Earth Day can be celebrated in the kitchen. Two new cookbooks can be your guide. They have much in common, including practicing what they preach. Both are paperbacks, printed on post-consumer recycled paper with soy or vegetable-based ink. The minimalist design offers no photos or drawings. They are all green business.

They do use a lot of words offering ways to save energy and cut back on greenhouse gas emissions from your household. There’s a lot to read here, but you can do it in bits and pieces. What the books really do is make you think about what you do in that kitchen and how many times you turn on the water and open the stove when you just don’t have to.

Big Green Cookbook (Wiley, $24.95) by Jackie Newgent is chock full of recipes, more than 200. But that doesn’t mean the book is lacking in green cooking tips that help discourage wastefulness. I found one about marinades rather interesting.

We all know we can’t reuse them after soaking raw meat or poultry in them because of the harmful bacteria left behind. But the USDA suggests it’s OK to reuse it if it’s boiled first for a full three minutes. (Of course you are using energy which we’re trying to cut back on as well, but such are the dilemmas of modern life.)

A simpler tip is to keep your knives sharp or use a mandoline (one of my favorite kitchen tools) so you can slice foods thinly. The thinner you slice things, the faster they’ll cook and the less carbon you’ll be adding to the atmosphere.

Newgent also suggests learning about hypercooking. Do so by placing things such as cookie dough into a cold oven. Then you turn on the heat, bake part way and turn off the heat to finish the job.  My favorite part of the book are the low-carbon menus that pair foods by season and promise “deep green dining” by combining some no-cook dishes with other environmentally friendly dishes.

Cooking Green: Reducing Your Carbon Footprint in the Kitchen the New Green Basics Way (Lifelong Books, $17.95) by Kate Heyhoe is almost two books in one. The first half is devoted to explaining why you need to make a green commitment and then how to reduce your “cookprint.” Don’t you love that word? Let’s use it often.

She addresses how to save energy in the oven, weather-sensitive cooking, pans and fuel efficiency, the hidden costs of eating meat and much more. Where to buy and how to buy is also discussed.  Eventually you come to the 50 recipes smarter and wiser. Her eco-friendly recipes complement the lifestyle to which we should aspire not just for the planet but to save cold hard cash.

Each recipe also comes with a green meter explaining how the recipe saves energy and resources. Some use the microwave, a far more efficient way to heat some items and there is no downside, Heyhoe argues. There are also techniques such as passive blanching (including using the microwave), which make so much sense and are so easy, you won’t believe you ever did things a different way.

The changes suggested in these two books require very little effort on a cook’s part beyond paying attention and thinking. And how great will it make you feel to say you are just one more cook out to save the planet, one meal at a time.

Both Newgent and Heyhoe have where you’ll find tips and recipes from their books. Newgent’s is and Heyhoe’s is . Recipe: Feta Pesto and 2-Minute Pasta1

FETA PESTO AND 2-MINUTE PASTA

Feta Pesto (makes 1 cup):

2 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley (1 ounce), tough lower stems removed

1/2 cup shelled walnut halves or pieces (2 ounces)

1 cup crumbled feta (2 ounces)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground

2 teaspoons white or red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

12 ounces dried spaghetti

If using a hand blender or small food processor, finely chop the garlic. Add the parsley and coarsely chop. Add the walnuts and chop until grainy. Add 1/2 cup of the feta and all of the oil. Process just until the mixture turns to a coarse paste. Pulse in the pepper just until combined. Set aside and stir in the vinegar just before tossing with the pasta to prevent discoloration.

Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts water and the salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the spaghetti until completely submerged. Partially cover and cook 2 minutes, making sure the water doesn’t boil over. Stir again to mix up pasta.

Cover, turn off the heat, and let stand until al dente, 8 minutes. (Remove the pot from an electric burner, so it doesn’t boil over from the residual heat.) Taste to see if the pasta is al dente; if not, allow another 1-2 minutes.

Scoop out the pasta to drain. When the pasta is mostly drained, toss with the pesto. If the mixture seems dry, mix in a spoonful of the pasta cooking water. Serve warm or at room temperature, passing remaining 1/2 cup feta on the side.

Serves 3-4.

From: Cooking Green

Recipe: Watercress Salad with White French Salad Dressing1

WATERCRESS SALAD WITH WHITE FRENCH SALAD DRESSING

1/3 cup soybean or canola oil

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons mild floral honey

1 small shallot, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 large bunches watercress, thick stems trimmed

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

Whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, shallot, garlic, mustard and salt in a large serving bowl.

Add the watercress and onion. Gently toss and serve.

From the Big Green Cookbook

Recipe: Oven Rare Roast Beef1

OVEN RARE ROAST BEEF

1 (4-pound) rump roast, choice grade, at room temperature

3 cloves garlic

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher or coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oven to 475 degrees with a rack in the upper third position.

Stud the roast with garlic: slice the garlic cloves into halves or large pieces. With a knife tip, stab a dozen or so holes all over the roast and punch in the garlic pieces. Rub the roast with olive oil, and generously season all over with salt and pepper. Place in a glass baking dish, fat side up.

Slide the roast into the oven, on the upper rack. Roast 15 minutes for a thin roast, or 20 minutes for a plump roast. Turn off the heat. Leave the oven off with the door closed for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing. The center will be rare, with medium rare closer to the ends and the ends will be delectably browned and crisp. (If testing with a meat thermometer, the transition from rare to medium-rare occurs at 130 degrees.)

Serves 8.

From: Cooking Green

Recipe: Happy Planet Cookies1

HAPPY PLANET COOKIES

1 cup stone-ground whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1/2 cup canola or peanut oil

1 cup turbinado or Demerara sugar

1 large organic egg

1 tablespoon apple butter

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

4 1/2 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne (if using) in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together until combined the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in the egg, apple butter, and vanilla extract until smooth.

Stir the flour mixture into the oil-sugar mixture until blended. Stir in the oats, then the chocolate chips until combined. (Don’t worry if the mixture seems a bit stiff; it’s because of all of the hearty ingredients and is supposed to be that way.) Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoon onto the sheets, 12 cookies each.

Place in the oven, then turn the heat to 375 degrees (do not preheat oven). Bake until they just spread out to cookie shape, yet are still undercooked to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. As quickly as possible (so you don’t let out too much heat), open the oven and swap the trays move the tray on the top rack to the bottom and bottom rack to the top.

Close the oven, then turn the oven off and let the cookies continue baking in the off oven until desired brownness and crispness, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the baking sheets on the racks. (Note: The cookies will continue to cook slightly once out of the oven, too).

Serves 12 (two cookies each).

From the Big Green Cookbook

Recipe: Nutty Blue Napoleons1

NUTTY BLUE NAPOLEONS

1 1/2 ounces organic cream cheese, at room temperature

1 ounce organic or locally produced blue cheese, at room temperature

1 teaspoon ruby or tawny port

1/4 teaspoon mild floral honey

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper

48 raw pecan halves (2 1/2 ounces)

2 teaspoons fresh scallions or chives, minced

Combine the cheeses, port, honey, and pepper in a small bowl with a flexible silicone spatula until smooth. Using a pastry bag, pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of the cheese mixture evenly onto each pecan half, flat side down. Top with a second pecan, flat-side down, and pipe about 1/4 teaspoon of the cheese mixture onto each napoleon. Alternatively, create “sandwiches” by piping all the cheese mixture between two pecan halves. Sprinkle with the scallion.

Serves 8 (3 Napoleons each)

From the Big Green Cookbook

Recipe: Pan-Seared Organic Poultry Breast Paillard with Fresh Blueberry Sauce1

PAN-SEARED ORGANIC POULTRY BREAST PAILLARD WITH FRESH BLUEBERRY SAUCE

2 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless organic chicken or duck breasts, split and pounded into 1/4-inch-thick paillards

1 tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large shallots, finely diced

1/2 cup local blueberry or other fruit spread or homemade jam or 1/3 cup mild floral honey

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon

Cut each chicken paillard in half. Rub each with the canola oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Cook in a panini grill on medium-high heat until fully cooked, about 3 minutes. (Alternatively, cook in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side.) Set aside on a plate.

Heat the olive oil in a large stick-resistant skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots; cook, stirring frequently until softened and just beginning to caramelize, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully stir in the blueberry spread, vinegar, blueberries and tarragon. Once hot, add the cooked chicken paillards and any chicken juices. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat. Let “lid cook” (cook covered while the burner is off) until the blueberries are soft and chicken has been slightly infused with the essence of blueberry, about 5 minutes.

Serves 4.

From the Big Green Cookbook

Recipe: Asparagus With Lemon, Garlic And Soy1

ASPARAGUS WITH LEMON, GARLIC AND SOY

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon neutral vegetable oil, like canola oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 pound fresh asparagus

Salt

Combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, oil and garlic, and let rest for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Peel the tough skin from the lower ends of the asparagus (save the trimmings for stock or compost). Rinse the asparagus and leave some water clinging to the spears. Place in a microwave-safe baking dish and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Cook on high 1 minute. Turn the asparagus in the dish so they cook evenly. Continue to cook until crispy tender, 1-3 minutes, depending on the thickness and age of the spears. Pour any collected moisture out of the pan. Just before serving, pour the sauce over the asparagus, mix and serve.

Serves 4.

From: Cooking Green

Recipe: Cold-Oven Clove and Crystallized Ginger Cake1

COLD-OVEN CLOVE AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER CAKE

Cake:

3/4 cup water

4 tablespoons butter in chunks, plus some for greasing the pan

2 and 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 (1/4 ounce) packages dry instant yeast (4-1/2 teaspoons total)

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs, beaten

Streusel:

1/4 cup oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking)

1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter, in small chunks

Butter an 8-inch-square glass baking dish. Microwave the water and 4 tablespoons butter together on high 1 minute; stir to mix butter chunks into the hot water. If the butter needs more melting, cook 30 more seconds and stir. (Watch to make sure mixture doesn’t boil over.) Mixture should register 120-130 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. (If hotter, let it cool so it doesn’t kill the instant yeast.)

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, yeast, cloves and salt until well mixed. Pour in the water-butter mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the eggs until the mixture thickens into a uniform but wet dough. Pour the dough into the pan. Cover with a kitchen towel while it rises. Set the timer for 25 minutes (to measure rising time).

Combine the oats, ginger, brown sugar and butter, loosely rubbing the butter in with your fingers to mix (mixture should be rough and crumbly, not uniform). Top the dough with the oat mixture. Place the pan in a cold oven while it continues to rise (without the towel). When the 25 minutes are up, set the heat to 350 degrees and reset the timer to 25 minutes.

When the timer goes off, turn off the heat (the sides will be lightly browned). Let the cake passively cook 5 minutes. The sides and top will darken a bit more, and the interior will finish cooking. Remove the pan from the oven and cool on a rack (the cake will continue to cook as it cools). Serve plain, or with fresh fruit and yogurt.