Plant-Forward Cooking at the Summit: A Sustainable Food Demo by Robbie Brown
Plant-Forward Cooking at the Summit: A Sustainable Food Demo by Robbie Brown
Summit attendees were treated to a plant-based, sustainable cooking demo by Robbie Brown—a chef, food sustainability specialist, and environmentalist. Robbie's experience in nonprofit work and education adds depth to his culinary expertise, making him a passionate advocate for sustainable food practices.
During the demo, Robbie showcased the versatility and efficiency of induction cooking using an induction HOB, which relies on electromagnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. This method not only reduces energy consumption but also speeds up the cooking process, making it a superior alternative to traditional electric stoves.
Robbie prepared three delicious dishes: an edamame stir-fry, a sesame spinach salad, and a "pork" skewer dish made entirely from soy meat. (Recipes Below.)
Cooking and food have always been integral to Robbie's life, thanks to his upbringing in a farming family. His perspective on food expanded even further during an international trip with his father, where he experienced a variety of global cuisines.
Recently, Robbie spent two months in Japan, living in a farming community emphasizing plant-based cooking using traditional Japanese methods. He shared that one of the unique aspects of plant-based cooking is the chef's ability to control and infuse flavors into essential ingredients like tofu or soy meat, making each dish highly customizable.
To stay inspired and discover new recipes, Robbie often turns to YouTube and social media. You can follow his culinary journey on Instagram at @theclimatefoodie
For those new to cooking, especially incoming college students who will soon need to cook for themselves, Robbie recommends starting with recipes that evoke nostalgia or satisfy cravings. He suggests saving time and effort by omitting longer steps or opting for pre-prepared ingredients.
Written by: Leila Salam
Leila Salam is an incoming Political Science student at UCLA and has been a volunteer with SVYCA for one year. She is passionate about climate policy as a method to achieve social justice.
Recipes:
Horenso Gamaae
By: The Climate Foodie
Ingredients
Spinach:
● 200 grams, 1 bunch of spinach with stems attached
Dressing:
● 4 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
● 1 tbsp shoyu
● 1 tbsp of sugar
● 1 tsp sesame oil
● ½ tsp mirin
Directions
1. Add water and a couple heavy pinches of salt to a pot and place it over medium heat. Once the
water boils, blanch the spinach by placing the stems in the water first for 40 seconds, and then
placing the leaves into the water for 30 seconds.
2. Remove the spinach from the hot water and place it into an ice bath to stop it from cooking.
Squeeze the excess moisture out of the spinach.
3. Chop the spinach into ½ inch pieces
4. In a small pot, add the shoyu, sugar, and mirin. Whisk thoroughly and place the pot over
medium-low heat. Once the mixture starts to simmer, remove it from the heat.
5. Add the sesame seeds to a pan over medium heat and toast them for thirty seconds to 1
minute. Constantly mix the sesame seeds during this step or they may burn.
6. Remove the sesame seeds from the pan and add them to a mortar and pestle. Grind the sesame
seeds.
7. Add the ground sesame seeds and sesame oil to the shoyu, sugar, mirin mixture. Whisk
thoroughly to make your dressing.
8. Toss the chopped spinach to the dressing until coated evenly.
Plant-Based Mayonnaise
By: The Climate Foodie
Ingredients
● 1/2 cup unflavored, plant-based milk
● 1/2 cup cooking oil
● 1 tbsp rice vinegar
● 1/2 tsp black salt
● seasonings of your choice
Directions
1. Add the unflavored plant-based milk, rice vinegar, salt, and seasonings to a blender. Blend the
ingredients on the lowest setting until everything is integrated.
2. Add the cooking oil into the blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend the ingredients on
the lowest setting until everything is integrated once again.
3. Turn the blender setting to high for one minute or until the mayonnaise becomes thick.
Plant-Based Pork
By: The Climate Foodie
Ingredients
Plant-Based “Pork”:
● 150 grams soy meat
● 500 ml hot water
● 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
● 1 tbsp liquid shio koji
● 2 tbsp & 1 tsp of “pork” bouillon
“Pork” Bouillon:
● 2 tbsp smoked paprika
● 2 tbsp liquid shio koji
● 1 tbsp mirin
● 1 tsp dark soy sauce
● 1 tsp shiitake powder
● 1/2 tsp porcini powder
● 1/4 tsp white pepper
● 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
● 1/8 tsp black pepper
● 1/8 tsp garlic powder
Optional:
● Vegan oyster sauce
Directions
1. Rehydrate the soy meat by soaking them in hot water and apple cider vinegar until they are
tender. This usually takes around five to ten minutes. Once tender, squeeze the soy meat to
remove any of the absorbed liquid. Discard the liquid, then coat the soy meat in liquid shio koji
and cut them into thin strips.
2. To make the “pork” bouillon, start by adding all of the dry ingredients into a small mixing bowl,
whisk, and set aside. In a separate small mixing bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk them
together. Incorporate the dry mixture with the wet mixture into one mixing bowl and whisk
thoroughly. Move the mixture to a small pot and place the pot over low heat. Cook the bouillon
for roughly three minutes. Occasionally whisk to avoid burning.
3. Add 2 tbsp & 1 tsp of pork bouillon to your prepared soy meat and mix well to ensure every soy
meat is evenly coated.
4. In a wok over medium to high heat, add cooking oil. Once the oil is hot, add the seasoned soy
meat and stir-fry for five to eight minutes. Do not walk away from the wok, as you will need to
periodically stir the soy meat.
5. Once any excess liquid has been absorbed and the soy meat starts to have a crispy texture, they
are done.
6. If you’d like to, water down vegan oyster sauce until it is the consistency of a thin glaze. Dip a
culinary brush into the vegan oyster sauce glaze and brush the plant-based pork with the oyster
sauce before removing it from any heat.
Shoyu Citrus Edamame
By: The Climate Foodie
Ingredients
Edamame:
● 16 oz, bag of frozen edamame
Shoyu Citrus Sauce:
● 1 lime, juiced
● 6 tbsp of water
● 2 tbsp shoyu (soy sauce)
● 1 tbsp mirin
● 1 tsp of flavored oil
● 1/2 tsp sugar
● 1/8 tsp coriander
● 1/8 tsp paprika
● Dried chili (optional)
Directions
1. Add water and a couple heavy pinches of salt to a pot and place it over medium heat. Once the
water boils, blanch the frozen edamame for one minute.
2. Remove the edamame from the hot water and place it into an ice bath to stop it from cooking.
3. In a bowl, add the lime juice, water, shoyu, mirin, and oil. Whisk the ingredients together, and
then add the sugar, coriander, and paprika. Whisk one more time until all the ingredients are
integrated. Pour the sauce into a small pot over medium heat. Once the sauce starts to simmer,
whisk one more time and then remove it from the heat.
4. Add the blanched edamame to the shoyu citrus sauce and let them marinate for 30 minutes.
5. In a wok over medium to high heat, add the marinated edamame with the sauce. Once the
sauce starts to boil, turn the heat down to medium. Once the majority of the marinade has been
cooked into the edamame or evaporated,