Meatless Monday Chili and Popcorn Workers' Lung

I don't own a microwave and I never will. After I tried to bake a cake in one during my childhood and out came a one-piece rubbery flattened square, I became suspicious of these modern wonders.

While most people don't try to bake in a microwave, I know a lot pop popcorn for the convenience. Is this safe? Terri Hall-Jackson, a writer on Care2, tells us it's not. Now this seems obvious to me, but for those who want the facts, read on. Writes Terri,

"A report from the FDA indicates that a chemical coating used in microwave popcorn bags breaks down when heated into a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a 'likely carcinogen.' Another study has found an acid that can be extracted from the chemical causes cancer in animals and is 'likely to cause cancer in humans.'

"A second potential danger in microwave popcorn is diacetyl, an FDA-approved chemical found in the fake butter flavoring. There’s even a debilitating respiratory disease called 'popcorn workers lung,' (the medical name of the condition is bronchiolitis obliterans) suffered by microwave popcorn factory workers caused by extended inhalation of the chemical’s fumes. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, (NIOSH) concluded that diacetyl needs further study so that workers in the flavorings and snack industry are no longer at risk.

"The Food and Drug Administration continues to study whether consumers can develop lung disease from inhaling diacetyl. In response to the concerns regarding the risks of diacetyl exposure, a number of microwave popcorn manufacturers have discontinued using it in their products."

Why not just pop your own?  Terri provides a simple recipe:

Here’s the way to make popcorn on your stove top: Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil (I like to use homemade organic ghee) into a heavy, 3 quart or larger pan and place on medium high heat. Put two kernels in, and when one has popped, pour in 1/3 cup of popcorn (white or yellow) and cover pan. When corn begins to pop, shake constantly allowing steam to escape from popping kernels–otherwise popcorn will lose its crunch. Remove pan from heat immediately when popping stops or it will burn. Pour into a large bowl and season to taste.

My favorite seasonings are either fresh lemon juice and ground black pepper, or shoyu and nutritional yeast and salt.

So there's a good snack. What about a good meatless main dish?

Meat substitutes can be great when the non-vegetarian family members visit, or when you're entertaining folks who aren't familiar or comfortable with vegetarian dishes. Their meaty-like texture and flavor will be familiar to meat eaters and can be a good way to introduce people to the tastiness and variety available in vegetarian food. Two meaty items on sale Mondays through September 13, 2010 are…

Follow Your Heart "Chicken" Whole Country Smoked, 10 oz., regularly 7.79, on sale for 4.99 and

Lightlife Gimme Lean Ground Beef Fat Free, 14 oz. regularly 7.19, on sale for 4.59.

These are easily substituted into recipes that are familiar, such as your favorite chili. Have a summer backyard chili party!

This is a recipe from "Heart Smart Recipes and Tips for a Healthy Lifestyle."

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• ¼ C. water, as needed
• 1-15 oz. can kidney beans (2 cups cooked)
• 1 C. frozen corn
• ¼-1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
• 1-12 oz. jar low-fat pasta sauce
• 1 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. cumin

Optional:

• ½ C. "Gimme Lean" ground beef substitute, crumbled and sautéed for 4-5 minutes. Add to chili in last 5-10 minutes.

Instructions

1. Sauté onion and garlic in water until tender (you may need to add water when sautéing the onion).
2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add "Gimme Lean." Simmer 5-10 minutes more. Serve over rice, pasta or potatoes.

I leave you with a remarkable Veggie Quote today:

"My situation is a solemn one: life is offered to me on the condition of eating beefsteaks. But death is better than cannibalism. My will contains directions for my funeral, which will be followed, not by mourning coaches, but by oxen, sheep, flocks of poultry, and a small traveling aquarium of live fish, all wearing white scarves in honor of the man who perished rather than eat his fellow creatures. It will be, without the exception of Noah's Ark, the most remarkable thing of its kind ever seen."

George Bernard Shaw

Anglo-Irish author and playwright, 1925 Nobel Prize Recipient, (1856-1950)