The Climate Change Cookbook

Healthy, tasty, and sustainable, The Climate Change Cookbook delivers taste bud-tantalizing dishes that help protect our planet. 

The Climate Change Cookbook is a guide to healthy eating in a way that benefits not only your body but your environment too. It features over 65 recipes from PJ Taste, a catering company that has always put sustainability at the heart of its business. From desserts to dishes you can entertain with, these recipes will help you embrace a more plant-based diet, discover new ingredients and flavors, and expand your cooking or baking repertoire without the extra environmental cost.

FREEKEH & BLACK BEAN STUFFED PEPPERS WITH SWEETCORN RELISH

Stuffed peppers with a real southern American feel thanks to the black beans and spicy sweetcorn relish. Freekeh has a slightly smoky flavor which goes very well with the barbecue vibe.

Serves: 4

For the sweetcorn relish

• 7 oz sweetcorn
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 red chilies, chopped
• 1 small white onion, 2 baby onions or 2-3 scallions, finely diced
• ½ a red pepper, diced
• ½ a green pepper, diced
• 1 fl oz olive oil
• 1 fl oz white wine vinegar
• Small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

For the stuffed peppers

• 6 oz cracked freekeh
• 2 green peppers
• 2 red peppers
• Olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 x 14 oz tin of black beans, drained

For the sweetcorn relish

Combine all the ingredients and leave them in the fridge for the flavors to mingle.

For the stuffed peppers

Cook the freekeh in a saucepan with 300 fl oz of water for about 15 minutes, then fluff it up with a fork. Be careful not to boil the pan dry, adding a little more water if required.

Leaving the stalks on, slice the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Brush inside and out with olive oil then season. Cook the peppers in the oven at 390° F for 15 minutes until soft and starting to very slightly color. Keep them warm while you make the filling.

Fry the onion for 6 minutes until softened, then finely chop the garlic and add it to the pan with the chili, oregano, cumin, and cayenne. Cook for another 2 minutes then stir in the cooked freekeh, the watery parts of the tomatoes, and the black beans. Cook for 5 minutes and then taste to check the seasoning.

Spoon the freekeh and black bean mixture into the pepper halves. Serve immediately with the sweetcorn relish on the side. Try with some grated cheese sprinkled over the top.

ROAST VEGETABLE & SMOKED CHEESE SOURDOUGH TOASTIE

A quick yet tasty and nutritious lunch, particularly if you have reserved some roast vegetables from a meal in the last few days.  

Serves: 1

• 2 medium-thick slices of sourdough
• 2 slices of smoked cheddar (approx. 3 oz)

For the roast vegetables

Mixed seasonal vegetables such as zucchinis, eggplants, peppers, and red onions

• 3 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the roast vegetables

Dice or slice the vegetables and put them into a roasting tin. Crush the whole garlic cloves and add to the tin along with a drizzle of olive oil and seasoning to taste. Roast in the oven at about 400° F for 30 to 45 minutes, then leave to cool.

To make the sandwich, preheat your sandwich toaster, grill pan, or oven. Pile the roast vegetables and any juices from the pan onto the first slice of bread. Cover with a layer of smoked cheddar and add the second slice of bread.

Cook in the sandwich toaster, grill pan, or oven until bubbling hot in the center. Serve sliced in half with a salad or eaten as a handheld snack on a napkin.

BANANA MUFFINS

Next time you have a couple of bananas turning brown in the fruit bowl, don’t even think about throwing them out! Make this tasty breakfast treat instead, which has a lovely nutty flavor from the spelt or wholemeal flour.

Serves: 10

• 5 oz all-purpose flour
• 5 oz spelt or wholemeal flour
• 4 oz caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 2 large ripe bananas
• 3 oz butter, melted
• 2 free-range eggs
• 4.5 fl oz milk

To serve

• 2 oz banana chips
• 7 fl oz yogurt or crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp honey

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and mash the bananas in another. Add the melted butter, eggs, and milk to the mashed banana and whisk to combine everything. Make a well in the dry ingredients, then gradually mix in the wet ingredients with a fork. 

Spoon the mixture into 10 paper cases and place a banana chip on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the muffins are coming away from the sides of the cases. Cool and then serve with the yogurt or crème fraîche, scattered with the remaining banana chips and drizzled with honey.

BAKED CHOCOLATE & BEET CHEESECAKE

This is a great one from The Climate Change Cookbook. Beet adds a sweet, earthy note to this decadent dessert. Using ricotta results in a lighter cheesecake mixture that still has a lovely creamy texture.

Serves: 6-8

For the base

• 7 oz spelt digestives or almond butter cookies
• 3 oz butter, melted

For the filling

• 2 eggs
• 2.5 oz butter
• 2.5 oz caster sugar
• 4.75 oz ricotta cheese
• 1 large beet, cooked
• 3 oz all-purpose flour
• 1 oz cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder or bicarbonate of soda

Crush the cookies in a food processor, then combine with the melted butter and press into an 8” springform cake tin and chill. 

Preheat the oven to 320° F. Separate the eggs and beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy.

Beat the yolks into the creamed butter and sugar, then do the same with the ricotta until the mixture is smooth and silky. Grate the cooked beet into the bowl and fold in.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff, then gently fold them into the beet mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and raising agent together into the bowl and gently fold.

Spoon the filling into the tin on top of the prepared base. Bake for about 35 minutes and allow to cool for about an hour. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.