What's (eco) cooking?

The Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee's True Cost of Food Campaign makes it clear that our choice of food, now more than ever during the holiday season, affects our earth, our health, and what we leave as a legacy to our children and our children's children. Let's pause to think about where the food we eat came from and at what cost to the environment. This holiday season, please choose plant-based, organic, and locally grown.

As Sierra Club members, we can lead the way. This year invite your friends, neighbors, and family members to a low-impact, cruelty-free Thanksgiving Day meal that is mindful of its origins and the connections that bind us all to a sustainable planet.

Eco-Friendly Recipe Ideas

If you choose to offer a turkey to your family and guests, please avoid animal products from confined animal feeding operations (factory farms) and seek the Certified Humane Raised and Handled seal. For more information visit www.certifiedhumane.com.

Harvest Veggie Pie

3 large potatoes

1 sweet potato (or yam)

2 tablespoon soy milk (maybe more, maybe less)

1 tablespoon soy non-hydrogenated vegan margarine

1 1/2 cups of stock

2 cups of assorted fresh veggies

spices (basil, salt and pepper) to taste

Basically, this is a pie with no crust and a mashed potato topping. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook and mash potatoes adding soy milk and soy margarine to make it creamy and salt and pepper to taste. I also like to add lots of garlic!

Make the gravy by boiling 1 1/2 cups of water and adding 3 veggie bouillon cubes and boil again for 10 minutes uncovered (this makes it thick and gravy like).

Chop and clean the veggies (I like to use carrots, broccoli, asparagus, snow peas, corn, and peas). Put chopped veggies in a round, shallow backing dish (I like to use a ceramic type-I find it cooks better than metal). Pour gravy mixture on top and spread mashed potatoes so that all the veggies are covered by a mashed potato cap. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (or until the top of the mashed potato becomes crisp and golden). Cool and serve. Serves: 4

Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash

2-3 apples

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 pat of non-hydrogenated margarine

dash of nutmeg

dash of salt, optional

Slice the acorn squash in half and scrape out the seeds and the strings. Place face down in casserole pan filled with 1/2 inch of water and place in a 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. While the squash is steaming there, peal and slice the apples and mix in the brown sugar. Take the squash out of the oven, place face up, and fill the cavities with the apple mixture, add a pat of margarine to each, and top with a shake or two of nutmeg as taste dictates. Cover very lightly with foil, and bake until the apples and the squash are soft and cooked, approximately another 1/2 hour. Serves: 3-4.

Corn Chowder

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cups water

2 stalks celery and 2 carrots, chopped

2 17-ounce cans vegan creamed corn

1 cup soy milk

1 potato, chopped

11/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

Sauté onion in oil over medium-high heat until soft. Add water and chopped celery and carrots. Cook 10 minutes. Add creamed corn, soy milk, chopped potato, and spices. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Serve hot. Serves five.

For more Thanksgiving recipes, visit www.newdream.org, www.gentlethanksgiving.org, www.vegweb.com, www.pcrm.org, www.vegan.org.

Diana Artemdis is a member of the National Sierra Club Sustainable Consumption Committee.