Mushroom Walnut Wellington - A Thanksgiving Recipe

Mushrooms are hearty, versatile, and good for you. I use them in a lot of different ways and I lot of different recipes as additions or as a part of the main event. The woodsy, hearty elements make them ideal for Thanksgiving dishes & I use them liberally as a part of my Thanksgiving tradition. I was first introduced to vegetable Wellingtons as a vegetarian option at a wedding. Over the years, I have adapted, experimented, and looked at recipes online to see other people's versions to get to the approximate recipe I now use. I typically make this in individual servings ahead of time and freeze. The first few years I made these, it was a Thanksgiving dish I shared with my grandfather, not a vegetarian, but after kidney failure from heart medication was on a renal diet that limited his intake of meat and green vegetables. I adapted to his needs and limitations.

I love this recipe because with a little prep it is hearty, yummy, and gives me something special to the Thanksgiving table. It also freezes easy and can be made a few days ahead to cut down on Thanksgiving prep day.

Mushroom-Walnut Wellington

• Mushroom selection - roughly chopped with some minced - I use a Portabellas or Baby Bellas, often mixed with white button mushrooms
• Walnuts
• Onion, diced or chopped
• Garlic, minced
• Choice of vegetable selection: green onions, spinach (fresh or frozen), carrots, celery, potatoes, or sweet potatoes, etc
• Parmesan cheese or Nutritional Yeast
• Fine breadcrumbs
• Sauteing medium - butter, vegan margarine, olive oil, vegetable broth, white wine, or any combination
• Fresh or dried herbs to taste (any combination); such as sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley (I prefer the fresh, but use what you have available)
• seasonings - salt, pepper, other to taste
• Puffed pastry - homemade or store bought (depends on preferences, time, & whats available in your areas) (if using frozen puffed pastry sheets, thaw before hand)

I start by leaving majority of mushrooms rough chopped (halves or quarters or whole). I want the "meatiness," to bite into something substantial. (If you know anything about beef wellington the center is beef with liver pate and mushroom duxelle wrapped in puffed pastry.) 

I create the mixture that will embrace the large pieces of mushrooms by mincing, chopping, and dicing the vegetables for the mixture. I typically use the food chopper for this to mince, then saute in batches until everything is softened.(I prefer part of onion mix, especially the white button mushrooms, walnut pieces chopped, onion minced, & spinach.) I add the sauteed mixture with fine breadcrumbs, fresh or dried herbs (I mince a poultry blend), seasonings, Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, and any other moisture or fat desired - mix to taste to achieve a sticky mixture.

The moist mixture can be added to chopped or whole mushrooms or formed around whole portabella mushrooms inside the puffed pastry. I fill pieces of puffed pastry, cut into individual servings or into one loaf that will be sliced upon serving. The puffed pastry is filled, secured shut (prefer seam down), and placed on baking sheet or in pan. (I often freeze in freezer save aluminum pans or wrap in waxed paper and store in plastic bag once frozen to use as needed.)

They can be baked in oven at approximately 350 degrees from frozen or non-frozen form, until cooked through and golden brown. I often serve topped with mushroom-onion gravy along side my Thanksgiving favorites. Sometimes, I share the extras with my non-cooking veggie friends or use for Christmas a month later. Enjoy!

Making Gravy - A Few Cheats for a Meatless Holiday

I first became a vegetarian in the fall, right before the holidays. They were rough. I wasn't prepared, I didn't have anyone to lean on and help through those rough adjustments. Out of respect for my family (and probably the belief that it was just a temporary phase), I was asked not to tell anyone in the family at Thanksgiving that I had become a vegetarian. It was my dirty little secret (they were told by Christmas, but that was full of it's own issues). It took a few years to get into the groove and create the traditions I now have. There were things I really missed the first few years, at the holidays and other times. Gravy was high on that holiday, mashed potato list. I had to find easy adjustments for lone vegetarian to survive the holidays without giving up the mashed potato happiness. I found a few.

The internet is teaming with vegetarian gravy recipes, some better than others. I found a few quick tricks of my own along the way.

1. Lipton onion-mushroom dry soup mix. (The dry onion soup mix would work similarly.)The instructions are actually right one the box, which makes this perfect for sharing with meat-eaters or VegHeads alike. It's something my omnivore brothers have been willing (on occasion) to even eat. (It's easy to see how other dry soup mixes can be used.)  I often saute up fresh diced mushrooms in the butter or oil before adding flour and liquid for an easy, hearty adaption. I also sometimes use a seasoned flour instead of plain flour. I'm not afraid experiment to make things my own. Use nuts, or add nutritional yeast to give add to the richness is using a oil base instead of  butter or margarine.

2. Ready made products. I can't find them locally year-round, but around holiday time they start appearing on shelves.  It depends on where you live, where you shop, and if you are willing to shop online. It may not taste like mom made, but it can do in a pinch and you can always adapt and will most likely have to adjust seasonings to taste.

I recently picked up some new vegan gravy option to try (I love being able to order things online I have trouble finding nearby). Bring on the taste tests.

3. White gravy (or white sauce). So, this isn't really an original recipe, but it's a quick fix. The basic recipe, that can be adapted as needed, is 2 T. melted butter or fat (or vegan margarine) with 2 T flour (or seasoned flour), seasonings of choice (depending on taste, I suggest onion powder, salt & pepper, garlic powder, parsley, and/or nutritional yeast), to 2 cups milk or unsweetened milk substitute. Sautéing up fresh or dried mushrooms and/or diced onions can make a heartier gravy. Use veggie crumbles to make a sausage or hamburger-like gravy. Use brother instead of milk or milk substitute. Do whatever makes you happy.

Homemade is great, but not everyone has the time or space or willingness to make it. It's okay to not make everything from scratch.

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing - A Thanksgiving Recipe

Its that time of year to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving dinner. For the first few years I was vegetarian, Thanksgiving was among the difficult holidays. I had to relearn how to still eat my holiday favorites without the meat or meat-based broth. Over the years I adapted classic Thanksgiving standbys, including a holiday favorite - the stuffing (or dressing depending on your preferences, regions, and traditions). I love the recipe I use now with a mix of mushrooms, almonds, apples, & other vegetables that started with a small pan for just me and has grown to shareable amounts. At this point, it's nice to be able to share my stuffing with others.

Let the recipes begin!

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing (with Apple)

(measurements and amounts are approximate, since I rarely measure)

• Mushrooms - chopped (a few sliced on side for optional garnishment) - I use button, baby bellas or a mixture of both
• Almond Slivers (or slices per preferences & availability) (set some aside for optional garnishment)
• One apple - cored, peeled, diced (I prefer Granny Smith for the tartness)
• Onion-  diced
• Celery - diced (a couple stalks)
• Fresh Garlic - minced (a couple cloves)
• Green Onion, diced (set some aside for optional garnishment)
  
   
• Bag dry seasoned breadcrumb cube mix or cubed stuffing mix (or use dried bread and adjust seasonings as needed)
  
• Vegetable broth
• 1/2 - 1 cup butter or margarine (depending on taste use butter or a vegan spread like Earth Balance)
• Fresh Herbs - minced - I typically use a poultry mix with sage, thyme, and rosemary
• salt & pepper to taste

Use whatever veggies, fruits, or nuts you prefer. I like the mildness of the almonds, but they can omitted or substituted with another nut or seed such as walnuts. (I use walnuts in another Thanksgiving recipe instead.) In past years I have added shredded carrots to saute mixture for color or in place of the sweetness of the apple. Personally, I prefer the apple to the carrots. If you don't like the minced garlic or green onion, don't use it. Make it your recipe and your traditions.

Chop & dice everything ahead of time. (It will make your life that much easier.) Sometimes, I "cheat" and use a counter top food chopper to work through the veggies and apple faster.

In a large bowl I place bag of cubed stuffing mix or dried cubed bread crumbs & set aside. 

In large skillet with butter, margarine, or vegan spread start sauteing mushrooms, celery, onion, apple, garlic, and toast almonds. (Sometimes I cut the amount of fat, but sauteing with butter/margarine and white wine.) I always end up sauteing in multiple batches and adding to the cubed breadcrumb mix as I go. The whole house smells wonderful as the veggies, fruit, & nuts are sauteed and it just makes feels like Thanksgiving. After the everything is sauteed I warm the vegetable broth (couple cups depending on wetness needed and ratios on on cubed stuffing mix) and whatever butter or margarine I have left to add. The fresh herbs, fresh green onion, sauteed mix, broth, butter/margarine are all mixed together in bowl and seasoned to taste (I usually don't add any salt, but everyone's taste and preferences are a little different). Add any more broth or other liquid as needed to moisten

I scoop the well mixed stuffing mix into a pan or pans (I often make a decent sized  batched, than separate into more than one smaller pan and freeze ahead to have it for multiple Thanksgiving gatherings, for vegetarian friends who don't cook, or for later). I garnish with mushroom slices, almonds, green onion, and sage leaf flowers or butterflies. This is completely optional, but started as a way to differentiate my stuffing from the meat-broth based stuffing at the Thanksgiving table. At this point, it's my tradition & I'm sticking with it.

It can be made ahead of time and frozen (I usually make mine a couple days ahead of time to cut down prep work on busy Thanksgiving day), and baked later or it can be baked that day. I bake at approx 350 degrees (depending on what it might be sharing the oven with) and baking times vary by oven sharing, temp, & whether frozen at time of baking. Baked covered & remove covering at end to let top brown and crisp a bit. The mushroom flowers with have browned and it will be cooked through.

Variation: For the purists who just need to stuff stuffing inside of something, try a small hallowed cooking pumpkin or any other fall friendly vegetable and bake.

Serve along side your Thanksgiving favorites & don't be afraid to top with some mushroom-onion gravy or any vegetarian or vegan gravy.

Include any questions, comments, or your own veggie traditions below!

Unboxing: Pangea Vegan Store

Sometimes you can't find everything you want or need locally and you need to find a new resource. One of my resources is an online grocer specializing in vegan goods called Pangea- The Vegan Store. http://www.veganstore.com/  It has served me pretty well over the years for the things I just can't always find nearby or for when I don't have time to go to the bigger cities. Sometimes products I found locally months ago, are no longer able to be found nearby.

Getting a box in the mail, even when I know very well what I ordered is still a bit exciting. As the holidays approach, I picked up a few classics as well as a couple new things to try. I've learned to use whatever resources I have available, even online ordering.

Making Vegan Candy Corn - A First Attempt

Candy corn screams fall. People either love it or hate it, but for those who have chosen a vegetarian or vegan diet, candy corn becomes the unattainable.Thanksgiving or Halloween is often celebrated with candy corn. Honey is a common ingredient, but for those who eat honey, gelatin is the big problem. For the last few years, I have been looking on the back of bag after bag of candy corn, hoping come across a brand that was intentionally or accidentally vegan. It is possible to find, however, after some research, I came across a number of vegan recipes to try my hand at homemade candy corn. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping the others vegans and vegetarians in my life like it too.

There were a number of recipes to choose from. I chose a recipe from tablespoon.com as a base recipe after reading through multiple others: https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/how-to-make-vegan-candy-corn/dd09e66e-5ae9-429c-80c5-e8bf73fe8cca?p=1 (After reading through multiple recipes, I can't help but tweek it based on preferences, local availability, and what I already have on hand.)

I was optimistic about my first attempt at making candy corn. I made a few adjustments based on preference and availability. I gathered by ingredients from things I already had on hand, as well as items I could find at a local store.

The recipe I picked (check out link above for measurements & details) included:

• coconut oil, softened
• brown rice syrup (which I had trouble finding around here) - substituted to agave (used in some of the other recipes I found)
• powdered sugar
• tapioca flour - however I used almond flour for taste, since some of the recipes I found used almond butter
• vanilla extract
• food coloring

Check out PETA's Baking Ingredient Checklist or PETA's Ingredient List to reference for your next shopping trip.

I combined all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and mixed well per the instructions. (Making notes as I went.)

After kneading the mixture with extra almond flour on a floured board (almond flour, of course, not wheat) I ended up with about a handful of a dough-like mixture. It wasn't quite the play-dough like consistency I was expecting, but it tasted pretty good and I wasn't about to give up. The almond flour didn't seem to be absorbing the wetter ingredients very well.

 I divided the mixture into three equal balls of, coloring one orange, one yellow, and leaving one the white color.  Adding the liquid food coloring only made the mixture stickier and a bit harder to work with. (The original recipe called for gel food coloring, but I used what I had on hand.)

I rolled pieces of the three colors into thin snakes and formed the three color strips on the floured board (again, almond flour, but wheat). It was sticky and delicate, but I used smaller amounts so make it more manageable.

I covered a couple sheets pans with foil as I started to cut the strips of tri-colored candy into triangle shapes and mold slightly as needed. I placed the triangle shapes onto the pan, laid out so not to touch. They needed to lay out for 24 hours so they could air dry and set up.

The taste was reminiscent of the candy corn I remembered, but the texture of the almond flour wasn't right and made it difficult to work with.

I picked up tapioca flour and gel food coloring for a second attempt with high hopes.

6 Days of Real Everyday Lunches for Vegetarians

There are some awesome vegetarian and vegan lunch ideas out there, especially if you spend any time on pinterest. For the everyday, it's not always an option. Sometimes, there just isn't time to prep and lunches end up being leftovers from the night before or something that can be put together from the freezer or cupboard.

Just because someone is trying to eat well and conscious, doesn't mean they have the time to be perfect. You don;t have to be perfect, you just have to be true to yourself and not sweat the small stuff.

What are some of your lunch go-to's? Share in the comments below.

Thanksgiving Planning Can Begin!

I love Thanksgiving and now that November is officially upon, I can start my Thanksgiving planning. (One holiday at a time, as much as possible. There is not reason to rush past the fall holidays to get to winter.) The menu stays pretty much along same lines and same traditions as it has for years. While my family starts talking turkey (literally), I know my basics... Mushroom Walnut Wellington, Almond Mushroom Stuffing, mashed potatoes, various vegetable dishes, mushroom onion gravy, rolls, assorted desserts, and a cranberry punch. (People don't really make punch a lot for things, but I like it. Must be the remnants of a 1960's hostess passed down through my family line.)

In the next week, I will sit down with my brother (and maybe my mom) to make the plan for the family meal. The vegetarian stuff is mine and mine alone, I prefer it that way: the wellington, the stuffing, and the gravy. He will take care of the meat-based stuff and vegetables will be split between me and sometimes my mom. I'm the only one who does green beans and typically do a Thanksgiving style cranberry punch. Appetizers will be divided based on who wants to make what. I usually do a cheese ball that My sister will bring dessert and/or rolls, especially since she usually has more than one Thanksgiving that day. My other brothers will... eat.

I've already started shopping a little, picking up things I find on sale, things that will store until use so I don't have to get everything at once. Two large containers of vegetable stock are sitting on the counter now waiting and ready. I've even considered making a vegan gel dessert this year, giving a nod to the recipes of old with the new traditions and the lifestyle I adhere to now.

What holiday traditions do you hold dear and what new traditions are you creating for the upcoming Thanksgiving day?

To Feel Visible at Thanksgiving and the Rest of the Year...

I stand in the aisle at the grocery.  It's that time of year with the big family-based holidays quickly approaching and the magazine covers reflect that. Thanksgiving is less than a month away and the glossy magazine covers reflect that. I love Thanksgiving. Its a holiday based around family and friends spending time together around a shared table, sharing a meal, and an afternoon - even if that afternoon involves a number of people yelling at a football game on the television. There doesn't seem the level of commercialized demands as Christmas gift giving. Growing up it was when my mom brought out the good serving dishes and we got special treats not always on the table, like olives. The glossy covers reflect the changing of the seasons with the fast approach of Thanksgiving. I've already begun making my Thanksgiving plans and I want to use linen napkins I've been collecting from thrift shops. One thing is missing...

I see the glossy magazine covers designed to entice people and encourage in them the sense of a a big family tables laden with the seasonal feast. Covers full of food and candles, beautiful tablescapes and rich colors, and perfectly cooked turkeys. Everywhere is turkey. I, like many other Americans, don't eat turkey at Thanksgiving or any other time. Some like me (the vegans and vegetarians), will grace their table with a turkey-like substitute as their main dish. I will be serving a my traditional puffed pastry, mushroom & nut filled, meatless Mushroom-Walnut Wellington. I my eyes scan over the covers boasting of Thanksgiving food, I find only one that doesn't include a turkey. I might as well be invisible, or at least that's how I feel. An entire segment of the population suddenly feels invisible.

Most of the time, I don't mind being the oddball out. I've felt that way in some way or another most of my life, but sometimes it would be nice to feel like a visible part of society. There are jokes about "that one vegetarian family member," that reach beyond my family (although I have heard them there more times that I would like to count). I want to feel visible as more than a food joke. I love cookbooks and skimming trough recipes, but the magazine with their glossy covers are passed over. Turkey doesn't feel like Thanksgiving to me and the magazine covers covered with dead poultry don't include me.

As vegetarians, we become accustomed to be isolated. There are some things I just can't find in my hometown and the small cities surrounding it, leaving me to sometimes have to order hard to find things or pick them up when I head to larger cities. I've grown accustomed to this, but one in awhile I would like to not feel like the oddity as I stand in the grocery store check out seeing the glossy magazine covers boasting what a Thanksgiving meal could/should "look like." Sometimes, I don't want to feel the invisible punchline told around the holiday dinner table.

6 Annoying Things I've Heard this Week

Look, Ma! Straight from the grill and no meat!

Whether you are vegan or vegetarian, you have heard some of the funniest, stupidest, and sometimes baffling comments from meat eaters. Here is a list of some of the annoying things I've heard this week about being vegetarian.


1. This is just some fad diet. I've been vegetarian about 15 years, but sure, keep telling yourself it's just a phase or just a fad diet. What's the lifespan of a fad anyway? For some people vegetarianism might be a fad, but vegetarianism as itself, is not a fad. It has been around a long, long time dating back to Einstein and even Pythagoras. Most people vegetarian or semi-vegetarian populations are actually increasing as it is becoming a more visible segment of the population.

2. What do you eat anyway? Grass, of course. I eat a lot of the same things as everyone else with one big exception, my meals not full of meat. Has it caused me to get more creative with my cooking? Sometimes. Has it made me more adventurous with food? Absolutely. Do I often go hungry? Rarely, but there are functions and restaurants that leave few choices or the family Christmas everything, including the bread was filled or covering in meat... bacon and sausage were treated like a condiment. In general though, I am definitely not in starvation mode.

3. It's just not a meal without meat. Yes, it is. I've been doing it for over a decade and I am not alone. I do eat meat substitutes, but I don't base my diet on them either.

4. Of course, it's vegetarian - it only has chicken in it. (It chicken broth or any other meat broth or lard.) This is an oldie, but a not so goodie. This is also how I've gotten sick a couple times... chicken broth in mashed potatoes, lard something else... I've actually heard this at restaurants.

5. Can't you just pick the meat off (or pick it out)? I have heard this for years and it never seems to be less frustrating. No, I am not eating the pizza I picked the pepperoni off of. No, I am not picking the meat out of the pasta either. It has still be cooked together. It still has the grease and the juices, which can still make me sick and are not vegetarian.

6. Don't you miss meat? No. There are social aspects that were easier when I ate meat, but otherwise, I don't miss it.

New Traditions, New Comforts, New Ideas Through A Meatless Lifestyle

I love food. I love good food. Sometimes, there is the sad misconception that vegans & vegetarians can't be "foodies" or that their diets are boring. This is not true. Early in my meatless journey, I knew that I would never last long with a boring diet.

Mushroom-Almond Stuffing

Vegetarianism gave me many things. For, and probably foremost, it improved my health. For those who knew me in high school, I was probably not the first one they would expect to go veg, but after a decade... here I am. My journey was headed by health issues with my stomach and the desire to get my life back without drugs or surgery. it was a journey that started with dragging feet, but it worked. An unexpected result of vegetarianism was a lighter spirit and consciousness. This is the part that a lot of people don't expect and can make some people uncomfortable. I didn't expect it, but it happened and it altered some of my view of the animal and human world. The third big thing resulting from vegetarianism was to force me to experiment and become more adventurous food. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life surviving on grilled cheese, peanut butter, or baked potatoes. (Baked potatoes were my main go-to food for the first six months and are now something I tend not to eat a lot of.)

Food is an adventure. Food has become something more than just a necessity for survival. I have created new traditions, experimented with new foods & recipes, found new foods & cuisines, and forced me to challenge myself. Many of the foods I now eat are built on the food traditions I grew up, now altered. Holiday traditions have been re-imagined & new traditions have built upon the old ones (We will get to those.) One concept that has altered along the way, is comfort food. We all have different things. Overtime, one of my unexpected comfort foods has become Indian food. It just makes me happy. Sometimes, I still cling to the "typical" middle America comfort foods like mashed potatoes topped with mushroom gravy or a bowl of ice cream. On bad days or after a long week, sometimes this Ohio girl just needs a some Mattar Paneer over rice with Samsoas & garlic naan bread. Lucky for me there is a local restaurant near my work place that I can stop or  call ahead to grab take out. Depending on the day, it may also be veggie eggrolls and dumplings from my favorite local sport, Greek (yay falafel), or Mexican (from restaurant or homemade at home). Just because someone grows up in Ohio, doesn't mean that have to eat like they've never lived or eaten anywhere else.

Homemade mushroom tacos topped with lettuce, homemade salsa, cheese, & black olives in soft flour tortilla

Falafel platter with spicy feta spread from local Greek restuarant

Vegan Black Beans & Corn Over the Fire

Black Beans and Corn is one of my favorite combinations-  low in fat, full of protein, and just makes me happy. I don't really have an exact recipe I follow, but I rarely follow those anyway. It's a super easy combination that I usually make on the stove, but made perfect sense to translate to cooking on the open fire. Plus, the recipe is typically vegan.

Ingredients

• can seasoned black beans (or regular drained black beans)
• can regular corn, drained (or any other can of corn you prefer)
• fresh garlic (because I love it)
• fresh diced red & orange peppers
• fresh diced onion (red or white, I had both pre-cut in my cooler)
• dried veggie soup blend (mine had dried onion, peppers, spinach, & tomatoes)
• seasonings to taste (hot sauce, pepper flakes, chili powder, curry, salt, pepper, etc)
• Hard cider (or any other preferred liquid - cider, beer, veggie broth, tomato juice, water or whatever you choose) - the alcohol cooks out
• Optional - hot peppers; can stewed, canned, or diced tomatoes; fresh tomatoes; cooked rice or any other grain; any other vegetable

I used an olive oil spray in bottom of pre-seasoned cast iron Dutch oven. (This was just for my sense of mine as much as anything.) In the Dutch Oven, I mixed together can of seasoned black beans, can of drained corn, diced fresh peppers, diced fresh onion, fresh garlic, dried vegetable soup blend (optional, of course), seasonings to taste (mine included pepper flakes, hot sauce, pepper, & onion powder) and a splash of hard cider (maybe 1/2 cup).  I mixed everything together with splash of hard cider to taste. I secured the lid and lowered the the entire pot into the fire ring along the coals, ashes, and burning wood. I checked it a couple times and turned the pot to ensure equal heat, cooking about an hour. I moved it further from heat within the fire ring and let keep warm until the rest of dinner was about ready, then let cool outside fire ring about 10 minutes.

Serve plain, with rice, on a tortilla or topped with any preference. I ate mine at the campsite along with a Tofurky brat & foil packet vegetables. I have also eaten in a tortilla with black olives.

Camping with Omnivores: The MIni Vlog

For an Overview of  "Camping with Omnivores" & a sneak peak at my most recent camping adventure check out this video:

Keep reading for more!

Camping with Ominovores: Part VI - The Trip

I love waking to the sounds and smells of the campground. They are familiar and relaxing. The smell of campfires and cooking fires fill the air as the sounds filter of fires crackling, people talking, children playing, the occasional car door. As the progresses the sounds of radios filter through the air, mixing with the sounds of talking, laughter, and children playing. As busy as it is, there is also something simpler as people just breathe and live in a slightly different way. Chores still need done. Wood gets chopped. Meals get cooked. Dishes get washed. Life still moves forward, but it is different. I love waking up to as I stretch and emerge from my tent. (We don't just camp in fall weather, we tent camp.) I didn't get as much time camping during a recent trip, but I did get enough to give me a bit of a fall pick me up. We set up and slept in tents, we ate, we enjoyed time by the fire with family and friends, the kids played, and we took a nighttime hay ride.

I kept the meatless menu this weekend fairly simple, complementary to the menu the omnivores were eating. There were two of us eating meat- free (which pretty much never happens with my camping trips).

Friday Night (arrival): Tents and canopies were set up, the camp kitchen was set up, beds were made, and a fire was started. I grabbed a pre-dinner snack of roasted red pepper hummus with fresh veggies & pita chips.

The first night menu was just dinner and OYO (On Your Own). Most of my family had planned on hot dogs or pie iron sandwiches over the fire with pre-made pasta salad. I made a Tofurky beer brat in a foil packet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms cooked in hard cider over the fire, topped with homemade pepper relish, then served along side pasta salad.

In the evening, I enjoyed my a couple s'mores made with vegan marshmallows. Oh, so much yum and full of such happy memories form by childhood.

Saturday (full day): I packed oatmeal for breakfast with peanut butter, dried cranberries, maple syrup, agave syrup, nutritional yeast, sunflower seeds, and almond milk as options for it. This camping trip was mixed with time off camp for work responsibilities. I didn't feel like breakfast, making or eating, but it was enjoyed by my fellow Veghead instead of waffles.

Lunch was OYO. Thank goodness for hummus cups.

Dinner I made black beans and corn with dried veggies, onion, pepper, garlic, and hard cider in my mini Dutch oven with Tofurky beer brats cooked in foil packet with assorted veggies in place of the families smoked meat selection. Smoked macaroni and cheese was also on the menu.

Sunday (packing for homemade): Oatmeal happiness.

Camping with Omnivores: Part V - Packing

Something unusual happened this fall camping trip- surrounded by my meat-eating family, my cooler looks a little different than usual. I'm not the only one. This rarely happens. This never happens. This is someone who has little idea how to pack for camping, especially as as vegan.

I stick fairly close to the menu my family plans, it usually makes everyone's life a little easier. Being a short fall camping weekend, we had do OYO (On Your Own) Meals, two breakfasts (one includes waffles), and one big dinner that is going to involve my brothers smoking a bunch of meat with macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and whatever is left of pasta salad.

In my own not-exactly little cooler and dry box, I packed a selection of raw veggies pre-cut, tofurkey beer brats (they stand up to cooking over the fire pretty well), a Halloween-inspired vegan pasta salad, pickles, beverages (adults and otherwise), oatmeal, peanut butter, tortillas, hummus, a few crunchy snacks (including pita chips), tea & hot chocolate, fixings for black beans and corn, and everything I needed for s'mores (yay vegan marshmallows) . It's only two of us, but food eaten outdoors and near a campfire usually tastes the best. It's going to be a tasty weekend and the weather is supposed to be lovely.

Vegan vs. Vegetarian: We Really Can All Get Along

One of my greatest pet peeves is the struggle and conflict that too often occurs between vegetarians and vegans, or the other such as semi-vegetarians, pescatarian, etc.

 It's not always easy being vegetarian, vegan, or anything that can be deemed "out of the norm." While "vegheads" are growing in numbers and options are becoming more plentiful, the reality is that we are still often in the minority. That can make it hard enough. In fighting, only makes it worse.

Recently someone I knew was seated at a dinner with others that knew me and my family. Upon, seeing someone order vegan, he (a definite meat-eating omnivore) stated, "oh, like her!" For many meat eaters the line between vegan is vegetarian is a confusing one and is all the same. Instead of the numerous non-aggressive replies that could have come, came "No, she is only a vegetarian. I am a vegan." I was told about the offsetting conversation later. It made my physically groan at the aggressive response and dividing reaction to someone who legitimately did not know the difference. It's not hard enough to get attacked by meat-eaters desperately afraid that we will take away their steak, but for many there are attacks basically within one's own community. Instead of allies, there is aggression towards anyone that doesn't "measure up."

If one chooses to influence someone else to make positive changes in their life, their health, or the environment, attacking someone for 'not doing enough' or for 'not being like me' is not going to encourage that change. A few militant individuals often give the rest of any given group a bad rap, and can make any cause or lifestyle to encounter more issues as a result of the actions of a few. Breaking people down however similar or difference than you are does not to influence positive change, if anything it incites people to rebel and act against you and your belief system. Does anyone really think they are going to change a meat-eater to a meatless by attacking them or calling them names? Despite, best intentions, this usually does not work now or every.

I try to live a non-aggressive life. I try to put out more positivity than negativity. Does it always happen? No. I am imperfect, like everyone else. I don't want to fight about my lifestyle or judge anyone else for their. Live and let live, means, even those for which you do not agree. It also means not alienating those closest to you and the lifestyle you have chosen. We really can all get along, if we just give it a chance.

Camping With Omniviores: Part IV - Menu Tips

               Camping without meat doesn’t have to be all that different than camping as an omnivore. It can be as easy or as difficult as one wants to make it. I have survived car trip and weekend camping road trip with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon to supplement the limitations. It’s possible to spend a weekend on peanut butter, bread, fresh fruit, assorted nuts and granola and other non-cooked foods. That’s not typically how I camp.

                To keep things easy, I tend to plan my meals and menu around what the rest of the family is having, making substitutions and variations as needed. I want to spend as much time enjoying the water, the beach, the trails, and the people and not the whole weekend chopping, prepping, and cooking.  A lot of the things they eat, I eat, with once big exception. Corn on the cob grilled in the husk over and open fire continues to be a family favorite all summer long, as are foil wrapped baked potatoes topped however you like (white or sweet). The omnivores and me, have learned to co-exist while spending time together in the great outdoors.

1.       First thing is first – take and make things you like. Don’t worry about who suggested what or what some book suggested. If you don’t enjoy it, you’re not going to want it. Look at your favorite standbys or the things you grew up knowing and can be adapted. Baked sweet potatoes are great and full of nutrients, but if you don’t like sweet potatoes, don’t bother. Oatmeal is great in the morning, but only if you actually like oatmeal. Hot dogs are iconic camp food, but I didn’t eat hot dogs when I ate meat, and I don’t like the texture of the veggie dogs now. They don’t make their way into my cooler because I’m not going to eat them. If you don’t like it, you won’t eat it.

2.       Keep it simple. I don’t want to spend the whole weekend hunched over a fire, especially if it’s hot. This is a great time to pull of packaged veggie burgers, brats, or dogs. Supplement with easy vegetables cooked on skewers, in foil packets, or in pans as well as premade salads (I often take a premade pasta salad made at home) and fresh fruits and veggies. Planning my menu with the menu my brother and mother makes means I don’t have to do all the cooking for myself and we can cook somethings together. Foil packets are easy to make adding everything together, closing, and cooking in hot coals or on a grate over the fire. I try to cut up as much as possible before hand so cut down on prep time by the fire. Peppers and onions are almost always chopped up ahead of time and placed in containers that fit easily into the cooler. My brother eases up desserts and sweet tooth by baking ahead of time easy to grab cookies and treats like cookies, cupcakes, brownies, and muffins. Days when the afternoons are hot and I don’t feel like cooking, I’ll grab premade pasta salad from cooler, make a sandwich, or snack on raw fruits and veggies. Vegan jerky, hummus, and granola bars are great additions for snack or to supplement meals.

3.       Don’t stress over the little things. Even the best laid plans get waylaid. It’s not the end of the world. Things happen. The fire takes forever takes forever to get hot enough to cook or rain breaks out or something burns. Adapt, move on, and don’t let it ruin the whole trip. I don’t always eat everything I pack and sometimes, my intention to make something is replaced by spending extra time in kayak or taking a nap after spending the morning on the beach. It’s okay to not follow the menu perfectly. If you forget a pan, it’s okay. Use foil or make a new plan.

4.       Treat yourself. You haven’t had a s’more since you were a kid? Grab some vegan marshmallows to roast over the fire (heavenly childhood memories when I found those) or use banana pieces in place of them. It’s okay to throw pita chips or pretzels into the basket to go with your hummus and veggies. Camping is about enjoying nature and each other, not about judgement for yourself or others.

5.       Plan ahead to make sure you have the things you need and want. How long are you going to be there? How many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners? Keep it simple on the days you set up camp and pack up camp. After setting up tents and unloading firewood, the first night is often simple or premade – my brothers favor pizza from a local shop. (Plus, it’s not uncommon for the camp grounds we stay at to have BINGO that night, and they don’t want to miss that.) The day we pack up and leave often consists of a breakfast of foil packets or muffins, lunch, if we are still there similar. We tend to avoid heating up any pans or pie irons the last day so not having to wait for them to cool before they can be safely packed away. We also plan for different things that might be going on during the weekend, especially holiday weekends where they may be fireworks or something going on.

 

Like everyone, I have my stand-bys. Tofurky brand brats hold up to the heat of cooking well and can be topped with fire cooked veggies and sauce (BBQ is my preference) or chopped up in a foil packet. Throughout the summer, fresh corn on the cob is soaked in water and cooked directly over flames. We keep it warm in an extra cooler while the rest of the meal is cooked. Potatoes wrapped in foil are a meal or side anytime of the year, and can be topped to everyone’s preference. Pie irons are filled with pizza fillings or peanut butter as snack or meal. For chili trips I often make vegan chili or mushroom vegetable stew that warms a person body and soul, and perfect to eat by a campfire. Foil packets continue to be a standby for breakfast, lunch, and dinner filled pretty much whatever you like. For dinner or lunch packets I often fill with potatoes, mushrooms, various veggies, sometimes cut up veggie sausage or beefless tips, using a hard cider with spices or olive oil. I like the flavor the hard cider infuses with the food as it gives a nice cooking liquid. Breakfast is often foil packets (because you can cook just about anything you wish, including a potato/veggie hash) or oatmeal. Sometimes waffles or French toast, but I’m not really a morning person & even the fresh air and trees of camping are not going to make me one.

Before the trip, I talk with my mom and brother who oversee the general group menu and make a plan to coincide. (He does most of the cooking on these family trips and I often help with the vegetable things.) I want to enjoy my trip and make as less work unnecessary work for me. It may seem like a trivial thing, but I’ve been a vegetarian among omnivores a long time, and sometimes eating similar and the same meals as the rest of them makes people better as ease. I still get plenty of my “weird foods” in, but there is something familiar about making veggie brats or veggie burgers for the meals they are eating the meat versions and eating mushroom stew while they eat their version. Food is communal and it can matter very much in social settings. Even the vegan marshmallows for my own s’mores make my lifestyle appear less threatening and weird to those around me and perhaps less strange for those considering limiting or cutting meat from their diet. Much of the time, this means little and in the end I’m still going to eat what I want and what I like, but it can make the differences seem less and keep peace between those contrasting ideals. For those who grew up roasting marshmallows and hotdogs over the fire, having a vegan version is comforting and reminds us of those happy childhood memories. It’s okay to take those family traditions and adapt them to your preferences and make new traditions.

Occasionally, my brother’s vegan girlfriend shows up and I share. Most of the time, it’s just me and it works. I love my family, and usually enjoy spending time with them. There is one more family camping trip planned this fall. While it will be too late in the season to think to grilled corn, there are plenty of ideas in discussion. My mom will tell you that cooking out is her favorite part of camping and its one of the few times, aside from holidays, in our busy adulthood lives that we are able to really take the time to sit down and eat together, even if that means we are seated around a campfire watching the flames dance as we balance plates on laps and side tables.
As you plan the menu, don't forget the staples- the little things like oil, salt & pepper, any seasonings you might enjoy, sweeteners (such as maple syrup, agave, raw sugar, or honey as you prefer), hot beverages such as tea bags or hot chocolate, and hot sauce. These things make life easier as tastier. I keep mine in my plastic bin in easy to use containers.

 Happy Eating!