Plant-Based Eating

Want to learn more about the many benefits of plant-based eating? Want to support Mountain View’s amazing restaurants? The City’s sustainability team launched a plant-based eating program that will focus on promoting healthy and sustainable food choices, supporting equitable access to healthy food, and spreading awareness of the positive health and environmental impacts of a plant-based diet.

We host quarterly public events, featuring cooking demonstrations, film screenings, and community speakers. Local restaurants will also be invited to promote plant-based eating opportunities here in Mountain View. Finally, the City Council adopted a resolution in support of plant-based eating in 2022.

Quarterly Recipes!

We had a nice lunch with you at the Summer Picnic Tuesday June 25, featuring 3 easy and quick plant-based recipes to go. Find the three recipes on this PDF: Tofu Tacos, Mediterranean Chickpea Couscous Salad, and Summer Roll Bowls.

Fall 2024 Newsletter Recipes: When the weather’s right for hiking, what kind of plant-based lunches and snacks are good for the trail (or car ride, picnic, on-the-go)? Good hiking foods last out of the fridge for a few hours and are hardy enough to bounce around a bit in a backpack.

Sandwiches - Mix and match to your taste:

Outside:

Sliced bread or roll
Plant-based tortilla, pita, bagel, or wrap

Inside:

Spreads, like hummus or tapenade
Tomatoes
Avocado
Lettuce, sprouts, or your favorite greens
Peppers: roasted red peppers, bell peppers, or pepperoncini
Onion
Cucumber
Shredded carrots
Pickles
Grilled eggplant or zucchini
Salt and pepper
Fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, or parsley
Or just a classic peanut butter and jelly
Tips to Try:
Put lettuce between the spread and bread to keep bread crisp
Keep wet ingredients (like sliced tomatoes) separate, and put on just before eating
Use reusable Velcro or zip-secured bags to cut down on single-use plastic

Snacks:

Nut and trail mixes, add carob chips for a sweet note
Apples, clementines/oranges, dates
Peanut butter (with apple, banana, cracker, etc.)
Ants on a log – celery, peanut butter, and raisins
Fruit leathers or dried fruit
Snack bars
Tortilla or potato chips, popcorn, or rice cakes
Roasted chickpeas

Spring 2024 Newsletter Recipes: See all past recipes and share yours in the Recipe Forum below!

Kick-off the spring cleaning season with a zero-waste 3-ingredient gnocchi recipe care of The Zero Waste Chef, who will be at the City's Earth Day event 11-12:30on Sat. April 20 cooking on an induction stove! Pair your gnocchi with plant-based pesto for a refreshing Spring meal!

3-Ingredient Gnocchi

Ingredients
Gnocchi:

• 2 pounds new red or yellow potatoes, whole and unpeeled

• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Scrub potatoes and place in a pot of water. Boil water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove potatoes and save the water for cooking the gnocchi.
2. If using a ricer or fork, first peel the potatoes with a vegetable peeler. While warm, mash potatoes on a wooden board until smooth. Sprinkle the salt onto potatoes.
3. A small handful at a time, work flour into the potatoes to make a dough. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. If it is, add a bit more flour. Don’t overwork the dough.
4. Divide dough into four even pieces and form the gnocchi with the first piece. Cover the remaining dough with a clean dish towel. Roll dough into a long ¾-inch thick rope. Cut the rope into ¾-inch pieces. Indent each piece with the back of fork by pushing with your thumb as you roll it down the board. Repeat with remaining dough.
5. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to the pot of water you saved and bring the water to boil. Cook gnocchi in batches, adding only as many as can fit without crowding. Once gnocchi float, cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a bowl. Toss immediately with your plant-based pesto. Repeat with remaining gnocchi.

Pesto

Ingredients
• 1 bunch basil leaves (2 cups packed)
• 2/3 cup walnuts
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2/3 cup olive oil

Instructions

1. Put basil, walnuts, garlic, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor. Pulse until well combined.
2. With the food processor running, slowly pour in olive oil. Process until smooth. Add pesto to cooked gnocchi and store leftovers in a glass container in the fridge.

Send your favorite recipe or plant-based eating tip, including a photo to sustainaility@mountainview.gov and it could be featured here.

Looking for ways to get started?

Recipes:

Resources: