Column: The Green Way - Feb/2020

Dear (((EveryBit))) Readers,

February is here! It’s not just a very romantic month because of Valentine’s Day but it is also the month we celebrate President’s Day! We honor great names like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, great men that always make me think about my own achievements and doings. One thing I’m very proud of is the impact I make as a vegetarian, I became a vegetarian over 14 years ago for ethical reasons (for me animals are not food, that simple) and after sometime I got so used to the lifestyle I adopted I ended up forgetting about the great impacts derived from it! Around two years ago I was randomly surfing the web and stumbled upon a “vegetarian calculator” which is basically a website that calculates (based on how long you’ve been living as a vegetarian) the positive impacts you made since you became a vegetarian, I was really REALLY proud of myself with the results I got! In this issue I’m going to talk about the great impacts our lifestyles can make and share a delicious “Mashed Potato Patties” recipe which is perfect to pair with your favorite red wine and have a yummy Valentine’s Day with your beloved Valentine!

A Glance at Vegetarianism: Like I mentioned above our lifestyles always make impacts, positive impacts in some cases and negative impacts in other cases, we are in this world to learn, to teach, to evolve! I have many friends who would love to become vegetarians, but they can’t really give up meat just yet, but that does not mean they can’t cause positive impacts, for instance, I have a friend who would really love to become a vegetarian, she tried three times and failed, but she didn’t give up she simply decided to do it her own way, so she started “meat free months” which means she only consumes meat every other month, and guess what? She is making a great impact already! By consuming meat only every other month she spends 6 months of the year with absolutely no meat consumption! That means she is sparing 101 animal lives, saving 804 pounds of CO2 and not eating 98 pounds of meat a year! You see? Your choices can make GREAT impacts! So far I have spared 2,828 animal lives, saved 22,526 pounds of CO2 and did not consume 2,730 pounds of meat! Sometimes we forget about the impacts our choices make, it’s a new year, it’s a new decade, it’s the perfect time to make great impacts! I truly hope you’ll feel inspired by these numbers and maybe you’ll start making positive impacts by adopting a new lifestyle! Do it your way! If you are not ready to go all the way you can always start with “meat free Mondays” and then “Meat Free Weeks” and so on! To access the Vegetarian Calculator visit the website: www.vegetariancalculator.com

Recipe: “Mashed Potato Patties” – This delicious recipe is perfect to pair with your favorite red wine! It’s a great option for a yummy Valentine’s Day dinner! The recipe I’m sharing is the original one but you can always give this recipe your special touch (like adding olives or garlic) enjoy! 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of mashed potatoes

• 2 cups (8 oz) of shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 cup of flour (or up to 1/2 cup of flour for creamier potatoes)

• 2 to 3 Tbsp of chives, chopped

• 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs

• Light Olive oil or Canola oil to sauté

• Sour cream to serve

Directions: 

In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups of mashed potatoes, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, 1 large egg, 1/4 cup of flour and 2 Tbsp of chopped chives. Use a potato masher to mash the mixture together until well mixed. If the potatoes are too loose to hold a patty shape, add flour (a Tablespoon at a time).

Place a heaping tablespoonful of potato mixture between your palms and form into a round, 1/3" thick patty. Dredge both sides of the patty in bread crumbs and set on a cutting board. Repeat with remaining patties.

Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat with enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Once oil is hot, add patties in a single layer and sauté 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining patties, adding more oil as needed. I usually have 2 skillets going at once to finish sooner. Enjoy and Happy Valentine’s Day!