A new cookbook inspired by the Meat Free Monday campaign – and featuring a foreword by Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney – has hit the shelves of bookstores in the UK
Following the huge success of the McCartney family’s Meat Free Monday campaign, the new cookbook launched yesterday and was inspired by the simple idea that going without meat for just one day of the week can make a huge difference to the planet, our health and even our pocket.
The campaign, which was launched in 2009, came about after the United Nations issued a report which stated that the livestock industry as a whole was responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the whole of the transport sector put together. Meat is in fact responsible for a staggering 18 per cent of the planet’s greenhouse gas emissions.
An easy and affordable way to address this is to go meat free on just one day a week and so the McCartney family devised the idea of Meat Free Monday. The campaign is not about becoming vegetarian, about totally overhauling our diet or spending more money at a time few can afford to. It is simply a practical way for each and every one of us to reduce the huge environmental impact of meat consumption, to do our bit for the planet and at the same time, give our health a boost.
Paul explains: “This is actually a meaningful change everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once. For instance it not only addresses pollution, but better health, the ethical treatment of animals, global hunger and community and political activism.”
The beautifully designed Meat Free Monday Cookbook now aims to make it even easier for everyone to go meat free for one day a week. Featuring a foreword from Paul, Stella and Mary McCartney, it features over 300 delicious recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner including several provided by celebrities and famous chefs who support the campaign including Kevin Spacey, Twiggy, Giorgio Locatelli and Tom Aikens.
The mouth-watering recipes include Thai vegetable curry, plum crumble, berry muffins, spicy falafel with tahini sauce, Spring vegetable stew and tagliatelle with mushroom sauce. There is something for all tastes and all seasons and the cookbook is set to be a must for any food lover, regardless of how often they eat meat or how competent a cook they are.
The Meat Free Monday campaign is already supported by over 500,000 people worldwide with the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow, Twiggy, Sir Richard Branson, Joanna Lumley, David Walliams, Ricky Gervais, Alec Baldwin, Chris Martin, Yoko Ono, Kelly Osbourne and Dame Vivienne Westwood all voicing their support. As Twiggy puts it, “Taking part in Meat Free Monday is a great way to improve our own health as well as the health of the planet. With over 300 tasty recipes, the Meat Free Monday Cookbook makes it easier for people to support the campaign.”
Recipes are divided into seasons to make meal planning and shopping easier and the book beautifully brings to life the contributors’ love of all things legumes:
- Breakfasts include ‘Roasted Mushrooms with Tomatoes’, ‘Berry Muffins’ and ‘Porridge with Blueberries’
- Packed Lunch ideas include ‘Cannellini Bean and Watercress Salad’ and ‘Red and Yellow Pepper Salad’
- Lunches are as diverse as ‘Fresh Tomato & Basil Soup’, ‘Fatoush Salad with Grilled Halloumi’ and ‘Spiced Wholewheat Couscous with Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Seeds’…
- …whilst Dinner ideas will surprise and delight, with dishes such as ‘Roasted Butternut Squash and Marrow’, ‘Thai Vegetable Curry’ and ‘Leek and Ricotta Tart’
- Desserts are just as tantalising, with recipes for ‘Plum Crumble, ’Chocolate and Chestnut Cake’ and ‘Christmas Pudding Trifle’ all getting some airtime.
Published by Kyle Books, the book is priced at £19.99. Find out more about Meat Free Mondays at www.meatfreemondays.com.
Source: PaulMcCartney.com
