Make your kitchen green
Sun reporter Jill Rosen has a story today with tons of tips on how to reduce your "cookprint."
There are some pretty easy ways to make meals in an environmental way -- turning off the burners a little early, using less water, avoiding plastic bags and composting instead of throwing away table sraps.
Got any other idea to share?
Here are some from reader Dahlink:
I love to roast food, but I do it in my dual-fuel oven. I generally roast several things at once on the convection setting (planning ahead for future meals) and I turn off the oven well before the food is done, as my oven retains the heat for a long time.
My favorite appliance is my warming drawer. My husband works long hours, but I can keep food ready to eat as soon as he walks in the door without overcooking it.
I have also started using those microwavable bags of rice, lentils, etc. They generally microwave in 90 seconds, rather than needing 40 minutes on the stove (as is the case for brown rice made from scratch, for example).
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Comments
But if you are using lots of plastic bags to cook food in the microwave, does that really end up being better, in the long run, than using the stove? I have never made rice or lentils that take as long as 40 minutes on the stove (a lot less time) so I wonder which way would use more resources.
Posted by: aeb | May 27, 2009 4:57 PM
aeb, I guess it all depends on what you are cooking. I love brown rice and whole grains, but I find we are having them a lot more frequently now that they are done in 90 seconds rather than 30-40 minutes on the stovetop.
One other thing we do in summer is grill a lot on the trusty Weber grill on the weekend, and then we have the makings of several quick meals during the week.
Posted by: Dahlink | May 27, 2009 9:23 PM
I have been steaming my vegetables in the microwave for years and use the toaster oven to cook a piece or two of chicken every night.
Posted by: NotableM | May 28, 2009 8:08 AM
Dahlink, I laugh as I ask this - and Lord knows, we don't want to break the hearts of our favorite Grillin' Guys - but does grilling add to the Emissions? Could this whole problem that Greenpeace ranked be a Weber Event?
Posted by: Eve | May 28, 2009 8:45 AM
yeah... I am still skeptical that cooking in lots of plastic bags is more green than turning on the stove. Can Jill weigh in? Or point me to some resources? I mean, the article does say to avoid plastic bags.... It seems it'd make more sense to cook things that take less time, turn the stove off early and use that method, or to use an appliance that uses less power, like a rice cooker.
Posted by: aeb | May 28, 2009 10:41 AM
I agree, cooking in plastic bags does not seem like a good way to go when it comes to going green. There is plenty of information out there to find other valuable ways to do your share in reducing your carbon footprint.
Posted by: Surety Bail Bond | April 20, 2011 12:26 PM