One wet and chilly Labour Day long weekend some wild cats and I went camping.  Despite the lake stealing our canoe’s contents and the rain wanting to cuddle, we had a deliciously wonderful time.

Ingredients:

• 1c quinoa
• 2c H2O
• toodle of salt
• 2 dashes of olive oil
• 1c chopped leek
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1c chopped carrots
• 1c chopped celery
• 1 or 2 cobs of corn, (un)cooked and stripped
• 1 green and 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 hot pepper, seeded and minced (Make sure to wash your hands and knife after your pepper prep work – if careless with pepper oils then ow!)
• 1tbsp chili powder
• 2tsp dried oregano
• 1tsp cocoa powder(Cocoa makes the world go round, feel free to be generous)
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp Hungarian paprika
• 0.5tsp cinnamon
• 0.5tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 7.25c of diced, stewed tomatoes(If you are using canned tomatoes, it is approximately 2 28oz cans)
• 2.4c black beans(~1.8c dried or 19oz can)
• 2.4c pinto (or kidney) beans
• 4 chopped green onions

Directions:

Quinoa bit: Bring H2O to a boil and add quinoa and salt.  Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15ish minutes.  Once all the H2O is absorbed, stir stir stir and set aside.

Veggie bit: Over medium heat, cook oil, leek and garlic until soft.  Add veggies and spices and cook for 10ish minutes, stirring often.  Add tomatoes and beans, cover and allow chili to simmer for 20ish minutes stirring every once in a while.

//Fireside cheat sheet: Toss all ingredients in a pot (or a frying pan if the lake has claimed your pot) and put atop fire until veggies are soft

Combination bit: Stir quinoa and green onions into veggie mixture.  Let the flavours greet one another for a few minutes and then serve.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow zucchini cubed
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1 large handful of leafy spinach
• 1/2 small Spanish onion
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• optional:  oven roasted turkey deli meat (you can really put any meat in if you would like and this is what I had around)
• 1 tsp soy-sauce
• 1 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• Makes: 1 serving

Directions:

1. In small pot put quinoa and pinapple juice – put pot on high heat till water is boiling and then turn to medium low heat for ~15 mins or until all the liquid has been absorbed
2. In large frying pan trown in butter and let melt till foam subsides
3. Toss onions and zuccini into frying pan on medium heat and continue to cook till zucchini is slightly browned on sides
4. Once zuccini is browned throw in diced turkey meat and cook for ~1min
5. Finally throw in the broccolli and spinich into the large frying pan and quickly stir
6. Toss the soy-sauce into the frying pan and quickly stir everything.
7. Then take the frying pan off the heat and cover to finish steaming the broccoli and spinach.   Be careful to not over cook your greens because they will taste mushy and gross.  If the greens start loosing there vibrant green color you are over cooking.
8. Sever the sauteed veggies over the quinoa and garnish with avocado and salt and pepper

Ingredients:

• 1 large zucchini (slice in to rounds)
• enough butter to coat the bottom of the pan
• fresh mint (5 – 6 sprigs to taste)
• 1/2 tsp of honey
• Makes: 2-3 side dishes

In large skillet heat butter on medium to high heat.  Once foaming of butter subsides toss in the zucchini.  Cook on one side for ~2-5 mins until slightly browned.   Toss the zucchini and cook the other side similarly.   Continue this process of cooking the zucchini until both sides are golden brown.  As a final step thrown in the honey and minced mint.  Then turn of the heat and continue to toss the zucchini till it is all nicely coated with the honey and mint.  Serve warm.

Ingredients

• 1/2 Spanish Onion
• 3 Eggs
• 1 tbsp Sour Cream
• 1/2 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 Avacado
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1/8 cup Chopped Peanuts
• 2 large handfuls of Spinach
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Makes: 2

Directions

1. Place eggs in a pot of cold water and set the pot to boil. Once the pot begins boiling, wait 10 minutes and remove eggs from pot and place them into a bowl of cold water.
2. Cube tomatoes with seeds removed and dice onions. Mix with salt, pepper and vinegar and set aside.
3. Remove shell from egg and half eggs lengthwise. Remove yolk and mix with sour cream and 1/4 of an avocado. Throw in two or three dashes of your favorite hot stuff (cayenne peppers, hot sauce, etc.) to taste.
4. Place egg mixture back into hollow boiled eggs.
5. Place a wok or frying pan on high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Once hot, throw in two big handfuls of spinach,  soy sauce and peanuts. Continue to stir till spinach is wilted ~2-3 min then remove from heat.
6. Serve deviled eggs garnished with tomato mixture next to wilted spinach.
7. Combine remaining tomato mixture with avocado for a nice Guacamole.

• 2-3 pears (sliced or cubed)
• 1 cup cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1/3 cup sugar (plus a bit extra for taste)
• 3 large eggs
• pinch of salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tbsp. pear liqueur (Poire Williamine or such)
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 tbsp. flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375º  F
2. Mix in a blender: 1 cup cream + ½ cup milk + 1/3 cup sugar + 3 large eggs + 2 tsp. vanilla + 2 tbsp. pear liqueur
3. Add to blender 3 tbsp. flour + 3 tbsp. cornstarch + 1/3 cup cocoa + pinch of salt. Blend well.
   Pour a little batter into a buttered baking dish, bottom lightly sugared. Add pears  and top with the rest of the chocolate batter.
4. Cook for about 1 hour, or until set

*This is something my mom makes

*whisk together the ingredients, adjust to taste

noodles:
1 pkg rice noodles (ban pho)
1 pkg (1 lb) extra firm tofu, diced
meat: 1lb diced chicken / ground pork / shrimp / combination
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup cooking oil
cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup crushed, toasted peanuts
1 bunch green onions, finely diced
1 can bean sprouts, rinsed
juice of 1 lime
1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Directions:

• soak the rice noodles for at least an hour in warm water prior to cooking
• heat 1/2 oil in wok
• cook the garlic, meat, and tofu, season with s + p, cayenne pepper until golden, remove from wok and set aside
• heat remaining oil
• scramble and cook eggs
• add sauce and stir
• add noodles
• add reserved cooked meat, tofu, and garlic mixture
• add peanuts
• when noodles are soft, add onions and sprouts, more sauce if necessary
• after 30 seconds, or when serving, add lime juice and cilantro

should serve 4-6!

This is a recipie that will take probably 1 hr to cook but only about 15 min of prep is included in that.   I have made quite a few varriations on this using different veggie or ingedients but the idea remains the same.  So enjoy and add or remove as you like depending on what you have in your fridge.

Curry:

• 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed)
• 1 bok choy (sliced into 1/2 pieces)
• 1 red pepper (thinly sliced)
• handful or two of spinach
• 1 small onion (thinly slice half the onion and chop the rest)
• Curry paste of your liking (can buy in super market made curry paste — get the paste not the sauce) *I like green curry for a small kick
• 1 can of coconut milk

-Use a pan with high sides or a wok for this.  Turn to medium high heat and add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan.  Then add the onions and white part of the bok choy.  If your onions look like there are going to brwon athis heat turn it down you just want to soften everything.  Once the onions are soft (translucent) add the red pepper and turn up the heat for about 2 min then back down.  Add ~3 tbls of the curry paste to the pan and stir.  Once everything is coated add the chickpeas.  Once those are coated as well then add half the can of coccunut milk. Stir and then cover and reduce the heat to low.  Make the rice and once that is cooking add the spinich and green bok choy to the curry (re-cover).  Once the rice is done this curry will also be done.  Serve over rice .

Rice:

• 1 cup of brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 veggie bullion -or- 2 1/2 cups veggie broth * can use plain water but this gives a nice flavor and aroma to the rice
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 table spoon of butter or margarine (if using an oil use just enough to finely coat bottom of pot)

Use a small pot and heat to high.  Add the butter (or oil) and once melted add the garlic.  Only heat slightly and add the rice before the garlic browns.  Stir everything until the rice has been caoted with the butter (or oil).  The add the broth (should hiss).  Cover and turn down the heat to low once the broth is boiling.  Let cook for the time stated on the rice package (usually35 min).

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 3 medium beets (cooked, peeled, and sliced)
• 1/3 large red onion (sliced finely)
• 1 medium carrot (peeled)
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat-cheese (pepper-coated works best)
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup walnuts (chopped)
• 1 pear (sliced)

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 tsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Boil water in a small pot. Once boiled, throw in beets until somewhat tender (~ 15 min on high heat). Combine remaining ingredients (except the dressing) in a large bowl. Remove and soak beets in ice bath, peel and slice into salad with other ingredients. Add dressing, toss and enjoy.

Serves 4. Time: 45 min (max.)

Time: 1hr 30min, Makes: ~10 large burritos