5 Sustainable Recipes to Celebrate Earth Day Everyday

There’s no denying our planet is going through some climate changes, and while it’s going to take serious work from the world’s major corporations to make a big impact, we can all adopt more sustainable practices at home—including the kitchen!

Today, we’re sharing a series of recipes from some incredibly eco-conscious chefs that definitely taste good, but they also do some good for the environment.

See also: The 8 Best Sustainable Makeup Brands That Are Actually Worth Buying

From decadent mac and cheese to hearty stew, delicious gnocchi, bright lemon pasta and more, these low-impact meals will make for a happier Earth and a healthier tummy.

Mac and Cheese

You’ve heard of mac and cheese, but what about scrap and cheese? This recipe from Chef Justin Lee of Fat Choy in New York City can be made with any cheese you like, including vegan varieties. The big star is leftover vegetable peels and scraps cooked down to make a puree that becomes the base for melting whatever cheese you choose.

Chef Lee also shared a few tips and techniques for creating less food waste at home.

“Freeze scraps and make stock when you've accumulated enough,” he says. “Before herbs go bad, put them in vinegar and use them for salad dressings. Drop citrus peels into salt that can be used to season pretty much anything. Be mindful of what you're throwing out. It's a change of perspective and habits that will help combat food waste.”

Now, on to the yums!

Ingredients:

• 1 pint vegetable scraps, thinly sliced
• 1 pint water
• 1 pint meltable cheese, grated
• Salt to taste
• 1 pint raw macaroni elbows

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, cook the vegetable scraps and water on medium low heat until the scraps are very tender, maybe 20 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender and blend until very smooth.
3. Pour the smooth sauce base back into the pot, add in cheese and cook over low heat while stirring until melted and fully incorporated.
4. Add cooked macaroni and season to taste.

Tip: If you omit cheese and cool the vegetable puree, it's a nice base you can add pesto to for a creamy sandwich spread or dip.

Fried Rice

Another tasty treat from Fat Choy’s Che Lee, this vegan fried rice recipe uses ginger peels and scallion ends to breathe new life (and spice) into the traditional dish.

Ingredients:

Ginger Scallion Paste

• 1 bunch of scallion root ends
• 1 bunch of ginger peels
• 1 tbsp salt
• Oil to barely cover

Fried Rice

• 1 quart old rice
• 1 small white onion, large diced
• 1 pint frozen peas
• ¼ head iceberg lettuce, large diced
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seed

Directions:

1. Mince scallion and ginger scraps as finely as possible in a food processor.
2. Salt the mixture and let it sit from 15 minutes to overnight.
3. Put the mixture in a small pot and just barely cover with oil.
4. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
5. Once the mixture has cooled down enough to not be dangerous, place it back into the food processor to blend as smooth as possible into a rough pesto consistency.
6. Cool and reserve.
7. Mix the paste with the old rice, being sure to make the grains as individual as possible and there are no big clumps of rice.
8. Mix in the diced onion and peas.
9. In a nonstick pan, cook the rice over medium high heat, mixing and tossing frequently for 3 to 5 minutes.
10. Stop stirring the fried rice, but leave over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes to form a crust on the bottom.
11. Toss the iceberg into the fried rice and plate everything. Garnish with sliced scallions and toasted sesame.

Tip: Note that this recipe is based on general proportions, but fried rice is a wonderful dumping ground to utilize any and all kitchen scraps.

Black Eyed Pea Stew

Looking for something hearty? This stew comes from Chef Brianna Cooper, an ambassador for Chefs for Impact, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring a more mindful relationship with food.

“My definition of sustainable food is a nice plateful meal where you have endless crops that differ according to the season,” Cooper says. “Sustainability means enough food that you can continue to provide as much as the demand in the long term. It means more sustainable seafood and meat and knowing where it all comes from.”

Ingredients:

• ½ - ¾ cups of olive oil
• 3 to 4 garlic cloves
• 4 cups stock or water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp of salt
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 1 cups chopped medium onion
• 1 tbsp ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bunch of kale

Directions:

1. Rinse packaged black eyed peas, which should have soaked overnight in 3 to 4 inches of water. Rinse beans and place on the side. If using canned beans, no need to worry about soaking.
2. If using a pressure cooker, place all ingredients inside the pot and cook for 15 to 20 minutes; or 40 to 60 minutes unsoaked.
3. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven and sauté onions for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir while cooking, and do not let it brown too much.
4. Add in ginger, garlic, tomato paste, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, chili-flakes, bay leaves and crushed tomatoes.
5. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat, then add in stock and black eyed-peas. Bring to a boil and let simmer for another 30 to 35 minutes.
6. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, adjusting seasoning and consistency if needed.
7. Add in chopped kale at the end, and cover with liquid and beans, leaving the lid on to wilt greens.
8. Enjoy!

“Le Sacre du Pintemps” Timut

Another from Chefs for Impact, this one from the mind of Chef Claire Vallee. It’s a bit more involved, but the result is fresh, decadent and delightful.

"A responsible gastronomy is defined by the choice of products that we decide to put on our plates,” Vallee says. “It means working with local producers in order to avoid carbon impact and to bring the terroir to life while protecting animals.”

Ingredients:

• 300 g of sweet potatoes
• 80 g of potato starch and a pinch for the work surface
• 70 g of flour (or 70 g of rice flour for the gluten-free version)
• 12 white asparagus
• 12 green asparagus
• 1 pinch of sugar
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Flower of salt
• 1 punnet of strawberries of your choice, rather fleshy
• 1 pinch of chili powder
• Juice of one pomegranate
• 5 tablespoons of olive oil
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• Crushed Timut pepper to taste
• Flower of salt

Directions:

Sweet potato gnocchi

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and steam them for 25 minutes.
2. Mash them in a salad bowl, then let them cool at least 30 min at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
3. Mix the cornstarch and flour. Once the puree has cooled, add the starch-flour-salt mixture a little at a time, crushing it with a fork.
4. Knead to obtain a homogeneous dough. The result should be very soft but not sticky (if it is, add a little flour).
5. Sprinkle your work surface with cornstarch. Cut a piece of the dough, and roll it with the flat of your hand on the work surface to form a small sausage. Cut the dough into small pieces and shape them as you wish.
6. Place the gnocchi in a large volume of boiling water, and let them cook until they rise to the surface. Drain.
7. Fry in a pan with a little sesame oil to crisp them up.

Cold asparagus chowder

1. Peel both varieties of asparagus. Set half aside.
2. Cut the rest into pieces and snack them in a little olive oil. Add a pinch of fleur de sel and sugar. They should be slightly caramelized. Keep warm.
3. Cut the remaining raw asparagus into strips using a mandolin. Season with a dash of olive oil, a dash of lemon juice and a pinch of fleur de sel.

Smoked strawberries

1. Remove the base of the strawberries, and cut half of them into strips and lengthwise to play with the shapes. Set aside.
2. Place the other half of the strawberries on a baking sheet.
3. Preheat to 200°C (400 F).
4. Sprinkle strawberries with Vera pepper (sweet smoked pepper). Bake for 2 minutes. Be careful, the strawberries should still be slightly firm.

Pomegranate and Timut pepper vinaigrette

1. Make a vinaigrette by mixing the pomegranate juice with the salt, Timut pepper, then whisk with olive oil.

Plating

1. In a flat plate, place the raw asparagus strips, the caramelized asparagus pieces, the sweet potato gnocchi and the fresh and smoked strawberries.
2. Top with pomegranate and Timut pepper vinaigrette. Garnish with a few garden herbs and edible flowers.
3. Enjoy!

Vegan Lemon Pasta

One final recipe from our friends at Chefs for Impact. Chief Chef Educator Kristina Ramos brings a bright and sustainable vegan pasta the whole family can enjoy.

“The role of a chef is to educate, both inside and outside of the kitchen,” Ramos says. “It's our duty to take ingredients and create something not only delicious, but something that nourishes ourselves and the planet.”

Ingredients:

• 3 yellow onions
• ⅓ cup cashews
• 1 cup of vegetable stock
• ½ box of spaghetti
• 5 shiitake mushrooms
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• Toasted panko breadcrumbs
• Lemon juice and zest

Directions:

Caramelized onions

1. In a large pan on medium heat, warm up oil for 1 minute. Add onions into the pan, spread evenly.
2. Add the pinch of salt, and reduce the heat to a medium low. Continue cooking for about 30 to 40 minutes
3. As onions begin to brown at about 30 minutes, there will be some bits sticking to the pan. That’s just the natural sugars of the onions, which is delicious. Make sure you keep stirring and scraping a bit of the bottom.
4. Once the onions are the desired light caramel color and a splash of water to deglaze the pan.

Pasta

1. Cook pasta in salted boiling water following the provided cooking times. Strain and reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.
2. Blend together the caramelized onions, cashews, 1 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp olive oil and vegetable stock.
3. In a saute pan, add 1 tbsp olive oil and place on medium heat. Add your thinly-sliced shiitake mushrooms and sweat for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until it achieves a golden brown color.
4. Add in your caramelized onion sauce, pasta water and pasta. Combine until everything is incorporated.
5. Add in the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.
6. Plate up, and add a bit of fresh ground pepper, toasted breadcrumbs and more zest on top.

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