Celebrate the Earth, eat environmentally friendly!

What better way to honor Earth Day than to prepare a dish that's easy on the environment? Our Earth Day recipes feature seasonal fruits and vegetables that are less likely to contain harmful pesticides. (Peaches, apples, sweet bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, cherries, pears, imported grapes, spinach, lettuce and potatoes typically have the highest pesticide levels, according to the Environmental Working Group in Washington, D.C., while onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapples, mangoes, asparagus, frozen peas, kiwi, bananas, cabbage, broccoli and papayas have the lowest. Choosing the latter and avoiding the former - unless organic - could slash your family's pesticide exposure by almost 90 percent.) Look for spring gems like asparagus, blueberries, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms and peas at your nearest farmer's market. Eating local supports your economy and involves fewer miles traveled - and fewer pollutants emitted - to get dinner on your plate.

Creamy Vegetable Medley

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 (2.8 ounce) package French-fried onions, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cook vegetables according to package directions; drain. In a large bowl combine vegetables, mushroom soup, 1/2 cup cheese, sour cream, 1/2 can fried onions and pepper. Transfer to a deep pie plate.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and fried onions; bake 5 minutes longer.

Nutrition Facts

Servings per Recipe: 6

Amount Per Serving

• calories: 288cal
• total fat: 19.7g
• cholesterol: 26mg
• sodium: 623mg
• carbohydrates: 20.4g
• fiber: 3.2g
• protein: 8.4g

Preparation Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 35 min.
Ready In: 50 min.
Servings: 6