This World Environment Day’s theme was Think:Eat:Save .
Australians waste over 4 million tonnes of food a year, or nearly 180kg per person, at 1 Million Women we want tomake people conscious of the impact this waste is having on our environment.
The UNEP Website explains:
Roughly one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted.
Food loss and waste also amount to a major squandering of resources, including water, land, energy, labour and capital and needlessly produce greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming and climate change.
This is the second recipe in the Foodprint series for World Environment Day. This series is a collection of recipes that will help keep your carbon footprint small, help reduce waste AND taste delicious! We will be releasing one everyday for the rest of the week, and including a Think, Eat, Save Tip at the bottom.
What more could you want?
Sustainable Tables Lentil and Haloumi Salad
(by Angela Gioffre, Organic Empire,
Yarra Valley)
Ingredients
1½ cups dried brown or green lentils, rinsed (or 2 x 400g tins drained and rinsed)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 cucumber, halved and sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
½ cup mint leaves, shredded
1½ tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250g block haloumi cheese
flour, for dusting haloumi
fresh chilli (optional)
sea salt and cracked black pepper
Method:
- If using dried lentils, cook according to directions on the packet.
- Combine cooked (or tinned) lentils, onion, cucumber, tomatoes, mint, lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl.
- Season with salt, pepper and fresh chilli (optional), then toss to combine.
- Cut the haloumi lengthways into 8 slices. Pat dry with paper towel. Dust lightly with flour and shake off excess.
- Heat remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
- Cook the haloumi in batches, for 2 minutes each side, or until golden.
- Drain the haloumi on paper towel.
Serve the lentil salad topped with warm haloumi.
If you like it more lemony you can add extra lemon juice.
Think, Eat, Save Tip: Commit to a Meat free day a week and help shrink your carbon footprint!
Manage your weekly diet to include lots of cereals, nuts, fruits and vegetables and non red meats, as by cutting out one 150g red meat meal a week you can save approx. 195kg of CO2 in a year.