Camp Chef

Thanksgiving Week 2012

2011-11-20T08:30:00.000-08:00

"Marni! I can smell the cake! It's ready," I yelled out while smelling that sweet chocolate through the house.

Thanksgiving preparations have already begun. Marni was making a cake base for her glorious extravaganza of a dessert for that special day. I was sitting at the kitchen table dicing onions, peppers and bread for the stuffing. I like to do this ahead of time, and I put each ingredient in a small ziplock baggie. After labeling the bags, I toss them into the refrigerator ready for the stuffing.

I made pies early this morning after getting up at 6 AM. Five pies of our family favorites; pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin, pecan and a savory. (3) pumpkin pies, (1) pecan and the special hors d'ouevres of savory pie. After they all cooled, I wrapped and sealed the pies and dated them, and then tossed them into the freezer.

The house is semi-clean. I did run through the entire house last week and start cleaning the old bungalow. But, I'll do the final cleaning the day before and add flowers to all the vases in the house on the morning of Thanksgiving Day.

Here is (11) Eleven New York Chefs Secret Thanksgiving Recipes

HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

check back to this blog for more recipes and tips on cooking at home or on the river

Special Thanks to HGVTV for their photo used in this Camp Chef blog

Herbs in the Garden - Cook's Best Friends

2011-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Tendrils of lemon thyme, or Thymus Citriodorus peeked out of the mulch. The little herb garden was coming alive after what seems to be a very long winter. Early May and California is unpredictable with 90 degrees in the valley a couple days ago and today, we are cloaked in storm clouds on Mother's Day.

I pulled weeds today. Mother's Day. I wanted to care for the garden, as the children are older now with their own busy lives. Cool weather is perfect for pulling the weeds from the still soft and moist soil.

A small herb garden with a few tomato plants is all I need. Chives, thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, sage and Italian parsley are the essentials. I stopped growing the giant Beefsteak and Early Girl tomatoes a few years ago after I discovered the Super Sweet cherry tomatoes and the little orange heirlooms. The small German-variety orange heirloom, mellower in acid and also very sweet, are given an honorable spot at the corner of the partitioned garden. The plants are beautiful in full fruit and very decorative.

Chefs and home cooks that have an access to a true herb and/or eating garden bring the freshest flavors to their kitchen. The ingredients are the highlight; the herbs enhance everything. If you are a serious foodie, you will want your kitchen ingredients to reflect your passion about food. Adding a simple bit of lemon thyme to your eggs at breakfast will elevate those scramble eggs to another level. Adding a bit of fresh cherry tomato will turn the egg dish into a lunch omelette with an added salad. (Don't forget to add fresh chives and basil to that salad, too!)

THYME, BASIL and CHEESE OMELETTE

large seasoned frying pan or omelette pan
chopped fresh herbs (lemon thyme, chives, parsley &/or your favs from your garden)
olive oil to cover bottom of pan
pat of butter
1/4 cup of finely diced onion (or less; to your liking)
10 cherry tomatoes cut in halves (approx 20 sliced halves)
clean glass or ceramic bowl
6 - 8 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
whisk or fork

Heat pan to medium high heat. Add olive oil w/ a small pat of butter. (The butter is for flavor only; use less if you can.) Add onion and caramelize until onion is translucent and the edges are browned. Add tomatoes, cut side down. Turn heat down to medium or less. Mix eggs in a clean glass or ceramic bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon thyme and chives. Mix well with a small whisk or fork. Check the tomatoes in pan. They should be limp and the skins should be wrinkled. Stir until a loose tomato sauce forms. Cook until sauce is the consistency of a thick tomato sauce. (You can pull out the tomato skins if you want, but I just keep them in for added roughage. Besides, this is home cooking and rustic.) Add eggs. Stir once. Let eggs set. Stir again. Let eggs set. Stir again. Repeat this process slowly until the eggs are a soft, tender consistency. Sprinkle the eggs with your favorite grated cheese. I add freshly grated parmigiano cheese and a bit of fresh chopped basil and Italian parsley. Fold over carefully into a large omelette. Cut into four servings.

SIDE OPTIONS:

Add breakfast potatoes on the side for a hearty breakfast.
Or, add a side salad of fresh greens, tomatoes and herbs for a light lunch or dinner.

VARIATIONS:

add sliced fresh mushrooms and cook along with the tomatoes.
add cooked crumble bacon and mix in with the eggs or just sprinkle over the eggs.
place one portion of the omelette on top an English muffin along w/ cheese; grill lightly until melted.
add flaked cooked leftover salmon to the omelette before you fold over.

Use your imagination and use those fresh herbs. If you don't have much room in the yard or you are an urban dweller, you can still grow a small pot of herbs near a bright window. You will be surprised at how many little herbs will grow in such a small container. And, look at garden centers and foodie markets; you will find many vendors are now selling potted herb gardens ready for your kitchen use.

Burp! The Day After Turkey Day

2010-11-26T11:11:00.000-08:00

So, how is everyone feeling this morning? Groan...

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and the refrigerator is full of leftovers. What are you going to do with all the leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, vegetable medleys and other side dishes? (easiest? sandwich! see left image)

Most of us share the bounty by giving away the goodies to everyone who came over for Thanksgiving dinner, but there is still a lot leftover. Here's a couple of super quick meals that are sure to please!

Breakfast Turkey Hash

1/4 cup of diced onion

olive oil

1 cup of diced turkey

1-1/2 cup of stuffing

2 cups of mashed potatoes

gravy (to taste)

chopped chives (to taste)

In a large fry pan, add olive oil to coat the pan. Add onions. Caramelize onions until onions are translucent and brown on edges. Add turkey and mix until warmed through. Add stuffing and potatoes and mix. Add gravy and heat through. When thoroughly heated, add chives. Stir and mix. Add a side of fruit to compliment this quick meal or one of the leftover vegetable side dishes. Serves 2-4

Variation: add an over-easy or scrambled egg on top to serve.

Turkey and Waffles

4 Belgian-style waffles (store bought or homemade)

8 slices turkey

gravy (to taste)

Toast waffles and set aside. Warm turkey slices using a frying pan or microwave oven. Warm gravy in a saucepan or microwave oven. Assemble: waffle; top w/ 2 slices of turkey and top with gravy. Serve with fruit on the side. Serves 4

Turkey Potato Patty

olive oil

1 cup of diced turkey

1 cup of mashed potatoes

1/4 cup of stuffing

1/4 cup of diced scallions

1/4 flour (or less)

1 large egg mixed in a small bowl with salt and pepper

gravy

In a bowl, add turkey, potatoes, stuffing, scallions and mix well. Dust your hands with flour. Form patties with your hand. Set patties aside. Heat frying pan to medium heat. Add oil to coat pan. Dip patties in egg and add to heated pan. Heat through and flip patties over and brown. Serve with a dollop of warm gravy. Add a side of fruit or one of the vegetable side dishes.

Turkey Wraps

1/4 olive oil

1/2 cup onions (reserve 1/4 raw onion)

1/4 cup of diced green pepper

1 cup diced turkey

tortillas (flour or corn)

salsa

chopped cilantro

corn chips

In a large frying pan at medium high heat, add olive oil. Add only 1/4 cup onions and brown. Add green peppers and cook until thoroughly wilted. Add turkey and cook through. Warm tortillas over the pan. Assemble: tortilla; top with turkey mix and dress with salsa, cilantro and left-over raw onions. Serve with corn chips on the side or fruit. Add a vegetable side dish from the leftovers for a complete meal. Serves 2-4

Turkey Salad Version 1

1 cup chopped turkey

1/4 cup diced celery

1/4 cup diced onion

diced scallions (to taste)

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup diced apple

mayonnaise (to taste)

1 tsp mustard

1 Tbsp finely diced sweet pickle

Mix everything together in a clean bowl. Add mayonnaise to your liking. Spread onto whole wheat bread and top with another slice of bread. Cut into quarters. Add one of the vegetable side dishes to complete this lunch. Serves 2-4 generously.

Turkey Salad Version 2

Leftover cooked vegetables:

broccoli, asparagus, green beans, carrots, red onions, beets, etc

Leftover crudites

Romaine lettuce

2 cups of diced turkey

your favorite salad dressing

Chop all vegetables and lettuce in a uniform sizes. Toss into bowl (do not add beets until the end or everything will be pink). Add turkey. Serve on a generous sized platter. Add beets on side or on top. Use your favorite salad dressing. (I like a black cherry salad dressing) Add a bowl of turkey soup to complete this meal. Serves 4-6

Desserts (there were leftovers?!?)

As far as the leftover pies, tarts, and other goodies... a great suggestion is to freeze it and bring it out again at a tea party, brunch or dessert after dinner. If you freeze the goodies, make sure you label the package with a date. But, it's only a few more weeks to Christmas dinner... dare I serve them again? Hee Hee...

Tips and Resources for Safe Food Handling of Leftovers:

Farmer's Market | FOOD! Resources

2010-09-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Those of you who are lucky to grow your own food know what I mean when I say that fresh is always best. A fresh plucked cherry tomato off of a sunshine-warmed vine is absolute heaven. Apricots picked off of a heavily laden tree so ripe that the flavor explodes in your mouth, is a culinary delight by itself. Even fresh churned butter recently milked from your cow is something that you have never tasted at the supermarket. Fresh is always best.

For the rest of us, we shop at our local markets. The fruit and the vegetables have been picked and shipped days before, rinsed repeatedly and then displayed in cold cases at the supermarket. The flavor loss is profound along with the nutrient content. Try to shop at great markets such as well-known Whole Foods that feature "Farmer's Market" produce. Or try to organize your local neighbors and share the produce that may be growing in their own backyards.

The best place for those of us in California are the Farmer's Markets. Local farmers flock into locations convenient for city dwellers and sell their produce. The markets are divine.

Freshly picked that morning, the produce has traces of the rich soil still clinging to the gems. Beets, onions, carrots, squash, herbs are in their glory when picked fresh. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage can be eaten raw; the flavors are so rich. And, fresh corn... why cook it? The just picked corn is a flavor delight that can't be matched by store bought, frozen or canned.

If your town has no Farmer's Market or Farmer's Cooperative, try to organize one. Farmers and growers are generous souls. They want to see their produce sold and shared. They do not want to see any of locally grown produce wasted.

Contact a local government official and share your idea. They will put you into contact with the rules and regulations for food safety and other restrictions in government.
Contact the growers. Try to have common every day produce along with exotics.
Pick a one time date (start small) to organize a Farmer's Market festival.
Form a volunteer group to create flyers, email alerts and a Facebook event.
Locate a shaded area w/ public transportation nearby.
Provide large sturdy tables for the growers.
Bring a small local musical group to entertain the attendees.
Contact ethnic communities to bring demonstrations of food cooking. The food demonstration will draw in a lot of cooks and chefs to watch how other cultures prepare food.
Contact all restaurant buyers/owners in the area. They will flock to the event for the opportunity to buy fresh produce for their culinary staff.

If the Farmer's Market Festival is successful, the growers and community will come together to create a once-a-week market in your area. We did this in California and now, Farmer's Markets are available almost everyday of the week somewhere close by.

Be adventurous with your food! Buy an item that you have never tried and add it to your regular menus. Try everything! You will be delighted!

Sushi, California Style!

2010-09-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

I was born and raised in Japan in a traditional Japanese household. The sushi I ate was made beautifully and carefully by a parent who created eye-pleasing art with a reverence for each ingredient.

Then I came to California. OMG! Sushi became an adventure of strange ingredients that I never dreamed of combined with the simple seasoned rice and seaweed. But, it is surprisingly good never the less. Almost everyone in California and the entire West coast has eaten the California Roll. It's a staple in everyone's diet out here!

California Roll

1 cup of cooled cooked small grain white rice (sub a more nutritious brown rice)

small glass bowl

1 Tbsp of seasoned rice wine vinegar (mirin)

small crisp cucumber sliced into long julienne strips

large avocado medium sliced

2 dried seaweed sheets (nori)

optional : thin julienne carrot strips, toasted sesame seeds

optional : crab or imitation crab (ick)

garnish : wasabi mustard with soy sauce, pickled ginger slices

Mix room temperature, cooked rice w/ vinegar (mirin). Do not smash the rice grains. Set aside. Optional: add sesame seeds to your liking and mix in.

On a piece of saran wrap (plastic) or clean kitchen towel, place seaweed sheet down. Add the rice on half the sheet in a thin layer. Add strips of cucumber and avocadoes (add optional carrots).

Roll the rice end of the seaweed tightly and before you roll completely, carefully wet the end of the seaweed w/out rice with a smear of water. Then finish rolling completely. The moisture will "glue" the seaweed to itself so that the roll will not come undone. (How to roll sushi)

With a sharp wet knife, slice the roll into pin wheels. Serve w/ soy sauce flavored with wasabi and serve a side dish of pickled ginger.

Ta da ki mas!

Wild Steelhead w/ Mango Relish

2010-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

This is an easy recipe to adapt to outdoor grilling and cooking!

I just had this lovely dinner at a friend's home tonight. I watched as it was prepared. If you can't get the wild steelhead; store-bought salmon is a great substitute. High in Omega 3 oils, the oil content is much higher than Chinook Salmon. This recipe is very quick and easy to make. Have the sous chef prepare all ingredients as the cooking time goes very quickly and you do not want to overcook the fish.

Wild Steelhead w/ Mango Relish

frying pan

1/4 cup of olive oil

filet of wild steelhead (substitute salmon)

salt & pepper to taste

sliced pineapple into small wedge shapes (fresh)

3 small lemons cut into wedges for squeezing & garnish

small glass bowl

1 cup diced ripe mango

1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion

1 Tbsp of balasamic vinegar

1 Tbsp of olive oil (from above)

2 cups of cleaned & air dried arugula

Prepare all ingredients prior to turning the stove on. Set all ingredients to the side. Add enough oil to the pan to cover surface. Turn pan on to medium to medium-high heat to sear the fish. Drizzle oil over fish and wipe oil over the surface of the fish. Add salt & pepper. Place fish skin side down into the pan carefully. Sear for 4-5 ( or less depending on thickness) minutes. Turn fish and cook until medium done. Squeeze half of one lemon into pan. Take fish out of pan and set aside to rest. (cooking time depends on thickness of fish). Add pineapple to pan and sear until slightly blackened on both sides. Take out pineapple and set aside.

In a glass bowl, toss diced mango, red onion, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. (I think you could make this part ahead of time and let it marinate, but the balsamic vinegar will change the color of the bright color of the mango.)

Lay a bed of argula onto the plate. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the argula. Lay fish down on top of argula. Dollop generous mango relish over fish. Surround the interior of the dish with pineapple slices. Serve immediately with wedges of lemon.

Note: I watched my host make this in 30 minutes. The flavors were out of this world! The combination of the bitter greens w/ the fresh tart, carmelized pineapple with a mouthful of fish and sweet mango and tangy red onion... omg! Heaven!

Options: Try this with other firm fish. Change the fruit to plums, peaches, raspberries or blueberries. Fruit and fish are a wonderful pairing. Be adventurous!

Bon Appetit!

Nutella! | The Good Stuff

2010-09-23T16:32:00.000-07:00

I would say 99.9999% of all mankind love Nutella. Yes, it is one of those concoctions that someone created that has an almost cult-like following. You can spread Nutella on anything and make it a dessert.

Hazelnut, cocoa and skim milk mixed together and preserved in a jar is a delightful addition to anyone's pantry. You can buy it at most grocery stores in USA. I first came upon Nutella in my Italian neighborhood where it is legendary. (Two recipes below)

1) Waffles and Nutella

2 waffles (homemade or store bought)
Nutella spread (as much as you can stand)
1 heaping Tblsp of muesli (mix of rolled oats, dried fruit, nuts)
maple syrup to drizzle

Toast waffles. Spread generous amount of nutella over waffles. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon of muesli over each waffle. Drizzle maple syrup over all. Serve immediately. Be prepared to go to heaven.

2) Peanut Butter & Nutella Sandwich

2 slices of whole wheat bread (oat nut, multi-grain)
Nutella spread (be generous)
Peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
Strawberry or raspberry jam (use jam instead of jelly)
1 banana
1 Tblsp of dried cranberries and/or dried cherries

Smear one slice of whole wheat bread with Nutella. Smear the other slice with peanut butter. Slice banana neatly in rows on peanut butter. Smear jam over on Nutella side. Sprinkle with dried fruit. Close sliced bread together forming a sandwich. Slice into quarters. Eat and dream of the good life.

Option: Both recipes above can be calorized into sky high numbers with the addition of chocolate chips and/or cream cheese! Be prepared to go on a diet for a week.

Lamb and Figs in a Dutch Oven

2010-09-14T16:10:00.001-07:00

I was picking figs from a neighbor's tree. The branches hung over my fence allowing me to pick those ripe black figs for breakfast this morning. After picking a bowl, I thought about how I would eat the bountiful harvest!

I love the traditional recipe of Lamb and Prunes and thought I could substitute the prunes for figs. Figs are jam-like sweet with a chewy skin. They are like candy and addicting. I hope I have enough for this recipe!

Lamb and Figs

deep frying pan with lid (dutch oven if you are camping)
2 large onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic (use as much as you like)
1/8 cup of olive oil
3 - 4 lbs of boneless lamb, cubed
1 cup of chicken stock (homemade is better)
1-1/2 cups of California Merlot or dry red wine
3 Tbsp of Balsamic vinegar
bay leaves
1 heaping tsp dried mustard
1 heaping tsp ground cumin
1 heaping tsp coriander
pinch tsp cinnamon
pinch ground ginger
pinch chili flakes
salt to taste
10 fresh figs cut in half
brown sugar to taste (optional)
hot rice for side dish

Brown onions until translucent with brown edges. Add garlic and saute together. Add cubes of lamb and cook at high heat until meat is seared. Add chicken stock, wine, vinegar and all hte spices including the bay leaves; bring mixture to a low boil. Cover with a lid and simmer until lamb is tender. (Approx 45 min)

Add figs and brown sugar (go easy on this one since figs are very sweet). As the mixture reduces, the lamb will take on a nice sweet glaze. Test for tenderness with a fork. Serve immediately with rice.

Serves approx 6 - 8 people.

Quickie Recipe Tip!

Side Dish of Figs: cut 5 figs in half and place cut side down and gently sear over medium high heat in olive oil, garlic and 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar. They will caramelize quickly on the cut surface; turn heat down to low or off & reduce liquid. Add these tender morsels as a side dish to grilled meats such as lamb, pork or chicken.

Camp Tips on River Rafting Trips

2010-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

We are coming up to the hot summer months and many of you will be vacationing with us on a whitewater trip. Others of you will be camping out in the great outdoors along the beautiful oceans, lakes, rivers and streams throughout California and the western United States.

packed dry bags for an overnight wilderness rafting trip

Here are handy tips on how to pack food you might be bringing along on your camping trip. We have tried to suggest items that are easily found at your grocery store. Remember, you don't have to bring all of this stuff. Just tailor your ingredients to fit your camping or rafting menus.

camping and cooking on the middle fork american river

I always pack oyster sauce because it can be added to just about everything! And, in California, most grocery stores now have many exotic items that will bring a sense of flair to your outdoor cooking. Enjoy!

packed coolers for the gear boat on a wilderness rafting trip

Meats:

Marinate your steaks, chicken prior to packing them.
Use sturdy zip lock freezer bags and add your favorite marinade.
Pack these tasty packages next to the ice in your cooler.
When you get to your destination; add chopped green onions/scallions (leaves and bulb)
Carefully pull out the meats to grill on the stove or campfire grill.

Herbs, spices, onions & garlic:

Dry spices are the easiest.
Fresh spices and herbs taste the best!
Wrap each herb/spice in a dry paper towel.
Place each bundle in a zip lock baggie.
These will last throughout the duration of a short term camping trip (2 to 5 days).
Rosemary, garlic and onions are the easiest to pack and pack the most flavor to any dish.
Keep all herbs, spices, onions & garlic as dry as possible.

Vegetables & Fruits:

potato (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
celery (sturdy, keeps well; add to canned soups or vegetable saute)
carrots (sturdy; add to salads or shred for toppings on sandwiches)
onions (everything!)
cabbage (salads, quick saute, etc)
beets (wrap & bake in coals or roast on grill; slice for sandwich, salad or side dish)
sweet potato (wrap & bake in coals or roast on grill; side dish)
apples (sturdy, keep cool; bake or saute slices w/ sugar, cinnamon for a great dessert over cake or pound cake)
bananas (fragile, use first or second day; great additions to cereal or saute as side dish)
oranges (sturdy; add juice to salad dressing, slice away membrane and add to dessert)
greens (wrap fragile leaves in paper towels or clean towel and place greens into a dry zip lock baggie; use on first or second days of cooking)

Suggested staples:

rice
potatoes
pasta
meats
tortillas/wraps
bread
eggs (keep in egg container; they will survive if placed on top of cooler)
dry soups
canned soups
canned chile con carne
canned red kidney beans
canned corn
hot chocolate
mint candies (add to hot chocolate or crushed over a dessert)
muesli or dry cereal (add to nuts, raisins for a quick snack)
boxed cake yellow mix
pound cake
bisquick
sliced deli meats
cheese block or sliced
small amount of flour (dust chopping board or make a gravy w/ meat juices in your grill pan)
butter (great on toast; mix in garlic/herbs for a simple topping on steaks)
sugar (add to hot chocolate or sprinkle on toast w/ cinnamon)
olive oil for saute, cake mix or condiment
saffola oil for frying
balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar; great for quick salad dressing or seasoning)
asian oyster sauce (awesome on stir fried vegetables; marinade for meats)
ketchup
mustard
salt
pepper

More staples:

sturdy zip lock baggies in different sizes
paper towels
knives
cutlery
serving utensils
aluminum foil
tongs
channel lock (handy tool to pick up hot items such as grills)
oven mitt or silicon glove
chopping boards (plastic)
plates (plastic or metal)
cups (plastic or metal)
bowls of various sizes for mixing & prep work (plastic or metal)
dish soap (biodegradable)
hand soap (biodegradable)
black sharpie pen (label stuff as you prep and work in kitchen)
paper bags (great for soaking up oils on fried items; also good for organizing items)

Pre-prepare for ease of use:

baked potatoes (use first day or second day for a quick breakfast hash or as a potato salad for lunch)
mixed spices in a waterproof plastic container (salt, pepper, chili, rosemary or whatever you want to mix together) labeled w/ ingredients
frozen homemade soup (this is killa! its a block of frozen soup that will help keep the cooler cool)
cake mixes and any other boxed items; place dry goods into sturdy zip lock baggies (tear off the labels and toss into bag to identify your dry goods; this will take less space when you pack your dry goods)
mix butter & garlic together and freeze it (use on toasted bread or top a grilled steak)
make a cold pasta salad w/ broccoli, carrots, olives & peppers; toss into zip lock baggie for a first lunch or first dinner*
if you make baked potatoes at camp, make more than you need; use left overs for salad, side dishes or an entree
same with rice; make more than you need if you make it at camp; use for salads, side dish or an entree

Tips for the cooler:

Use block ice or dry ice to keep items cold. Pack all meats and perishables near the ice. Pack apples, veggies towards the top. Keep drinks and frequently needed items in a smaller cooler and tell everyone not to open the other coolers. This will keep items nice and cold.
Instead of one large cooler, use several smaller ones. Duct tape the coolers closed and label them accordingly: Day 1, Day 2, etc. This will help to keep perishables cold. But, this also requires you to break up items and pack the coolers wisely for each day. (Grand Canyon Colorado trick where we can be on the river for 12 days or more!)
I had ice cream on day 5 of a river trip using a small cooler and dry ice; duct taped and never opened until the day we wanted it.
Don't leave the cooler in the hot sun or place the bottom in the hot sand on the beach. Place under a tree instead or place on top of a folded blanket if you only have hot sand. Keep the cooler cool so it doesn't work so hard keeping your items cool. Another trick is to leave it in the raft on the water. Just take out your cooking items and walk it to the grill on the beach (use the handy paper shopping bags or a sturdy tote to carry your items) Beach side may be warm at night, but the cooler air above the river will help to keep the cooler cold.

Phobia about bruised or blackened vegetables:

On a long trip, some of your fruits and vegetables will start to perish. Cut off the blackened portions and the interior will be fine for cooking. Cabbage can be peeled until you get back to good leaves. Onions, too, can be peeled back. Don't just toss away a bunch of veggies because they look limp or dried out. Rinse with water and they will perk back up to almost their original state.

First meal:

You just drove from ying to yang and you are tired. No one wants to cook a complicated first meal on the first day of your rafting, camping trip or car travels. I always bring an extra large can of chile. Add extra canned corn and red kidney beans to the pot. Dice some onion and add it. Stir until hot. Serve w/ tortillas or chips. Quick meal! and everyone will be happy. You can do the same thing w/ a favorite canned soup. Just add a few veggies and serve with tortillas or toasted bread w/ garlic butter.

Enjoy!:

Let's face it. Food cooked outdoors always taste better! Don't get too complicated. Don't be afraid to use prepared, boxed, canned or pre-made items. Shhh, no one needs to know! I love taking a pound cake and adding fresh fruit on top such as orange membranes w/ an orange sugar glaze poured over the top. Super quick to make and very tasty. Don't be afraid to omit meats on a menu. Have a vegetable roast instead w/ crusty toasted breads and a light soup instead. Or just roll the roasted ingredients into a tortilla and and eat hearty as any vegetarian.

Or just get on the phone and call your favorite whitewater rafting company (us!) and let them do all the cooking and cleaning. You might enjoy your time outdoors even more... 2010 Summer rafting ... here we goooooooooo!

Notes: if you have a suggestion for this list, please let us know. We would love to get more camp cooking tips! You might even get invited to a WET River Trips to show your camp chef skills!

Scones from London

2010-05-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

Our rafting friends found some wonderful scones in Knightsbridge in London while touring Europe. Scones would be easy to duplicate on a rafting and camping trip! Get that dutch oven ready for a very special treat!

Scones

1 cup of flour
1/4 cup of unsalted butter(cubed very cold)
1/4 cup of fine sugar
1/4 cup of currants(optional)
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 teaspoon of cream of tarter
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
small amount of milk (only if batter becomes too thick)

Mix all ingredients together with your hands, but don't mix too much or it will make the dough tough.*

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut small circles using a small glass turned upside down. Place on a silpat, parchment paper or seasoned dutch oven. (Just remember to use a seasoned dutch oven & you can forgo the parchment paper or silpat)

Brush lightly with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.

Place in pre-heated oven 450 for 8 to 10 minutes

Serve immediately with warm butter, cream and any jams that strikes your fancy.
This recipe serves four. Not to be saved, but enjoyed immediately with your favorite tea, coffee or fruit juice!

* Our Secret Chef says, "Don't over work the dough! Mix once and then roll-out; otherwise, you will end up with hockey pucks instead of tender, flaky scones! There is such a joy in baking these wonderful morsels of schoonbrood!"

... a little history about the scones:

Scones origins go back to Scotland where the Scots formed them into small round flat breads called "schoonbrood." The first mention of this word was in 1513 and was likely originated from the Middle Dutch. The Scottish would cut the flat breads into triangular wedges reflecting the current shape today. Today, the flat breads are called bannock and the cut out triangles are called scones.

Scones are popular in United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United States. Most are made with wheat, barley and/or oatmeal. They are usually served with tea, Devonshire cream and jams.

Note: We think our friends will be surprised to see this on their group rafting trip this year!

Riviera Swiss Chard

2010-05-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

Traveling in Europe, our rafting friends attempted to cram both travel and food in a two week tour of London, Paris & Rome. Both women have been on many trips together in the outdoors enjoying skiing, rafting, and hiking. This was their first time traveling in the civilized confines of tourism. Many memories of their time together have them coming back for more as they plan another camping and rafting trip with us next month! Enjoy their recipe... it may be on the WET menu soon!

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Call me a francophile, or just a strong lover of simple Whole Foods. Over the years, I have explored and tried Provencal cuisine and have also tried many recipes using a few twists of items I have added, or omitted. It is not fancy food as so many may think, but simple and clean, and utilizing what is in season.

Here is one of my favorite side dishes that can accompany fowl, meat or fish. Make this on your next dinner party or camping trip. It will surely be a hit!

Riviera Swiss Chard
Serves four

I bunch of Swiss chard
3 Tblsp of unsalted butter or 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
1 tsp of honey
1 Tblsp of finely chopped rosemary
1/3 cup of golden raisins roughly chopped, or left whole, depending on preference
2 Tblsp of roasted pinenuts
A pinch of Fleur de sel, or salt, and cracked pepper to taste.

Note: Swiss chard sometimes has a bitter taste unless you have a fresh resource such as a Farmer's Market. You can take the bitterness away by putting lemon juice on it during cooking.

Prepare all ingredients before hand, as this dish cooks in minutes.

Remove the stems from the leaves and the thick part of the vein which runs down the leaves. then roughly chop. ( remenber this is a rustic dish)

In a large frying pan preferably cast iron, melt the butter or olive oil until the pan begins to smoke. Add the Swiss chard immediately with rosemary and stir well to coat all the leaves. Cooking time is quick so it should only take a minute or two. Add the raisins, and the roasted pinenuts, and serve immediately.

Read their story on the California Whitewater Rafting WET River Trips blog on their adventures in London, England.

Thank you smilepolitely.com for the lovely swiss chard photo!

summer tomatoes

2009-07-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes are super sweet in the valley of California. This is home to some of the best tomatoes grown in the world. Most valley farmers also grow heirloom tomatoes. Heirlooms are featured colorful orbs in the farmers' market throughout all the communities of our Golden state.

When the tomato is in season, it is best eaten simply and plainly. Let the flavor rule the dish! Here is a simple dish for tomato and pasta lovers. With the addition of fresh basil, this dish will seem like a gourmet celebration made at the best restaurant in town! You will never miss "jar tomato sauce."

water
pot
pasta
1 Tbsp of olive oil
skillet
1/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 head of garlic (or more)
diced 1/2 onion (sautee)
30 cherry tomatoes (yellow heirlooms)
10 basil leaves
1/4 tblsp of chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 tbsp of chopped fresh oregano
salt, pepper to taste
parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring a pot of water w/ 1 Tbsp of oil to a boil to cook the pasta. While waiting for water to boil, place a skillet on medium high heat w/ 1/8th of cup of oil. Add diced onions and sautee. Add garlic and slightly brown. Add cherry tomatoes. Stir until tomatoes are completely wilted and skins are falling off. Stir and add all herbs. The mix will be a light sauce. Meantime, drain the cooked pasta lightly and place all noodles into the skillet to coat the pasta. Because the pasta is not well-drained, the starches will make the light tomato sauce creamy without the addition of cheeses or dairy products. Add the rest of the olive oil. Toss. Add more chopped basil on top before you serve. This is a total vegan dish without the cheese topping.

Variations: add leftover meats or other vegetables. This is also a great accompaniment to a pot luck where it can be served at room temperature... but it is best enjoyed with a group of friends sitting around a campfire and talking about the rafting trip that you just did. Woot!

Thank you Wikipedia for the Heirloom Tomato info and picture!

Camping & Rafting : Tri Tip Roast

2009-02-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

The guy is bonkers about food. He's our camp chef on the American River trips in California. Steve can be found squeezing avocados at dawn at the local markets for the best of the squishy delight or gathering melons from the local farmers markets for the best quality flesh. Either way, he is passionate about all things food. (I even heard that he watches the Food Channel for grilling and cooking tips!)

Steve's been beta testing recipes again and all of us at the office have been guinea pigs to his gourmet treats. Here's one that we all loved and hope to see on the next river rafting camping trip on the South Fork American.

TRI-TIP ROAST ::

1 large tri-tip

Marinade to cover tri tip (salad dressing is easiest; add other ingredients)

head of garlic (peeled, cut in half; see below, save a few cloves)

1/4 diced scallions

handful of herbs (use your favorite; rosemary, thyme, etc)

soy sauce (splash or to your taste)*optional

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup diced onions

whole onions (cut in half)

10 small yukon or red potatoes (cut in half)

splash of wine (*optional)

6 large carrots cut into thirds

2 cups of cleaned brussel sprouts (make a small cut x at the bottom to cook thoroughly)

Marinade the tri tip in a ziplock baggie with your favorite marinade. Add garlic cloves (add a whole head or just part of it), green onions and any herbs to the baggie. Add a splash of soy sauce (*optional). Set aside for at least an hour or overnight in the refrigerator or cooler. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil into a roasting pan or heavy dutch oven. Heat to high. With tongs, add meat and sear on all sides helping to seal in juices. Take meat out and set aside onto a clean plate. Add the rest of the olive oil into pan. Heat to medium high and add diced onions and garlic. Heat until onions are slightly browned. Add halved onions & potatoes. Add meat with all juices. Add a splash of wine*. Roast in 450 degree oven or dutch oven for approximately 30 minutes. Add carrots and brussel sprouts at the end. Continue cooking until done to your liking for approx 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve after letting the meat rest for 10 minutes. Serve with an additional salad or crusty grilled baguette... but the potatoes are already in it so it really is a one pot meal!

Variations: for vegetarians or vegans just separate the meat from the vegetables into two roasting pans. Prepare vegetables and add olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Toss well, coating all vegetables. Roast at 450 degrees as instructed before. Serve when potatoes are done. Add a meat substitute like grilled tofu to complete this vegetarian or vegan dish. Groups rafting with us will love this hardy meal!

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

2009-02-10T16:42:00.000-08:00

Mushrooms are plentiful at the farmer's market in California. I look for large caps that are still connected to the stems. What I like to do is use leftovers when making this easy dish. Use leftover bread ends, mushrooms and other veggies in your fridge. Keep it simple and you will make this easy recipe at least 3 or 4 times a month. If you are river camping, try this same dish in the dutch oven.

12 large whole mushrooms (button, crimini, etc)

1/4 olive oil (split into two portions)

1 head of garlic chopped and minced

1/2 yellow onion diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms (stems from the whole mushroom)

1/2 cup of spinach (cooked, chopped & drained)

thyme, rosemary, oregano (variety of herbs that you like)

salt, pepper

1/2 cup of dried out bread crumbs

handful of cherry tomatoes

Brush and clean mushrooms. Break off stem carefully leaving cap whole. Chop stems and set to side. In a large skillet, place 1 portion of olive oil into skillet. Add garlic to flavor the oil. Add diced onions and carmelize slowly (translucent w/ dark brown edges). Add chopped mushrooms and saute until all moisture is gone. Add spinach. Add herbs, salt & pepper. Add bread crumbs at the end. Mix well and let cool. Rub each mushroom cap with a little olive oil (use reserved 2nd portion of oil). Place cap side down onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Add a dollop of mixture to each mushroom cap. Add a tiny bit of tomato (I use 1/2 of a cherry tomato to top each cap). Drizzle left over olive oil over the entire platter of stuffed mushrooms. Broil until tomato is totally wilted and mushrooms look cooked (dry and dark). (approx 10 min or less depending on size of mushroom).

Variations for non-vegans or non-vegetarians: add cooked Italian sausage to the mixture prior to the chopped mushrooms. Omit seasonings due to sausage seasoning. Add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese before you broil. Another great variation is to add ricotta cheese to the mix and then prepare as outlined above.

Serves 4 to 5 people as an addition to the main course. Stuffed mushrooms are also a great hors d'ouevres at room temperature! Try different mixes and don't be afraid to experiment!

Brussel Sprouts with Yukon Gold Potatoes

2009-01-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

Winters in California are highlighted with cruciferous and root vegetables. Brussel sprouts on the stem are at the farmer's market throughout the valley and coastline. Broccoli, so sweet, that just a light steaming will suffice. Yukon gold potatoes, the creamy yellow flesh rivals all potatoes for flavor. All are so good along with the fresh winter onions that look like gigantic fresh green shallots. Here's a great veggie and vegan dish that will have you craving for more on the next camping or rafting trip!

Brussel Sprouts with Yukon gold potato
Dutch oven or large iron skillet
1/4 cup of olive oil (or less)
1 whole large diced yellow onion
1 bunch of chopped shallots or fresh winter onions
3 large diced Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 stem of fresh brussel sprouts
1 cup of cleaned cut broccoli heads
1 Tbsp of oyster sauce (skip this for vegans)
soy sauce to taste (omit if using oyster sauce)
splash of rice wine vinegar
pinch of chili flakes

Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet. Heat until oil is medium. Add diced onions. Saute until edges are carmelized. Add diced shallots. Continue to carmelize both onions. Push to the side of the pan. Add more oil. Add diced potato and cook until translucent. Push to the side of the pan. Add brussel sprouts. (if cut in half, they will cook faster) As brussel sprouts start to wilt, add broccoli heads. Cook until heads are bright green. Add oyster sauce or soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and a pinch of chili flakes. Stir all ingredients gently; try not to smash the potato. Serve immediately.

Variations: add cooked meat; chicken, pork, beef to make this a one-pot meal. Add kale, cabbage or other greens to this dish at the very end of the cooking process for even more of a cruciferous boost!

Creamy Pan Fried Potatoes

2009-01-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Potatoes are a favorite among everyone. Fried, mashed, boiled or baked, the lowly potato can be a featured dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner. On camping and rafting trips, the potato rules. Easy to pack and store, that starchy tubor is king on overnight and wilderness trips. Keep them dry or they will deteriorate. We used to keep them in ammo boxes so they were locked and kept dry on extended trips through the Grand Canyon, Middle Fork Salmon and American river trips. But now, there are so many high-tech containers to keep stuff dry on water, that I highly recommend bringing that potato along. Start with this breakfast hash... the rafters and campers will love it.

Creamy Pan Fried Potatoes

large frying pan or dutch oven

1/4 cup + 2Tbsp olive oil (or your fav oil)

2 med diced yellow onions

1 cup of chopped raw bacon (or vegan substitute)

10 large potatoes diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup of water

pan lid or dutch oven lid

salt and pepper to your liking

1/2 cup of chopped parsley (Italian is good) or lemon thyme

options: cheddar cheese (or vegan sub)

options: eggs (or vegan sub)

Prepare all chopped ingredients first, set aside. Heat pan to medium. Add olive oil. Add onions. Carmelize onions slowly by letting them cook until edges are dark and center is translucent. Push to the side of the pan. Add bacon and cook thoroughly. Mix the onions and bacon together and push to the side of the pan. Add additional oil to the empty side (if real bacon, you won't need the oil). Add potatoes and coat with oil. Mix pan ingredients together. Heat until pan is hot again. Add water and cover immediately. (Be careful, steam will rise when you add the water) Hint: don't open the lid for 5 to 8 min or you will have to add more water. Check potatoes with the tines of the fork for softness. Uncover when potatoes are done. Add salt and pepper. Toss the ingredients. You will notice they are very creamy. (I hate dry potatoes) No fat or dairy, just water will bring out the starches and creamiest to this dish. Add parsley and serve.

Optional eggs: when the potatoes are done, push to the side. Add as many eggs as you like at the empty side of the pan. Add a bit of salt and pepper on top of the eggs. Let set then scramble. When eggs are set, toss the entire pan ingredients together into an egg potato hash. Add parsley. Serve immediately. (should serve approx 8 people... yeah right... rafting guides say about 4-6 hardy eaters Haha!)

Chicken Soup

2008-12-15T14:56:00.000-08:00

Brrrrrr! It's cold in Northern California and we just had a blustery winter storm. Donner Summit is blanketed in white and more is coming. Time to think about spring rafting trips! During cold season, even the doctor recommends chicken soup. Hot soup warms the body and spirit. It also loosen the congestion in the head and chest. An old fashion remedy that has been proven time and time again as the cure for the common cold.

QUICK CHICKEN SOUP
large pot
cooked chicken (grab a roasted one from the deli & save time)
water to cover chicken with extra to add as it simmers
2 whole onions cut into halves
1 diced onion
1 bunch of clean and sliced leeks
1/3 cup diced celery
5 cubed potatoes
4 sliced carrots (keep large as they cook quickly)
1/2 cup barley
any vegetable (broccoli is a good one)
salt, pepper & any other flavor (deli chicken is already seasoned; go light)
NOTE: measurements are based on amount of ingredients and your personal taste... this is chicken soup for pete's sake!

Large pot of water. Place cooked chicken in pot with halved onions. Start simmering at medium heat. In a skillet, add diced onion, leeks and celery. Saute slowly until onions and leeks are carmelized. Set aside. Remove bones from chicken and place the meat back into the simmering pot. Add potatoes to chicken and water. When potatoes start to soften, add barley. Barley will puff up around the time the potatoes are almost done. Add the skillet ingredients of onion, leeks and celery. Add carrots. Add vegetables such as broccoli. Simmer slowly until chicken is completely broken up into shreds. Season with salt, pepper and any other seasoning. (keep in mind that deli roasted chicken is already seasoned)

You should be ready for dinner within 2 hours of start. To speed up the cooking time, add only the chicken meat to the pot of water. (I add the whole chicken because of the calcium content in the bones themselves.) Add a salad with a fresh country baguette. Piping hot soup! Now this will chase the virus away!

Side Dish for Thanksgiving

2008-11-25T10:40:00.000-08:00

The saucy, gooey, rich foods of the holidays will be presented in the next two days on silver platters decorated with flowers and doo dads of all sorts. Ahhh, the holiday foods. I can feel the waistband growing tighter as we speak...

Here's a great side dish or hors d'ourvres to go with your Thanksgiving menu!
Eat sushi and save the calories for the stuffing and pie! Happy Turkey Day!

SUSHI FOR VEGANS, VEGETARIANS & THE REST OF US
4 cups cooked white or brown rice
2 Tblsp rice wine vinegar
nori sheets (seaweed paper to wrap rice)
washed/cleaned spinach leaves
sliced slivered carrots
sliced avocado
cooked sweet peas
extra nori cut into slivers
optional toasted sesame seeds
wasabi
soy sauce

Cook rice according to direction. Cool rice in large flat bowl (turn gently without breaking grains). Add rice wine vinegar to cooled rice. Mix well without breaking grains. Lay one sheet of nori on plastic wrap. Smear rice over 3/4 of the nori sheet in a thin layer. Add 2 spinach leaves, few slivers of carrots, a slice of avocado, a few peas & nori slivers. Optional: sprinkled toasted seasame seeds. Roll the rice tightly using the plastic wrap to contain items inside roll. Leave tightly wrapped in plastic. Put aside and continue to roll the rest of the ingredients. Place all sushi rolls in their plastic wrap into the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Take out and slice with a wet knife. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi (Japanese mustard). Yummy!

HOT CHOCOLATE

2008-10-22T14:15:00.001-07:00

On river trips, after a long day of rafting, fall starts showing colder evenings and hot beverages warm the inner core of your body. Hot soups, coffee, tea and hot chocolate are the best drinks after paddling all day. How can you provide this easily? Especially hot chocolate? On rafting trips during fall and winter, you are probably limited in carrying much gear. This isn't summer rafting where giant gear boats carry everything. No, it's probably just you and a few friends on the river paddling in kayaks and small rafts.

Hot chocolate is a winner. Hot, sweet and everyone loves it. Save the carton of milk and leave it at home. Here's a quick way to provide hot chocolate without the mess and cooking time. Keep paddling & be safe!

HOT CHOCOLATE
large pot of water (make as much as you can to provide hot tea, coffee, soup)
instant hot chocolate mix (yum, Ghirardelli)
pinch of instant expresso (optional; omit if for children)
cinnamon
chocolate chips (think goodies for kids; peppermint candy is a winner)
marshmallows (mini or regular)
mugs and/or large metal container

Bring the water to a boil using the campfire or a propane stove. Be careful that you keep all children from the area. Cordon it off using a barrier; table, coolers, etc. Split the water into several containers for use for coffee, tea or instant soup. In large mugs or a large container (metal is recommended), pour the remaining hot water. Add instant chocolate mix. We like Ghirardelli brand for the taste of homemade hot chocolate. Add cinnamon to your liking, and a pinch of instant expresso (optional).

Pour into mugs. Allow the kids and adults to add their own chocolate chips and marshmallows. You can have a pinch of expresso for the adults to add, too.

Instant, but oh so good! And after paddling all day on the white water rafting trip, believe me... hot chocolate never tasted so good.

Variations: add peppermint candies (place in a ziplock baggie, cover with a towel and pound it once with a rock) & add to the hot chocolate.

Variations: you already have the hot water... add coffee grinds to your specifications (more = very strong coffee!) into a covered coffee pot with the hot water. Let the grinds settle... voila, hot coffee. Add instant hot chocolate to each large mug and add coffee. This little trick will surprise you. Incredibly yummy. Ahhhh... go ahead and add a bit of chocolate chips and marshmallows. Desert on the river!

Figs, Nuts... it's Fall

2008-09-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Figs are all over the driveway covering the walkway with a sticky, jammy mess. Oh, how I love fresh figs! Another few doors down, a neighbor has a magnificent pecan tree kicking out fresh nuts from a very old tree. The combination of figs and nuts is an ancient one with references in biblical times dating back to the Torah and even found and mentioned in the Promise Land. Ficus is the genus of the fig tree and the common fig is grown in mostly temperate or desert climates.

I love figs gently sauteed and then wrapped in prosciutto. It is a treat to die for while you are lamenting the loss of fresh summer peaches. I added nuts to this most well-known dish for the added crunch and protein. Omit the prosciutto and you have a glorious dessert for any vegan.

Proscuitto wrapped Figs w/ Nuts
2 Tblsp of olive oil
California Black Figs
cracked black pepper
nuts (pecans, almonds)
small package of proscuitto

Place olive oil in a low medium skillet. Wash and cut figs into halves. Place cut side down into the skillet. Gently sautee until the edges seem to melt (do not overcook; just warm through). Add cracked black pepper. Take out of pan and set aside. Place half a nut and push into the fig half. Wrap a thin slice of prosciutto around the entire half of fig. Set aside. Then place all wrapped figs back into the skillet to warm the prosciutto (do not brown; just warm). Take out and serve or let cool and serve at room temperature.

I just made this last night. So tasty! For an interesting video on how W.E.T. River Trips makes those awesome dinners on whitewater trips, check out Big Poppa's recent video blog about dinners on rafting and camping trips.

Nuts for Dessert

2008-03-11T10:03:00.000-07:00

When you are planning a long extended wilderness rafting trip, the menu becomes a difficult chore of organizing perishable food items. You cook the items that will spoil first. So veggies and herbs go first. That's the easy part. Dessert, on the other hand, is a difficult meal plan.

I had ice cream on the East Fork of the Carson River on day two, but it was seriously cold outside anyway, so we were able to dry ice a small cooler and sit in the hot springs eating gelato and drink champagne. That was easy. But when you are on a Klamath River trip on day 5, in 100 degree heat in August, ice cream is definitely not a choice.

I came up with this very tasty treat on a long extended river rafting trip a few years ago. Pack almonds and cashews in a dry box and don't open it until you are ready to make this. Yummy nuts!

CANDIED SPICY NUTS

2 lbs nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc)

butter (enough to coat the nuts)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 pinches of chili flakes (to your liking)

1 small sprig of rosemary (leave whole; easier to take out when done)

salt (optional if salted butter is used)

Heat a dutch oven to medium heat. Throw nuts into the dry dutch oven and slowly toast by stirring. You will smell the nuts toasting. This will take a minute to 3 minutes depending on the size of your nuts. (Don't let the nuts get black on the edges or it will taste burnt) Add butter to cover the nuts. Continue to stir. Add sugar, cinnamon, chili flakes, rosemary and salt. Stir. When the sugar melts, remove rosemary spring and take dutch oven off of heat and continue to stir until it starts to clump. Let cool and break up any large pieces. Serve.

Variations: add toasted oats after the sugar melts. Add raisins or any other dry fruit (cherries, cranberries, prunes). These variations can be saved in ziplock baggies and served throughout the day while on the river. Imagine munching on this vegan treat while riding on the rafts and enjoying the scenery. Add some chocolate chips into the baggies... aahhh, life on the river is grand!

Bruschetta on the River

2008-02-19T09:55:00.000-08:00

Since the 15th century, bruschetta has graced the tables of Italian cuisine. I imagine leftover pieces of bread were probably grilled and laced with oils and herbs just so the kitchen would not waste precious food. This recipe is so good that you will look forward to dried out loaves of Italian-style or French breads in your pantry. The crustier, the better. The next rafting trip, try this out on the grill as an hors d'houevre. Your guests may not need dinner after munching on this grilled delight!

BRUSCHETTA

Leftover bread (French, Italian crusty breads are best)
cup of olive oil
5 - 6 large fresh tomato sliced in half (roasted is best!)
4 red peppers (roasted is best!)
10 garlic cloves (cut 5 cloves in half; mince the rest)
fresh basil - save a few leaves for decorative touch (or rosemary)
balsamic vinegar (or your favorite champagne vinegar)
gorgonzola cheese (blue cheese, romano, feta are great substitutes)
parmesan cheese

Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside onto a cookie sheet. Oil tomatoes and red peppers generously with olive oil. Set on grill at medium-high heat. Let tomatoes wilt slightly and take off the grill when blackened on cut side. Set aside. Continue to roast peppers until skins are black. Place peppers into a paper bag or covered bowl. Set aside. Peel garlic and cut several in half. Set aside. Take 5 cloves of garlic and mince, then set aside. When peppers have cooled enough to handle, take a slightly wet paper towel and rub the blackened skin off until the roasted red flesh is visible. Chop both tomatoes and peppers into a coarse dice. Place into a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add minced garlic. Chop basil or rosemary or both into a fine dice. Add to the bowl. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil and 3 - 4 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Stir. Set aside. (Add more oil for a good spreading mix)

Grill bread last because it will toast within seconds. Take cut garlic and rub each slice top and bottom. Drizzle olive oil generously over the bread. Place onto the medium heat side of the grill and watch carefully. I usually wait until the edges blacken then turn. This only takes a minute to complete, so keep an eye out. Place toasted bread back onto the cookie sheet to cool.

Drizzle more olive oil onto the serving side of the toast. Smear a tsp of gorgonzola onto the toasted bread. Place a dollop of the marinated tomatoes and peppers on top of the cheese. Add finely chopped basil on top (optional). Place onto a nice serving tray and sprinkle a light touch of parmesan cheese over everything. Serve. (Make a double serving, it will be gone in a flash!)

Variations:
Instead of gorgonzola, use mozzarella or bufala cheese. Place cheese on top instead and then after assembling the toasts, broil until bubbling on top. Then serve onto a decorative plate and add slivers of basil.

You can also make this as a vegan dish by omitting or substituting a vegan cheese product. I like it just with the tomato and pepper mixture. Cracked pepper on top with extra slivers of basil... WOW. So deliziosa...

Chopped Salad

2008-01-22T09:05:00.000-08:00

It's mid-January and the stomache was extended during the holidays. It's salad time for me. After all the rich and saucy foods, I really need to lean out again on veggies. I had a lot of leftover carrots, peppers, beets in the vegetable bin, so I started making retro chopped salads. How can I apply this method to salads on extended river trips or multiple day rafting trips? Use more root vegetables!

CHOPPED SALAD:
leftovers (chicken, broccoli, celery, ham, etc)
potato
carrots
daikon (asian radish) or radish
1 can of corn, drained
1 can of black beans, rinsed & drained
green onions, diced
salad dressing (bring your favorite)
romaine or ice-berg lettuce (choose a firm lettuce)
beets, shredded or chopped (shred raw if fresh & sweet)

Rinse and wash all raw vegetables. Drain to dry or pat dry with paper towels. Cook potato and beets in water to a boil. Do not overcook; firm but done. Let cool. Start chopping the other vegetables. Chop to small uniform pieces. In a large bowl, place all ingredients except for green onions, lettuce and beets. Toss with salad dressing. Before serving, add the torn lettuce. Add green onions. Toss. Add beets on top (don't add before or everything will be pink!) and serve. Serves 4. Add bread or crackers and a cup of tomato soup for an awesome meal. Omit meat for a vegan dinner.

Hangover Cure for the New Year

2008-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Cures for hangovers are common recipes on January 1st. Here's one sure to help based just on nutrition and hopefully, a body that can recover quickly from alcohol poisoning.

When you wake up, the head aches because you are dehydrated and you've lost nutrients essential for your body. Avoiding caeffine helps, too... and replacing potassium. Eat a banana!

Here's a quick fix for all you party animals that just had to drink themselves to oblivion.

SLEEP: best cure folks; sleep it off
FRUIT JUICE and lots of WATER: you're dehydrated
BLOODY MARY: it has alcohol, but lots of goodies too (the hair that bit you)

1 1/2 oz vodka
3 oz tomato juice
1 dash lemon juice
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 - 3 drops Tabasco® sauce
salt
pepper
1 lime wedge
1 rib of celery

Shake ingredients (except lime wedge) with ice and strain over ice cubes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the wedge of lime, celery and serve.

Ok, now, go back to sleep until Wednesday. Use this cure anytime you're going on a river trip and you did a bit too much the night before.

Thanksgiving: Family and Friends

2007-11-19T12:52:00.000-08:00

This year try to introduce a new side dish at your Thanksgiving table. I like to introduce an ethnic dish that goes with the normal stuffing, mash potatoes, yams, grandma's cranberry mold and green beans.

I am adding a Middle Eastern dish called hummus. Hummus is made from garbanza beans or as the Italians call them, ceci beans. You may know them as chickpeas. This is the easiest thing to make as a hors d'ouevre. Light and satisfying, it is a nice counterpoint to all the saucey, cheesy stuff on the appetizer table. You can make this from scratch by cooking dry beans or save the trouble, and open up a can of prepared beans. Just remember that prepared beans are already salted, so adjust accordingly. I don't bother straining the seed case; more rustic and roughage in diet is better for you anyway.

clean glass or stainless steel bowl (aluminum reacts to lemon)
garlic cloves (rubbing the bowl)
2 cans garbonza beans
1/4 olive oil
1 med lemon (juice only, save peel for decorative strips)
chili oil (optional)
paprika
pepper
salt
lemon peel (optional, decorative)
chopped parsley (optional, decorative)
pita bread, crackers (plain crackers are better than flavored)

Take garlic and peel. Cut in half. Rub the cut end all over the bottom of your bowl. Do this liberally. Dump garbonza beans into bowl. On the rafting trips, I take a potato masher and smash all the beans into a pulpy mass. (At home, just do this in a blender or food processor) Add oil, lemon juice, chili oil, paprika, pepper and salt to taste. Stir vigorously until semi-smooth. (Add more oil if it looks dry... the oil seems to be absorbed easily, so add the oil little at a time) Let sit. When ready to serve, take the back of a spoon and form an indentation at the top of the mixture. Pour a small amount of olive oil into the well and sprinkle more paprika on top. Add slivers of lemon peel and chopped parsley as a decorative touch. Serve this with cut pieces of pita bread or just plain crackers. This is also great as a substitute for mayonnaise on a sandwich. You'll be surprised at how much better your sandwich tastes! And your vegetarian and vegan friends will be delighted that you served this on your table this Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to All from the Staff of W.E.T. River Trips

Stone Soup on the River

2007-11-13T15:33:00.000-08:00

Weather in California during November can be a mixed bag of extreme weather. One day it can be pouring rain and another, it can be sunny and warm. I'm looking out the window and all I see is blue skies. Country Mike just did an outdoor rafting trip last Sunday. He said it was warm and sunny and his friends had a blast. River trips in the fall demand a piping hot soup to close the day. Here's a really quick soup to do in the great outdoors.

STONE SOUP
1 palm-size river rock (check for cracks or fissures; should be round and solid)
water to add if necessary
3 cans of your favorite minestrone soup (Campbells, Wolfgang Puck, etc)
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of corn
various vegetables; suggest carrots, peas, broccoli, asparagus, etc
leftover pasta

Heat up the grill or camp fire. Place a large pot on the heat. Have your child add the clean rock. Add cans of soup. Add kidney beans and corn. Add carrots and any hard vegetable like small pieces of potato. Cook until boiling. Add broccoli and aspargus, stir until semi-hard. Add peas and pasta before serving. Serve this hot soup with a crusty toasted grilled bread. Or just open up a bunch of hardy whole wheat crackers. This is an ideal soup for a vegan or vegetarian. For those meat eaters, add cooked meat before the broccoli and asparagus. I like adding leftover roasted chicken to this.

Then read the story of Stone Soup to your children. They will be fascinated by the cooking process outdoors.

Chirashizushi - Confetti Rice

2007-08-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

This popular Japanese rice salad is served during most holiday celebrations. I remember eating this during New Year's gatherings. Chirashizushi translates into "scattered sushi" because the ingredients are scattered through the sushi rice instead of rolled. Colorful and flavorful, it would look festive on your camp table. This Labor Day weekend, add this side-dish to your table after a long day of whitewater rafting. The sushi lovers will make this dish disappear in a flash.

CONFETTI RICE
4-cups cooked small grain Japanese pearl rice
prepared vegetables in mirin and soysauce
(shitaki mushrooms, carrot, gourd, fried tofu, potato, daikon)
sushi rice flavoring; mirin
OR (1) 7.58 oz Chirashizushi no Moto (prepared vegetables)
1/4 cup sweet peas
1 Tblsp sliced red pickled ginger
sliced/shaved dry seaweed (decorative and taste)
sweet egg (optional)

Sweet egg: crack 2 eggs into a bowl and wisk until smooth. Add 4 T white sugar and 2 T of water and mix well. In a large skillet, pour a thin layer and cook slowly until top looks firm. Place into oven at 300 degrees until surface of egg mixture is shiny (approx 2 min). Place onto paper towel and let cool. Cut julienne strips and add to your favorite dish or salad.

Flake rice into a large decorative bowl. Slice vegetables thinly and add to bowl or just add one can of the prepared vegetables. Add ginger & mirin (omit mirin if you are using a canned prepared vegetables). Toss thoroughly. Add peas, seaweed, egg and toss lightly. Serve at cool room temperature. Note: if you refrigerate, bring to room temperature; toss before serving.

Tomato, tomahto... as long as its Fresh!

2007-08-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of meeting a professional chef recently. One thing that he told me about grilling and cooking is that you always try to cook with fresh regional ingredients. Optimum flavors in its prime. A tomato is best coming from California's valley at the peak of freshness. Just adding that single tomato to greens will turn the simplest salad into a gourmet experience. Try to bring regional fresh produce into your rafting camping menu. Tomatoes, basil, peaches are all in peak freshness. Add them to your next recipe.

TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD
10 large fresh tomatoes (heirlooms are recommended)
water
1 bunch fresh basil (picked fresh if possible)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
cracked fresh pepper to taste
1 large peach (optional)

Rinse tomatoes in fresh water. Set aside. Wash basil. Pick leaves off of stem and set aside to dry in small colander. Take care not to bruise the delicate leaves. Slice tomatoes. If large, cut in half and then slice. Arrange on a platter. Stack leaves of basil; one on top of the other. Roll the stack until it forms a tubular cylindar. Slice thinly cross-wise. This will form strings of basil when you unroll them. Sprinkle the thin basil chiffonade over the tomatoes liberally. Splash on the balsalmic vinegar and olive oil. Pepper to taste. Decorate with thin slices of peaches (optional). This is a perfect salad for a vegan.

Variation: add slices of fresh mozzarella or bufalo cheese. Talk about an awesome meal after rafting all day. Just add a crusty sour dough baguette and it's dinner. In the winter, add a minestrone soup to cap off this meal.

Oyster Sauce

2007-08-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Oh yuck, said the kids.... when I mention Oyster Sauce. Oyster sauce is a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. It is a wonderful condiment to add to stir fries and grilled meats. I especially like it on fresh greens such as spinach, bok choy or even just cabbage. It's almost equivalent to ketchup; an all purpose condiment and cooking ingredient! Pack this bottle of flavor on your next camping trip on the river. Believe me, you will find more ways to cook with this or marinate with than any other sauce out of bottle.

BABY BOK CHOY
10 baby bok choy (do not separate leaves; keep whole)
water
2 T olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic; peeled and sliced
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
dried chili flakes (to taste)
2 T oyster sauce

Wash baby boy choy heads in cold water and drain upside down. Do not separate leaves. Only peel off older or bruised leaves. Heat pan to medium high. Add olive oil & garlic. Add drained bok choy to oil. Careful as water will cause the oil to spatter. Stir fry quickly and add sesame oil and a pinch of chili flakes. Add oyster sauce to taste. Serve immediately when you see the bok choy translucent and bright green.

Variations: use other greens such as spinach, chard, brussel sprouts, etc. You can also slather a steak with this and grill it. I like to slice a steak into thin strips, stir fry it with veggies and then slather it with a dose of oyster sauce... ok, people, get over the word "oyster." Maybe we can just call it an Azun ketchup...

Daikon - Japanese Radish

2007-08-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

Daikon is a Japanese white radish. Long and pointed, its white flesh is beautifully designed to go with many dishes including decorative ones. The daikon is a spicy radish that can be prepared in many ways. Take this radish on your next camping and rafting trip. My favorite is very plain; just cut and serve. This small bright and tasty salad goes well with grilled meats or as a topping for another green salad. When served, this bright white radish will impress the whitewater rafting paddlers for its exotic crunch.

Daikon Salad
(1) Large Daikon (Japanese white radish)
slice into matchsticks
glass bowl
fresh cold water (or ice)

Take the back of the knife and scrape the daikon clean or just peel with a potato peeler. Cut the top (greenery) and tip off. Cut in half crosswise. Slice lengthwise into 1/16th slices and stack. Slice across into matchsticks. Place into a clean glass bowl. Rinse with cold water. Add ice cubes and cover with fresh cold water. Cover and place into the cooler. Serve when icy cold.

A good accompaniment with grilled steak, pork chops or fish. Tangy, spicy flavor with a clean after taste helps to brighten any grilled meat on a river trip. Top another green salad for a spicy radish kick.

Barbecue Tofu

2007-07-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

All you met eaters keep an open mind. BBQ tofu is one of my favorite things to make on an overnight camping and rafting trip. So easy to do that the kids will even enjoy the snack or meal if you let them help prepare it. Tofu is a great source of protein and can help enhance your diet. Besides, our vegan friends love it...

Barbecue Tofu
4 blocks of extra firm tofu (in water)
extra large zip lock bag
sliced green onions include greens/white (scallions)
1 head of garlic crushed/sliced
2 small bottles of your favorite bbq sauce
hot grill w/catcher below

Rinse blocks of tofu in fresh water. Slice into 1/4 thick strips (cut into a grid, then slice). Place into the zip lock bag. Add green onions, garlic, and bbq sauce to cover all the tofu. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours (or overnight). Place on grill and cook slowly over medium/high heat. Cook until edges are browned and starting to curl. Be patient, tofu is mostly water. You want to cook most of the moisture out leaving a tasty meat-like strip.

Variations: Add the strips to a bowl with a favorite dipping sauce as an hors d'ouevres before dinner. Or place them on a toasty bun and add the fixings of a hamburger. I like to eat them with brown rice and veggies. A truly healthy dish... but don't tell the kids that.

Grandma's Kabobs

2007-07-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

This is a funny retro kabob that grandma used to make. You can substitute steak, chicken or shrimp instead of the bologna or salami... though, I love the retro flavor of this dish, it is definitely not one for the calorie counters. The kids love this one. Let the kids prep this for the first night camping on the rafting trip.

JIFFY KABOBS
12 slices of bologna
12 slices of salami
3 dill pickles (cut into strips)
1 medium green pepper (cut into chunks)
cherry tomatoes
tiny pearl onions

Place slices of salami on slices of bologna so that edges slightly overlap. Fold around dill pickle strips. Run skewers through centers of meat & pickle roll and alternate with green pepper, tomatoes and pearl onion. Grill 10 minutes until meats are browned. Makes 4 kabobs.

Remember fried bologna sandwich? This kabob tastes like that sandwich without the bread. The first time I ate this was during a Mother's Day celebration with great-grandma. She put these on the grill. I thought it was weird. But after eating one, I ate another and another. Reminds me of my childhood...

Camping, Rafting and Herbs

2007-07-17T10:03:00.000-07:00

Whenever I head out for a multiple day river trip, I always want fresh herbs. Most wilt pretty quickly and start to decompose after a few days. A few herbs that seem to stand up are rosemary, sage, oregano and tyme. I wash them and then let them air dry. Then I wrap them individually in paper towels. Then I place them into a zip lock baggie and use when I need them. The thyme and oregano will go first since they will deteriorate the quickest. But I had rosemary on day 7 on the Grand Canyon and it really flavored the potatoes and meats. Fresh herbs are such a welcoming flavor on long camping or rafting trips. And the number one flavor that will stand up to the end if kept dry? Garlic!

SCRAMBLED EGGS
10 eggs
salt
pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 T milk or water
diced onions
chopped thyme
2 T herb feta cheese (cream feta with herbs)

Break eggs into a bowl and stir with a fork. Add salt and pepper. Add 1/8 cup (1/2 the oil) into the eggs with a splash of milk or water. Mix well. In a large skillet or dutch oven, add the rest of the oil. Heat the diced onions until carmelized (browned and limp). Add eggs. Add thyme. Cook until soft. Add feta cheese and fold over until incorporated. Serve immediately.

Tips: even if the herb leaves deteriorate, you can pick them off the stem, throw the stem into your cooking ingredients and still pick up the flavor of the herb. Rosemary is number one for this. The leaves last a long time. The stems make a flavorful smoke. Make sure you bring a lot of rosemary and garlic. With the addition of onions, you have the main flavorings for almost any dish.

Wok in Camp

2007-07-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

When we cook up stir fry veggies on our California river trips, we like to use a large wok. This is the biggest wok that I have ever seen. We purchased a few from a couple of local Chinese restaurants. They were throwing them out because the woks were old and had tiny little holes in the metal. Cooking over coals and fire, the small holes really didn't matter to us. You might want to go to a restaurant supply house and purchase a smaller one for your own camping needs. Just make sure it is all metal without wooden handles. While you're at the restaurant supply store, grab an extra long pair of tongs, spoons and/or chopsticks for cooking.

WOK IN CAMP
vegetable oil
diced onions
vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, cabbage, etc.)
1/8 cup of soy sauce
1 Tblsp sesame seed oil
pinch of chili flakes
cooked white rice (or brown)

Use a well-seasoned wok. Add oil and place wok over coals or fire. The oil will get hot very quickly. Add onions and stir fry. Scoot the cooked onions to the upper portion of the wok and it will stay warm without burning. (Tilt the wok towards you, push the onions away from you) Add any of your favorite vegetables cut into similar sized pieces. If you are adding greens such as spinach or cabbage, add these in the last minute of stir frying. When veggies look bright, incorporate the onions back into the mixture. Add soy sauce, sesame seed oil and a bit of chili flakes. Stir fast and eat quick. Very yummy with fried rice or plain white rice.

Variations: add left-over cooked chicken, pork or turkey as the last ingredient and warm thoroughly. Without the meats, this dish will serve any vegan or vegetarian, and I would serve brown rice instead of the white. I also like to splash a bit of mirin (Japanese rice wine vinegar) along with the soy sauce as an enhancer while stir frying. Or you can use an oyster sauce instead of the soy sauce. Asian ingredients are so popular that most grocery stores carry the items in their international aisles.

Caution: use pliers, heavy tongs or metal hooks to lift the wok away from the fire. The metal handles will be very hot, so use caution. To clean your wok, just add salt and scrub with a ball of aluminum foil. (When I was on the Grand Canyon, we just threw sand into the wok and scrubbed it that way. Just don't toss the sand into the river. Throw it away in your garbage to be brought out of any river corridor.) Rinse and oil the wok before storing.

Toast

2007-07-10T10:23:00.000-07:00

I love toast. And toast in camp is the best. First I want to explain that I'm one of those that likes toast well-done where the butter is scraping across the blackened bread. I just love the crunchiness of toasted bread. The bread just tastes different when it's well done. Toast is not just for breakfast. A hearty bread toasted and schmeared with garlic and butter is a simple accompaniment to a great grilled steak. Save the leftovers, cube it and throw it in a green salad for instant croutons to go with the miner's lettuce you harvested around the river.

1 loaf sliced store-bought bread (or slice your own baguette, wheat bread, etc)
5 - 8 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of herbs (finely chopped; mix rosemary, oregano and thyme together)

Get the grill hot and ready for the toast. Oil the grill well so the bread doesn't stick. Crush the garlic and rub over the bread slices. Mix softened butter and herbs together. Smear this over each slice of bread. Place each slice on grill with smear-side up. Toast until done and then turn. Toast to your liking. Serve hot with grilled vegetables and meat.

Variations: sprinkle parmesan cheese right before you take the toast off the grill. Add chili flakes to the butter-herb mixture for a spicy addition. Add grilled onions and steak on top of the toast for an open-faced sandwich.

Breakfast Variation: omit the garlic and just coat with plain butter. Toast as before. Mix cream cheese and strawberry jam together. Schmear a light coating over the toast and serve with breakfast. A sweet crunchy delight on your next rafting trip!

Fruit Salad

2007-07-08T08:08:00.000-07:00

What's more refreshing than a fruit salad made with fresh California produce? Sweet and filling, a fruit salad can be made with just about any fresh fruit. On camping river trips, add a can of peaches in syrup to add a sweet retro flavor from long ago.

FRUIT SALAD
3 lbs of fresh fruit
suggestions: melons, apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, bananas, jicama, kiwi, oranges etc.
1/2 lemon (if you add orange slices, you won't need the lemon)
honey to taste
mint leaves
1/4 cup plain vanilla yogurt (optional)
1/4 cup raisins (dried cherries or dried cranberries or dried blueberries)
1/4 cup toasted almonds

Slice all fruit into bite sized pieces. Cut bananas, kiwis a bit larger since they deteriorate quickly into mush when you mix them. I recommend using firm bananas and kiwis. Add honey to taste. Add mint leaves whole or torn. Add yogurt, raisins, and almonds. Toss carefully. Serve immediately. This is a refreshing meal that includes your protein, carbohydrates and iron. Leave out the yogurt for the vegan friends. (Don't store long. The flavors become muddy and unappealing if left in the cooler too long. Best served fresh.)

Variation: add a can of sliced peaches and small marshmallows. This becomes a total dessert. Top plain vanilla cookies or pound cake for a more substantial dessert. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top each serving. I like to top ice cream with this fruitful concoction.

Stuffed Chicken Tenderloins

2007-07-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

Most groceries carry frozen chicken tenderloins. These are fast and convenient when camping on an outdoor trip. They thaw quickly so they are always ready for a quick camp meal. Pound them flat and stuff them with your favorite mixtures. You can cook them in a dutch oven very quickly. On a rafting trip, these are a hit at dinner. Serve with a simple green salad dressed lightly with Italian dressing. I like to add a few kalamata olives on top of each serving.

STUFFED CHICKEN TENDERLOINS
20 chicken tenderloins thawed
round, smooth river rock (palm size)
plastic wrap
1 box frozen spinach (fresh, if you are at home)
1 pt ricotta cheese
salt
pepper
2 pinches chili flakes
oil
small jar marinara sauce
20 slices mozarella cheese

Thaw chicken in a large bowl of cold water while you prepare the mixture. Wrap plastic wrap around rock and set aside. Take frozen spinach (or you can saute fresh until cooked; cool, squeeze all moisture out and chop) and mix with ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside. Place each tenderloin between two pieces of plastic wrap or just place in a zip lock baggie. Throw a dish towel over the covered tenderloin. Pound flat with the covered rock. Take each strip of tenderloin and place a teaspoon or more of the mixture onto the center and roll. Secure with a wooden toothpick or just place seam side down in an oiled dutch oven. Pack the rolled chicken tightly into the dutch oven. Pour marinara sauce over the chicken and smear evenly. Place one slice of mozarella over each rolled chicken piece. Bake covered for 30-40 minutes with evenly distributed coals at the bottom and top of dutch oven. (Cooking time will vary depending on your coals) When chicken is thoroughly cooked, take dutch oven off the heat. Take lid off. Let cool slightly before serving.

Variation: place a thin slice of prosciutto onto the tenderloin first, before the mixture, and then roll. Cook as before. Very tasty!

Quick Canned Chili

2007-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

You've been driving for 8 hours and you finally get to the put-in at the river right before dark. No one wants to cook and you're in the middle of no where. Everyone is starving and it's been hours since lunch. You dig out the extra large cans of chili to heat up for a quick meal. I like to add stuff to make it a bit more homemade. Cook a lot as this goes really quick with a hungry rafting crowd.

QUICK CANNED CHILI
3 extra large cans of your favorite chili (or as many cans needed)
1/4 cup of chopped red onions
2 cans of corn
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of black olives (crush them in your hand for a quick chop)
leftover veggies (optional)
leftover meats (optional)
cheddar cheese (grated or sliced; doesn't matter)
corn tortillas

Heat a large pot or dutch oven over the coals or fire. Add chili. Add onions. Saute until wilted and translucent. Add canned chili. Warm and then add corn, kidney beans, olives, and veggies. Heat until bubbling. Place one corn tortilla at the bottom of a bowl with a handful of cheddar cheese. Add chili and serve. Have extra tortillas or corn chips to eat with the rest. Hearty and satisfying... and very quick.

If the coals are hot, throw in a bunch of potatoes for breakfast the next morning. Just wrap in aluminum foil and place near the coals. Bank the coals to stay hot and they will cook the potatoes overnight. You'll be ready to cut them up for a quick breakfast with eggs and leftover chili.

Mexican Lasagna

2007-06-28T08:47:00.000-07:00

Tacos are a favorite food and the kids could eat them everyday. Here's a dish that is a taco in a casserole. The ingredients are simple and the kids always want more. Perfect for a dutch oven or large skillet over the grill. Serve with blue corn chips or your favorite corn tortillas and an iceberg lettuce salad.

MEXICAN LASAGNA
1-1/2 lbs of ground beef
olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
1 small can of chopped/sliced black olives
1 small can of tomato sauce (or your favorite jarred marinara)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix (add water according to instructions on package)
1/2 pt cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 pt sour cream
1 bag of tortilla chips
grated cheese
2 T chopped green onions

Heat pan with oil. Add beef and saute until browned. Pour and drain the excess oil. Add onions and cook until wilted. Add black olives, tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix. Stir thoroughly and cook until liquid is gone. Take off heat. In a greased casserole, crush chips and distribute evenly on the bottom. Add a layer of meat mixture. Take the cottage cheese and sour cream and mix thoroughly. Add this layer to the casserole. Repeat the sequence with the 3 layers again. Add chips and grated cheese to the top. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

This is a favorite with the Scouts rafting trips. You can cool it down and cut into wedges and serve with cornbread, more chips or corn tortillas. Omit the chips and substitute layers of corn tortillas for a different texture. Or you can serve it piping hot and use it like a large Mexican dip while everyone's gathered after their day on the river.

Heavenly Hash - Dessert

2007-06-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Desserts are not hard to do when you're camping on a rafting trip. Because you can take practically everything you need, river trips are like car camping but on the water. Of course, baking requires a dutch oven and we have several recipes for brownies and pineapple upside down cake on our website, but here's a tasty treat that requires no cooking or baking at all. A welcome for the harried camp chef.

HEAVENLY HASH
1 pt heavy cream (well-chilled; stored in the coldest area of the cooler)
wisk (or fork, but it will take longer)
1 T sugar
1 small can crushed pineapple
12 chopped dates
12 marshmallows cut into small pieces
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Whip cream in a clean glass or stainless steel bowl. (Make sure there is no oil residue in the bowl) Wisk the cream to thicken. Add sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Chill in the cooler and serve when ready.

Variations: sub dates for figs; omit pineapple and add fruit cocktail (drain first). You can serve the hash over ice cream. Or top a bowl of fruit such as bananas, peaches or figs. When we're camping, I like to place a store bought cookie or pound cake into a small bowl and top it with this mixture. Add fresh berries on top. It's so easy and so tasty. One year, we picked blackberries along the river and added them to the dish. Elegant and it looks like you've been slaving over the camp table all day.

Beef Stew and Camping

2007-06-24T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a beef stew using all convenience foods. When you're cooking on camping rafting trips, sometimes you just don't have time to whip everything out from homemade ingredients. You can do this one while everyone's fishing in the late afternoon. Get this on the coals around 3pm and you'll have enough time for a nap in the hammock overlooking the river. Grab a book to read while you wait for this to cook. Three hours later, you'll have a hot piping stew. This retro recipe comes from great-grandma's cooking files.

BEEF STEW
1 lb beef (cut into 1" cubes)
2 T olive oil
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 pkg of Lipton's onion soup
1/2 cup red wine

Add oil into a dutch oven or heavy skillet. Keep coals evenly distributed at the bottom. Temperature should be medium-high. Sear the beef cubes until browned. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover. Add coals to top of the dutch oven. Simmer at low heat for 3 hours. (Move the coals off until you reach a simmer) Keep everyone away from the area especially the kids. Check every hour. Serve with crusty baguette or grilled toast and a simple salad.

Variations: add potatoes and carrots the last hour with 1/4 cup of water or stock. Add a variety of veggies (green beans, cauliflower, or chopped greens) the last 10 minutes for a fresh taste.

Olive Nut Bites

2007-06-23T10:08:00.000-07:00

When you're camping and rafting, you have to encourage the kids to help with food prep and camp duties. The kids love to make this little appetizer before the dad's come out with the grilled foods. My child used to say that we were serving eyeballs on the river trip. We also used to make these during Halloween. We dyed the cream cheese blue to make the eyeballs look really gross. These are easy to make, so let the kids do this one alone.

OLIVE NUT BITES
1 pkg softened cream cheese
3 T of finely chopped toasted almonds
20 green olives w/ stuffed pimientos

Stir the cream cheese with a fork and mix with almonds. Take out the pimiento out of the olive and reserve. Stuff the olives with the cream cheese mixture and replace the pimiento into the hole. Arrange on a platter and chill for 10 minutes. Or cover with plastic wrap and place at the top of your cooler until ready to serve. They do look like eyeballs...

Grandma's Carrots

2007-06-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

Everyone who's ever been to grandma's house will remember this dish from long ago. Something quite comforting about this old-fashion side dish. Sweet and savory carrots go great with bland meats such as pork tenderloin, turkey or chicken breast. I am copying this retro recipe straight from great-grandma's own recipe card. Pack this in an air tight container and place it in the cooler ready for the grilled entree on your next overnight rafting trip.

CARROTS ELEGANTE
1 lb carrots (thinly sliced)
1/4 cup raisins (substitute dried currants, cranberry, or cherries)
1/4 margarine (or butter)
3 T honey
1 T lemon juice (fresh is best)
1/4 t ground ginger (or sliced fresh)
1/4 cup sliced almonds (toasted is even better)

Cook carrots covered in 1/2 cup boiling water for about 8 minutes. (Or just saute in a lightly oiled pan with 1/8th cup of water) Drain. Pour carrots into a 1 qt baking dish and stir in the rest of the ingredients. Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Fried Rice

2007-06-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

Day 2 on the river and you've grilled some chicken. Potatoes are an option, but you decide to cook up a pot of rice. Rice is inexpensive and grilled meats and vegetables go well with white rice, brown rice or wild rice. Add bouillon or herbs to the water to give the rice a great flavor. Make an extra pot while you're at it and get ready for day 3 on the rafting trip. You'll love the flavor of this quick fried rice.

FRIED RICE
1/4 cup vegetable oil (olive oil preferred)
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/4 cup of diced carrots
4 cups of leftover rice (white, brown, wild rice or a mixture of all)
1/4 cup of leftover veggies (broccoli, cabbage, snap peas etc)
1/4 cup of soy sauce
4 eggs (optional)
1/4 cup of frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup of sliced green onions (scallions)

In a large dutch oven or skillet, add 1/8th (1/2 of the oil) of a cup of oil. Heat at medium-high heat. Add diced onions and brown. Add diced carrots and cook until limp. Push onion and carrots to the edge of the pan, slightly moving the pan's edge off the burner or coals. Add the rest of the oil (reserve 1 T) to the pan. Heat that oil until hot. Add rice. Stir quickly so the rice doesn't stick. (It will stick no matter what you do, but if you keep stirring, it won't burn) As the rice is coated with the oil, stir pan's ingredients together. Coat until the rice starts to brown. Add left over veggies. Add soy sauce. Cook until rice is brown and dry. Push all ingredients to the edge of the pan again. Push the pan's edge off the burner. Add the rest of the oil to the empty part of the pan. Heat. Add eggs. Scramble. Incorporate the cooked eggs with the rice and stir thoroughly. Cook until steam disappears. Add peas and green onions. Take off burner and stir again. Serve immediately or bring to room temperature.

I used to make this as a college student. Sometimes, all I had to mix in were onions and carrots. Just those two simple ingredients were enough to flavor a leftover pot of rice. Leave out the eggs, and it is a perfect side dish for a vegan. You'll never throw away leftover rice again.

Carmelized Onions

2007-06-16T09:02:00.000-07:00

Speaking of condiments... the last post camping recipes was about roasted peppers. Another condiment ingredient for the camper or river trip chef is carmelized onions. Onions contain a lot of sugars and this sweetness becomes the highlight when you roast or carmelize them.

10 onions (red, yellow, hawaiian, valdalia, etc)
1/4 cup olive oil
paper towels

Cut each onion in half (in quarters if they are really large). Oil liberally by drizzling the oil and swabbing with a paper towel. Place on the grill. Rotate them until they are evenly shriveled and cooked.

Another method is to slice the onion into large pieces. Cook in a slightly oiled pan on medium-high heat. Cook slowly and toss. Add oil so the onions don't burn. Keep tossing until the pile becomes completely wilted and browned. Carmelization occurs when the sugars start to burn. That's why the onion becomes dark brown and sweet.

Top a grilled steak with the carmelized onions. That alone will give the steak a great flavor. Add cooled onions to a bowl of soft cream cheese and stir with a bit of salt and pepper. This dip will be gone in a flash or schmear it all onto a bagle with turkey or chicken. The kids like to add carmelized onions onto their burgers. They like it more than the addition of cheese!

Roasted Peppers

2007-06-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

The addition of sweet, smokey, red bell peppers enhances many camp recipes. A plain sandwich comes alive with color and taste while a pasta salad becomes a true Italian delight. You've got the coals hot or the grill smokin'... just add a few peppers for a few minutes and you'll be rewarded with a grilled condiment that will surpass any other. This always impresses the rafting clientele on our river trips.

Roasted Peppers
10 red peppers (large or medium)
1/4 cup of olive oil (or less)
paper towels
large paper bag

Wash and dry your peppers. Decide if you want to roast them whole or cut them in half. Cutting them in half makes it easier to handle on the grill and also cuts the cooking time down a bit. You decide on this one. Place all peppers on a large baking sheet or plate. Take a brush or a paper towel and oil the peppers well; both outside and inside (if you have cut them). I just drizzle the oil over all of the peppers and then just take a paper towel and swab the oil over the entire bunch. (at home, just use your hands) Place each pepper cut side down or whole onto the grill. Watch them carefully as they will start to burn very quickly. Just rotate them around until the skins are blackened and shriveled. This should only take about 10 minutes or less.

The home method is to take the peppers and place them onto a large flat baking sheet and roast them or broil them in the oven at a high heat. Wait until one side is blackened and then turn them and bake some more.

Take the blackened peppers and quickly place them into a large paper bag. Wait about 5 - 10 minutes. Take one pepper out and with a paper towel wipe the black skin away. It should slip off the surface very easily. Proceed with the rest. If the skins don't fall off, put the peppers back into the bag and wait a bit more. If the skins still won't fall off, then you didn't roast them enough. Put them back on the grill and do it again. Hint: the skins need to be black and shriveled!

Slice the cooled and clean red flesh into long strips. To store, add them into a clean jar and cover with olive oil. It will keep up to a week this way and you can take them out to use on your favorite sandwich or add them to a pasta salad. The kids like to add them on top of homemade pizza or a broiled english muffin. I even like to eat them rolled up in a tortilla with leftover chicken and greens.

Camp Donuts

2007-06-12T08:40:00.000-07:00

Mom's generation in the 50's was surrounded by convenience foods. These scientifically developed products made life easier for the homemaker and shortened preparation time. Out of the time-saving convenience of refrigerated dough came the rewards of almost home-baked goods. You could make fresh breads and rolls without the day long process. My mom used to make these donuts for us at least once a month. We could smell the dough cooking and the anticipation of fresh donuts was mouth-watering. You can easily do this one in camp, just be careful when heating the oil.

Camp Donuts
heavy frying pan or dutch oven
2 cups of vegetable oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar (divided in half)
2 T cinnamon
one container of Pillsbury dough for rolls

Heat pan to medium heat with oil. Take the dough container and give it the wack against the edge of your counter or camp table. Peel off each roll and place on a lightly oiled plate. Enlist the kids to poke a hole in each center of the dough. (You might want to help them stretch the hole into uniform sizes). Have the kids take the powdered sugar and divide into two bowls. Add cinnamon to one of the bowls and mix thoroughly. Pinch a tiny piece of dough and place it into the oil. If the dough just sits there, the oil isn't hot enough. If the dough is surrounded by bubbles and starts to rise, the oil is just right. Place donuts into the oil carefully (adults only). They will start to rise and turn brown. With long spatula or tongs, turn them carefully. Experiment with the cooking time depending on how you're heating your oil. They should be done in 3 to 4 minutes. Take donuts out of oil and place on a paper bag or paper towels. Sprinkle half with just powdered sugar. Sprinkle the others with the cinnamon mixture. Serve immediately or freeze for later use... though I doubt there will be any left.

Variations:
Mom would sometimes take the dough, and instead of making the donut hole, she would leave the dough intact. Then she would pipe in a small amount strawberry jam through the edge of the dough. (In camp, use a sandwich bag and fill with jam. Cut a corner of the bag and then squeeze and use it to pipe the jam.) Another friend of mine likes to pipe in Nutella, the nut and chocolate spread. It's a donut to die for...

Caution: when heating any large quantities of oil on a rafting trip or in camp, be careful that the items you place into the oil do not cause the oil to overflow onto the fire or coals. Otherwise, you will have a fire like no other. Keep a fire extinguisher near any campfire or cooking area... even in your own kitchen at home!

Helper Monkeys

2007-06-11T21:15:00.000-07:00

The kids are running wild. You're outdoors and it's time to get them to slow down and get ready for dinner. Enlist their help. You've been rafting all day and everyone's been paddling together. So, include them during the dinner prep. Have them make this hors d'ouevre while you prepare the rest of the dinner after the river trip.

ROLL UPS
1 pkg softened cream cheese
2 T gorgonzola cheese
tortillas (flour)
thinly sliced salami or mortadella
sliced dill pickles
sliced roasted red peppers
crushed black olives (or kalamata)
chopped Italian parsley

Mix cream cheese and gorgonzola until creamy. Have the rest prepared in advance. Two (2) instructions for the kids: 1) shmear the goo on to the tortillas 2) sprinkle the rest of the ingredients on top. Go do your thing (get the meat ready for dad's grill). Come back after 15 minutes and help them roll up the tortillas. Wrap in plastic and place into cooler for about 10 minutes. Enlist the kids to help pick small branches and wild flowers to make a table bouquet. Wash up. Take roll-ups out of the wrap and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Let the kids serve them on a plastic platter.

Nut Crust

2007-06-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe that we modified for our vegan friends. A great staple for pie-making, freeze several so you're ready whenever you have an abundance of any kind of fruit. You can even make this on a multiple-day river trip and add apples for a real American pie.

NUT CRUST
1-1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 T rice or soy milk

Heat oven to 475 degrees. Or heat a large dutch oven (big enough to place a pie pan in) with evenly distributed coals. Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a cup. Add wet ingredients all at once to dry mix. Mix well. Roll dough out between parchment or wax paper. Roll out to fit a pie pan. Peel paper off one side of dough. Place into pie pan and carefully push dough to fit pan. Peel the second paper off the top. Flute edges with finger or fork. Prick with fork. Bake at 475 for 13 to 15 minutes.

Make several and freeze for later use. Add parchment or wax paper in between each pie crust and you'll be able to stack them in your freezer. This is a great base for ice-cream pies or fruit pies. Add your favorite apple pie filling and serve warm. Try cooked figs mixed with cream cheese and fill this crust. Heavenly!

Beet Salad

2007-06-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

Beets are the messy vegetable that kids loved to cook. I remember painting with the juice on butcher block paper in our family's kitchen. We ate beets with everything, so I grew up to love their sweet taste. On your next white water rafting trip, add this as a side dish to that grilled chicken. Here's a savory salad featuring sweet beets.

BEET SALAD W/FETA
water
cleaned, scrubbed beets or roasted beets in olive oil
olive oil
feta or herb flavored feta
arugula leaves
red onion (thinly sliced)
crushed toasted walnuts
salt
cracked black pepper
splash balsamic vinegar

In a small pot, add water and cleaned beets. Cook low heat until tender. (If you cut them in half, you'll decrease the cooking time.) Rinse in cold water and set aside. OR roast your own olive oiled beets for 30-40 min at 420 degrees in the oven. Set aside to cool.

Add sliced beets into a glass bowl. Add feta and mix until beets are coated. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss again. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with grilled meats or top your favorite green salad.

Lemony Green Beans

2007-06-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Fresh green beans used to be a luxury only afforded by the prolific backyard gardener or the affluent foodie. Now, with a farmer's market somewhere in town every day of the week, and high-tech flash frozen beans at the grocery store, you can make this lemony veggie dish any time of the year. I like Trader Joe's frozen green beans. Already prepared and ready to cook.

One bag of Trader Joe's frozen french green beans
large colander
running water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup finely diced onions
3 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 lemon's juice
lemon zest
salt (to taste)
cracked black pepper (to taste)
1/4 cup toasted almonds (whole, halves, sliced...)
lemon peel (decorative)

Empty bag of green beans into colander. Rinse thoroughly in cold water. Let dry for 5 minutes. Rinse again in cold water. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add sliced garlic and onions. Toss and cook until onions are partially browned. Add green beans. Add a drizzle of olive oil on top of beans and toss in pan. Add 1/2 lemon's juice. Add lemon zest. Add salt and cracked black pepper. Toss thoroughly. As soon as the beans turn bright green and shiny, take off the heat (about 4 min). Add almonds. Place onto a large platter. For a decorative touch, add a sprinkle of lemon peel on top.

You can take this dish on a camping or a rafting trip. Just put the whole thing in a ziplock baggie and put in the cooler. I love this dish cold or at room temperature. Add cooked leftover chicken to the dish and create a low-carb, one bowl meal.

Japanese Eggplant

2007-06-05T08:46:00.000-07:00

Camping and grilling in the summer provides many of us with roasting delicacies that are hard to duplicate in the kitchen. One of my favorite side dishes goes great with roasted fish, sandwiches or just a bit of rice. Japanese eggplant is tender and less bitter than its Mediterranean counterpart. This is so easy and anyone can do it.

ROASTED JAPANESE EGGPLANT
8 Japanese eggplants (slender, not round)
olive oil
sesame oil
grated ginger
soy sauce

Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 16 pieces. Drizzle olive oil onto the skins. Add sesame oil, ginger, garlic to the interior. Wrap in aluminum foil or place skin-side down into a dutch oven or heavy covered skillet. Place aluminum covered eggplant onto the grill until fork tender about 10-15 minutes. Or place dutch oven over the coals with a few coals on top for about 20 minutes on medium heat. When done serve as a side dish with soy sauce.

Another variation is to just wipe the whole eggplant with olive oil and roast directly over the coals. You will see them shrink and shrivel. When fork tender, open them up and add the rest of the ingredients. Add slices to a sandwich. Roasty, toasty, creamy good!

Man-Size Sandwiches

2007-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes a great sandwich is all you need after whitewater rafting. If you are on an extended rafting trip, this is a sandwich for day 4 on the river. Use all the leftovers still in the cooler in this one!

MAN-SIZE SANDWICH
(2) day old baguette or slipper bread
1/4 cup olive oil
4 crushed garlic
4 T feta cheese (French or Greek)
1/2 lb provolone cheese
sliced leftover roasted meats or seafood
leftover roasted veggies ie, asparagus, brocolli, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, etc)
2 roasted red peppers (sliced thinly; or use jarred sliced peppers)
2 carmelized onions (sliced and cooked over low flame with olive oil until carmelized)
crushed kalamata olives (to taste)
shredded cabbage
Italian dressing (or your favorite)

Take baguette and slice lengthwise into (2) halves. Smear all (4) halves with crushed raw garlic. You should hear a scraping noise! Drizzle olive oil over each half of the bread. Add sliced provolone liberally over halves. Add crumbled feta cheese. Close both halves and wrap with aluminum foil and grill over a low heat for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, slice all ingredients for sandwich. Open bread. Smear the provolone and feta together making a thick gooey spread. Add leftover meats. Add roasted veggies. Add sliced roasted red peppers generously over the mounds. Add sliced carmelized onions. Crush kalamata olives over the whole thing. Add shredded cabbage. Drizzle left over olive oil or your favorite Italian dressing. Close both halves of sandwich and slice into large pieces. Serve immediately. Or hold off on the cabbage and wrap sandwich up again in aluminum foil and place on the lowest heat of the grill. Add cabbage and dressing before serving.

Suggestions: if you are camping or rafting, cook more than you need each day and save leftovers for this sandwich. If you are at home, roast veggies once a week in a large quantity and save leftovers to be added to sandwiches and other dishes during the week. Same concept, just different location!

Ham Salad Dip

2007-06-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

Kids are hungry and the hubbie is getting the grill ready. You're camping on the river and the chants of "I'm hungry... where's the food?" is getting a little old. Here's a quickie retro recipe spread to go with crackers and vegetable crudites. It'll keep them happy until the grilling is done.

HAM SALAD DIP
1 container of ham salad spread
1 pkg cream cheese (softened to room temp)
3 T mustard (prepared)
2 tsp horseradish
1/4 tsp tabasco sauce

Blend all ingredients using an electric mixer or hand wisk. Chill and serve with plain crackers and/or cut carrots, cauliflower and/or jicama.

I like to have all the veggies cut and stored into a ziplock baggie. Add a wet paper towel in the baggie and the veggies will stay nice and crisp. Store in the cooler. Prepare the dip in advance for a time saver. Or have the kids whip it up with a fork in a small bowl. Enlist the kids to place the crackers and veggies onto a platter. Tell them they are in charge of the "presentation." By the time the kids are done, your dip will be done, too. You can change this dip by adding any of your favorites such as minced roasted red peppers, a bit of minced red onion or crushed black olives.

Grandma's Molded Cranberry Salad

2007-05-31T09:13:00.000-07:00

Retro recipes bring back a lot of camping memories. Here's one that grandma always made for us during the holiday season. I love this tangy dish with roasted chicken or pork. Easy to pack or freeze, this is great on a sandwich, too. Makes me think of Thanksgiving and the holidays!

3 pkg Knox gelatin
3 T sugar
2 pints cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup water
3 T lemon juice
1 ripe avocado
2 cups diced apple
2 cups finely diced celery
1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp salt

Mix gelatin, sugar and one cup cranberry juice. Dissolve over a low heat. Stir in the rest of the cranberry juice and lemon juice. Chill until syrupy. Then stir in rest of ingredients. Pour into molds or bowl. Store chilled until ready to serve. Great sweet tang with roasted chicken, pork tenderloin or turkey.

Cold Pasta

2007-05-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

Salads are great when you're camping. Easy, quick and cool, a salad can help balance out a grilled entree. This cold pasta dish goes with everything. It can be prepared ahead or semi-prepared for optimum freshness.

COLD PASTA
cooked, rinsed, drained pasta (rotelle or other shape)
garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
cracked black pepper
roasted red peppers
blanched asparagus (cut into 2-inch slices)
blanched carrots (cut into thin circles)
2 Tblsp dried tomatoes in olive oil (preserve 2-Tblsp of this oil)
2-Tblsp balsamic vinegar
sliced pepperocini (diced & minced)
pinch chili pepper flakes
fresh cherry tomatoes (cut in half & drained)
thin sliced red onion
crushed kalamata olives (pitted & crushed by hand)
1/4 cup sliced Italian parsley (flat leaf)

Variations:
sub brocolli for asparagus
add cubed mozarella
sub jicama for carrot
add roasted sliced chicken
add roasted shrimp

Drain pasta well until dry. Rub crushed garlic over the entire interior of a large shallow bowl. Add half of the olive oil to the bowl. Add salt and pepper. Mix well. Add chopped roasted red peppers, asparagus and carrots. Take two folks and shred the dried tomatoes into small pieces in another small bowl. Add to main bowl. Add pepperocini. Add pasta. Add rest of olive oil along with the tomato olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss with chili flakes. Add cherry tomatoes, kalamata olive, red onion and Italian parsley. Let stand refrigerated for at least one hour.

You can pack this entire dish into a zip lock baggie and serve when you're ready. Or have all ingredients ready to add to your pasta if you are cooking pasta outdoors. Just give the pasta enough time to cool down and drain well. You want the flavors to penetrate the pasta for optimum flavor. (Here's how I prepare for the dish. I pack my cold pasta in a large tupperware bowl. Then I have the oils, spices and dried tomatoes in one small ziplock baggie. Then I have another baggie filled with the red peppers, asparagus and carrots. I keep the cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, sliced red onion and parsley ready to cut up. Then I assemble right before serving.)

7-UP Grill Marinade

2007-05-29T08:04:00.000-07:00

Camping and grilling go together. This summer make it easy with smaller cuts of meat. They cook faster! Grilled meats are easy to do if you follow some basic rules. Keep the meats small and uniform and you'll never have to guess if they're done.

CHICKEN AND BEEF
Slice all meats into the same size and thickness (2 - 3 lbs)
tons of garlic (as much as you can stand)
bunch green onions (scallions)
7-up (or orange juice)
rosemary
thyme
oregano
bay leaf
cracked black pepper
chili flakes
soy sauce

Pat dry all the meat. Place into a large ziplock baggie. Add as much crushed/sliced garlic as you can tolerate. (I like to put in about 20 cloves or 3 large heads) Add chopped green onions including the greens. Pour a can of 7-up or 1 cup of orange juice over everything. Add sprigs of rosemary, tyme, oregano and bay leaf. Add pepper to your liking along with a pinch of chili flakes. Pour enough soy sauce to cover the meats. (I know, I never measure... you'll have to base it on your own personal taste). Let marinate overnight.

Next day, fire up the grill. When smoking hot, sear each piece of meat. Then place all meats towards a lower heat to slowly cook. If your meats were pounded thin, this won't take long to cook. Make sure the chicken is cooked throughly. The beef can be cooked to each person's personal liking, though, I like all my meat cooked throughly. And a reminder... don't add salt. The soy sauce is salty enough.

Cucumber Salad

2007-05-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Japanese have a lot of recipes with cucumbers. A cooling and refreshing vegetable that will take some of the bite out of hot summer days, here's one of our favorite recipes. This salad is best after marinating for at least 30 minutes.

CUCUMBER SALAD
cucumbers (armenian or regular american)
Japanese mirin (sweet sake vinegar)
seaweed (dry sheet for making sushi)
toasted sesame
carrot (optional)

add these variations for an Italian influence
omit the seaweed for these variations
tomato (optional)
red onion (optional)
cracked black pepper (optional)

Wash and dry cucumbers. Use a mandoline or a very sharp knife and slice as thin as possible creating circles. (A decorative touch for slicing cucumbers: peel the cucumber leaving strips of green skin; slice as instructed.) Toss into a small colander to drain excess moisture. Take (1) seaweed sheet and gently toast it over a low flame. Careful, it will burn and curl very quickly. Just hold it above the flame and quickly turn it over using a rapid motion. Do this for 10 to 20 seconds. Put aside. Heat a small frying pan using a low heat. Toss sesame seeds into pan without any oil and heat them until you see a slight darkening to the seeds. Take out of pan and put to the side to cool. Toss the drained cucumbers into a decorative bowl. Add the Japanese mirin until cucumbers are thoroughly covered. Let stand until ready to eat. Take seaweed sheet and fold in half and then in quarters. Using kitchen shears, cut the seaweed into thin slices. Before serving the cucumber, add toasted seaweed strips and toasted sesame.

A decorative addition to this cooling salad is to cut carrots into thin matchsticks and add for a crunch. Another modification towards a more Mediterranean diet is to add small wedges of tomato and sliced red onion. Yum, and it becomes more like an Italian salad with an Asian kick. If you add the tomato and onion, omit the seaweed and don't forget to add some cracked black pepper.

Camp Chef

2007-05-25T14:38:00.001-07:00

Memorial Day weekend is here and many of you are on our rafting trips this week. Our food buyers and chefs are busy preparing the meals for this holiday. Yum! So many people have asked us for our river rafting recipes, that we posted them on our website a few years ago. I also came across a collection of recipes from great-grandma who passed away and left me her entire collection of recipes from the 40's and 50's. Aye caramba... and there are some really great ones... love the jell-o molds and funny salads from the past... it's a history lesson in modern food.

Don't get too caught up with cooking this holiday weekend. Keep it simple and you'll enjoy the camping and partying much more if you're not slaving over the grill. Here's a great addition to the grilled meats and tofu that you might be having this Memorial Day weekend.

SALAD by the SLICE:
Romaine
garlic
olive oil
crumbled blue cheese
capers
diced red peppers
minced red onion
Italian or Blue Cheese dressing
cracked black pepper

Take the whole head of the romaine and wash gently without pulling the leaves off the core. Let dry (turn upside down so the water drains out of the leaves). Slice in half leaving the core. If the head of romaine is large, you should be able to slice each half again creating 4 quarter wedges. Crush a garlic clove and rub it over the leaves and core. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the sliced romaine wedge. Add blue cheese liberally over each wedge. Sprinkle capers, red peppers and minced red onion. Drizzle your favorite Italian dressing or blue cheese dressing over the wedge right before you serve. Cracked black pepper to taste.

Sometimes, we add sliced asparagus to the wedge or fried calamari... and I like to add lemon zest to mine!