Sometimes you don’t feel inspired to cook, and sometimes you may need to restock the refrigerator and pantry, but you have to figure out what to cook in the meanwhile. It’s those types of times when I return to a few standard meals that don’t require a lot of thought but are still nutritious and tasty.

Tacos are a good go-to meal, quickly made with the ease of opening a can of refried beans and adding some toppings. I make sure to keep a couple of basic taco ingredients in plentiful supply so that it can readily serve as a backup meal. Likewise, I keep a variety of pasta boxes in the pantry. There are so many ways to use pasta in plant-based recipes, and while it’s best not to rely on pasta too much, we eat it about once a week, making sure that vegetables, beans or salad are part of the meal as well.

Every plant-based meal you prepare is helping the planet (as well as your health), because the environmental impact of consuming meat and cheese is much greater than that of plant-based foods. The New York Times ran an article called “The Hidden Environmental Costs of Food” on Sept. 19. which compared the environmental impact of various protein sources. Beef had the largest impact by far, as a lot of land is required to grow cattle feed, and the animals emit large amounts of planet-warming methane into the air.

It may be surprising to some that the article also cites that “cheese has a higher environmental cost than chicken or pork on a pound-for-pound basis.” The negative impact of consuming cheese is primarily due to the cropland needed to feed dairy cows. Chickpeas, on the other hand, were touted as a good source of protein with a low environmental impact. Here’s a very basic and satisfying dish which features chickpeas center stage.

Pasta fazool

This simple dish was handed down from my Italian grandmother. It couldn’t be easier to make, and it is true comfort food.

Ingredients

- 1/2 small onion, chopped.

- 28-ounce can tomato puree.

- 1 teaspoon dried basil.

- 15-ounce can chickpeas – do not drain.

- 1 lb. elbow macaroni.

Directions

Heat onion in a little olive oil until glossy in a pot. Add tomato puree and basil, bring to a simmer, and cook for five minutes. Add chickpeas along with the liquid in the can, and continue simmering, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni as directed until al dente.

Drain macaroni, add to saucepot and heat on low for 10 minutes. Add a little water to thin, if needed.

Serve with a side salad of dark, leafy greens.

Tacos

Tacos can be made with a variety of ingredients which can be tailored to your particular preferences and dietary needs. I didn’t list amounts in the recipe below, because I chop up what I have on hand. The amounts always differ, and the results always taste good! Sometimes I make refried beans from scratch, but in a pinch, I just pull a can out of the pantry. I also stock cans of black olives, jars of salsa and boxes of taco shells so that tacos can easily be made for a quick dinner. Corn tortilla chips and guacamole can be munched on while you’re preparing the taco ingredients.

Ingredients

- taco shells.

- canned refried beans (vegetarian/low salt).

- green and/or red peppers, chopped.

- red onion, chopped.

- black olives, chopped.

- avocado, sliced.

- lettuce, shredded.

- small can diced green chiles.

- nondairy shredded cheddar cheese.

- fresh cilantro, chopped.

- salsa.

- limes, quartered.

Directions

Heat the refried beans in a small pot. Meanwhile, sauté peppers and red onion until onions are translucent. Put other ingredients in separate bowls.

Assemble tacos by putting in some refried beans first, then the sautéed pepper/onions. Sprinkle on the rest of the ingredients to your liking, topping off with the salsa and a squirt of fresh lime juice.

Note that some people love cilantro and some people have a strong aversion to it; use whatever ingredients make you happy. This recipe can be modified to make quick quesadillas by putting the ingredients in between corn or flour tortillas instead of into tacos, and then lightly frying them for a couple of minutes on each side. I would omit the lettuce if making quesadillas, and top with salsa, a squeeze of lime juice and the cilantro (if using) after the quesadillas are cooked.

For re recipes and information on how your food choices affect the planet and your health, go to harriscenter.org/rhp.

Lisa Murray has a passion for exploring the impact our food choices have on human and planetary health.