Cooking Camper or Camping Cook

MOVE

2011-04-03T11:41:00.000-04:00

Cooking camper is now blogging over at:

SAS-DOES.BLOGSPOT.COM

PassiFlora magazine

2008-12-01T17:12:00.004-05:00

Introducing PassiFlora - an online magazine dedicated to eco-friendly living, vegetarian and vegan food, as well as green arts and crafts. PassiFlora is envisioned as a magazine created for you and by you. If you are interested in submitting material for the next issue (coming out in the beggining of February) please email passifloramag (at) gmail (dot) com We are very excited to hear from you!

And here is one of the recipes featured in the first issue:

Creamy winter soup.

2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut in big cubes
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
6-8 cup of vegetable broth
1 can of white beans, rinsed
4 tablespoon minced fresh dill, divided. More for serving
½ teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
½ cup vegan cheese (optional) could be substituted with soy milk and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast.
2 tablespoon simulated bacon bits (optional) for serving

blender
soup pot

In a big soup pot heat oil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add onions, and caramelize until rich copper-brown, mixing to avoid burning.
Add celery and parsnips and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Add potatoes and 6 cups of broth; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer with a lid on for 10 minutes. Add beans and 2 tablespoons of dill and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
Add the remaining dill and puree soup in batches in the blender or food processor. The secret to this soup is to blend it thoroughly into smooth creamy mix.
Transfer the soup back to the pot, add liquid smoke, and mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust for seasoning and add more broth if desired. Reheat the soup, mix in grated cheese before turning of the heat.
Serve decorated with dill springs and sprinkle with simulated bacon bits.

Gazpacho

2008-07-16T08:58:00.005-04:00

I have been fascinated by the idea of a cold soup for a while, however every time the mercury rises I loose my appetite completely and a mare thought of a soup (cold or hot for that matter) makes me ..... let just say not very happy.

Yesterday was not too hot and after overeating during my trip to Toronto I decided to cook something fast, simple, and light. I browsed several recipe sites to get an idea of what I can put in my gazpacho. I have to admit that I have never had gazpacho before. Probably there are rules and regulations on what you can put and what you can not but I just went with my appetite and taste to make this:

GAZPACHO

6 medium-size tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
2 small cucumbers (they are sold here as Lebanese). If you don't have small cucumbers use the regular ones
2 garlic cloves
2 purple shallots (I know those are rare to find. Do not hesitate to use either purple onion (1/2 or even 1/4 should be enough) or regular shallots)
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 ripe avocado
3 cups of vegetable juice (I used V8)
1 tsp sherry vinegar (you can use lemon juice instead or even white balsamic vinegar)
5-7 springs of cilantro
Pinch of sugar
Salt and pepper

Peel tomatoes. To do so, make an x-shaped cut on the bottom of each tomato. Put them in a sauce-pan and cover with boiling hot water. Wait for 2-3 minutes. You will notice that the skin next to the cut is peeling off and all you have to do is remove tomatoes (careful not to burn yourself) and peel off the rest of the skin.

Coarsely chop the pepper, cucumbers, onions, and garlic. Combine them with tomatoes in a big soup pot.
Using hand-held blender, blend vegetables until smooth. You can also use a regular blender for this purpose.
Add cumin, vinegar, sugar, cilantro, and avocado. Blend until smooth.
Add V8. I would recommend adding it slowly and mixing throughout to give the soup required consistency. Also try the soup to adjust for seasoning.

Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices. You might want to check out this website for some unsual Gazpachos, such as Oriental or White Gazpachos.

P.S. The picture of purple shallots comes from the Muffintop blog

Stardom

2008-07-15T15:19:00.002-04:00

I had an article published by me, but it is the first time someone writes an article about me.

Check out The West Island Chronicle. The article is called: "Have a very vegan day" and is part of the food column by Elyse Amend. Once I'll get rich and famous I would hire Elyse to do all the writing and editing for my blog. I can also show her some other vegan recipes.

Vegan or not

2008-07-07T13:34:00.002-04:00

Did you ever come across the ingredient only to pause and think whether it was vegan or not? Doubt no more, here is a website with the list of all possible additives:

VEGAN or NOT

Soup and Salads

2008-07-02T09:36:00.014-04:00

Monday was my sister’s belated birthday celebration. I guess, “celebration” is too big of a word for a family gathering of 3 over some soup, salad, and cake, but it felt like a celebration to me, partially because I finally cooked. I did not cook anything for last 2 months. I am not sure why that was happening – my appetite was absent (blame the heat) and those rare moments when I would be hungry I would crave unhealthy junk food.

But Monday was different: Monday I went to the grocery store, picked up a lot of veggies, brought 4 huge grocery bags full of goodies home, and started chopping.

My sister wanted something light and cool for the hot summer evening. After checking out my extensive recipe collection I decided to make salads and soup (my dad loves soup and even if he would not like the Asian flavor of edamame salad he would definitely enjoy my green pea soup).

First on the list was a tried and true veganized recipe of a “Greek Dinner Salad” (do not confuse with The Greek Salad, they are completely different). The recipe comes from a 2005 issue of Eating Well magazine.

Greek Dinner Salad

Dressing:
3 tbsp soy yogurt
3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp agave nectar
½ tsp salt

Salad:
1 medium zucchini, finely diced (2 cups)
1 large bell pepper, finely diced (1 ½ cups)
1 bunch radishes, finely diced (1/2 cup)
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, drained
Boston lettuce leaves for serving

To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy
Toss all the ingredients (apart from lettuce leaves) in a large bowl. Pour over the vegetables, toss gently. Spoon into lettuce leaves for cups and serve.

To counterbalance the sweetness of the Greek dinner salad I prepared the Edamame salad with sesame dressing. This is a slightly modified version of this salad from the Vegetarian Times magazine.

Edamame and Greens with Sesame Dressing

Dressing:
3 tbsp roasted sesame oil
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce

Salad:
1 ½ cups edamame

4 cups salad spring mix
1 cucumber, sliced
8-oz baked teriyaki tofu, cubed
1 green onion sliced
toasted sesame seeds

1. To make the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients until creamy.

2. To make salad: cook edamame according to the package instructions (boil for 2-4 minutes). Rinse under cold water to cool. Drain well.

3. Divide spring mix among 4 plates.

4. In a medium bowl combine edamame, greens, cucumber, tofu, and green onions. Pour over 1/4 of the Sesame Dressing and mix well. Scoop the salad on top of the greens and drizzle with the reamaning dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

I could not find any baked seasoned tofu (usually I get Asian flavored one) so I decided to try the mock chicken breasts (I don’t remember the name of the company that makes them – I’ll update this post from home with the brand name andmaybe even a picture). I pan-fried them for couple of minutes, cut it in cubes and added to the salad. All in all the chicken breasts were very good. I would definitely use them again in salads or sandwiches. I also think they would be delicious under gravy or sauces with a side dish of rice/mashed potatoes.

If you are not sure where to find edamame, try any Asian stores. They usually have them in frozen section and they come shelled or not.

This is how both of the salad looked:

Pea and spinach soup with coconut milk was a big hit. My dad enjoyed it so much that he asked me to prepare it again. The original recipe, which comes from one of the special issues of “Fine Cooking” 2006 calls for fresh peas, I didn’t have any fresh ones so I used frozen but the result was great. One great thing about crème soups is that you don’t have to care about sizes of cut vegetables.

Pea and Spinach Soup with Coconut Milk

2 large leeks, white parts and pale green, quartered and sliced (try using spring onions if you don't have leeks)
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp basmati rice (use quick cooking rice if you want to speed up the cooking process)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups of peas
4 cups coarsely chopped spinach, any thick stems removed
1 cup coconut milk

1. In a soup pot, heat up oil and stir in rice. Add leeks, salt, curry powder, cilantro, and 1 cup of the stock

2. Cook over medium-low heat at a vigorous simmer for about 12 minutes (if you are suing quick-cooking rice, cook for 3-4 minutes).

3. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, the peas, and the spinach and bring to boil.

4. Boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir I coconut milk.

5. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Taste for salt, season with pepper and garnish with cilantro leaves.

If you prefer a soup with more texture, puree 1 cup and return it to the pot, season, garnish, and serve.

Oprah + Vegan

2008-05-27T11:32:00.002-04:00

I was going through some of the Vegan blogs and found this in Megan the Vegan blog.

Apparently Oprah is trying the 21-day vegan cleansing. She even has a blog about it with some recipes. Let see what it will lead to!

Iced Tea

2008-05-23T14:05:00.004-04:00

Inspired by this Martha Stewart recipe I decided to make my own iced tea couple of weeks ago. I wanted it to be refreshing, not too sweet, and unusual. I remembered drinking "Rose petal" white tea at my friend's house. The drink had a slight rose flavor and a rather interesting aftertaste of ... dried coriander. I would not lie, the first sip was rather peculiar but after a while the herby taste grew on me.
Armed with this idea I got my white tea bags ready (you can use loose leave tea - I was just very lazy that day).

Refreshing Iced T

the recipe is good for approximately a liter of tea. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar and lemon according to your taste

2 white tea bags
1/2 of the lemon, thinly sliced
~4 tbsp of brown sugar
2 springs of basil, leaves removed
3 springs of cilantro (for those of you who can't stand cilantro, substitute it with fresh mint)
1 litre of water

Boil water.
Thinly cut half of the amount of basil and cilantro.
Put all the ingredients, apart from sugar and water, in a tea infuser (if your teapot does not have one you can simply put the ingredients in your tea pot. Do not forget to pour your tea into a different pot once it's ready).
Pour hot water and add sugar. Mix everything well and let steep for 15-20 minutes.
If you don't like your tea too strong you can remove the tea bags but keep the herbal mix for longer.
Remove the infuser and refrigerate the tea until cold.

New BLOG!

2008-05-23T10:57:00.002-04:00

I've realized that most of the people visit this blog for recipes, rather then my rambling about knitting and crocheting, so here is my new baby: Crazy Crocheter
I've already transferred my 2 posts there and added some more information. Stay tuned for the new recipes AND knitting/crocheting patterns.

What NOT to crochet

2008-05-22T09:18:00.000-04:00

I just had to share this link with you:

http://whatnottocrochet.wordpress.com

Camping food

2008-05-22T06:17:00.011-04:00

Last weekend was an official opening of the camping season. Unfortunately I did not get a chance to participate in yearly Grand Rassemblement de Kayakiste and I don't have any photos or recipes to share with you. But I still want to make a post about camping food (vegan, vegetarian, or not). From past years of camping with people and from hearing their stories I realised that food, or should I say it's weight, is one of the biggest problems among campers, and more specifically hikers. If you usually camp by car, canoe, or even kayak you can pretty much take whatever you want with you: even if the space is somewhat limited - you do not have to worry about the weight of your breakfasts and suppers. This changes once you realise that you have to carry all your food on your shoulders for next three ..... five ... or even ten days. Once you pack all your food try comparing its' weight to the weight of the rest of your equipment and you would start wondering if you really need/want eat that much! But good nutrition is important, especially when you spend 24 hours outdoors, hiking up and down the hills. Here I tried to put some advice about

MINIMIZING food weight.

I am sure that the list is not complete and I would LOVE to hear more ideas.

1. Cut down on fresh produce.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, bread and cheese, snacks and drinks, are the most heavy food items. Try to avoid bringing them with you, especially if you know that you are camping for several days. Even though it is amazing to bite into fresh apple, while sitting next to the lake you might want to bring dehydrated/dried fruits to snack on instead.
If you can't eliminate fresh produce from your diet, take those items that are less heavy and do not forget to ration them (see #2).

What about all those tofu-based "meats"? I doubt I can find a dehydrated version of my ground round.
I firmly believe that Textured Vegetable and Soy Protein (TVP and TSP) were invented by hikers. What could be better then these lights "biscuits" that turn into yummy chewy meaty chunks in your soups and stews? You can ground them to add in your pasta sauce or chili. They are truly versatile and weight NOTHING!

If TVP is not readily available you could always bring some tofu. I like my scrambled tofu made from silken "Mori-Nu" tofu which comes in tetra pack package and does not need to be refrigerated.

Finally if you can't imagine your weekend without fresh fruits and vegetables, or if you do not mind carrying a little bit extra weight, make sure to limit the amount of fresh produce you will be bringing. One of the ways of doing it is using an insulated lunch box with an ice pack in it as a "measure". Fill it up with perishable goods, strap it on your pack or put it inside. Anything that did not fit would have to stay home! If you find lunch box too big, try one of the insulated plastic bags with an ice pack in it.

2 Make a menu.
Camping supper is far from an experience you have in a fancy restaurant but you still need the menu. I believe that any camping food preparation should start with creating a menu. All you need is a piece of paper and some ideas about the food you want to have while camping. The menu serves several purposes:
First of all, it will help you to make your grocery list.
Secondly, menu will help you calculate how much of each item you would need. It would also make it easier for you to mix and match your ingredients: if you are taking a zucchini for your scrambled tofu you might want to serve pasta in the evening - to use the leftovers of zucchini. Bringing "multifunctional" food helps reduce the overall weight of your food bag.
Finally, with the menu you will know for sure how much and what you would be eating, it will help you to calculate the number of breakfasts, snacks, and suppers you'll be having. Bringing one extra meal is always good, but you don't want end up with too little snacks or too many breakfasts. Bringing too much extra food is the most common problem among novice hikers.
And yeah, menu would help you to have varied food throughout your camping - this is specially important for longer hikes, when you end up making same dishes over and over again.

3 Ration.
The idea behind rationing is similar to the one behind menu - calculating how much food you bring and avoiding bringing too much. I am not big fan of food rationing in real life, however when camping any extra piece of food translates directly into weight.

4 Packaging
Not a lot of campers think about packaging of the goods that they are bringing. Compare the weight of a can of vegetables (+ the can opener) to the same amount of fresh vegetables. If you are not using the tin for anything - why bother bringing it with you? I know that some products are available only in cans and there is no way around it, but you could still minimize the weight by taking the smallest cans available.
With the meals in boxes, try to leave as much packaging at home as possible. Write down the cooking instructions on the plastic bag and leave the heavy cardboard at home.
Finally, if the amount of packed good is too big, do not hesitate to re-pack it in smaller Ziploc bags. You do not need 3 servings of vegetable couscous if you are leaving for one-night trip.

Crazy Cooking Crocheter???

2008-05-21T21:25:00.007-04:00

Here is a little update for those of you who’ve been wondering what the crazy camping chick is up to. This winter I did some snowshoeing with my friends – lots and lots of fun. But since the winter was looooong and I could not snowshoe every day I picked up a new hobby: knitting and crocheting! I am so excited about it, and even though it has nothing to do with cooking or camping I thought of sharing some of my creations with you.

It all started after I heard the news that my very good friend (best childhood friend) in Tashkent gave birth to a baby girl. I decided that I have to send a little something for her, preferable hand-made. So I got some yarn and some hooks, and since I've been practicing crocheting for a little bit over a week, I started the baby carpet in extremely psychedelic color scheme (to tell you the truth, colors look rather tame on this photo):

After finishing the carpet, I wanted to continue crocheting, but make something smaller this time. I also wanted it to be useful and simple enough that if I would not get the design correctly I would still be able to use it. So the big winter sweater was out of the question, and I decided to crochet a dish cloth:
It was a fun and easy project and I decided to continue.
Next was this bright yellow purse that I now use to carry my current projects around:

After the blanket it was the biggest project so far. I really like the texture of the finished material and will probably use this stitch for something else in near future.

Finally, this morning I finished my hook case. I got 7 hooks as a Christmas gift and so far they've been stored in the empty chocolate box. Now they have a cozy home. This is how it looks from outside:

And inside it has room for 9 hooks:

The original case had buttons and would roll to "close". I am contemplating the idea of attaching some ribbons to mine, meanwhile I can just fol it in half to close and it actually stays closed!

I really hope that I would be able to find enough time to camp, cook, and crochet/knit. For now, while it is cold and rainy in Montreal, I'll keep knitting and crocheting!

P.S. The colors on the pictures are not as good as they are in real life. I definitely should start taking pictures during the day - daylight makes everything so much prettier!
P.P.S. I will post links and references to places where I got my patterns from very soon.

Coffee cake

2008-03-20T16:28:00.006-04:00

I've decided to start baking so that I can be a real babushka (for th ose who do not speak Russian - use your imagination). Since my Xmas cookies were such a big success (couple of years ago) and because Canadian winter is long and cold and the smell of baking goods make my place a bit cozy, and finally since I am having hard time coming up with ideas for breakfast food I decided to make a coffee cake!

This way I get a warm house filled with nice smell and I can always have a slice of it with my morning coffee. The result was a modified version of this blueberry-lemon coffee cake from Cooking Light magazine. I've veganized it and also used raspberries instead of blueberries (I can't stand cooked blueberries) :(
It turned out yummy and I'll definitely do more experiments with coffee cakes!

Raspberry-Lemon Coffee Cake

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps baking powder
1/4 tspn baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup almond paste (if you can' find the paste you can use finely grounded almonds mixed with a bit of marzipan. Do not substitute for marzipan only!!!)
2 tbls chilled vegan butter, cut into small pieces (I used coconut oil)
substitute for 1 large egg
1 tbls lemon juice
3/4 cup soy milk
1 1/2 cups raspberries
2 tsps grated lemon rind
Cooking spray

Topping:
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbls sliced almonds, chopped
1 1/2 tbls olive or canola oil
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Place 1/2 cup sugar, almond paste, and 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg replacement and lemon juice, beating well. Add flour mixture and soy milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in raspberries and rind. Spoon batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray.

To prepare topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, tossing with a fork until moist. Sprinkle topping evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

12 servings.

Easy Soup

2008-02-25T18:42:00.005-05:00

Here is a soup recipe that my friend found in one of her cookbooks. It's very easy to make and full of flavour. Feel free to modify and adapt it to your taste:

Cilantro-Chickpeas Soup

The original recipe:
4-5 garlic clove, minced
1 big bunch of parsley, chopped
1 can of chickpeas
~5 cups of vegetable stock.
1-2 tsp of olive oil
Lemon juice to taste

In a big sauce pan heat oil.
Add garlic and parsley and sauté for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Add chickpeas and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Add broth, bring to boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Serve hot and add some lemon juice to the plate.

I also made it with 2 small potatoes (I added them at the same time as chickpeas and simmered soup for a bit longer, until potatoes were cooked) and some frozen corn. Since I love cilantro I tend to use 1/2 bunch of parsley and 1/2 bunch of cilantro (coriander).

4 months later

2008-02-25T17:46:00.007-05:00

I can't believe that it has been 4 months since my last update! I am not even sure what to say in my defence. Instead I'll just post a new recipe and will try to update more often ;)

Here it comes:

Wild Mushroom & Potato Strudel

This is the veganized and slightly modified version of the recipe from Wish magazine.

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, parboiled and cut in 1/4-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil (more for brushing phyllo)
1 cup finely diced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups sliced button mushrooms
3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 tblsp white wine (you can use vegetable broth instead)
4 tblsp of fresh parsley
1 tblsp of fresh terragon
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of lemon garlic
3 sheets of phyllo dought

To parboil potatoes, cut them in quarters and boil for 5 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft, then add button mushrooms and saute until lightly browned. Add this mixture to the parboiled potatoes.
Heat remaining olive oil in the same saute pan and cook shiitake mushrooms until golden. Add shiitakes to potato mixture. Deglaze saute pan with white wine and add to potato-mushroom mixture. Gently mix in herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Lay one sheet of phyllo on a clean, dry surface and brush with a small amount of oil. Continue layering with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each side with oil.

Place mushroom mixture over the lower third of the phyllo layers. Roll up the strudel, tucking in the sides to seal-in the mixture, and place on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush the outside of the strudel with small amount of oil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F. Bake strudel for 20 minutes, rotate tray and lower heat to 350 F, and bake for 20 more minutes until golden brown.
Serves 6

You can use different herbs for the recipe. Also I would recommend using 4 or 5 sheets of phyllo.

Squash and couscous

2007-10-16T00:29:00.000-04:00

And finally one of my own creations ;)

I came up with this dish while looking through squash stew recipes. The result was very delicious, filling, yet light stew that is ideal for cool Fall days.

Butternut-Squash Couscous

4 tblspoons olive oil, divided
1 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/8 tsp grounded ginger
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 cup canned diced tomatoes with their juice (from one 15-ounce can)
1/2 butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch dice
1/2 head of cauliflower separated into florets

2 carrots peeled, quartered, and cut into sticks 2-3 inches long

2 celery sticks halved and cut into sticks 2-3 inches long

1/4 cup raisins
3 cups vegetable stock

1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups drained and rinsed canned chickpeas (one 19-ounce can)
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 block of tempeh, cut into 1 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups couscous

Parsley and coriander to garnish

Boil cubed tempeh in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry and set aside.

Heat 2 tspoons of oil in a skillet, add onion and garlic, and sautee for 2-3 minutes, until just tender.

Add spices, carrots, celery, squash, and chickpeas and sautee for 3 minutes. Add cauliflower, mix well and sautee for another 2-3 minutes.

Transfer vegetables in a big pot, add tomatoes, and broth, bring to boil and simmer until the vegetables are tender (10-15 minutes)

Meanwhile, add the remaining oil to the skillet, and fry tempeh until golden-brown on all sides.

When the vegetable mix is ready, add raisins and tempeh, mix, and simmer for 5 more minutes.

To prepare the couscous

In a medium saucepan, bring the water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve the stew over the couscous and top with parsley and/or coriander.

Picture from "Food and Wine's" recipe that inspired me.

Rice

2007-10-16T00:18:00.000-04:00

A very simple recipe from RealSimple magazine:

Black Beans and Rice

2 tspoons kosher salt
2 1/2 tblspoons olive oil
2 cups long-grain rice
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
1 large green or red pepper, chopped (1 ½ cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, minced (1 tblspoon)
2 15-oz cans black beans, rinsed
1 cup vegetable stock
2 tblspoons red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1/2 tspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup sliced shallots (optional)

1 In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with 1 tspoon of the salt and 1 ½ tspoons of the olive oil. Bring to a boil.
2 Stir in the rice, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
3 In a large saucepan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, green or red pepper, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
4 Add the beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin, and remaining salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes; remove the bay leaves. Spoon the beans over the rice and sprinkle with the scallions, if desired. Serve warm.

Tip: For a quick black bean soup, follow this recipe. Then remove the bay leaves and process the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Instead of serving it with rice, spoon a dollop of sour cream onto each serving and sprinkle with sliced shallots.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Tomato Soup and Vegetable Tian

2007-10-15T23:50:00.000-04:00

More Martha Stewart recipes:

Spiced Chickpea and Tomato Soup

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 dried hot red chilies, chopped or 1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups crushed canned tomatoes with juice
1/2 cup drained jarred roasted peppers, rinsed
3 1/2 cup vegetable stock
Parsley for garnish

1 Using the mortar and pestle crush garlic, chilies, coriander, salt, and caraway to form a paste
2 Heat oil in a saucepan; add garlic mixture and cook until just softened, for about 3 minutes
3 Stir in chickpeas, tomatoes, roasted peppers, and stock. Simmer, stirring often for 15 minutes.
4 Pure soup, rewarm if necessary. Serve with a dollop of vegan sour cream and spring of parsley.

Makes 6 cups.
Picture from Cookinglight

Vegetable Tian

6 tbspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, quartered lengthwise, rinsed, and cut into 1/4 inch slices (1 1/2 cups)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small Italian eggplant, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 yellow zucchini, unpeeled, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes, very thinly sliced (1 cup)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

1 Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the center. Coat the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. (You can also use round 9-inch baking dish)
2 Heat oil in a large skillet, add leek and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook until soft, for about 4 minutes.
3 Spread the leek mixture on a baking dish. Arrange the vegetables in leek in slightly overlapping rows, alternating eggplant, zucchinis, and tomato.
4 Top with wine, 1 tbsp of oil, oregano, salt, and pepper.
5 Bake 30 minutes, drizzle the remaining oil, and bake, until the vegetables are tender, 30 minutes more.

Hash brown - camping style

2007-10-13T14:10:00.000-04:00

Finally a camping recipe!

This hush brown is easy to make and ideal for car camping. Serve it on its own, with sliced vege-sausage, with scrambled tofu, or with pancakes.

For 2 people you will need:

4 small potatoes, washed.
2 mushrooms
1 tsp of oil
~ 1 tbsp of tomato pesto or tomato paste
~ 1 tsp of garlic paste (or you can use 1 minced garlic clove)
Spices. I prefer za'atar and use a lot of it, but any other spice mix would work well.

Cut potatoes in 8. Boil them.
Meanwhile slice the mushrooms and mince garlic.
When potatoes are tender, heat oil in a skillet (you can use a pot if you don't have camping frying pan). Add garlic, pesto, and mushrooms. Saute for half a minute. Add potatoes and spices and fry until potatoes will get slightly crispy on the outside. Add salt, pepper, and extra-spices if needed.

Martha Stewart

2007-10-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

Here is a recipe of a lentli stew from Martha Stewart. Do not be scared by the long list of ingredients, the soup os very easy to make. It is a very unusual combination of salty, sweet, and flavourful. The smell made me almost think of homemade apple-spice pie.

The recipe is slightly modified from its original.

Golden Lentil Stew

This slightly sweet Moroccan chickpea and lentil stew, known as harira, is brightened by spices and lemon.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed
8 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought vegetable stock
4 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped
3 teaspoons coarse salt
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 cup yellow lentils, rinsed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
5 ounces orzo or vermicelli (or any other small pasta), broken into pieces
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus whole leaves for garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 5 minutes. Add chickpeas, stock, and water, and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.
Mash garlic, finely chopped cilantro, and salt into a paste. Add garlic paste, celery, tomatoes, lentils, tomato paste, lemon juice, and spices to pot. Simmer until lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
Add pasta and dates, and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in coarsely chopped cilantro and parsley. Garnish with parsley leaves, and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 6-8.

ULH

2007-07-16T20:47:00.001-04:00

I've started researching ultralight gear recently with an idea of PCT in mind. There are too many links and useful info and I am starting to feel overwhelmed. I will use this post to classify everything. BTW if you know any links that are not listed here, or just have any advice/ideas PLEASE feel free to share!

GENERAL INFO:
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail Website
PCTHicker
Pacific Crest Trail Association

JOURNALS:
PCTHicker (1999-2003)
PCTA (up to 2007!!!)
Trail Journals (not only PCT)
Henry Shires

PERSONAL PAGES:
John O'Mahoney
Ray Jardine
Rick Halbert
Onestep
Adventure Alan

UL GEAR:
Troubadour's and Nocona & Bald Eagle's gear lists and reviews. (PCTHicker)
Light Gear Forums
Backpacking Lightweight
Centrewalk's gear list

GENERAL GEAR REVIEW:
Trailspace
Moontrail

GEAR:
Granite Gear

MAKE YOUR OWN GEAR:
Backpacking.net (general)
Henri Shires (tarp/tent system)
John (stove) and some MORE

PACKS:
McHale

BOOKS:
Journey on the Crest: Walking 2600 Miles from Mexico to Canada
Dances with Marmots
PCTHicker selection
Rick's selection

LINKS:
PCTHicker links
Centerwalk's link

PCT MAPS:
PCTHicker
PCTA
Henry Shires

APPALACHIAN TRAIL MAPS:
John's

UL FAQ:
John's

More dipping sauces

2007-04-05T20:56:00.001-04:00

Wasabi Dipping Sauce

2 or 3 tbsp wasabi paste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Combine all the ingredients and whisk until smooth

NOTE: if you are using wasabi powder, first make a paste out of it and only then mix it in with the other ingredients. Like this you will get a stronger flavor.
NOTE2: "Sushi Chef" wasabi powder is a real killer!!! I LOVE it ;)

Sesame Sauce
Although it is called sesame sauce it's actually peanutty and very yummy!!!

1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp agave nectar (the original recipe calls for honey), but if you don't have any sugar or any other sweetener will do
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar

Whisk all the ingredients in small pan and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and whisk until thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Cool and serve.

Burnt Chile Sauce

Eric's favorite ;)

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil (peanut or canola)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
3 tbsp dried chile flakes
2-3 tbsp water

Mix together sugar and salt.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and cook stirring often until shallots are golden-brown but not burned, 4-5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon transfer the shallots and garlic to the food processor.
To the oil left in the pan, add chile flakes and cook until they darken slightly (~1 minute).
Cool the oil and pour it in the food processor. Add the sugar/salt mix and process everything until well chopped.
With motor running add the water until mixture is emulsified.
Serve cooled.

Vegan camping breakfast

2007-03-25T10:41:00.001-04:00

So what do vegan campers eat? I don't know about all of them but here is a little overview of my favorite camping food.

BREAKFAST
In the city, a vegan breakfast is very hard to pull for me; I can't do just cereal with milk in the morning even with nuts and fresh fruits it makes me hungry the minute I finish the bowl. I am yet to bake some vegan breakfast muffins.... so my usual breakfast is a peanut-butter-jelly sandwich (something I've never had as a child and thus I am not completely sick of it), but on the weekend I cheat and enjoy an amandine (almond croissant). But hey, enough of city-breakfast, what I was trying to say is that in the city breakfast is either boring or non-vegan, but it all changes during camping - the options are endless:

Scrambled tofu - the tetra-pack Mori-nu tofu keeps for several days, and there are always some dehydrated or even fresh veggies to mix in.

Hash browns with vegan sausages and mushrooms - another filling breakfast choice. I usually bring 4-5 little red skin potatoes (they keep for a while). To save the cooking time, I cut them in 4 and parboil (while rehydrating my mushrooms). Then I fry some garlic/onion with mushrooms (you could add tomatoes or any other vegetables for that matter), add the potatoes, let them fry just a bit, and then add the sausages.

The good old porridge (oatmeal or cream of wheat) - let your imagination go wild. Add some nuts, dried fruits, chocolate chips, spices (cinnamon, nutmeg) ..... The individual packets available at most grocery stores come in different flavors so you can mix and match (we end up eating 2 packets each because one is way too small). I've also noticed an organic alternative (Nature's Path) to the Quaker that has some nice "grown up" flavors. Porridge is also good for those days when you have to wake up and go (no time to parboil potatoes or fry some veggies)
NOTE: Quaker now also has the organic oatmeal!!!
NOTE #2: Check the ingredients; the cream of wheat sometimes already has powdered milk, so it's not vegan!

Pancakes - I still have my non-vegan Aunt Jemima mix that I use but you can always make your own. Mix flour, brown sugar, egg replacer, and powdered soy milk. When you get to the camp ground, just add water and bake the wonderful vegan pancakes. You should try it at home first to make sure that the proportions are right. Don't forget to bring some syrup.

More sporks

2007-03-22T15:00:00.001-04:00

While answering the comment to the previous post I went on the "Light my fire" website and ..... oh, no, there are more pretty sporks there!!! The sporks hunt is not over, after all.

On the bright side, the kit of 4 is now available at the "Canadian Tire" - impressive!!!!

SPORKS!!!

2007-03-21T18:47:00.001-04:00

The first place I visited in Redmond, WA was .......... those of you who said Microsoft can stop reading my blog and cross me out from your friends list (unless you are Jaihoon) ;)

no, the first place I visited was the REI store!!!! I saw it when we were driving home and I was ecstatic, yelling to Jaihoon: "oh, my G-d, you have REI store, oh my G-d!!!!" And so the next day, the very very patient Goli and me went to explore all the wonders of the place.

We spend about 2 hours inside, me blah-blahing about all the stuff they have, scaring the sale-person who assumed we would by "one of everything", trying stuff on, debating whether to by half-the-store and ask them to ship it to Montreal..... well, you got the picture, right? And for those of you who is still curious about what I ended up getting ..... drum roll.......

Here are finally, long-waited-for, wonderful, colorful, light, and magnificent
Light my fire sporks!!!!!!!!!

Aren't they pretty??? ;)

East and West approved stuffed Portobellos

2007-03-21T17:00:00.001-04:00

Here is an easy recipe I came up with one day in Montreal. It was also great hit on the West coast when I cooked it for my non-vegan friends. I served these mushrooms with rice and simple green salad.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms.

4 Portobello mushrooms
2 Granny Smith apples
2 medium size carrots
1/2 block of firm tofu
~ 7 Cremini (or regular white button) mushrooms
~ 1 cup of blanched almonds (optional but helps to make the filling sticky. Try substituting with 1/2 of wheat germ and 1/2 nutritional yeast)
1 tbsp of finely minced fresh ginger
3-4 finely minced garlic cloves
2 zucchinis
1/2 cup of cauliflower florets (optional)
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
~ 3 tbsp of Tamari (or Soy) sauce
Spices:
I used the Herbes de Provence mix first time, but when I was cooking it for my friends I experimented with the mix of oregano, basil, marjoram, parsley, and sage. It was very delicious as well

Preheat the oven to 400C
Grind the almonds in the blender/food processor to create fine mix.
Shred carrots, apples, and tofu in different bowls.
Quarter the Cremini mushrooms. If they are too big cut them in 8.
Cut zucchinis in half, and scrape out the pulp (use the spoon). Reserve the shells - you can stuff them and bake with the mushrooms.
If using cauliflower, cut the florets in small pieces.
Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil on the medium-high heat in a frying pan, add garlic, ginger, mushrooms and fry for 7-10 minutes, or until the mushrooms loose most of the liquid.
Lower the heat to medium and add carrots, apples, zucchinis, cauliflower, mix well and let fry for 5-7 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
Add spices, tofu, and Tamari. Keep mixing until the tofu is thoroughly warm.
Taste and adjust for seasoning.
Add the almonds and stir the mixture. Now it should be easier to work with the filling.
Let the filling cool; meanwhile cut the stems of the Portobellos and scrape of the gills (spoon works the best for this).
Lightly oil the baking pan with the remaining olive oil
Stuff the Portobello cups and the zucchini shells with the stuffing, be generous :)
Put them on the baking sheet and start the timer.

The mushrooms come out best after 20-25 minutes of baking. Zucchinis would take as long as 40 minutes of baking.
You could add some shredded vegan cheddar on top during the last 5 minutes of baking.

Spring Rolls

2007-02-06T22:03:00.001-05:00

I made a lot of spring rolls over the holidays. Here are three dipping sauce recipes, as a preview

Lime-Soy Dipping Sauce

½ cup soy sauce
2 large limes zest and juice
2 tbsp sugar
Pinch dried red chilie flakes

Combine ingredients and stir over medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved.
Cool and serve

Dim Sum Sauce

3 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili sauce
1 tbsp dark sesame oil

Combine ingredients and whisk until smooth.

Sweet Chile Sauce

1/2 cup sugar or any other sweetener
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp grated carrot
2 tbsp grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried chile flakes

Whisk together sugar and vinegar, bring to simmer over medium-high heat and cook until sweetner is dissolved.
Stir in carrot, cucumber, and chile flakes. Simmer 1 minute.
Serve warm or cooled.

P.S. the photo comes from the allrecipes website

Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons

2007-02-06T18:29:00.001-05:00

I have a big collection of recipes and there are SO many I would like to try that it's very rare that I cook something twice. This weekend was an exception. I wanted soup .... something light and filling ..... I remembered the pepper soup I made hmmmmmm couple of years ago ;). It was very good and it had also those wonderful mushroom croutons with it. The more I thought about the soup the more I wanted it, so I headed off to the market and got 6 yellow peppers. The cashier was very surprised and even warned me that it would coast me 8$ ;)

Half an hour later we were enjoying the Yellow Pepper Soup with Wild Mushroom Croutons. And let me tell you those croutons are too die for!!!!

More Cookies!!!!

2007-02-01T19:13:00.001-05:00

Here are the cookies I made for my colleagues couple of weeks ago. On the left are some Polenta-Lemon Thins, and on the right are the Citrus-Glazed Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies. The original recipe for the Oatmeal cookies could be find here.

The cookies were a big hit and were eaten in ~5 minutes!!! I am still getting "when are you bringing more cookies?" from my colleagues ;)

P.S. I added most of the recipes to my previous cookie post.

Impromptu Supper

2007-01-16T20:39:00.001-05:00

Some of my firends think that I eat good food every day..... well I try, but truth to be told those evenings when I come home after 10 hour work day spending yet another hour cooking does not inspire me, and the idea of fries with ketchup (or even a slice of non vegan pizza), and even the pictures of some very non-vegan foods are flowting in my head. Usually I give in and get some junk food (always vegetarian).

One of those evening I decided to be stronger than my cravings for junk food. I looked around my kitchen and found ...

No not banana - a PLANTAIN!!!!

"Fried plantain - this is what I am having for supper today!"

But I was very very hungry and I knew that a plantain won't be enough, and that couple of hours later I would be going to the dep for some chips!

What else do I have? Pita? Hummus? POTATOES!!!! 3 round organic potatoes were waiting for me in the capboard. But how can I have potatoes with no mushrooms?

The picture of the supper was getting more and more exciting:

Garlicy fried mushrooms and potatoes with sweet-and-salty fired plantain!

Let's check the fridge, maybe there is something else hiding there? Some canned tomatoes, shallots, cilantro..........

And here is the final dish - delicious (even if plantain got a bit overcooked) and healthy.

Couple of days later I made a similar supper using potatoes, chickpeas, spinach, mushrooms, fresh tomato, and coconut milk. And a plantain, bien sur!!!

X-mas Cookies!!!

2007-01-04T19:29:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year to all of you!

Yes, I am alive ..... I was just quite busy during this holiday season. Busy doing what???? COOKING!!!! So here are my little creations:

The yellow yummies in the top left corner are Polenta-Lemon Crisps (1). To the right of them are Lemon-Poppy Seed Slices (2), next are Brandied Cranberry-Apricot Bars (3) and Viennese Coffee Balls (4). The big chocolate cookies are Peanut Butter Munchies (5), to the left of them are Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies (6), and the Earl Grey Tea Cookies (7). In the middle we have Apricot-Sage Cookies (8) and what was suppose to be Chocolate-Pistachio Wreaths, but was turned into Half/Half cookies (9).

I am posting the recipes on the other blog, so click on the link to find out how to make these X-mas wonders!

BTW speaking of cookies and baking check out Josée at http://www.pacane.com/ - baking blog with recipes and pictures!!! Gives you a motivation to learn French ;)

Pizza and Pasta

2006-12-12T19:34:00.000-05:00

To continue my Italian weekend I made pizza (again). I followed the recipe posted earlier with one slight modification: for the yest I added the whole packet instead of 1/2 tbsp. I liked the texture of the dough better.

For the toppings I made a smooth tomato sauce (just blended the "chunky" sauce) and added some roasted garlic paste to it, olive spread, pepper, red onion, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, "cheese", and capers.

I had so many vegetables left that on Monday I made

Big Red Pasta Sauce.

1 can of diced tomatoes (preferable with garlic and spices)
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 pepper, cubed
1 medium size zucchini, sliced
Mushrooms (the more the merrier), sliced
Sun dried tomatoes
Spices (lots, and lots, and lots)
1 cup of red vine (optional)
2 roasted peppers
Canned artichokes (I had half a can left from the risotto)
Pinch of sugar
Capers
Vegan Parmesan
Olive oil

Saute the onion and garlic for couple of minutes. Add mushrooms, zucchinis, pepper, dried spices, vine, sun dried tomatoes, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, pinch of sugar, bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

After I added roasted peppers and artichokes, cooked it for another 5 minutes, and served it over whole wheat spaghetti, sprinkled with vegan Parmesan, capers, and basil accompanied by a glass of "Pater" - mmmmmmmm ;)

Christmas food

2006-12-12T19:17:00.000-05:00

No, I am not making a stuffed turkey, stuffed faux-turkey, or tofurkey I've simply been making a lot of red and green food recently (I know it doesn't look very red or green on the pictures, but read the ingredients!!!) Moreover I am in Italian spirit so here we go:

Risotto

This was my first attempt to make a risotto. I actually never even had a real risotto but on Friday I felt like eating one (how can you crave something you've never had before - I don't know)!
I'll tell you the truth, I was intimidated. I heard that making a risotto is a long and almost painful process with constant stirring but I will assure you that it's not as bad as it sounds. Yes, you have to stir it for a while so it's not a good dish to cook in a hurry but it's much easier than what they make it sound.

5-6 cups of vegetarian broth
1/2 cup of wine (optional)
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
1 onion, diced
1-3 cloves of garlic (if you like garlic)
2 cups of Arborio rice (I couldn't find any Arborio rice, so I used the "Italian style" rice which worked great)
1/4 cup of vegan Parmesan substitute.
Spices (you can use both fresh and/or dried)
Any vegetables you want to add to your risotto.
You have to divide these vegetables according to the cooking time. Veggies such as mushrooms, zucchinis, carrots, peppers will need more time too cook, where as something like canned artichokes, grilled veggies, spinach, etc. will be done faster. Depending on the "group" you will be adding these veggies at the beginning, middle, or end of the risotto cooking process ;)

Heat up the oil and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for ~5 minutes until soft but not brown! Couple of minutes into cooking the onions and garlic I've added the dried spices (basil, oregano, marjoram, and sage) along with zucchinis, and mushrooms.
Now it's time for the long and tedious stirring ;). Put the rice in the vegetable mix without adding any broth and cook it for couple of minutes, stirring. Start adding broth (about 1/2 cup at a time) stirring constantly until all of the water is absorbed. If you are using vine, add it first and then continue with broth.
Continue adding broth and stirring the rice. After 15 minutes you can start tasting the rice for doneness. The rice is ready when it's soft but not mushy (al dente). You also should keep in mind that you don't want your risotto to be too soupy, so start adjusting the amount of liquid added. This is also a good time to add any fresh spices you are using. I had some basil, sage, and marjoram. I've also added some canned artichokes for the texture.

Do not forget to add your vegetables half-way or at the end of cooking the risotto.

Once the rice is ready, turn of the heat, add the "Parmesan" and stir it all couple of times.

Preview, fondue, gifts, and a squirrel.

2006-12-05T19:11:00.001-05:00

I am working on the continuation of the saga “Down the Richelieu River”. More pictures and stories are coming up soon.
I am also working on the camping-food specific posts: what to eat, how to cook, as well as the recipes and links to the camping sites.
Speaking of the links, I will eventually post links to recipe web-sites, cooking blogs, and anything interesting food and camping related.

I got 2 big gifts recently: my new Arc'teryx AR Theta shell, in Mocha (like we say in mother Russia “the idiot’s dream came true”). Thank you Madina and Pasha!

And I got a digital camera (thank you daddy – man I sound like an “Oscar” star ;) ). Now that taking pictures is easy I just need an Internet connection at home to post 24/7.

Here are the pictures of the fondue we enjoyed this weekend. The recipe comes from the “The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook” – a must have for those vegans who miss the cheesy days. I tried the “South of the Border” one and it was excellent.

And it turns out we were not the only ones enjoying good food ….

Bean soup with a new twist

2006-12-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

I checked out “The Artful Vegan” from the library and my new passion is unusual combination of tastes. I am yet to try any of the recipes from the book (I am definitely making their chocolate cake and if it will be successful I will make it for Christmas) but the images and the descriptions are stunning!!!!

Yesterday on the way home I decided to come up with something unusual. I was craving a thick, hearty soup (it was very chilly and wintery outside) so the white beans and potatoes came to my mind. But that is very ordinary soup with rather “straight” taste. I would need something acid to go with it, and something fresh ……. lemon …… peas …… coriander. And now I have to top it with something ….. mushrooms ......

Smoky Bean Soup with Lemon-Pea Coulis and Sesame Flavored Shiitake Mushrooms.

I did not measure the ingredients as I was adding them, so please rely on your taste buds when making coulis.
I have to mention that the “Imagine” organic vegetable broth is my new favorite. Pleasant sweet taste, not too salty, and no chemical ingredients at all!

Base
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, cubed
1 celery stalk, cubed
4-5 cups of vegetable stock
1 15oz can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium size potatoes, cubed
½ tsp ground oregano
½ tsp herbes de Provence (a “fine herbes” mix would work as well)
¼ tsp ground terragon
¼ tsp ground marjoram
½ tsp ground parsley
2-3 drops of liquid smoke (optional)
Salt

Coulis
1 cup of water
1 ½ cups of green peas (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp of lemon juice
1 tbsp of chopped fennel (optional)
1 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander
Splash of tamari sauce

Sesame Mushrooms
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 tsp of toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp of fresh ginger, minced
8oz of shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced
Splash of Tamari sauce

To garnish
Shallots, coriander, and sunflower sprouts, chopped
Coriander springs.

In a deep saucepan heat the oil. Add onions and 4 garlic cloves, lightly sauté until soft.
Add carrot and celery and fry at medium heat for 2 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, beans, salt, and spices. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer until all the vegetables are tender (~ 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, put the peas in cold water. Bring to boil and boil for 1 minute, drain.
Pure green peas, coriander, and fennel with a food processor. Add lemon juice and a splash of Tamari sauce. Add water if the mixture is too thick (I had to add about 2 tbsp).

In the skillet, heat up the olive oil (med. temperature). Add the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms. Fry for 2-3 minutes.

Mash the base with the potato-masher until thick, but chunky. Add the liquid smoke and adjust for saltiness.

To serve, lade the soup in the plate. Put some mushrooms in the middle of the soup and pour the coulis around. Sprinkle with chopped shallots, sprouts, and coriander.

Down the Richelieu River Part 3

2006-11-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Our first morning in the US was cool and grayish. The wind was getting stronger and the weather radio announced the speed of wind to be 15 knots.

We enjoyed yet another porridge breakfast, drank the coffee, and went to explore the neighborhood in search of the map. Right next to the “Barcomb” marina we saw another one. The owner spoke French and, as it turned out, was from Canada. Just like everyone else he was very surprised to find out that we crossed the border by kayaks and suggested that we take a break for one day, because of the very windy weather conditions: “The wind is at least 20 knots and won’t die off until late afternoon”.

We decided to take off despite the warnings. Our plan was to cross to the East side, through the hole in the half-burned wooden rail-bridge and check the weather conditions on the other side.

It was the first time I’ve paddled in such windy weather. If usually a paddler has to fight the current, we had to fight the wind, which was pushing the boats, and the paddles, slowing us down to 1 km/h (instead of regular 4km/h). We also had to pay attention to the direction of the waves (it’s not fun to flip-over in the middle of the unfamiliar crossing) as well as the half-burned poles of the old bridge sticking out of the water. Some of the poles were short enough to be hidden by waves and only when the water would recess we would see their dangerous ends couple of centimeters away from the boats.

But all is well that ends well and almost an hour later we were paddling next to the Eastern shore realizing that the wind is as strong here as it was on the other side. The rain started drizzling over our heads; we “parked” the boats, and decided to wait until the wind dies off.

Anna and John came home an hour later. They were quite surprised to find 2 kayakers on their front yard;

- Judging by the sky, the weather won’t change until tomorrow – said Anna, - but you are welcome to crash in the corner of the yard.
- Would you need an extension cord? Something warm? I won’t be OK until I’ll know that you are good – said John.

It feels SO comforting to meet people who are nice to the crazy kayakers ;)

And so we had half a day to set up the tarp and the tent, watch the rain, rest, eat (Thai soup and Vegetable couscous with textured vegetable protein), and get ready for more adventures.

To be continued ....

Turnovers, Samosas, and Salad

2006-11-28T20:29:00.000-05:00

Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp garlic salt
½ cup water
5 tbsp chilled butter (Earth Balance) cut into small pieces
1 large egg (I use Ener-G egg replacer)

Combine all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, yellow cornmeal, baking powder, and garlic salt in a food processor; pulse until combined.
Add water, butter, and eggs; oulse 3 times or just until combined (do not form a ball)

Note: I needed to add more water, but I was using less cornmeal (I didn’t have enough) and more all-purpose flour.

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface; knead gently 4 to 5 times.
Divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a 5 ½ - inch circle on a lightly floured surface.

Yield 12 dough circles.

Potato, Leek, and Mushroom Turnovers

Yet another modified and veganized recipe.

3 cups (½-inch) cubed red or Yukon gold potato
2 cups chopped leeks (~ 1 big leek)
¾ cup water
2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
4 oz white mushrooms
½ onion sliced
2 tbsp vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp soy or rice milk
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
Vegan cheddar cheese. I used 1 packet of the Road’s End Organic cheddar cheese mix.
4-5 drops of liquid smoke
Pinch of oregano (I think mint would be good, but I didn’t have any to try).
12 Savory Cornmeal – Whole Wheat Dough circles.

Boil potatoes until tender. Coarsely mash with a fork (or potato masher). Stir in leeks, chives, Parmesan, milk, salt, liquid smoke, spices, and pepper.
In a small skillet fry onions and mushrooms. Let the mix cool down and then add it to potatoes.
Preheat oven to 425º
Place the Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough Circles on a lightly floured surface. Spoon ¼ cup potato mixture into the center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal.
Place turnovers on a large baking sheet. Pierce top of each turnover once with a fork. Bake for 17 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Serve warm.

Sweet Potato Samosa

3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 pound)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups frozen petite green peas

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1 1/2 tsp curry powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

12 Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles

Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Drain, coarsely mash, and stir in peas.
Heat oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add mustard seeds, coriander, and curry powder; sauté 2 minutes. Add onion mixture, salt, and pepper to potato mixture; stir well. Cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 425°.
Place Savory Cornmeal-Whole Wheat Dough circles on a lightly floured surface. Spoon 1/4 cup potato mixture into center of each dough circle. Fold dough over filling; press edges together with a fork or fingers to seal. Place samosas on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pierce top of each samosa once with a fork. Bake at 425° for 19 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Crunchy Pear and Celery Salad

Bartlett or Anjou pears are used in this salad for their crispy texture. The original recipe (from the “Eating Well” magazine) called for white cheddar cheese and was served in the lettuce leaves. I substituted avocado for cheese and used the spring mix instead of the lettuce leaves.

4 stalks celery, trimmed and cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons cider, pear, raspberry or other fruit vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
2 ripe pears (red Bartlett or Anjou) diced
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted
Pepper to taste
1 avocado diced
~6 cups of salad greens or 6 large leaves butterhead or other lettuce.

Soak celery in the bowl of ice water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry (you can omit this step if your celery is fresh and crispy). Cut into ½-inch pieces.
Whisk vinegar, honey, and salt in the large bowl until blended.
Add pears and avocados; gently stir to coat. Add the celery, greens, and pecans; stir to combine (or, if using the lettuce leaves, divide them between 6 plates and top with a portion of salad). Serve at room temperature or chilled.

The recipes come from "Cooking Light" and "Eating Well"

Down the Richelieu River Part 2

2006-11-28T19:01:00.000-05:00

Nothing bothered us during the night and the morning was calm and pleasant. Our third day was as sunny and warm as the previous ones. Eric was getting impatient to get to the boarder so I made a fast porridge breakfast, packed everything in the boat, and waited for him to get ready. The river was busier that day; the little fish were jumping out of the water, the motor-boats were zooming by, and the fishermen were waiting for their catch in their crafts.

After half-a-day of paddling we finally reached the “big golden buoy”. The concept of border always puzzled me, and if it is pretty straightforward on the ground, I couldn’t wait what would the Canadian-American boarder look like in the middle of the Richelieu River. As it turns out the actual boarder is identified by the big golden buoy but the office of the American Border Patrol where you have to register your crossing is in the nearest marina.

“Barcomb” marina made me think of the American movies: a saloon-type of place that smells like beer and French fries, the regulars sitting at the bar, the barwoman (Sue) running the place, and ….. two Canadians dressed in the wet-suits, clogs, bandanas, and spray skirts asking about registering the kayak-crossing. All the head turned when we entered the place and we were explained that during the off-season the officer waits in his office for a phone call, and once we fill out the paper he would come to talk to us. While waiting for the officer we met Steve who told us stories about his life all over the States.

An hour later the officer showed up......

It was the first time he saw kayaks crossing the boarder and had no idea how to fill up the necessary papers. After talking to the head-office he registered the boats and we were free to go! However, it was getting dark and we had to look for a place to stay. We went back to the bar to inquire about the nearest beach where we could’ve spend the night, but everything nearby was a private property so Sue offered us a patch of grass next to the marina, which was more than enough for our tent.

The evening and the morning after were somewhat surreal. The street right next to us, the highway-bridge on the left, houses, cars, people ….. although Rouses Point is a very little and quiet city. We ate the dinner (another Thai soup and Thai yellow curry with vegetables and textured vegetable protein over rice noodles), drank some tea, went back to marina to say “Goodnight” to Sue, who was watching “House” and cuddled up in the sleeping bags.

To be continued ....

Vegetable Patties

2006-11-27T15:48:00.001-05:00

These patties made me think of Spring in the middle of Fall. I slightly modified the recipe from “Les Indispensables Plats Végétariens” (thank you Tra!!!). I had hard time frying the patties, because they would fall apart. Make the patties small and plump, and do not rush to turn them over, when frying.

2 big potatoes cut in big cubes
1 onion thinly sliced
½ cauliflower (just the florets)
1 cup of green peas (frozen, fresh, or caned) cooked or raw
1 cup of fresh spinach, minced
2 bell peppers cut in small cubes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tbsp of ground coriander
1 tbsp of fresh ginger, minced
1 ½ tbsp of ground cumin
1 tbsp of salt
2 tbsp of fresh coriander, more to garnish
Bread crumbs (~50 grams)
Olive oil
Green onions, minced to garnish (optional)

Boil potatoes, onions, and cauliflower until tender. Drain and mash with a fork, or potato masher.
Add peas and spinach to the mixture. Mix well.
Add peppers, garlic, ginger, spices, salt, and fresh coriander. Mix well and mash more, if needed.
Form little patties, cover with bread crumbs, and fry until golden brown.
Serve garnished with cilantro and/or green onions.

Down the Richelieu River Part 1

2006-11-27T15:20:00.000-05:00

Our 7 days trip to the Chaplain Lake started on the bright Saturday afternoon. We drove to the Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and put our kayaks in the water next to the St. Therese Island. The day was warm, the sun was up high, and we were impatient to discover the beauty of the lake.

According to the calculations we would get to the border the next day and spend the whole week paddling among the islands, visiting Plattsburgh, and crossing to Vermont. The paddle down the canal was calm and effortless. The sun was still quite bright above our heads, the weather was wonderful, not too hot or too cool, the water was calm, and the people walking on the shore were friendly and smiley. After couple of hours of paddling we snacked on “Clif” bars and decided to keep going despite the approaching evening. After couple of more kilometers we saw ….. the locks!!! Jean-Claude warned us that there were 7 locks on the Richelieu River. Starting as low as the St. Therese Island we were sure to clear all of them, but … alas! …. we couldn’t go any further and had to portage!!!! It was the first portage in my life (kayakers are not as used to caring their belongings as canoeists) and I hated every second of it. The boats were very heavy, still filled with all the food, and I was pretty tired. I tried to “cheat” and most of the time Eric was carrying 80% of the boats’ weight (but hey, he is the guy, right?) ;)

The portage was done and the river opened up in front of us; the big marina on one side, motor boats anchored next to the shore…. The sun was going down but we decided to paddle “just a bit more” until we would find a nice place to crash. The river at night looks almost mystical. At one point the light mist raised over the water and we would try to guess what was coming up in front of us judging by the dimmed lights.

It was getting darker and colder and we had to stop for the night. On the shore at our right we’ve noticed a street lamp…. Yeah a street lamp in the middle of nowhere. It turned out to be the end of the road with a huge house on one side and an empty lawn on the other. The house was dark and uninhabited so we assumed that our “squatting” for the night would not cause any problems.

The temperature dropped significantly and as soon as we stopped moving we felt chills. We changed in the set of dry clothes, and while Eric was putting up the tent, I made a big pot of chili to keep us warm and full. Before we knew, the chili was eaten and we were both crawling in to the tent, half asleep.

“Is everything OK?” – a man’s voice woke me up in the morning.
“Yeah, we are good. Is it your terrain?” – answered Eric.

It turned out that the owner of the house came home late last night and did not notice us on his land. He had nothing against us staying for couple of days. He even explained to us that the apple trees were sick and apples were not very good, whereas plums were much nicer and we should feel free to pick as much as we want.
Eric went to pick some plums and I started the breakfast:
Orange juice followed by fried potatoes with mushrooms and vegan sausages. And definitely some coffee.

It was getting nice and warm, we didn’t want to waste any more time so we packed our belongings in the boats and set off. Our next destination was the American boarder.

Paddling on the river is quite different from paddling in the canal. You have to pay attention to upcoming boats, to the coast line, to the bottom that could get shallow pretty fast. Moreover, you should not paddle anywhere but stick to the canal, separated by green and red buoys. But the best part of paddling in the river is the WAVES that passing boats leave behind. We would stop every now and then to bob on the waves, or to cross them perpendicularly.

Once again, we were taking it easy and before we knew we were passing the Lennox Fort. Checking with the map Eric announced that we would still not make it to the American boarder today, and the Fort would be an ideal place to stay for the night.

The sign said “no camping” but the island was empty, so we decided to go in the Fort and ask if we can camp for one night. It turned out that the offices were closed and the only man we’ve met said that during the off-season period we would not bother anyone by pitching the tent in the corner of a huge field.

The field was big indeed with picnic tables, trash cans, and nice access to the water – a true heaven for kayakers. We made the camp and I slowly got to cooking. This time it would be a light soup from the “Thai cuisine” and to stay faithful to the Asian cuisine I made stir-fry vegetables with rice noodles.

Amazing part of camping in autumn is the speed of weather and light change. Early in the morning you don’t want to get out of the tent because it is quite chilly outside, but once you stay in the sun for two-three minutes you get warm and even hot. The sun keeps working hard the entire day and the temperature rises significantly but towards four-five o’clock it gets cooler again and when the sun sets you have to put on your warm fleece, hat, and gloves. It all happens very fast because the sun sets in the matter of an hour or so and the darkness falls fast.

Once the supper was finished we made some hot tea with Marzipan “Ritter Sport” chocolate – our favorite dessert – and we were both ready to get in our sleeping bags.

to be continued .....

Ninja bowl

2006-11-24T19:04:00.001-05:00

I am currently working on the post about our adventure down the Richelieu river to the Champlain lake. For now, here is the picture of slightly modified "Ninja bowl" - an awesome combination of brown rice, Wasabi-dill dressing, crispy fried tofu, salad greens, sunflower seeds sprouts, and a "secret" hot and salty sauce. The recipe can be found at "Fresh at home cookbook".

PIZZA!

2006-11-20T17:11:00.001-05:00

Inspired by the latest "vegan_cookoff" theme and the Amazon order that I've recieved I decided to finally make pizza.

For the dough I followed the recipe from "Nonna's Italian Kitchen : Delicious Home-Style Vegan Cuisine":

1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water
1/2 tbsp baking yeast
1/2 tsp unbleached sugar
3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp salt

After "testing" the yeast by combining it with water and sugar and letting it stand for 10 minutes (it suppose to froth up, but mine didn't); I've mixed the flour, oil, and salt. I've kneaded dough for good 8 minutes until it became nice and uniform and made a ball out of it.

Note: it is better to mix in only half of flour the first time, let the dough rest for a bit and then continue with the rest of flour, oil, and salt.

The ball was placed in a bowl, where it sitted, covered with a towel, for an hour. It doubled in size and then I punched it down and kneaded just a bit more.

Note: the more times the dough will rise and "fall" the more "puffy" would it come out at the end (a tip from my hairdresser)

I used only half of the dough (the other hald is waiting wrapped in plastic in the fridge) and roll a nice crust for the pizza. As I've learned, it doesn't have to be too thin, unless you want a very thin-crust pizza, like the one I made.

Then I made Chuncky Tomatoe Sauce:

1 can of diced tomatoes with herbs
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tbs ground oregano
1 tbs grlound basil
1 tbsp olive oil

Sautee garlic in oil for 3-5 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

Melty White Cheez from Joanne Stepaniak's "The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook"

1 1/2 cups of soy milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flour
2 tbsp sesame tahini
2 tbsp cornstarch (kuzu or arrowroot)
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Blend all the ingridients until completely smooth.
Cook over medium-high heat, stirring almost constantly with a whisk until very thick.
Extra: I added couple of drops of liquid smoke and it turned out great.

And the toppings:

Tofurky Italian Sausage
Marinated artichokes (my boss gave a huge jar of those)
Mushrooms
Green peppers
Onions

I arranged everything but "cheese" on top of the dough and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the pizza was ready, I've spread the cheese and ..... mmmmmmmm was it ever good!!!

Note: to speed up the process prepare the toppings while the dough is rising and make cheese once pizza is in the oven

Today my pizza received a highest possible compliment - a colleague of mine (very picky eater who thinks that all vegan food is weird) tried a piece and LOVED it! I am making more pizza for her this week!!!

Camping Chili

2006-11-14T19:01:00.001-05:00

This recipe is rather fuel-consuming because of the cooking of beans and potatoes.
There are several ways of reducing the cooking time:

- Use canned beans (increases the weight and the trash, but significantly reduces the cooking time)
- Use instant rice and mung beans which are smaller and take less time to cook
- Use instant beans (I’ve personally never tried it but can’t see why it wouldn’t work)
- Use dehydrated cooked beans.

I like to cook chili on the first night of our trip. I usually soak beans for ~24 hours before the trip, rinse them, put in Nalgene bottle and cover with water. The beans still have time to soak during the first day of the trip but I don’t have to be extra careful about rinsing them.

Potatoes could be substituted for by using instant mash potatoes which would decrease the cooking time and the fuel consumption.

Chili

1 potato or sweet potato
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves (when camping use “tubed” garlic paste – the wonderful invention)
~1/2 cup pre-soaked beans (from my experience, black beans are the best, they cook the fastest)
1 tomato (either fresh or dried. If you are using dried tomatoes you can add some “tubed” tomato paste)

Vegetables:

You can use the vegetables of your choice – here are my favorite:
Zucchini (dehydrated or fresh)
Peppers (dehydrated or fresh)
Mushrooms (dehydrated)
Celery

Water
Powdered/”cubed” vegetable broth
Oil
Chili powder
Ground cumin
Thyme (if you like it)
Ground coriander
Salt/pepper/cayenne pepper
Half a pack of “fake meet”. I use Yves Mexican or Original “Ground Round”.

Fry onion and garlic. Add some cumin and any other spices while frying.
Add diced potatoes, zucchini, peppers, and mushrooms. Fry until the vegetables (peppers and zucchinis) get slightly soft. Add tomatoes and fry a bit more. Pour water and add the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, add chili powder and beans. Simmer until beans are tender. Add “meat” and cook until thoroughly hot.

Serve topped with corn chips, guacamole, cilantro, and/or green onions.

Guacamole

1 avocado
1/2 tomato
1/4 onion (green onions)
Lime juice (optional)
Garlic paste (optional)

Mash avocado, add diced tomatoes, onion, and couple of drops of lime juice. Stir well until combined.

Eggplant curry

2006-11-14T15:11:00.001-05:00

As promised, here is a food-related post.

On Sunday I decided to cook a veganised version of the "Eggplant and Parsnip curry" from the "Vegetarian; the best-ever recipe collection" by Linda Fraser. I modified the recipe by substituting parsnip for sweet potatoes and changing the amount of some ingredients.

Here is the "modified" vegan version of the recipe which was SO tasty:

Eggplant and Sweet Potatoes Curry

1 large eggplant, diced

2 medium size sweet potatoes, diced

1 red bell pepper

3 onions

4 garlic cloves

1/2inch piece of ginger

4 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cups of white basmati rice (you can use the brown variety, but adjust the cooking time)

3 cups of vegetable broth

1/2 block of soft tofu

~3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp chili powder

3 oz of sultana raisins

6 oz of cashew nuts (the original recipe calls for unslated ones, but I was using salted ones by mistake - there was no taste difference)

1/2 cup of vegan "butter"

Cilantro to garnish

Cover rice with cold water and let stand for 35-40 minutes.

Sprinkle eggplant with salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the salt off.

Process 1 onion, garlic, and ginger in the food processor until minced. Add 2 or 3 tbs of water and process some more to make a paste.

Sllice red pepper and 2 remaining onions.

Prepare 1 cup of "yogurt". If you have your favorite recipe - use it. I just passed the soft tofu in the blender and mixed in some apple cider vinegar to get the sour taste.

In a large skillet heat 2 tbsp of olive oil. Fry onions for 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat until golden. Set aside

In the same skillet fry 4oz of cashew nuts for 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Add raisins and fry for 2-3 minutes until they puff (I did not wait for raisins to puff). Set aside.

Add 1 tbsp of oil to the skillet and fry potatoes for 5 minutes. Set aside. Fry eggplant, together with red pepper and remaining cashews for 5 minutes. Drain on the paper towel

Add oil and fry the onion-ginger-garlic paste until it turns golden. Add spices (cumin, coriander, chili) and fry for another minute. Add yogurt and slowly bring the mix to boil, add the vegetables (eggplant, pepper, potatoes) and the broth. Bring to boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile cook the rice in 2 cups of water for 5-6 minutes, until slightly undercooked.

Pour the vegetable mixture in the oven-proof pan. Add rice on top. Scatter fried onions on top of the rice and sprinkle with raisins/nuts mix. Dot with butter. Close with the double layer of aluminum foil and a cover.

Preheat the oven to 300F

Place the dish in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Serve garnished with cilantro springs.

The taste of this curry is quite delicate and balanced. It tastes as good on the second day.

Equipment

2006-11-13T17:34:00.001-05:00

The food-related post or two are coming up tomorrow. Meanwhile, here are new "toys"

"Komperdell" Antishock Fire Trekking Poles - a "not a gift" birthday gift from Eric

"Max-mtn" mat - a gift to myself (?)

Getting ready for winter!!!

Dehydrating

2006-11-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

Here is an article on food dehydration that Eric found. It looks like the only vitamins lost during the dehydration process are vitamins A and C.

Drying Foods

BOOKS

2006-11-06T22:06:00.001-05:00

Here is my latest Amazon.ca order:

Can't "work" on the images because my laptop, which has Photoshop, is not working

Truffles!

2006-11-04T11:25:00.001-05:00

These truffles were so good that I made them twice in a row. First time I followed the recipe; the only substitutions were Rum extract instead of Almond simply because none of the stores in the area carry almond extract. I also used sweetened coco-flakes but no sugar for coating.
The second time I was ready to experiment. I grated some orange rind (thank you Pasha for advice), still used Rum extract and sweetened coco-flakes, and mixed in the mass melted chocolate chips (not too much – you don’t want the chocolate to overpower the taste). The result was chocolaty and the final flavor was more complex.

The truffles should be served immediately, or stored in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer up to 2 months.

½ cup chopped almonds
2 cups pitted dates
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
¼ tsp. almond extract
½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbs. sugar (the recipe doesn’t specify, but I think that icing sugar should be used)
Pinch of salt

Toast almond in skillet over medium heat 3 to 4 minutes, or until light brown. Set aside
Place dates in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, remove from heal, cover, and let stand 10 minutes. Drain reserving 1Tbs. liquid until smooth.
Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Stir in almonds, vanilla, ½ tsp cinnamon, almond extract and pinch of salt.
Spread coconut on plate. Sift cocoa, sugar and remaining ½ tsp cinnamon into bowl.
Form date mixture into 1-inch balls. Roll in coconut, and then cocoa mixture.

Makes about 3 dozen.

"Vegetarian Times"

The picture I've used to illustrate the post comes from the Bruges Chocolates web-site.

Squash and Soup

2006-11-03T17:35:00.001-05:00

One of the reasons I like Fall is that I can start making delicious hot soups. The Brocolli rabe soup has a very delicate taste - it makes me think of spring for some reason.
If you are not sure what brocolli rabe is check out Cook's Thesaurus:
broccoli raab aka broccolirab aka broccoli de rape aka rape aka raab aka rapini aka cima di rapa aka choy sum aka Chinese flowering cabbage - this slightly bitter cooking green has long been popular in Italy and is now catching on in America. It's best to just eat the florets and leaves; the stems are quite bitter.

The peanut butter squash soup is my all time favorite. It's only due to my love for weird food combinations that I decided to make it for the first time (I was not a big fan of either squash or peanut butter back then, but 2 minuses are usually equal to 1 plus, right?) and was it ever yummmy. I think I will never have enough of this one...... I should make it for supper today!!!!!

Broccoli Rabe, Butternut Squash, and White Bean Soup

2 cups (3/4-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
8 ounces broccoli rabe (rapini), trimmed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 450°.
Arrange squash in a single layer on a jelly roll pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 1/2 teaspoons oil; toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside.
Cut the broccoli rabe crosswise into thirds. Cook broccoli rabe in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Set aside.
Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add squash, stock, and beans; cook 10 minutes. Place 1 1/2 cups vegetable mixture in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Return puréed mixture to pan; stir in broccoli rabe and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 3/4 cups)

Peanut and Squash Soup

Hailing from Senegal, this mildly spicy, slightly sweet soup would be well complemented by a side of stewed collard greens or Swiss chard.

1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
4 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (I've put the whole spoon and added more once the soup was ready)
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander (I've put the whole spoon and added more once the soup was ready)
4 cups vegetable stock
3/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add squash and next 5 ingredients (through coriander); sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add broth, peanut butter, tomato paste, and pepper, stirring well to combine; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until the squash is tender. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

Both recipes are from "Cooking Light"

6 Aspects of Outdoor Cuisine

2006-10-31T14:46:00.001-05:00

Weight

Depending on the mode of transportation weight can be a very important when choosing your food and assembling the menu. Fresh and canned food tends to be heavy; on the opposite side are dehydrated, freeze-dried, and powdered dishes.
I usually bring some fresh fruits/vegetables that can last for a while and be used in several meals. When assembling menu I try to use the heaviest items during first couple of days (you are still full of energy and those extra pounds in your back-pack do not seem as heavy as they would towards the middle of the trip).
Looking for the commonly used ingredients in powdered form and substituting fresh produce with dry alternatives could not only significantly decreases the weigh of the “meal” but extend the lifetime of the ingredient. Ex. powdered milk and orange juice instead of the fresh ones, powdered mash potatoes instead of the fresh ones.
Removing the original packaging and repackaging portions insures that you don’t carry any extra food or useless cardboard.

Fuel (cooking) consumption

is directly linked to the weight you carry. If your light food takes hours of simmering you’ll end up carrying extra pounds of fuel. Fuel consumtion is also linked to time spend cooking. Personally, I can cook for hours, be it at home or outdoors, but some people see camping food as an escape from a routine of everyday meal preparation. “Instant” mixes are perfect for camping because they tend to be light and do not require too much fuel and cooking time.
When choosing any type of pre-packaged food pay attention to the cooking time indicated on the package. If the basmati rice included in the Asian Stir-Fry mix requires 10 minutes of boiling time – substitute for some instant rice.
Keep in mind that simmering takes less fuel then cooking on maximum power.

Time spend cooking at home and at the camp

One of the way to decrease the time spend cooking at the camp-site is to precook and dehydrate full dishes or some components of the meal at home. If you don’t want to spend any time next to your stove when camping, try the Freezer Bag Cooking. Ingredients are cooked at home, dehydrated, and then combined into different meals. I am yet to try FBC so I can’t give any comments about the taste of those meals, however I usually don’t have too much time pre-cooking dishes before the trip, and I do not yet have access to a dehydrator.
I try to use pre-packaged dry mixes combined with the variety of dehydrated vegetables to assemble the dishes. I also vary the time-consuming meals with more straightforward ones since spending hours next to the stove is not an option when you get to your locations late at night, or when camping in someone’s backyard.

Taste

Even though any food tastes better outdoors, a variety of different tastes is always good. One simple way of making your food “tastier” is by using spices. Dried herbs work perfectly for camping because they don’t weight much and a little bit goes long way. Bring the basic kit of your favorite spices: basil, oregano, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic salt….. My little secret is the spice mixes that I prepare at home so that I don’t have to look for each particular spice in the bottom of my food-bag.
When preparing the menu for camping, rely on what you like to eat at home. One advice that I’ve found recently is NOT to try the camping food at home, because the meal you might not love in the comfort of your home on Friday night would taste much better outdoors when you are hungry after the day of hiking/kayaking/mountaineering.

Shelf life

Don’t bring anything that might go bad fast. When bringing fresh fruits/vegetables choose those types that can withstand the heat and do not get damaged easily. If going for long trips plan to use most of the fresh produce during the first 2-3 days.
Dehydration substantially increases the shelf life of products.

Trash

Unless the trashcans are available in the camping area, you would have to bring all the packages and garbage with you. Re-package the food at home (see 10 tips for food preparation before leaving) and avoid “messy” meals. All the ingredients should transport easy without leaving stains or leaking in your backpack.

Another fact that should be kept in mind is that dehydrated fruits/vegetables loose some of the vitamins and nutrients as opposed to the freeze-dried meals (commercial packages available in most outdoor stores and on-line). This might not be an issue for a weekend trip, but is important for long expeditions.

Update: the reason why dehydrated food looses some of its nutritional value is the fact that it is usually consumed before being fully rehydrated. It also "survives" cooking and bits of it pass through the digestion system right to the bowels where it gets fully rehydrated and ferments. For more information about cooking visit this site (tons of interesting and useful information)

Outdoor cooking is about finding the balance between these aspects and your cooking abilities. Just like with home cooking, don’t be afraid to experiment and try new stuff. Sooner or later you would have a collection of your favorite fool-proof recipes and even if camping cooking won’t become your passion, it won’t be a dreadful experience.

Urban Hiking

2006-10-28T15:38:00.000-04:00

Before starting the story of our next adventure I have to tell you about my baby. I saw her couple of years ago. Was it a love at the first sight? Most probably. I remember looking at these pictures

and being amazed by her wonderful frame and her elegant beauty.

I dreamed about the baby for a year, holding it every time I was in the store, imagining our adventures together……. But all this time I was waiting for some sort of sign, saying that “it’s time to get it!” The sign did not come, and I was ready to day-dream for another winter, when one day I went to “Atmosphere” to get my new sexy shoes. With the shoe-box under my arm we (Eric and me) went to the tent department. The end-of-the-season sale was on and all the tents were 20% off (on top of already the lowest price for the baby in Montreal!!!). However no babies were seen in the store - just a picture in the catalog. Eric took a chance to ask a sale-girl if they still carry this model of the tent…… and…… it turned out that the last baby is waiting for my in the Angrignon mall!!!! If that wasn’t a sign, then what was it?

Now I am a happy owner of the wonderful “Hubba” tent (which is referred to as “baby” from now on) by MSR. It’s a 1-person 3-season most beautiful tent there is!!! And our next adventure is the first adventure of my little baby.

Urban Hiking.

For the Labor Day week-end we decided to go hiking. Instead of driving to the park, getting a camp-ground and hike during the day we took the train to Dorion in hope of squatting down somewhere next to the river. The train stopped in the nice area full of pretty houses:

We made our way to the nearest depanneur, bought a map of the area, and started the adventure. We decided to walk along the coast line which would be up (North) on the Chemin Des Chenaux, following the coast of the Vaudreuil Bay. With water on one side and nice houses on the other (I am a sucker for pretty old houses and can’t help but peek in the windows once in a while) the walk was super cool for a Saturday afternoon. Walking and talking for couple of hours we started to think about the place to rest. Sure we can ask one of the house owners to stay in their backyard (or rather front yard with the water view) but that would be a bit too urban for our liking so we kept walking until we got to …… the highway! The magnificent 40 was crossing our path.

Sleeping under the highway has some advantages (no rain) but also has a disadvantage of noise and some possible guests so we decided to keep this option as a last resort and continue walking along the highway to the end of the little peninsula. The Tourtes Island looked somewhat promising, but we did not have any equipment for crossing the water. After walking for half-an-hour we realized that the only place where we could stay on the Southern part of the highway would be a huge hotel (Palace the Vaudreuil, if I am not mistaken). We entertained the idea of pitching our tents on top of the king-size bed in one of the suites and finally decided to cross the highway and check out the Northern side.

After more walking along the highway we found a very interesting spot next to the water. A couple that was fishing there told us that half of the grass patch belongs to Hydro Quebec (could it be that they are getting some gas there???) but as long as we don’t try to climb the fence or set anything on fire we should be good. The spot looked pretty nice: grass, flat surface, woods right next to it, water right in front, the magnificent 40 close enough to remind us that we are not in the wilderness ;) who can ask for more? We took off the bags and started setting up the camp.
I opened my bag and carefully took out my baby. It would be the first time I would pitch it, the first time I would be sleeping inside it (I don’t count the week of sleeping inside it in my room – yeah yeah I pitched the tent in my bedroom and slept inside it with the door zipped! Crazy? Don’t think so. So I’ll let the pictures show the excitement and the sanctity of the moment:

The baby was out, pitched, guyed, and ready for the night. Now it was time for ….. cooking! I found a spot closer to the water and worked on the classical Pasta with Red Sauce.

After supper I realized that I was very tired so I got into the tent and started the usual routine:

No, I am not praying – I am hanging the lantern to warm up the place.

Eric was quite unhappy about the 2 tents camping scenario….

Day two was the day of adventure. We carefully studied the map and picked Cadieux Island as the final destination. Good old Chemin Des Chenaux should eventually lead us to the little bridge that would bring us to the island. We drank the coffee, ate the porridge, packed up the tents, and hit the road.
After an hour of walking we’ve noticed that the houses around us were changing; instead of the older ones we were surrounded by newly build boxes that all looked the same. Each new street looked exactly like the previous one: grey asphalt, grayish houses with new cars in the drive-ways, carefully trimmed grass lawns with no trees…… it was the new part of the town that was not fully developed, yet. The real adventure started when the streets that according to the map were parallel started to intersect in reality! Could it be that we’ve reached that wonderful place in the infinity where all the parallel lines meet??? The answer was far less exciting - it turned out that the map was rather old and the part of the city was rather new and this whole region was only projected on the map.

Eric was ready to abandon the idea of visiting the island but I was full of adventurousness and after yet another careful look at the map we found the detour that would lead us to the island. Unfortunately this detour involved walking along the 40 in the industrial area. Nevertheless after couple of hours of walking we stepped on the little bridge and crossed to the island.

Cadieux Island is narrow and long. It seems like originally there was nothing but a forest on it. Today it has one main road with houses on each side of it and the “free” places are full of trees. I fell in love with the place right away despite the fact that most of the houses are humongous and have up to 5 cars (BMW, Audi, and other shi-shi-poo-poo models) on their driveways. The island still carries the feeling of wilderness and calmness.
The main road led us to the tip of the island, which was blocked by the fence. On the right side of it there was an empty space possibly the remains of an old federal/municipal building. It had a dock with the flag pole, small abandoned cabin, and the leftovers of the base of the building. Tall grass grew all over and the place and looked just perfect for an overnight squatting.

That day was the first real testing of my baby. I had to set up the tent in very windy conditions. The baby passed the test with distinction. But the wind was testing not only my tent’s strength but my cooking abilities. I had to find the spot where all the dehydrated ingredients would not be blown away in the river. Here is the result and the picture of a wonderful “Tousqui” (tout ce qu’il rest) soup we had for the supper.

Despite the emptiness and abandonees of the place it did not have any spooky or scary feel to it. Soon we’ve realized that we are surrounded by others…… mostly slugs. The tall grass was there preferred habitat and everything left on the ground for longer than an hour became their play-ground.
Apart from leaches we had some daddy-long-legs and caterpillars.

Our last day started with the breakfast on the dock. The wind died off over the night, the water was calm, and although the sky was grey the sun was trying to burn its way through the clouds. Eric was enjoying the view from the doc and I was busy snapping the auto portraits.

Then I saw the POLE! I have recently read in the newspaper about the new exercise technique that combines useful (exercising) with fun (pole-dancing). It seems to be the latest hype among the stars in the Hollywood. Even in Canada we have some courses and females or rather their boyfriends/husbands are very happy with the results.
I like dancing, I am in need for exercises, and the pole is right there…. What am I waiting for?

After the pole-dancing and more goofing around it was time to pack and go.

Back on the road of the Cadieux island I was peeking at the houses and taking the pictures of pretty mail-boxes.

We made our way to Dorion and still had several hours before the train. I decided to be a real tourist and take pictures of all the cool stuff, like these wonderful duckies in the window of the boutique (you can see us in the reflection – hey!!!!)

The analogue thermometer on the corner of the street – we have only digital ones in Montreal

And the cool “statue” (?) of the bird

Sight-seeing made us hungry so it was time for lunch. We had a choice between: rotisserie, pizzeria, Tim Hortons, bar, and Asian Restaurant (alas, nothing vegan). Asian place, our first choice, was closed so we went to “the best pizza in town” place. I have to give them credit their pizza was very good and cheeeeeeeeeesy.

Eric had a poutine with 2 slices of pizza. He felt guilty for eating so much and fell into deep thoughts about not only his eating habits and purpose of this trip, but the meaning of his life in general. Meanwhile I was taking some pictures of him.

But hey, I want some serious pictures of myself too. I can’t show my parents only the pole-dancing, right? So I posed:

And posed (I am trying really hard not to burst with laughter)

And posed some more:

Our train was leaving in an hour so we made our way to the station. The darkness was falling over the city, lights were turning on in the houses, and streets were getting empty. The first urban hiking experience was really cool ….who knows we might do it again – time to think of the dew destination.

Red Lentil Soup, Portobello Burgers, Sweet Potato-Orange Salad, and Maple Baked Apples.

2006-10-24T10:11:00.000-04:00

Sunday I was craving burgers. Earlier that week the market across the street from my place received a nice selection of huge Portobello mushrooms, so I searched through my extensive recipe collection and found the recipe for Portobello Mushroom Burgers. That made me almost happy. Almost, because I also felt like a salad with my burger…something with fruits…..oranges…… something different from the usual Green Salad with sesame dressing I make.
Flipping through the pages of the recipe-binders I saw a picture of the Sweet Potato and Orange Salad! That was exactly what I had in my mind…. But wait a second, this Red Lentil Soup looks so yummy……coconut milk….. cumin….. hmmmmmm….. can we eat burger, salad, and the soup? Why not!
Having all of this figured out I thought of desert. Something fruity and not too complicated would be great. Apple-pecan cookies? Poached pears? Baked apples?! Yeah, Baked Apples with maple syrup, raisins, and nuts.
After couple of hours of cooking we’ve enjoyed:

Red Lentil Mulligatawny with Apple-Celery Salsa

The recipe comes from the Cooking Light magazine. I “veganised” it by replacing the chicken stock with the vegetable broth.
This rich, creamy soup will thicken as it cools. Thin with hot water, a tablespoon at a time, to the desired consistency.

Salsa:
2/3 cup finely chopped Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Soup:
3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dried small red lentils
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cups light coconut milk
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare salsa, combine the first 4 ingredients; cover and chill.

To prepare soup, combine broth, lentils, and onion in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Pour half of lentil mixture in a blender; let stand 5 minutes. Process until smooth. Pour pureed lentil mixture into a bowl. Pour remaining lentil mixture into blender; process until smooth.
Add coconut milk, tomato paste, ginger, cumin, and turmeric; process until smooth.
Return coconut milk mixture and remaining pureed lentil mixture to pan. Cover and simmer over medium heat 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon juice, salt, and pepper.
Ladle about 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with 1/4 cup salsa.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup soup and 1/4 cup salsa)

Grilled Portobello Burgers

Yet another recipe from the Cooking Light magazine. I did not have any honey mustard, so I simply added some honey to mustard. I used the vegan Cheddar cheese (Earth Island), Boston lettuce instead of the Bibb, added tomatoes and black olives. For a vegan version replace Worcestershire with the vegetarian version of the sauce and omit the honey (or replace it with Agave nectar/Corn syrup). Replacing the Worcestershire with Tamari sauce might work as well.

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons honey mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 large Portobello mushroom caps
1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 wedges
Cooking spray
4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices onion
8 (1/2-ounce) slices reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 Bibb lettuce leaves
8 sandwich-cut bread-and-butter pickles

Prepare grill.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; brush both sides of mushroom caps with sauce mixture.
Place bell pepper on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill for 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel.
Place mushroom caps, top sides down, and onion on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Place 2 cheese slices on top of each mushroom cap; cover and grill 1 minute or until cheese melts.
Spread 1 tablespoon ketchup and 1 1/2 teaspoons mustard over top half of each bun. Place mushroom caps on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Separate onion into rings; arrange onion slices evenly over mushrooms. Top each serving with 1 lettuce leaf, 2 pickles, and top half of bun.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger)

Roasted Sweet Potato and Orange Salad

The smell of the sweet potatoes roasting with rosemary and garlic is mouthwatering!!!

Salad:
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
1 1/2 pounds peeled sweet potato, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 cups orange sections (about 6 oranges)
1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
3 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 (6-ounce) bag prewashed baby spinach

Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare salad, combine first 4 ingredients, tossing well. Place potato mixture on a jelly-roll pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven; cool. Discard garlic. Combine potato mixture, orange sections, onion, pine nuts, and spinach in a large bowl.

To prepare dressing, combine orange juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Maple Baked Apples.

This recipe comes from the Real Simple magazine.

Gala and Rome Beauty apples are ideal for baking because they retain their shape.

4 large apples
1/4 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) walnut pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Ice cream (optional)

Heat oven to 400° F.

Using a paring knife, remove the cores and trim about a 1/2-inch slice from the bottom of each apple, so they sit flat. Place the apples in an ovenproof skillet or 8- to 9-inch baking dish. Drizzle with the syrup.
Divide the walnuts and raisins among the apples, filling the cavities, and place any extra in the dish. Dot the apples with the butter. Bake until tender, 40 to 50 minutes. If using a baking dish, pour the liquid from the dish into a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until it thickens slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon the sauce over the warm apples and serve with the ice cream, if desired.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

“Three sister casserole” with Pumpkin Pesto.

2006-10-24T09:36:00.001-04:00

From Vegetarian Times

The colder days are here and it is time to cook in the oven. I made this casserole Saturday night. I used pumpkin instead of squash, and white kidney beans instead of pinto beans. The result was mmmmmmmmm yammyyyyyyy.
Note: My squash mix was pretty liquid. I hesitated, but pour the leftover “juice” before covering with the second layer of polenta. The result was very good.

Three Sisters Casserole

A Native American expression “three sisters” refers to the practice of growing beans, corn, and squash together. This filling casserole can be frozen for an upcoming party or made fresh for diner.

Polenta Topping
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
1 Tbs. chili powder
¾ tsp. salt

Filling
3 Tbs. olive oil divided
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1 lb kabocha (sweet mama) squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes with chilies
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

To make the topping: whisk together cornmeal, chili powder, salt and 4½ cups water in double boiler, or in the large metal bowl over barely simmering water (bain maraine). Cook 40 minutes, or until polenta is thick and stiff, stirring 3 or 4 times. Remove from heat

To make the filling: preheat oven to 375F. Heat 2 Tbs. oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook 7 minutes, or until soften, stirring often
Add bell pepper and cook 5 more minutes, stirring often
Stir in squash, tomatoes, garlic, coriander and cumin. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in ½ cup of water and salt. Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 10-15 minutes, or until squash is tender
Stir in beans and corn, and cook 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally
Coat 8x11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 2 cups polenta over bottom.
Spoon squash mixture over polenta. Smooth remaining polenta (~ 2½ cups) over top
Score casserole into 6 squares with knife. Brush top with remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until heated through and top is lightly browned.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto.

The pumpkin oil tends to be expensive (mine was ~12$ for a small bottle). The recipe advices to substitute it with olive oil.

1 cup unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
1 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
½ cup toasted pumpkin seed oil
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. salt
Pinch cayenne

Toast pumpkin seeds in a large skillet over the medium heat 4-5 minutes, or until puffed and golden, stirring constantly
Transfer seeds to food processor. Add remaining ingredients, and process until smooth.
Store in airtight container in a refrigerator for up to a week.

Yield: 1 cup

Just a quick update

2006-10-19T16:04:00.001-04:00

This is the book I am currently reading. A lot of useful information and an easy read.

10 simple rules to prepare your camping food (things you do before you leave!!!).

2006-10-18T19:48:00.000-04:00

Everyone ends up with his own routine. Here are the steps that I follow.

1 Prepare your menu ahead of time
You might be lucky and get everything you need “last moment”, but you are taking a risk of not having enough (having too much) food, or forgetting something.
I usually start menu preparation 3-5 days before the trip. You might need more time if you will be camping for weeks, and less if you are leaving for a week-end. Extra-time is needed if you are dehydrating vegetables.
This menu might not be the “final” version, because grocery shopping inspires and brings new ideas, but you should plan how many meals you are having, and what type of food you would like. Keep the “weight” factor in mind, depending on whether you’ll be hiking, canoeing, or car camping, as well as the availability of grocery stores in the camping area.

2 Purchase all the necessary ingredients

3 Review your menu and separate the ingredients by meals

4 Repackage everything that needs to be repackaged to diminish the amount of waste
If trash-cans are not available in the area where you are camping, you would have to bring all the garbage back with you. Removing carton packaging and putting ingredients in the Ziploc bags saves the weight of your garbage (Ziploc bags could further be used in camping to store the leftovers). It also makes the final “food bag” less bulky.

5 Place meals into Ziploc bags (meal bags). Then you can place all the meals for a day (2 days) in the bigger bags (day bags)
This organizes your “food bag” - you won’t have to hunt porridge packages that fell all the way to the bottom.
It also makes packing you backpack easier – “day bags” are wonderful for feeling out the empty corners of the pack.
Just to clear things up: when kayaking, I end up with 1 or 2 waterproof “food bags”. When backpacking, these are not necessary, since “day bags” are easier to pack.

Update: another common trick is to color-code the meal bags: i.e. all the breakfast bags have a red mark and go into one big red "Breakfast" bag, the lunches are blue and go into blue "Lunch" bag etc. etc.)

6 The multipurpose ingredients could be either further separated into portions, or placed together in one bag (Miscellaneous bag)

7 Take your time to mark each “Ziploc” (name of the meal if it’s not obvious)

8 Write down the recipes/notes on the meal-bags and menu on the day-bags

9 Always bring an extra meal or two

10 Don’t forget to bring a big weather-resistant bag in which you’ll store the food overnight. The bag should be easy to hang on the tree, away from raccoons/mice/bears.
This step is not necessary for car camping and kayaking – you can store food in the car or hatches of the kayak.

Update: Storing food in the kayak hatches might not be a good idea after all. There have been incidents of hungry bears ripping through the fiberglass kayaks. If you want to play it save - hang the food on the tree.

Scrambled tofu

2006-10-17T22:11:00.000-04:00

This is a vegan breakfast staple – a vegan version of scrambled eggs. I’ve tried it once at Blue Monday vegan cafe in Verdun - it was pretty good. I also saw different recipes of it on-line. The first time I cooked scrambled tofu was in Toronto, when visiting my firends who enjoyed their omelet with vegetables for breakfast. Combining the best of all previously seen recipes, I fried some vegetables and added half-a-block of firm tofu. The result was amazing (I used soy sauce instead of salt, so tofu was moist and full of flavor).

Back in Montreal, I decided to prepare this one sunny Sunday morning for Eric and me. However, I’ve realized that I was out of firm tofu….. “Oh well” – I thought – “we’ll have to deal with what we’ve got” and I’ve “scrambled” a pack of soft tofu into my frying vegetables. The result was truly amazing. The texture of the dish was very light and tender (similar to scrambled egg-whites, although I’ve never had scrambled whites without yolks ;). And since MORI-NU has the tetra-pack version of soft tofu this dish became a classic in our “outdoor cuisine”.

Just like other camping recepies – this is not the only and final version of the dish. Modify it to suit your taste … add more ingredients … experiment!!!!!

A block of tofu
Vegetables you like. I usually put:
Zucchini
Pepper
Mushrooms
Tomatoes

Green onions
Garlic

Spices.
Depending on the taste you want to have:
Basil, oregano, parsley – for something more “Italian”
Cumin and cilantro – for something “Eastern”
Za’atar – for something even more “Eastern”
Soy sauce and sesame oil for a Japanese fusion
Curry – never tried it, but why not?
Chili powder – “Mexican” anyone? (I haven’t tried it either)

Fry garlic and onions with the spices. Add the vegetables. Cook till desired softness. Add “scrambled” tofu and heat up.

Pumpkin and Red Lentil Curry

2006-10-17T19:44:00.000-04:00

From Cooking Light Magazine

This is what I made last week-end (sorry folks - no picture). My only modification was doubling the amount of some spices and serving it over rice. It turned out very good, and was even better the next day. The squeeze of lime makes a big difference!!!

Because pumpkin has a neutral taste, it works well in Indian curries, where it takes on the flavors of the spices. For the best results, choose pie pumpkin, which is smaller, sweeter, and more tender than the larger pumpkins used for carving jack-o'-lanterns. You can substitute brown lentils and cook them 20 to 30 minutes longer, adding more broth, if necessary.

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled fresh pumpkin (about 1 3/4 pounds)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
4 cups organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup dried small red lentils
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 lime wedges

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in pumpkin and next 7 ingredients (through jalapeño); cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until pumpkin is just tender.
Stir in lentils; cook 10 minutes or until lentils are tender.
Stir in salt and black pepper.
Ladle stew into individual bowls; sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups stew, 2 teaspoons cilantro, and 1 lime wedge)

La Mauricie

2006-10-17T18:53:00.000-04:00

The second camping experience of this summer was the “traditional” week-end at Park de La Mauricie. This is the place where I first came camping with Eric and since then (3 years ago) we visit the park at least once per summer.
The park has a lot of “activities” – you can come for a pick-nick, or rent a canoe/kayak to go down one of the lakes, or you can walk in the woods. Two of the most fascinating things (according to me) to do at Mauricie is kayak-camping on Wapizagonke lake, or 7 day hiking trial around the park. And if the second one is still just a plan (for next summer), campsites on Wapizagonke are our good old friends. There are 13 sites with fire-pits on the lake (there are other types too – you can check it all on the map). Each site has 4 tent platforms and usually 2 pits. To get to the site you have to ….. paddle down the lake (surprise surprise) ;)))

This year, unintentionally, we got the same site that we had first time – site #6. The place is still my favorite, although I haven’t been to all the sites at Wapizagonke. It’s difficult for me to describe the beauty of the lake, just like it is difficult to describe your hometown. You get so used to (in a good way) and fond of the place, and each corner brings so many memories that any description would seem dry and unworthy. I have couple of pictures of scenery – hopefully they’ll be able to channel the amazing peacefulness (don’t expect too much of it in the high season, thought) and beauty of the place. It is the perfect place for the lazy long week-end when you want to sleep till 12 and not sure if you want to paddle or just hang around the campsite.

Don’t forget to check the web-site for more pictures and activities.

The day of our arrival was greyish. We got caught in the sudden downpour that ended as abruptly as it started, to give place to wonderful sunlight and tons of mosquitoes (the only thing I MIND during camping).

Despite constant itching and scratching we’ve managed to set up a camp, and I started…..COOKING!!!!!! The menu of the trip was pretty simple, since a lot of the packing was very last minute:

MENU

1st day

Supper:
Pasta

2nd day

Breakfast:
Porridge

Supper:
Chili

3rd day

Breakfast:
Scrambled tofu with sausages.

Yeah, this time I was SUPER lazy and very messy ;)
Overall, everyone was happy with the food; even butterflies came down for breakfast. They ate jam off of my fingers, and drank water from our water-bladder.

This was the most “insect – intensive” camping experience. We had mosquitoes, no-seems, butterflies, and dragonflies all over.
The morning routine would start by making sure that no butterflies were caught between the fly and the tent. After rescuing all the stubborn creatures, it was time for breakfast (don’t forget to feed the butterflies). Then, once the dishes were done and everything was put away – it was time to ….. work!!! I brought some test-scoring sheets with me and spent a couple of hours next to the lake working…. But hey, when your “office” looks like this you don’t mind doing some overtime ;)

After the hard work it was time to check out the wild life. Tadpoles were warming up in the water, while worms were trying to hide in the shadow (I even managed to overcome my fear of worms and held one of them!!!!)

By night the tadpoles would disappear and the frogs would take their place. The frogs were not as numerous, but they were surprisingly aggressive. In fact, when Eric decided to pet one of them, the monstrous creature tried to bite his finger off (should I mention that he was almost blinding the poor thing with his head-lamp ;))))

All this time, while I was running around exploring the “wild-life” Eric enjoyed some solo-paddling experiences, or just relaxed, looking at the beautiful Wapizagonke.

At night – more cooking and gathering around the fire

On the first evening I went for the short paddle – it was the first time I was on the water alone at night. I lied back (literally – the deck of the “Explorer” is so low that you can lay back on it) in the kayak and looked at the sky filled with stars …… these kind of moments are so peaceful, yet powerful….. it makes me feel very safe…. I feel like I am a part of something big (the NATURE) and that it welcomes me, protects me, and takes care of me….. And although I am just a tiny grain of sand in the desert, I still feel the power of the nature inside me…. I feel the courage, the strength, the adventurousness…. It’s such an incredible mix of feelings ……
On the second night Eric joined me for the after-the-sunset paddle (2 other campers followed our example – it was the first time they paddled at night). We started by paddling away from the sunset (East) and were surprised by the darkness of the water and the shore…. It was so dark that we felt almost disoriented (I guess, it happened because we couldn’t make out the horizon; both water and the sky were dark grey and it was hard to say where one ends and the other starts). Once we turned West, where the sky was somewhat light on the horizon – the feeling changed completely, and we enjoyed the quietness and majestic of the night (my favorite time for paddling).

And more goofing off next day

Unfortunately, everything ends one day, and so did our long camping week-end. On the third day we slowly packed our gear, said bye to the tent ground, the trees, the beach, the butterflies, and tadpoles and started our journey up the lake.

Grand Rassemblement - let the season begin

2006-10-17T11:41:00.000-04:00

The season started with the “Grand Rassemblement" of kayakers at Piopolis (at Mégantic lake). Some of the kayakers were members of the “Kayak de mer dans nouveau monde” forum, others never heard of the web-site and came to meet new people, try different boats, listen to the presentations, or simply enjoy a week-end outdoors.
The event took place late in May and the weather was rather wet and cold – the only glimpse of sunlight was 30 minutes on the Sunday afternoon (what a break from the constant rain and wetness). Despite the weather conditions the three days spend at Piopolis were fun.
I am not a big fan of “group camping” and it was my first experience being outdoors, surrounded by a group of ~60 unfamiliar people who spoke French!!!
We (Eric, Marie-Claude, Francois, his friend, and me) arrived at Piopolis late Friday evening. The place was full of tents, tarps, and people. They were all happy to see or finally meet Eric (he is a big celebrity in the Quebec’s and not only Quebec’s kayaking circle ;) ). As for me, I was pretty hungry after the road-trip so I found a pick-nick table and started my chili. Couple of minutes later people were drown under the tarp – the wonderful smell of frying onions, garlic, mixed with cumin and chili powder was quite irresistible.

From that evening on, partially due to the very emotional comments on my cooking skills of Charles-Alexandre, I was “known” as the cooking girl. I didn’t socialize much with the “kayakers” but enjoyed cooking all kind of meals. So here is

THE MENU

1st day

Morning:
Oatmeal porridge filled with dried fruits

Snack:
Miso soup with a sandwich
Supper:
Pasta

2nd day

Morning:
“Pancakes” made out of leftovers of yesterday’s porridge

Snack:
Wild mushroom couscous
Supper:
Soup

3rd day

Morning:
Scrambled tofu

That's right - I cooked a lot!!!! However, I managed to have some “fun” as well…. This is me trying to perform one of the greenlander’s kayaking maneuver – “Innaqatsineq”. The water was slightly above the freezing point and I did not have a dry-suit!!!! Yeah yeah crazy Anna.

And this is us (Eric and me) sitting late at night next to the camp fire...... mmmmm.....what a wonderful week-end it was!!!!

Photos: Nancy Parent, Marie-Hélène Duplain, Maxime Roberge

2006-10-17T09:48:00.000-04:00

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