FOOD IS THE SOLUTION: What to Eat to Save the World–80+ Recipes for a Greener Planet and a Healthier You
Matthew Prescott
Flatiron Books
March 27, 2018
$29.99/Hardcover
ISBN-13: 978-1250144454
Matthew Prescott is a leading figure in the global movement to reform how we farm and eat. He’s Senior Food Policy Director for the Humane Society of the United States and adviser to the Good Food Institute. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Prescott has spent over a decade and a half sharing his ideas with Ivy League universities, Fortune 500 companies, consumers, and more. His efforts have directly led to sweeping changes in the supply chains of hundreds of major food companies, impacted countless individuals’ diets, and have been covered extensively by the media: his work has been featured by CNN, in the pages of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and countless more; his writing’s appeared in USA Today, the Washington Post, Barron’s and others; his photographs have been featured in the Rolling Stone and Food & Wine; he’s been as a guest on national television news programs; and he was even once a guest on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me. He lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, the author Lara Prescott.
“The way we eat reflects how we are taking care of the planet. This book can guide us towards real change.” — Alice Waters
In FOOD IS THE SOLUTION, Matthew Prescott, Senior Food Policy Director for the Humane Society and a leader in the environmental food movement, shows how our plates have the power to heal the world. This lavishly designed resource and recipe collection shows how anyone can help solve the world’s major issues—environmental problems chief among them—simply by incorporating more plants into their diets. Featuring investigative reporting, compelling infographics, and essays from notable contributors like Dr. Michael Greger, John Mackey, James Cameron, Paul McCartney, and Wolfgang Puck, FOOD IS THE SOLUTION will inspire us all to put more plants on our plates.
What we eat will determine what kind of world we live in and what kind of world we live on—and Matthew Prescott proves that meat-heavy diets are destroying the planet. Imagine a world in which we are all healthier. Imagine a world where the air is clean, forests dense, water pure, and animal life healthy. That world is a happier world, a better world—and the delectable plant-based foods Prescott shows us how to prepare in FOOD IS THE SOLUTION will help us create it.
Rise ‘N’ Shine Breakfast Sandwich
SERVES 4
PREP AND COOKING TIME: 45 MINUTES
Go above and beyond with this delightful breakfast sandwich. A vegan sausage patty, an easy homemade egg-free patty using chickpea flour, and a slice of gooey vegan cheese all piled onto a toasted English muffin—what a morning! And because chickpeas emit 60 percent less CO2 than eggs, this recipe is as environmentally conscious as it is tasty.
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ C chickpea flour
- 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp black salt
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for greasing
- 4 vegan sausage patties
- 4 English muffins, toasted
- Ketchup
- 4 slices vegan cheese (optional)
Whisk together the chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, olive oil, salt, turmeric, pepper, and 3/4 cup water until smooth. Let sit for 30 minutes, giving one final stir at the end. Don’t be tempted to taste it yet—chickpea flour tastes weird before it’s cooked.
In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Oil the insides of four egg rings.
Place the egg rings in the pan and fill with the batter. Cook the first side for 3 minutes. Gently remove the egg rings, flip, and cook for 3 minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the vegan sausage patties to the pan and cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side.
Build each sandwich on an English muffin: a sausage patty, an egg patty, ketchup, and cheese!
Want to go the extra eco-mile? Substitute a slice of the Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Sausage for a store-bought patty, and replace the vegan cheese slices with avocado to cut down on packaging.
No egg rings? No problem. Make DIY egg rings using round cookie cutters or the screw-on rings of mason jar lids. Just make sure they’re clean and oiled before using. And when you flip the patties, use a spatula to flip the whole thing—DIY ring and all—rather than removing the ring first. When you go to pop the patty out at the end, carefully hold the ring using a fork and push the patty through the wide end.
Shopping Tip: Chickpea flour is sometimes called garbanzo flour, gram flour, or besan.
COCONUT-LEMONGRASS CURRY WITH RICE NOODLES
SERVES 2
PREP AND COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES
Lemongrass is a tropical plant in the grass family. It’s widely used as a culinary herb in Asian cooking and as a medicinal herb in India. Its oil is sometimes used as a “lure” to attract honeybees. And it’s commonly used in teas, soups, and curries for its subtle, delicious, citrusy flavor. This dish combines lemongrass with meaty shiitake mushrooms, rich coconut milk, tofu, vermicelli rice noodles, and other deliciousness to create an aromatic, flavorful curry that’ll leave you full and happy. Just watch out for bees!
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 (14-oz) package extra-firm tofu
- 3 stalks lemongrass
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp red curry paste
- 2 C canned coconut milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 C vegetable stock
- 1 C thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 C 1/2-inch pieces carrot
- 1 C 1/2-inch pieces broccoli
- About 6 oz rice vermicelli noodles
- Fresh lime wedges, for garnish
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
Cut the tofu block in half crosswise. Cut into triangles and set aside.
Cut the lemongrass stalks down the middle, remove the outer layer, and set aside.
In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the curry paste and lemongrass. Stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, salt, stock, mushrooms, and carrots. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for about 7 minutes and then add the tofu and broccoli. Cook for 5 minutes more.
Divide the vermicelli noodles in half and place into two large serving bowls—the bowls you’re going to serve or eat this dish from. Remove any large pieces of lemongrass from the curry and then pour the curry over the noodles. Cover by at least an inch, or more (depending on how soupy you want it at the end). Let sit for a few minutes so the noodles soften, and then gently stir to soften the noodles even more. (You don’t need to cook the rice noodles first. By the time the curry is the right temperature to eat, they will be cooked.)
Top with a squeeze of fresh lime, chopped cilantro, and scallions and enjoy immediately.
Want to go the extra eco-mile? Save the broccoli stems and use them in the Quick Country Coleslaw to cut down on food waste.
These recipes may be reproduced with the following credit:
Recipes from FOOD IS THE SOLUTION: What to Eat to Save the World–80+ Recipes for a Greener Planet and a Healthier You by Matthew Prescott. (Flatiron Books; March 27, 2018; $29.99/Hardcover, ISBN: 978-1250144454).
Contact: Kimberly Escobar
kimberly.escobar@flatironbooks.com