More dipping sauces

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

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

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!!!

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

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

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

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!!!!

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

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!!!

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 .....