Camp Food!

Corn, potatoes and onions 

What an amazing summer its been for me and my family. We have been camping twice and want to hit the woods one more time before fall comes swooping in. We love camping as a family, playing in the woods together and enjoying downtime away from the ongoing noise of life.
My favorite part of camping is cooking in the fire, feeling connected to my food on such a primal level. Starting a fire, bringing the coals to that perfect temperature, gently placing corn, potatoes and onions right in the coals, delicious!!
There is a flavor that is brought out of food cooking this way which the element of fire brings forth. Food is steamed on the inside to tender perfection and blackened and crispy on the outside.
There is nothing like a sweet onion cooked in the red embers, peeling back the charred layers to expose the translucent core. Utter perfection!
I suggest you try it next time you go camping or have a fire in your back yard.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Serves 4
Prep time 20 minutes

 Ingredients:
4 medium sized zucchini
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chick peas
1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
1/4 c almonds, chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 shallot
5 leaves fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 t salt
3 T olive oil
1t stone ground mustard
1/2 c freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

 Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350
Cut zucchini lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Brush lightly with olive oil.
In a small bowl combine remaining olive oil, salt, mustard and herbs
In a pan sauté shallot and garlic until translucent
In a large bowl combine quinoa, chickpeas, sun dried tomatoes, almonds.
Add shallot, garlic and olive oil mixture
Toss well but gently.
Divide mixture evenly amount zucchini boats and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes

Enjoy!

Cooking with kids

A fundamental belief of mine is that children should eat good food.
Starting children on whole & healthy food at the beginning of their culinary journey gives them a foundation they usually will keep the rest of their life. Exposing their tastebuds to all sorts of experiences broadens the senses and the mind.
I encouraged my daughter to try new textures, spices and flavors at an early age. If she didn't like it I would introduce it to her several more times. Usually after a few tries she loved it. At three years old she has a diverse palate and isn't afraid to try new things. Last night with dinner she ate a huge serving of beet greens with balsamic vinegar. She loves food, sure there are days that she dislikes everything but, I never push. I let her body communicate with her in regards to what it needs.  Sure she like mac & cheese and Popsicles, who doesn't.
The other activity I encourage and cherish is her cooking in the kitchen with me.  She climbs up in her tower and measures, stirs and pours for me. She tears kale off the stem for salads like a 5 star chef. We talk about the names of vegetables and where they come from. She loves the time we spend together and she feels important and a part of preparing food for our family. It also instills in her an appreciation of food and an awareness of the time it takes to create a meal.
She tends to gobble up anything she helps prepare. Talking about what she cooks fills her with pride and confidence.

Lisa's Banana Bread

Ingredients

Grease a 8x4 loaf pan

1/3 cup Branon Family Maple Orchards maple syrup
3 T canola oil
1 t vanilla
1/2 t salt
2 cups ripe bananas mashed
1 1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c whole wheat bread flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla and banana in a bowl
In a separate bowl sift and combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt
Gentle mix wet and dry ingredients together
Fold in nuts
Sprinkle some chopped nuts on top of bread
Bake in oven 45 minutes to one hour
Insert a toothpick into bread until it comes out clean
Try not to over bake, it will get dry

Tomato Soup

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

1 T olive oil
2 large cans whole tomatoes
3 cloves garlic crushed
6 leaves of basil chopped
1/4 block cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a large soup pot heat olive oil, add garlic and basil
Saute until garlic is tender but not brown
Add tomatoes, salt and pepper
Simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally
Remove from heat
Pour into blender or use a hand help blender to puree soup
Return to heat and simmer for 15 minutes
Remove from heat and stir in cream cheese
If vegan use 1/2 cup soy milk- add soy milk in a slow steady stream stirring constantly
Sprinkle some fresh basil on top
Serve with crusty garlic bread
Enjoy!

Ochazuke

This is a classic Japanese dish. It is a great way to use left over rice, fish or veggies. Get creative, this dish is a lot of fun!

Ingredients

Serves 2
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 c brewed sencha or green tea
Assorted toppings: steamed veggies, grilled fish, boiled egg, mushrooms, tofu, pickled veggies, sesame seeds, really ANYTHING you like.
A dash of tamari

Directions

Place rice in a bowl
Add hot tea over rice
Top with any assorted topping
Enjoy!

Umeboshi Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

1 English Cucumber
1 T Umeboshi Plum Vinegar
1 T Rice Vinegar
1/2 T Sesame Oil

Directions

Whisk together vinegars and sesame oil.
Slice cucumber VERY thin or grate on the slicing side of a box grater
Place sliced cucumbers in a bowl
Pour Vinegar mixture over cucumbers
Place a smaller bowl on top of the cucumbers and weight it down with a heavy jar
Press for 20 minutes stirring a few times
Remove jar and bowl
Enjoy