The true cost of eating meat

Rajenda Pachauri, the Nobel laureate and head of the UN intergovernmental panel on climate change, has stated that changing what's on your plate is a more important issue than reducing car journeys. And his colleague Yvo de Boer, head of the UN agency that hosts international talks on climate change, has said that one of the best solutions to the planet's most burning problem would be "for us all to become vegetarians".

The pair have authoritative studies on their side. In 2006, another UN body, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, stated that 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions stemmed from livestock rearing. Not only does meat production contribute more than transport to climate change, the methane released by flatulent cows has 23 times more potential impact on the earth's atmosphere than carbon dioxide, the FAO estimated.

Jeremy Rifkin, the American economist and an adviser to several EU institutions, has given a similarly compelling reason why meat consumption must be cut. "People go hungry because much of arable land is used to grow grain for animals instead of food for people," he has said, pointing out that during its 1984 famine, Ethiopia was growing linseed cake and rapeseed meal for European livestock while its own people were dying of hunger.

Read more at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/apr/30/swine-flu-meat

Asparagus Frittata

Adapted from http://elise.com/recipes/archives/002019asparagus_frittata.php

Servings: 4

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp salt

2 bunches of asparagus, tough ends snapped off, spears cut diagonally into 2cm lengths

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup shredded cheese

Method

1. Heat oil into a 25 cm oven-proof frying pan over medium high heat. Add onions and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add asparagus, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, covered, until the asparagus are barely tender, 6 minutes, making sure it doesn't burn.
   
3. Pour in eggs and cook until almost set, but still runny on top, about 2 minutes.
   
4. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and put in under oven griller until cheese is melted and browned, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 4 wedges.
   

Shopping List

(assuming you have cheese, salt)

Green grocer

half a dozen eggs $4.00

1 onion $0.50

2 bunches asparagus $7.00

Total: $12.50

Price per serve: $3.13

Spinach and Ricotta Balls in Curry Sauce

Adapted from http://www.edgell.com.au/recipe-balls-in-sauce.asp

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 pkt frozen spinach
1 onion, finely chopped chopped
can 5 bean mix, drained
tub of ricotta cheese
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 tsp ground coriander
2 cups rice or pasta
oil

Sauce:
1 onion, finely diced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 cups water
1 can diced tomato, drained
1 tablespoons tomato paste no added salt

Method

1. Put rice or pasta on to cook according to packet directions.
2. Defrost spinach for 2 minutes in a microwave (or boiling water) and then add to a medium-hot pan with oil or butter to cook.
3. Place cooked spinach, onion, bean mix, 2 tbsp water, ricotta, breadcrumbs, egg and ground coriander into a food processor and process until combined (or mash with a potato masher).
4. Form mixture into 20 balls.
5. In a non-stick pan with oil on medium heat, add onion, curry powder, brown sugar, vinegar and ¼ of the water, cook for 1 minute.
6. Add remaining water, tomato, tomato paste and simmer for 4 minutes.
7. Add a batch of ricotta balls, pouring the curry sauce over them for 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining batches of ricotta balls.
8. Serve with a side of rice or pasta.
   

Shopping list

(assuming you already have oil, rice, ground coriander, bread crumbs, eggs, curry powder, sugar, vinegar, tomato paste)

Aldi

tub of ricotta cheese $2.99

1 pkt of frozen spinach $1.29

1 can five bean mix $0.89

1 can diced tomato $0.75

Total: $5.92

Green grocer

1 onion

Approx 50c

Total: $6.42

Price per serving: $1.61

*giggle*

Zucchini and Bean Bake

Adapted from http://www.edgell.com.au/recipe-zucchini-bake.asp

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
jar of pasta bake sauce
can of 4 bean mix

200g spiral or penne pasta
1 cup grated cheese

Method

Cook pasta according to the instructions on packet.

Preheat over to 190°C
Heat oil in frypan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add zucchini slices. Cook for a further 2 minutes.
Stir in pasta sauce, drained beans and pasta.

Spoon into a 1 litre ovenproof dish.

Sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Shopping list

(assuming you have oil, cheese, garlic)

Aldi

can of 5-bean mix $0.99

spiral pasta $0.59

pasta bake sauce $1.99

$3.57

Green grocer

2 zucchini

1 onion

Approx $2

Total: $5.57

Price per serving: $1.40