1. Holding the chiles one at a time with metal tongs, quickly toast them by turning them an inch or two above an open flame for a few seconds until the aroma fills the kitchen. (Alternatively, toast chiles in a dry pan over medium heat, pressing them flat for a few seconds then flipping them over and pressing again.) When cool enough to handle, stem and seed the chiles, break them into pieces and put them in a blender along with tomatoes and their juice. (A food processor will work, though it won’t completely puree the chiles.)
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden. Add the onion and garlic to the blender with the tomato mixture. Process until smooth.
3. Return the pot to medium heat. Add the puree and stir continuously until thickened to the consistency of tomato paste, about 6 minutes. Add broth, water and epazote. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Add the greens and season with salt to taste. Cook until the greens are wilted, about 2 minutes, depending on the type of greens.
5. Serve garnished with cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, jalapeno, garam masala, amchoor powder, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes longer.
2. Stir in lentils, broth, and bulgar and bring to a boil. If you are using additional vegetables other than greens (e.g. carrots, bell peppers, etc.), add them now too. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 45 minutes. Add water, if necessary, if lentils get too thick- you can serve this thinner as a soup or thicker like chili.
3. Discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro, lemon juice, and spinach. Season with salt and pepper.

Super Fast Pizza with Cashew Ricotta "Cheese"
Serves 2

2 whole grain pitas
~1/2 cup (or more) jarred pasta or pizza sauce
~1/2 cup (or more) cashew ricotta
1 clove of garlic, pressed
Veggies of choice

1. Top the pitas with sauce, cashew ricotta, garlic, and veggies or other toppings. Place in oven and turn heat to 425°F (218°C). Bake until toppings are cooked, ricotta is golden, and bread is toasted.

I drizzled my cooked pizza with olive oil then sprinkled fresh-cracked pepper and chopped basil on top. YUM!

Dissolve the yeast in the warm (not hot!) water then add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside to "proof" for 10 minutes. It should foam up if the yeast is active. If it does not, your yeast may not be active or the water may have been too hot.

Combine the olive oil, cool water, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt.

Put the flour in the bowl of a mixer or food processor. With the mixer/processor running, add the oil mixture then the yeast mixture.

When the dough forms a ball, remove from the mixer/processor and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover. Let rise for about 1 hour.

For oven chips: Leave the peels on the potatoes for extra iron and fiber (try to find organic potatoes- they are one of the "dirty dozen"!) and thinly slice. Toss them with olive oil and salt, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper (or lightly oiled) and bake at 400 degrees until browned.

...but that's just part of the fun for them. The water was cold but gorgeous...



...and we had a great day at the beach!


Cooking was quick with our simple accommodations- I love the minimalism that camping forces! To make our meals easier, I did most of the food prep at home. I chopped all of the fruits and veggies and bagged them for each meal. For breakfast we had tofu scramble burritos one day (one of my veg bags contained all of veggies and a small container of pre-measured seasonings) and then instant oatmeal (we added a few goodies like peanut butter, bananas, raisins, applesauce, etc.) the next day.

Tofu scramble burrito prep on the camp stove:


Lunch was PB&J sandwiches for the kids and Indian samosas (wheat tortillas with a mixture of potatoes, peas, and Indian spices that I prepared at home) for us. For dinner I pre-made my favorite lentil recipe (red lentils with kale) so we just had to heat it up when we were camping. The second night we had pasta with sauteed veggies (pre-chopped and bagged) and, of course, vegan s'mores (we used Sweet and Sara vegan marshmallows which are fabulous)!

We also brought along tons of snacks including Larabars, zucchini bread, Super Charge Me cookies, sesame cashews, fruit, and veggies with hummus.

Here is a menu brainstorm that I did before planning the meals for our trip. I know this list will come in handy for me on future trips!

Breakfast:

• Pancakes
• Oatmeal
• Tofu veggie scramble with potatoes (or as burritos)
• Scones (Dreena Burton's Squirrelly Scones- YUM!)
• Cinnamon rolls
• Bagels with peanut butter or vegan cream cheese

Lunch:

• Sandwiches (PB&J, tofu or tempeh, soy cheese)
• Samosas Lentil and/or grain salad with veggies

Dinner:

• Chili and cornbread
• Veggie burgers and sweet potatoes or grilled corn
• Veg kabobs, hummus, pita bread
• Pasta with sauteed veggies
• Soup and bread
• Red lentils and kale with bread

Snacks:

• Muffins or quick bread
• Cookies
• Veggies and dip
• Fruit (incl. apples w/PB)
• Bars 
• Nuts
• S'mores!

Vegan Zucchini and Sweet Pepper Pancakes
Makes about 8 pancakes

1 large zucchini, grated or finely chopped
1 sweet bell pepper (2, if the peppers are small), grated or finely chopped
1 Tbsp parsley (I used Italian parsley), finely chopped
1/2 yellow onion, grated or finely chopped
~1/2 cup amaranth flour*
~1/2 cup garbanzo (chickpea) flour*
1 tsp baking powder
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

*Note: I chose amaranth and garbanzo flour for the extra protein and iron content. You can use any kind of flour that you like.

1. Finely chop and combine the zucchini, pepper(s), parsley, and onion (a food processor makes this really fast).
2. In another bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt and pepper. Then add the flour mixture to the veggies.
3. Lightly coat a pan with olive oil or cooking spray and heat over medium heat. When hot, shape the pancake mixture into patties and cook until brown on both sides.

Paired with a salad of baby lettuces and edible flowers that was lightly dressed in lemon juice and olive oil, these pancakes were perfect for lunch today! I think they would also be good served along side a tofu scramble and some fresh fruit for breakfast.

Vegan Whole Wheat Naan
Makes about 8-10

1 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour*
2/3 cup white flour*

1. Place all ingredients in a bread machine in order recommended by the manufacturer and turn to "dough" cycle.

OR

1. Dissolve the yeast in about 1/4 cup of the water; stir in the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture should get foamy- if it doesn't, the yeast isn't active or the water was too hot.
2. Mix the rest of the water with the salt, olive oil, and yogurt and set aside.
3. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor or mixer. With the processor running, slowly pour in the water/oil mixture. Then add the yeast mixture and process until the dough forms a ball. Add more flour or water, if necessary, so that dough isn't crumbly or sticky.

When dough has finished, preheat a griddle on medium-high heat. Divide dough into 8-10 balls. Roll each ball flat on a floured surface (bread should be thin- about 1/4 inch thick). Place flat doughs on the hot griddle (oil shouldn't be necessary) flipping once the first side has browned well.


*A note about flour: I kept 2/3 cup white flour in the recipe so the bread would maintain a soft texture. You can use whatever ratio you like.

1. Place all ingredients in a bread maker in order suggested by manufacturer and set to "dough" setting. Check a few minutes into the process and add flour or water, if necessary, so that the dough isn't crumbly and dry or sticky.
2. When the bread maker has finished, divide the dough into 4 balls (or as many as you like). Roll the balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface to desired thickness (should be on the thin side).

OR

1. Dissolve the yeast in about 1/4 cup of the water; stir in 1 tsp of the sugar and set aside for 10 minutes. The mixture should get foamy- if it doesn't, the yeast isn't active or the water was too hot.
2. Mix the rest of the sugar with the salt, olive oil and remaining water and set aside.
3. Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor or mixer. With the processor running, slowly pour in the water/oil mixture. Then add the yeast mixture and process until the dough forms a ball. Add more flour or water, if necessary, so that dough isn't crumbly or sticky.
4. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Transfer to an oiled bowl and let rise for about an hour.
5. When the dough has finished rising, divide it into 4 balls (or as many as you like). Roll the balls with a rolling pin on a floured surface to desired thickness (should be on the thin side).

Grilling pizza
I don't have a pizza stone or peel or any other fancy pizza-making equipment. Here are my basic instructions for grilling pizzas on a gas barbecue grill.

1. Preheat your barbecue grill on high. Just before placing the crusts on the grill, turn the temp down to low to medium-low. Place as many crusts on the grill as you can fit and leave the top of the barbecue open. Let brown slightly on one side only then remove from the grill, flipping so that the cooked side is up on the pan.
2. Top the cooked side of the crusts with your favorite sauce and toppings. Note: I recommend slicing the veggies very, very thin so they get cooked enough when the pizzas go back on the grill.
3. Place a sheet of aluminum foil coated with olive oil or cooking spray on the grill and place the pizzas on top. Make sure the grill is on low heat and close the lid. Watch the bottom of the pizzas closely- they will brown quickly! Remove them as soon as they are done and enjoy!

Vegan tempeh quesadilla
Serves 2
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp olive oil plus more for tortillas
Fresh cracked pepper
Sea salt to taste
1/2 block of tempeh, finely chopped (for extra protein and iron)
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (I used the purple basil from my CSA)
Vegan cheese, grated
2 whole wheat tortillas

1. Combine the tomato and basil and set aside.
2. Add the olive oil and some fresh cracked pepper to a skillet then turn heat to medium. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. When the onion starts to brown, add the tempeh and sea salt. Cook until tempeh is lightly browned.
3. For each quesadilla, sprinkle cheese on one half then top with tempeh and tomato mixtures and a little more cheese to glue it all together. Fold in half and lightly brush or spray the outside of the tortilla with olive oil. Cook over medium heat, turning once, until browned on both sides then cut into triangles and serve.

Raw Tomato Sauce
3 large tomatoes
2 shallots, peeled
Handful fresh basil leaves
1 cup re-hydrated sun dried tomatoes (soaked in warm water for about 20 min.)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves
1-2 tablespoons agave nectar
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Italian "Nut Meat"
1 cup walnuts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 handful of fresh basil
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1-2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes (soaked if dry)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, to taste

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and process into small pieces.