Wow! I am blown away by all the great energy saving tips that were shared in the comments section of the last post. I've compiled some of my favorites for your convenience. I'm sure there is at least one tip that you hadn't considered.

Save energy, save time, save money and you'll be helping to protect our environment. Earth Day may be officially over, but really, every day is Earth Day, right?

Congratulations to Suzy who won the Scanpan and Randi who won a copy of Big Green Cookbook. Your prizes are on their way.

COOKING

I find that i love caramelized onions but the time and energy in cooking them each time I want to use them is prohibitive and limits my use of them. So now, every couple of weeks or so, I buy 3 or so pounds of onions and carmelize them all down at once. Then, I freeze them in about 1/4 cup pouches which i find are perfect for throwing in dishes. I then just move them to the fridge periodically to always have them on hand.
?David

My energy saving kitchen tip is to unplug all of my small appliances, such as a mixer, toaster, coffeemaker, etc. whenever they are not in use. Also, I freeze some of my veggie scraps (onion ends, mushroom stems, celery ends) for making stock.?
Selina

Here's my sustainable tip, though I suppose it's only relevant for certain climates. It's a summer tradition in my family to have a full Armenian meal, complete with rice and lamb grapeleaves. After years of buying overpriced leaves from various markets, we've begun scouring the neighborhood for grapevines. Now, we spend a few weeks going around collecting hundred of grapeleaves (for freezing and reuse). It's good for the vines, easy on our budget and it's the perfect way to make use of local produce! Not to mention the leaves freeze very well and can be used all year long.
?Rachel F.

I save energy by using the convection oven in my microwave instead of my range--not as much space to heat up and it doesn't heat up my kitchen.?
Mom24.4evermom

Save scraps--vegetables, chicken bones, and so on--and make soup! (We throw out too much food.)?
suzy

Another great one is my pressure cooker. Cooking things that normally take hours of braising on the stove can be done in less than an hour with the pressure cooker. It saves time and energy!?
gaga

When boiling water, cover the pot to prevent heat loss. Just before your food is cooked completely, turn off the burner and allow the heat in the pot to continue the cooking process for you.?
Jenny Hoots

Using a toaster oven for small jobs, rather than a conventional oven, can save energy.
?shaun

Anytime we bake or roast something in the winter, we leave the oven door open after we turn the oven off. In our little apartment, it keeps the need for the heating down quite a bit on cooking days!?
Mallory

We have a crappy old oven in my apartment, and don't often need a full sized oven. I found a toaster oven at the thrift store, our energy bills went down fast!?
Sare

My green tip is to use the pilot light in your older gas stove for making soy yogurt. It's on anyway, so use the pilot as much as possible.?
Majorie

CLEANING & STORAGE

I open the dishwasher when the dry cycle starts to save on energy and reuse plastic containers a few times before throwing them away.?
Randi

My green kitchen tip is to use glass (jars, pyrex) for storage as much as possible - infinitely reusable and doesn't take on stains or smells like tupperware or disposable containers.?Adrienne

I try to allow food to cool to room temperature before I put it in the fridge. Why make the fridge cool it down to room temperature and possibly spoil the surrounding food when my counter can cool it at the same rate??
Jennifer C

I never run the dry cycle on my dishwasher, and I've just very recently begun replacing my worn dish towels with ones made of bamboo fiber. As for cleaners, I'm a big fan of the Method line
?Wendy

My kitchen tip would be to make your own cleaners. Baking soda works wonders on my kitchen sink (when it needs something stronger, I get out the Bon Ami) and vinegar is my favorite 'tool' for getting off the hard water deposits that show up here on a weekly basis!?
Robin

So, we got rid of paper towels and paper napkins for cloth- we use more energy for running the washer, sure, but we wait till it is completely loaded, and we have to run it anyway!, so we're for sure saving on waste!??We have given up plastic and paper shopping bags in favor of cloth ones all the time, and we don't allow water bottles in the house- all our water is tap water, and not only at home but even when we're out!??We never throw out food...?I know this sounds like a crazy one, but growing up in Italy wasting food in any whatsoever way was considered a capital sin. So all leftovers are saved, and we never ever not eat things that are on our plate. Does that count? ?
Vanessa

We turn off the heated drying cycle on the dishwaher. A quick shake and a propped door gets it all dry just fine. ??I keep an inventory list of what's in our freezer on the door. Now, when I want to know if we still have chicken or sausages in the freezer, I can find out without having to root through all the shelves. It also forces us to clean out the freezer every few months as we update the list.
?Leanne

I always carry my reusable grocery bags in the car so that I have no excuse to answer the question paper or plastic??
Missy

Keep the freezer full?
Mrs.Morgan

GARDENING

My kitchen tip is to save all your veggie scraps and start a compost bin. It's a great way to give back to the earth and does wonders for the vegetable garden.
?Meghan

Pet rabbits = Organic garbage disposals = compost + 10 years of uber cute fluffy pals.?
DKM

When I have to wait for the water to heat at the tap I use the running cold water to water my plants. I soak greens in a large stainless bowl full of water, after I remove the greens I use the water on my outdoor plants. I used to live with a very restricted amount of water. I value water greatly and try not to take it for granted.?
renee

Even though we live in a fourplex building, our landlord lets us have a small garden out back. In the summer we grow our own herbs and some produce ..we co-ordinate what we plan to grow with our neighbors and then when it's harvest time, we swap.(For instance if we grow tomatoes and they grow peppers, we exchange some tomatoes for their peppers and so forth). It's a great experience for our neighborhood and the earth ?
Courtney

Today is Earth Day! What are you doing to be more environmentally friendly? I've gotten rid of all my Teflon pans. It's not just the flaking but also the chemicals used in making the pans that pollute. But I haven't totally given up on non-stick.

The latest non-stick pan to come into my kitchen is from the professional line of Scanpan, made from ceramic titanium and recycled aluminum. It is 100% PFOA-free. The line of pans is made in a facility that utilizes a production technology that eliminates the need for PFOA completely. Another thing that sets this non-stick pan apart from others is that the non-stick coating cannot be damaged by using metal utensils. It's tough! And unlike so many cheap non-stick pans, the handle is really solid and hefty.

Because I've only been using the Scanpan for a short time, I can't tell you how it performs after years of use, but so far I'm very happy with it. It heats evenly and is easy to clean. It also gets great reviews on Amazon. I particularly like the 10 inch pan which is perfect for omelettes and crepes.



In honor of Earth Day I am giving away one 10 inch Professional Scanpan frying pan and a copy of the Big Green Cookbook to a runner up. Just leave a comment with your best kitchen tips for saving energy and protecting the environment. Contest is open to US residents only and only one entry per person. You must include your email (no one will see it except me) to be eligible.

Good Luck!

Amy

The addition of fresh herbs breathes life into dishes. Herbs are vibrant, bright and introduce flavor that is so startlingly different from dried herbs that I can never understand recipes that imply they are interchangeable.

In Italy I learned to make spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chile flakes and parsley. It wasn't just the color contrast but the lively springiness of the parsley that made this simple dish so wonderful. Likewise sage leaves crisped up in butter or olive oil lend intensity and crunch, a handful of cilantro in a tossed green salad gives it a lemony zing and a sprinkle of chives on smoked salmon adds a delicate, almost sweet oniony flavor.

I have a little herb garden and I do mean little. A harvest of herbs from my window box is roughly equal to a generous garnish, so I have to keep raiding my mother's herb garden and buying herbs if I want to cook with them. Last week I got a chance to try Daregal fresh frozen herbs and found them to be surprisingly convenient and fresh tasting. I made a lovely omelette filled with asparagus and Jarlsberg cheese and a couple of pinches of Daregal frozen dill. This filling combination feels very Scandinavian to me though I have no idea if it really is...

Spring Omelette
serves 1

Ingredients

2 eggs
3-4 asparagus, a couple tablespoons sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
1 Tablespoon shredded Jarlsberg cheese
pinch of dill, fresh or frozen is fine

Instructions

Beat the eggs in a small bowl until foamy. Thinly slice the tips and about half of the asparagus stems, about 1/3 cup total. Heat a non-stick pan and add a splash of water and the asparagus; simmer until the asparagus is tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the asparagus and set aside. Wipe the pan clean. Add the butter to the pan and heat over medium low heat until melted. Pour in the beaten eggs, swirl to cover the pan with the beaten eggs and let set slightly. Sprinkle the asparagus, dill and cheese on the eggs and cook until barely dry, then flip onto a plate and serve.

Enjoy!

Considering that I'm the kind of person that likes nothing better than left-over pizza or pasta for breakfast, this past week was a tough one. The dietary restrictions associated with Passover prevented me from eating either bread or pasta so I turned to my pantry for comfort and treated myself to a classic no-bake dessert, ice cream with chocolate sauce.

I really have no idea why warm chocolate sauce on cold ice cream is such a happy combination but it always lifts my mood. Perhaps it's just nostalgia, reminding me of a time when the only thing better than an ice cream cone was a chocolate dipped ice cream cone. Vanilla and chocolate are warm luscious flavors -- classically familiar yet hinting of something both exotic and tropical.

It always makes me happy to discover delicious products made with wonderfully pure ingredients. Somebody's Mother's Chocolate Sauce is exactly that. It contains no corn syrup, no artificial flavors or colors, nothing but pure chocolate, cream, sugar and butter. It's not thick and fudgy like my other favorite chocolate sauce, it's light and creamy, providing a good alternative when you are in the mood for something a little less rich. It not only cries out for vanilla ice cream it also begs for a spoon. Try, just try opening a jar without sneaking a taste. Seriously, the jar should come with a lock on it.

During Passover, I miss pasta. I make passover-friendly crepes, potato pancakes, and daydream a bit about spaghetti. Of course, if you are eating rice you can eat rice noodles I suppose but I wanted to come up with something else that would satisfy me and be kosher for everyone observing Passover.

The reason I have not posted any new Passover recipes is that, well, I haven't had much luck until now. I can't tell you how many little mini batches of gnocchi I made. Some were too soft, some were too chewy and one batch was frighteningly gummy. But this last batch worked like a charm. Practice makes perfect, I guess.

These sweet potato gnocchi have ricotta in them and are just seasoned with a bit of salt. They are great with butter and sage leaves. Normally I wouldn't specify the sauce, but I'm not sure I'd recommend serving them with a cheese sauce because they are pretty rich and filling without it. By sauteing them in a pan with butter, they take on the flavor of the sage and gain a nice slightly crisp exterior that is a good balance to their tender interior. By the way, there is no reason you couldn't eat these all year round.

Passover Sweet Potato Gnocchi
makes about 3-4 servings

Ingredients

1 cup mashed sweet potato (hot or cold)
1/4 cup ricotta
1/2 cup matzoh meal
1/4 cup potato starch
1 scant teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter
10 fresh sage leaves

Instructions

Mash together the sweet potato, ricotta, matzoh meal, potato starch and salt. When the dough is well mixed, break it into four even pieces. Roll each and cut about a 10 inch roll and cut into small pieces, about 15 per piece of dough. Using a fork, roll the bits of dough to flatten them slightly and make indentations. Boil in salted water just until they rise to the surface.

In a large saucepan, preferably non-stick, melt the butter and add the sage leaves, after a few minutes add the gnocchi and cook until the sage leaves are crisp and the gnocchi is slightly crisp on the outside.

Enjoy!

You know Pim, or you know of Pim. If you read food blogs, no doubt you have at least once seen her blog, Chez Pim. Pim lives a gourmet life many vicariously enjoy through reading her blog or following her on Twitter or catching sight of her in newspapers and glossy magazines. She is known for her annual fundraising efforts on behalf of UN World Food Programme, and as an arbiter of taste. Pim is the author of the much anticipated book, the Foodie Handbook: The (almost) Definitive Guide to Gastronomy, to be released later this year. Her handmade butter is enjoyed at rare tables around the Bay Area and her Thai curries are legendary. She even made pop tarts something to savor. I know her because I was an early food blogger, but I'm just a hanger-on. This is how I imagine her circles of friends, with apologies to Malcolm Gladwell.

It's time for a blog redesign! Cooking with Amy is going to be redesigned by the talented designer who created the current look several years ago. I've got lots of ideas but would like to hear yours too. What do you like best about the site? Least? What would you like to see me add? Subtract? I really appreciate your input. As a thank you I am offering prizes for 3 commenters: two issues of Eat Smart and one grand prize with edible treats.

Last year I chose The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger as one of my favorite books of the year. This year she has joined forces with Fine Cooking magazine as a contributing editor. You may have seen the special Eat Smart issue that contains 75 of her recipes. This wonderful keepsake edition has pantry and storage tips and a ton of scrumptious recipes like Miso-Glazed Cod, Blueberry Coffee Cake and Fettuccine with Walnuts and Parsley. It costs $9.99 and is on newstands until June 30th this year. I will be sending a copy to two lucky winners (US residents only). I also have a grand prize of a goodie box that contains chocolate, jam, spice, French sea salt and tea that will go to a third lucky commenter.

Only one entry per person, please include your email address and full name (don't worry, you email address will only be visible to me). Contest ends soon! Enter today. Extra points if you sign up for my monthly newsletter.

cheers,

Amy