Category Archives: Recipes

Invasion of the Cucumbers: Health Benefits and Recipes to Make You Love Cukes More (Part 1)

Cucumbers are cooler than you think. Honestly, I’ve always thought of them as a salad afterthought – a white-ish space filler that you can take or leave. Turns out they’re pretty potent nutrient bombs and are even useful outside of the kitchen.

Why talk about cucumbers now? Because for some reason, this has been a bumper year for cucumbers in my garden; I’ve been picking 6-8 cucumbers every couple days and my fridge and counter are full. Invasion of the Cucumbers! Over the next few weeks we’ll explore new ways to eat them and reasons why we want to.

WHY WE LOVE THEM

Natural News.com had a great list of cucumber benefits. Let’s look at the first two:

1.Quick pick me-up – Cucumbers are a good source of B vitamins. Put down your sodas and coffee and eat a cucumber slice.

I haven’t tried this yet. The thought of not having coffee in the afternoon makes me sad. Perhaps if I fill a coffee mug with cucumber slices…

2. Rehydrates body and replenishes daily vitamins – Cucumbers are 95 percent water, keeping the body hydrated while helping the body eliminate toxins. Cucumbers have most of the vitamins the body needs in a single day. Don’t forget to leave the skin on because the skin contains a good amount of vitamin C, about 10 percent of the daily-recommended allowance.

At 95% water, cucumbers are like portable, spoon-free soup. This also explains why I’ve been peeing so often this summer. They’re like water you can chew.

HOW WE EAT THEM

Cucumber Peach Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 small or ½ large peach

½ banana (frozen if you’d like a cooler smoothie)

1 small or ½ large cucumber (taste the peel – if it’s bitter, peel the cucumber. If the seeds are large, remove them.)

1 Tb lemon juice

1 packet Truvia (or sugar, honey, etc)

½ cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth.

Natural News article: http://www.naturalnews.com/036769_cucumbers_health_benefits_rehydration.html#ixzz3i5YLJT64

Posted by Katie Robles. Categories: Recipes, SOUP: Water and Vegetables. Tags: cucumber benefits, cucumber health benefits, cucumber recipes, cucumber smoothie, eat your vegetables, energy boosting foods, Invasion of the Cucumbers. 3 Comments

Jun. ’15

Cooking Vegetables Over a Campfire (or Grill) 2

I’m used to boiling or steaming my vegetables, so learning to cook them over a flame or coals took a little doing, but it’s easy and delicious. If you’re camping or grilling this summer, don’t forget the veggies!

CAMPFIRE SWEET POTATOES

At home:

Place 1 Tb butter, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt in a plastic bag. Pack 1 large sweet potato (or 2 small to medium), aluminum foil, a peeler, a knife, and a cutting board.

At camp: Peel then slice the sweet potato into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the sweet potato slices in the middle of the foil and cover with the butter mixture. Lift opposite edges of the foil and bring them together; roll them together a bit. You should be looking at an aluminum tube with potatoes in the middle. Flatten the tube into a rectangle and roll the open edges a bit so that they close. Yes, this is exactly what we did with the regular potatoes last week; you should be a pro at making foil potato packets by now; or you’re pretty good at cooking lopsided wads of foil. Either way, place the packet on the grill or hot coals and cook until you can pierce the packet with a fork.

An alternate sweet potato recipe which involves even less prep is to throw a few marshmallows onto the potato slices in the packet.

CAMPFIRE ZUCCHINI

At home:

Place 2 Tb oil (olive, vegetable, coconut, etc), 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper into large ziploc bag. Pack 2 medium sized zucchini, a knife, and, if your campfire doesn’t have a grill, some sort of pan or grate to cook on.

At camp:

Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise and then into thirds lengthwise so that you end up with giant zucchini fries. Drop them into the bag of salted oil and shake to coat. Spread them out on the grill or pan or a piece of scavenged foil and cook until tender.

“Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.” Proverbs 15:17

Posted by Katie Robles. Categories: Recipes. Tags: campfire sweet potatoes, campfire zucchini, camping and vegetables, camping vegetables, grilled sweet potatoes, grilled vegetables, grilled zucchini. 1 Comment

Jun. ’15

Cooking Vegetables Over a Campfire (or Grill)

Campfire cooking is traditionally the realm of meat and sweet in our family, but we’re learning to change that. We still haul hot dogs, sausages, marshmallows, and s’more supplies up into the mountains, but now we grab a little green to go with it.

If you prep the seasonings at home and pack a knife and cutting board, you can prepare these recipes easily out in the middle of nowhere. They only require a tiny bit of cooler space.

CAMPFIRE POTATOES

At home: Place 1 Tb of butter, 1/4 tsp salt, dash of pepper, 1 clove of garlic (minced), and 1/2 small onion (sliced) into a plastic bag. Pack 1 large (or 2 small to medium) potato, a knife, a cutting board, and aluminum foil.

At camp: Slice 1 large (or 2 small to medium) potatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices.

Lay out a large piece of aluminum foil. Spread the potato slices in the middle and cover with the butter mixture. Lift opposite edges of the foil and bring them together; roll them together a bit. You should be looking at an aluminum tube with potatoes in the middle. Flatten the tube into a rectangle and roll the open edges a bit so that they close. You now have a rectangular silver potato packet ready for the fire…or a bunched up wad of aluminum with food somewhere inside, we hope.

Either way, lay it on the grill above the flames or on hot (but not flaming) coals. Flip it occasionally (if you trust your edge folding) and poke it with a fork to see if it’s done (if the fork goes through the foil and potatoes easily, it’s done). The potatoes cook through in 10-20 minutes, depending on your fire. Be careful of the steam when opening.

CAMPFIRE CORN

At home: Pack a bucket and the corn.

At camp:

Soak the corn (un-shucked) in a bucket of water all day. When you’re ready to cook, simply pull the ears out of the bucket, shake off any excess water, and lay the ears on the grill or hot coals.

Turn the ears every ten minutes or so; the corn is done when you squeeze it and it feels soft. Peel and eat.

Next week we’ll make some sweet potatoes and zucchini!

“So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred.” Ezekiel 24:10 NIV (See? Even the Bible says ‘don’t forget the sausage!’ Paraphrase mine.)

Posted by Katie Robles. Categories: Recipes. Tags: camp vegetables, campfire corn on the cob, campfire potatoes, grill vegetables. 2 Comments

Jun. ’15

Meatless Meatloaf or Cheesy-Veggie-Quinoa-Loaf (Recipe)

This recipe was given to me by a friend after she brought me a slice to try and I begged her for more. It has all of your major food groups in one pan.

Ingredients:

3 cups grated zucchini

2 cups grated carrot

8 oz cheddar cheese, grated

2 onions, chopped

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa or couscous (or some other small grain)

3/4 cup oil

4 eggs

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1 packet chicken bouillon OR 1-2 Tbsp fresh (or 1-2 tsp dry) herb(s) or your choice (When in doubt, go to Scarborough Fair: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and spread in ungreased loaf pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.