Eco-cooking Challenge

Small Footprints posted another Change the World Wednesday:

This week, if possible, try cooking a meal outside over a clean, Eco-friendly fire.

Or ..

If you are unable to cook outside, or if it's just too cold, please cook at least one day's meals using energy-efficient methods (table top appliances such as crock-pots, electric skillets, etc.). Do not use the stove or oven.

Or ...

If you are already cooking meals in an energy-efficient way, please share information and suggestions on how we all can do better.


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So... I thought it might be good to take a little break from some recipes this week and look at ways to cook outside (or inside) in a eco-friendly manner. 


What do we mean by a clean, Eco-friendly fire? Well, you can use wood if the wood is obtained in a "green" way. Using dead wood is a good start. Or, you can check out options for "green" BBQ's here. 


Even though my husband really wanted me to fire up the grill for dinner over the weekend, I made a vow that while living in Montana, I will not grill outside in the snow and cold during the months of December, January, and February. Come March and you will find me cooking a roast chicken over a hot bed of coals. 


Cooking indoors in an energy-efficient way is possible. Just follow these tips:

• Ovens are not energy star rated. So, if you are looking to reduce the amount of energy use, don't use your oven.
• Use small pots on small burners. This is especially important for electric stove tops. Using a small pot on a large burner wastes a lot of energy. 
• Cook fast foods. No, I'm not saying eat fast food. Cook fast... like stir fry or a quick saute of chicken breasts. 
• Use the microwave. Yeah, I'm not a big microwave person, but some things are perfectly fine cooked in a microwave -- steaming vegetables, cooking frozen vegetables, baking potatoes. It goes along with the cook fast food idea above. 
• Make one-pot meals. The less pots and pans to clean, the less water used for washing. You can go one step further and cook a one-pot meal in a crock pot OR you can make a quick chicken stew on the stove by purchasing a rotisserie chicken from the deli to cut the cooking time to about 10-15 minutes (even quicker, if you use frozen vegetables). 
• Plan ahead and make a week's worth of meals in one day. This is a good idea for those of us who are busy beavers during the week and (big AND) who are über organized. This way, you can multi-task the food prep on one day and then reheat the meals the rest of the week.
• Eat a raw meal. Ok, so, um raw chicken breast... gross. But have a salad and sandwich night or if you are feeling adventurous, trying making a Tuna or Steak Tartar. 

I hope y'all take a stab at this challenge. It's always good to figure out ways to use less energy, even in the kitchen.