When deciding what to cook, it’s of paramount importance that the Gorgeously Green Girl takes “Sustainability” into consideration. What the heck is sustainability? It basically means that the foods you pick can hold up in the long term and that the rearing/growing of them will sustain the earth. To put it simply, beef is not sustainable as it takes an inordinate amount of resources (water and energy) to produce. If we all carried on eating beef as we do with the population rising from the current 6.5 billion to 9.1 billion in 2050 - we’re going to be cutting down a lot of rainforests to accommodate the cattle. That being said, we don’t have to give up beef altogether. The Gorgeously Green lifestyle is not about extremes or denial, it’s about caring. Consider cutting down on how much beef you eat and most importantly, save up for grass-fed beef, as it’s healthier for you and the planet.
Fish is another one that the sushi-loving G.G. girl needs to consider. Chilean Sea Bass isn’t the best choice as there’s not much left! Tuna and swordfish should be seriously limited on account of the mercury content and it’s wise to understand that the shrimp spilling out of those spicy rolls have to travel thousands of miles, often from farms in Thailand or India.
Organic produce is a no-brainer if you want to take charge of your health and your environment.
I am a passionate cook and love, love eating. I’m also a cookery book addict, so much so, my husband despairs at the growing two- foot tower of hardbacks gracing my nightstand. I love to experiment and I encourage you to do the same. Even if you think you can’t cook, if you like eating, I promise you can! Cooking can be the most creative, soulful activity of my day, a total stress-buster.
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GORGEOUSLY GREEN'S CHEF OF THE MONTH
Rachel Carr
Rachel Carr is one of the United States's Premiere Raw Food Chef's. Since taking over as executive chef of Cru, a trendy raw food café, it was voted Best Raw Food Restaurant in Los Angeles. Renowned for her creative use of the freshest organic produce, Chef Carr crafts exquisite vegetarian offerings from a huge variety of seasonal fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and whole grains, artfully weaving Italian, Japanese, Tunisian, Thai and Indian flavors into a fresh interpretation of life enhancing gourmet food.
With a Masters degree in the arts, she blends the holistic nature of life with the living essence of raw and super food preparations. She inspires both clients and students with her dynamic classes and artful dinners, demonstrating the incredible power of raw food to transform both the physical body and spiritual consciousness as well as delighting the palate. She is known locally and nationally for her inner light and exquisitely prepared gourmet plant based cuisine.
www.CruSilverLake.com
RACHEL'S TREVISO BRUSCHETTA
2 leaves of curly kale
1 tablespoon cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons pinenuts
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 leaves treviso or raddichio
red onion-thinly sliced and marinated in agave nectar or honey
3 fresh basil leaves, cut into a fine chiffonade
chop kale finely and dress with olive oil, garlic, salt and pine nuts. mix well. spoon mixture into treviso leaves and top with the thinly sliced marinated onions and basil.
Pretty easy! This is always a big hit at parties and a great way to eat dark greens like kale.
The pine nuts add a richness and the sweet onions balance the bitter treviso.
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Great Resources:
Burgerville.com
This is a local, sustainable and healthy burger chain, which is great for kids. Visit their website to see if you are lucky enough to find a restaurant near you.
Chipotle.com
This Mexican fast-food joint is a cut above the rest in terms of environmental policies and tasty, healthy food. If you’re in the mood for a little something a little feisty, don’t hesitate.
Sustainabletable.org
I love this website for all sorts of information, tips and recipes. Plan to spend a few minutes browsing.
Eatwild.com
If you want to educate yourself about the benefits of grass-fed meat, go visit this excellent website.
Openspacemeats.com
Here’s where to purchase your grass-fed beef
Diamondorganics.com
I love this company so much. They will deliver fresh, organic food anywhere in the states ñ so you’ll never have to go without.
Wegmans.com
For eco-friendly shrimp, look no further.
