floor, taking notes, enjoying the beautiful illustration, reveling in the the thoughtfulness of this work? I know I’m not the only one! When I find a great cookbook, I find a moment of comfort in the guided framework and kitchen scenes I imagine playing out with each of these authors. I’ve found the importance in building up a diverse library, pulling stories from a multitude of chefs to inform my next dish. Our own Maia Welbel put together a robust list of 10 of our favorite cookbooks from BIPOC plant lovers for the next time you’re seeking some inspiration. You don’t want to miss this list!

Check out all 10 recs over on closedloopcooking.com and let us know what you create!  

DIY Low Impact Produce Wash

Apple peels, sweet potato skins, carrot tops, curly leaf kale, all dirty dudes, all nutritious, and worth a good wash. Taking on this ethos of using every part of your produce requires a little bit more preparation.

I try to buy organic / local when possible to avoid any extra chemical residue. (In situations when this isn’t possible, removing a waxy or damaged skin from your produce is probably the better bet.) A sustainable cleaning process ensures your fruits and veggies are ready to eat and last longer. Getting in the habit of washing your produce as soon as you get home from the store or market makes it super easy to use it later throughout the week.

Baking soda is an awesome low cost, low impact alternative for clean eats! It’s way better to wash this down the drain than most other commercial dish detergents that are usually dyed, scented, and in a plastic bottle. I buy baking soda in a cute lil cardboard box and it lasts for a few months.

How-to:

Gather all fruits and veggies (it’s helpful to do everything at once to make it easier to pull out of the fridge for later use) and a large bowl.

Fill bowl with cool water about halfway.

Add 2 tablespoons of baking soda to bowl and mix to combine.

Add in produce, make sure all pieces are fully submerged, and let sit for 12 – 15 minutes.

Using a dedicated produce scrub or clean dish towel, scrub and rinse off produce and repeat steps 4 and 5 as needed. (I use the same solution for all of my produce at one time to do a batch wash.)

It’s that easy!

ALMOND BUTTER MILK

A fav #lowwaste food hack - making non dairy milk from nut butter! I was skeptical at first–what’s the catch? What do you mean there’s no leftover pulp to repurpose? But y’all, DIY nut butter milk is where it’s AT! It’s super creamy, nutty, and you can make slightly sweet to your liking. Best of all, it’s an awesome way to avoid those hard to recycle (basically impossible) tetra packs that most non dairy milks come in. And much easier on your blender that probably needs a break from the oceans of hummus it’s made. If you’ve got a jar of nut butter waiting to be used up or you just need a splash of milk for your coffee, you can whip up this nut butter milk (how many times is too many to say nut butter) in just a few minutes!

I recommend a creamy variety, with no added sugar. I like almond but cashew, hazelnut, or you could get wild and try peanut, are all great options! (FYI have not tried peanut butter milk but I am hecka curious.) This is a quick recipe you can adapt to your texture preferences and make as needed, because who doesn’t love fresh nut milk? :D

Nut butter milk 

- 1/4 cup nut butter (I used almond) - pinch of kosher salt - 1 tsp maple syrup (optional) - 1 cup water

1. Add nut butter, salt, maple syrup, and 1/2 cup water to blender. Blend on high for 1 minute. This will create a thicker milk. 2. Add the additional 1/2 cup water 1 tbsp at a time until desired thickness. More water will make a thinner milk. 3. Enjoy! Makes about 1 cup of nut butter milk. Keeps well in the fridge about a week, be sure to shake well before drinking.

I may be a nut butter milk convert, somebody has to get through this granola. Love a solid #plantbased food tip to reduce packaging waste and help ya do it yourself at home.

KALE STEMS