Take it Outside
By Shannon Cebron
No matter the adventure, everything's better when there's good food to eat and share. My fondest memory of this truism in action is a kayak camping trip with friends last summer. Despite having to tie all of our supplies into kayaks, we somehow created the most wonderful vegan feast, and enjoyed it while watching the sunset on the beach. This collection of recipes is very much inspired by the food we ate that weekend.
Plant-based foods are ideal for outdoor experiences; many of them can be safely (and deliciously) enjoyed at room temperature. Most of these recipes are designed to be nutrient dense to fuel your journey.
So stash Trail Mix Cookies and Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins in your backpack and win over everyone on your hike. Warm a batch of Kale & Chickpea Scramble Burritos over the campfire for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Paired with crackers, pita, carrot sticks, or celery, Roasted Garlic Everything Bagel Dip is sure to re-energize you after a long dog walk at the park. Power your next trail run with a Curried Tofu Salad Sandwich and brighten up any picnic with Watermelon Herb Salad. owever you choose to enjoy nature, take it outside and get going with a full tummy!
Curried Tofu Salad Sandwiches
(Makes 6)
1 pound extra-firm tofu (or use 2 cups cooked and drained white beans)
1/4 cup unsweetened almond butter
2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise or 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 Tablespoons miso (or chickpea miso)
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 clove garlic
1 large green apple, cut into matchsticks or diced
3-4 Tablespoons raisins
1 large rib of celery, thinly sliced
12 slices vegan bread of choice
Other sandwich toppings such as bean sprouts, lettuce, tomato, etc.
Drain the tofu and press excess liquid from it, either using a tofu press or by wrapping it in a clean towel and stacking a heavy object on top of it for 10-15 minutes.
Add the tofu (or white beans) to a food processor or blender along with the almond butter, vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, miso paste, mustard, curry powder, maple syrup, turmeric, and garlic. Process until smooth. Transfer out of the food processor and fold in the apple, raisins, and celery. Taste for seasoning.
Serve as a sandwich by spreading a generous amount of the Curried Tofu Salad between two slices of toasted bread with veggie toppings of choice.
| Total calories per sandwich: 344 | Fat: 15 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 41 grams | Protein: 15 grams |
| Sodium: 671 milligrams | Fiber: 5 grams |
Roasted Garlic Everything Bagel Dip
(Serves 6)
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, then drained and
rinsed
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 cups cooked white beans (or chickpeas equal to one 15-ounce can), drained and
rinsed
1 head roasted garlic (see note)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 Tablespoons everything bagel seasoning, divided (see note)
Combine all the ingredients except for the everything bagel seasoning in a food processor or blender, and blend until completely smooth, adding water 1 Tablespoon at a time as needed to blend. Stir in the everything bagel seasoning by hand. Season to taste with additional pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar.
Serve with bagel chips, pita chips, crackers, or carrot and celery sticks.
Cook's Notes: To roast garlic, slice off the top of a head of garlic, rub it gently with oil, wrap in foil, and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 1 hour, or until tender.
If you cannot find commercial everything bagel seasoning, you can use 2 teaspoons each of poppy seeds, caraway seeds, and sesame seeds, plus 1/2 Tablespoon dried minced garlic and 1/2 Tablespoon dried minced onion.
| Total calories per serving: 212 | Fat: 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 20 grams | Protein: 7 grams |
| Sodium: 485 milligrams | Fiber: 4 grams |
Watermelon Herb Salad
(Serves 6)
7-8 cups cubed watermelon (small, seeded melon)
1-2 cups cubed cucumber
Pinch salt
1-2 teaspoons rice vinegar
Fresh basil, mint, cilantro, or a combination of all three, to taste
Place cubed watermelon and cucumber in a colander and lightly sprinkle with salt. Let excess liquid drain while preparing the other ingredients.
Toss the watermelon cubes and cucumber with about 1-2 teaspoon(s) of rice vinegar per cup of watermelon/cucumber, or to taste. Sprinkle generously with fresh herbs and enjoy cold or at room temperature.
| Total calories per serving: 56 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 14 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 26 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Trail Mix Cookies
(Makes about 30 cookies)
2 cups rolled oats, divided
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or use 3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon gluten-free
all-purpose flour, for a gluten-free version)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or organic vegan sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/4 cups toasted walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons refined coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegan trail mix or granola of choice
Cooking spray, to grease the pan
In a mixing bowl, stir together 1 cup of rolled oats, flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the walnuts and hemp seeds to a food processor and process until walnuts form a fine crumb. Add the dry ingredients from mixing bowl to the food processor and process until pulverized.
Add maple syrup, water, oil, and vanilla, and continue to process until smooth, scraping the sides as needed. Remove from the food processor. Stir in the remaining 1 cup of oats and trail mix. Let the dough rest in the fridge for 10 minutes while preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly spray two baking sheets. Scoop 1 Tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball, flatten slightly, and place on the baking sheet, making sure not to crowd the cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies just start to brown at the sides. Let cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets, then gently remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Store cookies at room temperature.
| Total calories per cookie: 153 | Fat: 8 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 18 grams | Protein: 4 grams |
| Sodium: 80 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins
(Makes 12)
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2-3 medium bananas)
3/4 cup coconut sugar (or organic vegan sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup plain, unsweetened vegan milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons water
1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Cooking spray, to grease the pan
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a muffin pan or line it with cupcake liners.
In a mixing bowl, add the banana, sugar, vanilla, oil, milk, vinegar, and water. Whisk together until smooth. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and stir together just until combined (lumps are okay). Stir in the chocolate chips and/or walnuts, if using.
Scoop batter into each muffin tin to fill it about 2/3 full. Bake the muffins uncovered for about 30 minutes or until firm but springy to the touch. Let cool before eating.
| Total calories per muffin: 112 | Fat: 3 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 22 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 200 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
Kale & Chickpea Scramble Burritos
(Makes 4)
1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 russet potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 large yellow or white onion, diced
1 bell pepper, seeds and pith removed, diced
1 jalape?o pepper, seeds and pith removed, diced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 bunch kale (8 ounces or 3-4 cups), de-stemmed and chopped
1-3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (one 15-ounce can), drained and rinsed
1 cup salsa of choice
4 vegan tortillas, warmed if desired
Warm half of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the cubed potato and cook, stirring frequently, until softened and browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 more minutes, continuing to stir frequently, until slightly softened. Then add the bell pepper, jalape?o, and spices. Continue cooking over medium-low heat until the potato is fully cooked.
Add kale to the pan. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes to wilt the kale. Uncover the pan, stir, and continue cooking until kale is tender.
Add the entire can of chickpeas to your food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.
Once the kale is cooked, push the potato-veggie mixture in the skillet to one side of the pan, and add remaining olive oil to the empty side. Pour in the chickpea pur?e and let it cook until bubbling. Then scramble it up by stirring it around, and continue cooking it for another 2-4 minutes, until firmed up slightly. Fold the scramble into the veggies.
Assemble burritos by adding a generous scoop of filling to a tortilla along with 1/4 cup of salsa, then roll into a burrito. For storage and transport, wrap burritos in aluminum foil. Serve cold, at room temperature, or reheat in a small cast iron skillet over a campfire!
| Total calories per serving: 280 | Fat: 6 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 50 grams | Protein: 11 grams |
| Sodium: 570 milligrams | Fiber: 10 grams |
Shannon is a Baltimore-based software engineer, ultramarathon runner, and author of the website Yup, It's Vegan. She's willing to try any cooking project once, even if it takes hours, and is known for being extremely picky about vegan cheese.
