Vegetarian Crockpot Mexican Chili

One of the problems some folks have with eating vegetarian is their belief that it’s too hard. While it’s true that healthy eating can take additional planning, it doesn’t have to be difficult.

This week’s Meatless Monday recipe proves that eating vegetarian can be simple and satisfying. Just throw the ingredients in the crockpot before you leave the house and come home to a hearty meal that’s good for you and the planet!

This recipe is perfect for an easy no fuss dinner. If you’d like to go meatless all day try out: Zesty Carribean Banana Muffin for breakfast,  and  Greek Salad for lunch.

Recipe: Crockpot Mexican Chili

Ingredients

1. 1 15-oz can garbanzo beans
2. 1 15-oz can black beans
3. 1 24-oz jar of your favorite salsa
4. 2 tbsp chili powder (or more to taste)
5. 1 tbsp cumin 1 cup water
6. 1 15-oz can Mexican-style corn (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together in crockpot.
2. Turn crockpot on low heat.
3. Cover and cook 4-6 hours (depending on thickness you desire).
4. Dish and enjoy!

Meatless Monday is a nonprofit public health initiative that encourages going meatless on Monday, reducing meat consumption in order to help prevent disease and increase environmental sustainability. In association with the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, MeatlessMonday.com is a valuable resource for meatless recipes, articles, and tips.

Green Beer Comes in Many Shades

What’s better than a green beer on St Patrick’s Day? How about green beer the other 364 days of the year!

Beer has been going green since Anheuser-Busch started recycling their leftover grain and using it for cattle feed back in 1899. It’s a process that continues at many breweries today. But, some brewmasters are taking the concept of environmental stewardship even farther with sustainable practices that reduce waste, increase efficiency, and overall produce a tasty brew that is just a deeper shade of green. Relax with a green beer, and you truly can drink responsibly. Read more

Deep Sea Texting: Finding eco-friendly fish on the fly

So you’re standing at the counter of your favorite fishmonger admiring all of the seafood choices; and you want to make a healthy, eco-friendly decision. What do you do? You pick up your cell phone, send a text message, and have valuable information to help aid in that decision within seconds.

Two non-profit organizations have compiled information that can be accessed quickly regarding the health and environmental concerns of fish. Both The Blue Ocean Institute, a New York-based organization, and Friend of the Sea, a U.K.-based organization, have made it simple to maintain your quest to eat healthy and remain eco-friendly. They provide a wonderful easy to obtain reference that will assist you when making a quick decision on a seafood purchase while shopping or dining out. Read more

Eating Locally — What’s your Radius?

Many of us are doing our part to lead healthier lives with minimal impact on our environment. Some time ago I learned of Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, who in 2005 began a one-year experiment of completely eating locally.

As with many ideas, they did not set out to create a movement, instead they sort of stumbled onto the idea after finding themselves out of food on the last day of a cabin trip with friends and family in the Canadian wilderness. Short on food they decided to eat off the land. After a meal of salmon, freshly picked mushrooms and other fresh foods they found, they realized that for possibly the first time they knew the complete origin of their food from production to plate. Their dinner had minimal impact on the environment and potentially left zero carbon footprint. Read more