vegetarian tacos

Summer is in full swing in San Francisco.  The drizzle has started, the days-long fog, the bracing wind; it has arrived and is here to stay for awhile.  Luckily, before too awful long, we will have our coveted Indian Summer, warm and sunny September and October days.  But until then, we San Franciscans act like it is winter.  We go to the museums and cafes dressed in our chunky sweaters and scarves.   The parks are quiet, but for the few dedicated souls determined to barbeque in the fog.  We gather together for warming drinks and comforting foods. 

While comfort foods can often be centered around meat (things like pot roast, meatloaf, casseroles),  sometimes it is nice to have a meatless meal.  One particularly cold and foggy evening, I decided to take something simultaneously comforting (roasted veggies) and summery (tacos) in one meal and combine them in a deliciously vegetarian meal.  It is a perfect way to celebrate the San Francisco summer.

Vegetarian Tacos

(makes about 8 tacos)

1/2 yellow onion, julienned 

1/2 T butter

1 chayote squash, diced

1 yellow neck squash, diced 

1 can black beans

1 can chipotle in adobo

1 lime

2 ears of fresh sweet corn, shucked and cut off of the ear (or about 1 cup frozen)

1 T olive oil

1 red bell pepper 

1 avocado, sliced

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped

1/2 c. cotija cheese, crumbled

8 tortillas

Caramelize the onions in a saute pan with the butter.  Cook on low heat, stirring often until onions are evenly brown and soft. Season with a pinch of salt.

Meanwhile, toss together the diced squashes, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and roast in a 400F oven until soft and lightly browned on the edges, about 7-10 minutes.

Rinse the beans and add to a small saucepan along with your corn, 2 T adobo sauce from the chipotle can, juice of the lime, and salt, to taste.  Add the caramelized onions to this mixture when they are complete. 

Char the red pepper in the oven (400F) or using the open flame of your stove until the entire skin is black.  Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  This will steam the pepper a bit and allow the skin to come off easily.  Remove the stem and seeds and dice the pepper.

Toss pepper with the roasted squash mixture. 

Assemble your tacos:  Heat the tortillas in a saute pan or on a griddle on a medium flame, flipping the tortillas to evenly heat each side.  Fill tortillas with the squash mixture and bean mixture.  Top with cilantro, cotija and sliced avocado.  Add a squeeze of lime if you like.  

Tricks and Tips: 

If you would like the beans a bit spicier, dice up a bit of the chipotle peppers and add them to the mixture.

To easily shuck corn, roast it on your BBQ or open flame of your stove until the husk is black.  This steams the corn and allows the husk and silk to come off easily.

When taking the skin off of the charred bell pepper, try to avoid running under water.  This will rinse away a lot of those great flavors you worked hard to create.  Instead, try using a paper towel to rub the skin away. 

breakfast salad

When I go out for a weekend breakfast, it is often late enough in the day that the clever term combining breakfast and lunch is clearly applying to the meal I am about to have.  And, because I am a hungry one, I've often had a "pre-breakfast" of granola to get me through the wait to be seated at the popular breakfast spot.  Because of the time of day and fact it's often my second meal,  I have been known to order lunch-type foods at brunch.  A soup and a salad, sometimes.  Other times, a salad to accompany my omelet or scramble.  But I have yet to see a breakfast salad on a menu.  I don't know why;  they are pretty perfect as a brunch item, if you ask me.  Assuming, of course, I am not seeking a brunch to recover from "Saturday night carousing."  For that, cheesy eggs and greasy potatoes are perfect.

This past weekend, I was preparing to make a little at-home brunch and found myself standing at the open refrigerator, pondering what to make.  We were craving something filling but somewhat light (since we were headed out for a long run shortly) and definitely savory.  We would have our sweet Dutch pancake with roasted fruit tomorrow, we determined.

Taking stock of the inventory, I found some fresh arugula, some smoked salmon scraps, boiled purple potatoes and a couple eggs (among a few other items).  I briefly contemplated throwing together an omelet with these ingredients, but suddenly realized I wanted nothing less than a salad for breakfast.  I hadn't really had a "breakfast salad" before, but I like some greens with my eggs, so I started to throw some things together.  It wasn't so different from a dinner salad, except that I served it with rosemary roasted potatoes and topped it with a poached egg. Come to think of it, that would be a delicious dinner salad as well. 

It hit the spot perfectly; I am definitely going to eat breakfast salads for brunch a lot more from now on.  And you know, it fueled that run pretty well too.

Breakfast Salad:

A mix of arugula, parsley leaves, and watercress dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper

Radishes, sliced thinly

Cherry tomatoes, roasted with olive oil and salt (400F oven, about 10 minutes)

Smoked salmon pieces

Potatoes, previously boiled then roasted with chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and a pat of butter (400F oven, 15-20 minutes)

Avocado, sliced

Eggs, poached

Drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper

Tricks and Tips:

This recipe is simply a guide, throw together whatever you have available. Use leftover bread for big toasty croutons.  Top with shredded parmesan or dollops of goat cheese.  Sprinkle on some nuts or berries, or herbs from your garden.  Roasted beets would be delicious too.  Throw in some bacon.  Have fun with it, whatever you do.

I generally use about 1 large handful of greens (mixed greens, arugula, kale) for each serving of salad.

Everyone has their own method for poaching an egg, here is mine:
In a shallow pan (saute or shallow sauce pan) add about 3 inches of water.  To the water add about 2 T vinegar and a large pinch of salt (any variety will do, but I am partial to apple cider vinegar).  Let the water come to just barely simmer.  You will see little tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, but none in the middle.  This is perfect.  Crack your egg and lower it as close to the water as possible before slowing dropping the white and yolk into the water.  Do not touch the egg.  If the water is not quite deep enough, gently spoon water over the top of the egg.  When the whites are just set and the yolk is still very soft, gently lift the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to your dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper for best flavor.

backpacking deliciously

When out on the trail, tired, sweaty, and miles from the closest take-out, everything always tastes better.  That jerky that was just so-so at home suddenly becomes the best. thing. ever!  But, that doesn't mean I want to eat dried foods and gorp for 4 or 5 days of backpacking (although there is a fair amount of that in the daily trail consumption).  I take pride in being a sort of trail gourmet, and thought I would share with you some of the tricks I used this time around.  I have a few more up my sleeve that I will share with you later; I can't give away all of my secrets at once!

Tricks and Tips:

(recipes follow)

Make a list of what you would like to eat and budget out your calories vs. weight.  We tend to eat a lot of nuts, jerky, etc because they are higher in calories for their weight than say, an apple.
 

However, we do like to have some fresh fruit along to help break up the monotony of dried foods. 

 

Plan to spend a weekend afternoon or a couple of nights after work preparing and dehydrating the food-stuffs.  I like to use fresh produce and ingredients and since they are mostly water, it can take awhile.  It is definitely worth the time, especially considering there isn't much active time.  Start the dehydrating, then pour yourself a glass of wine and catch up on "Game of Thrones!" 

You can dry just about anything:  Just set your oven to about 190F, evenly spread the items on a sheet pan, and let dehydrate until dry (for meats this will mean they are shriveled and almost hard; veggies and fruits will be leathery; sauces will be thick pastes).  This may take 2-3 hours, depending on the item.  

Precook some items to impart extra flavor and to help save on cooking time on the trail.  I saute my mushrooms for extra flavor and par-cook my pasta to reduce cooking time (and fuel usage).  But kale dries out really nicely (like kale chips) in the oven with no need for prior cooking.

While out on the trail, I don't tend to carry salt, pepper or spices, so I blend them into my "meal kit" at home.

I have found that making a kit for each meal is really helpful.  If you have all of your food for one dinner or breakfast together, you don't have to dig around in your pack for that lost package of pasta.  It also allows you to, in most cases, simply dump the entire kit into your pot to start cooking.

When making your pancake mix, don't worry about the addition of the vanilla and butter - it will still be a dry mix and will not spoil if used within a couple weeks.  However, if you don't plan to use it all, either store extra mix in the freezer or use shortening or canola oil in place of the butter. 

We take only one pot that has a lid that doubles as a skillet.  It is all coated with nonstick so it is super helpful for those pancakes and other sticky items.  

When using fresh cheese, choose aged cheeses over those that are softer.  They have less moisture and are less likely to mold over the course of a week or oil-out in hot temperatures. BabyBel or Laughing Cow cheeses also work great because they are self contained and processed.

Chicken-in-a-pouch is amazing for backpacking.  It has been cooked in the pouch similar to canned foods (retort processing) and is considered safe for storing at ambient temperatures until the pouch is open.  If you want to save a bit more weight, you can dehydrate either the retort chicken, or some that you have already cooked and diced.

To make my own taco seasoning mix, I use a combination of cumin, lime juice powder, Mexican oregano, paprika, granulated onion, dehydrated garlic, and salt. 

When it comes time to make dinner, start hydrating the meal kit 15-30 minutes prior to cooking.  The water won't be absorbed, but the pasta, beans, etc will start to swell.  This helps save time and fuel when you heat the dish.  And it allows time for a little swim.  Just don't forget to bring it with you to the lake - it would be a shame for the bears or squirrels to get your dinner.

We like to take a flask of whiskey, a tiny bottle of maple syrup, and a couple pats of butter.  These little indulgences really make the difference and don't add very much weight. 

M&Ms are great for those of you (like me!) that can't go a few days without chocolate.  The hard candy shell helps prevent a melted candy bar all over your pack.

Repacking everything (ie those M&Ms!) into zippie bags allows easier resealability and reduces packaging.  It is also nice to have the used zippies on hand since you need to pack out all of your waste.

Recipes:

Pancake Mix  

4 days worth of pancakes for two people with hearty appetites

4 cups flour

2 T nonfat dry milk

1 T dried egg powder (this can be hard to find, but King Arthur sells it online)

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 t salt

2 t baking powder

1 t baking soda

1 1/2 t vanilla 

4 T butter, chilled, diced 

At Home:

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand whisk) combine all ingredients, cutting in butter slowly.  It will resemble coarse meal when complete.   Store in a zippie bag. 

Cooking at Camp:

Combine filtered (or treated) water with pancake mix in a bowl, until batter reaches desired thickness.

Add blueberries or other desired additions (M&Ms, perhaps?  It IS vacation, after all!).

Warm a nonstick skillet over the camp stove or campfire. 

Working in batches, cook one or two pancakes at a time, flipping with your handy camp spatula.

Top as desired and enjoy a well fueled day of hiking.
 

Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound pasta, par-cooked and dehydrated

3 cups shredded aged sharp cheddar cheese
1T all purpose flour

2 T nonfat dry milk

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

At home:

In a ziploc bag, combine all ingredients.

Cooking at Camp:

Dump pasta kit into a saucepan.  Add enough filtered (or treated) water to just barely cover the pasta.  Let rest and rehydrate about 15 minutes.  Bring to a simmer and cook until pasta is done and water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Pasta with Red Sauce

1/2 pound pasta, par-cooked and dehydrated

1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce, dehydrated to a paste

1/2 bunch kale, dehydrated

10-12 mushrooms, sliced and dehydrated

1/4 pound Italian Sausage, cooked and dehydrated

At home:

In a ziploc bag, combine all ingredients.

Cooking at Camp:

Dump pasta kit into a saucepan.  Add enough filtered (or treated) water to just barely cover the pasta.  Let rest and rehydrate about 15 minutes.  Bring to a simmer and cook until pasta is done and water is absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Chicken Burritos

chicken (I prefer retort chicken)

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed and dehydrated

cilantro, chopped and dehydrated

a couple shakes of chili flakes

1 T taco seasoning mix

aged cheese 

tortillas

At Home:

Combine all dehydrated ingredients in a ziploc bag. 

Pouch together retort chicken (if using), tortillas, cheese and dried ingredients to make a meal kit.

Cooking at Camp:

In a saucepan, add dried ingredients and enough water to just cover.  If you are using retort chicken, add it at this point as well.  You may want to cut down on water due to the water in the pouch.

Bring to simmer and cook until beans are done and water is absorbed, about 3 minutes.

Assemble your burrito using the tortillas, cheese and warm bean/ chicken filling. 

roll with it

My sweetie and I have started a new little tradition (granted, it is only the second year, but I think that counts as a tradition!).  With the right planning and juggling of vacation days, we are able to spend 4-5 days in the woods around the Independence Day holiday, wholly self-sufficient.  I find it really pleasurable (and a bit tortoise-like!) to carry everything needed on my back, stopping to rest when tired, eat when hungry, swim when upon lakes; no need to hurry back to the car for a snack or swimsuit.

 

This year, we loosely plotted our route, considered what to pack, and made a list of foods to prepare.  Unfortunately, we don't go backpacking very often so our preparation isn't super efficient.  He was away in the days leading up to our departure, so we exchanged a flurry of texts, "Do you have the backpacking stove?" and "I'll pick up more fuel" or "I can't find my compass, do you have yours?"   Eventually, we felt we were pretty well prepared and we headed out for our little adventure.

There were a few hiccups, despite our planning.  The sore throat and headache I was trying to ignore turned into a head cold as we reached the woods.  I forgot to pack some of the food.  We had less fuel than we thought we would need.  My recently repaired sleeping pad re-sprung a leak.  A lightning storm greeted us the first morning.

 

But you know, we rolled with it.  And it worked out pretty darn well.  Hiking with a cold didn't turn out to be a problem, I would simply move at a slower pace (and nap on logs!).   The food and fuel was carefully rationed (plus, we convinced the park cafe to sell us some tortillas prior to heading out!).  A combination of seam grip and gorilla tape slowed the leaking air in my sleeping pad.   And after waiting out the short storm, we had a cool morning followed by a series of sunny days.

Regardless of the hiccups, we had a great time.  How could we not, though: walking through the forests, camping at lakes and streams, spending some sweet time both in nature and together.  Next time, however, I will pay a little more attention to that packing list.  And I'm adding decongestant - just in case!