I am bringing a vegetarian friend to Pennsic, so my usual plan of variations on chicken stews will not work. I am trialing some camp-cooking friendly vegetarian meals. To my great dismay, I can no longer eat of the allium family, so onions and garlic are omitted. They could be added back into most of these for extra flavor.
In all cases, I'm trying to cook for 2 people, with minimal leftovers.
Kasha and Lentils with Mushrooms and Kale
As made, takes two pots. This makes an enormous amount of food, way too much for two people, with too few shrooms and greens for the amount of carbs. Would probably serve 4-6 as an entree. Will cut grains in half for Pennsic. Also, not entirely satisfying. I'm thinking of serving cheese and fruit as a dessert with this, to give a little more satiety.
- 1 c. kasha
- 1 c. lentils
- 1 pint sliced mushrooms (any kind you like)
- about half a pound of kale
- butter or oil
- salt, pepper, seasonings (onion powder, smoked paprika)
Boil 2.5-3 c. of water for the lentils. Add lentils, cover with tilted lid (or per lentil instructions), reduce to simmer and cook. My lentils were supposed to take 30-45 min.
Rinse mushrooms, wash kale. Tear kale into bite-sized pieces.
In cast iron Dutch oven (or other large heavy-duty pot), melt butter over medium heat. (Or use oil.) Saute mushrooms, then add kale. Season to taste - make it strong, because the starches will stretch it.
Add 2 c. of water, bring to a boil. Add kasha, cover and cook, 10 min. If kasha finishes before lentils, cover and remove from heat. It should keep warm.
Lesson learned: Don't dump the lentils in with the kasha and figure you can just cook it together. The kasha kernels will explode when overcooked, getting all mushy. Tastes fine, not the best texture.
Something Approximating Red Beans and Rice
As made, takes two pots. I had wanted to smash some of the beans for thickener and leave some for texture, but the can needed to be entirely smashed to make sauce. I don't want to add another can, though, because the amount this made seems right. This had a lot of pepper/celery, but I think it gave it good flavor. Super starchy, would benefit from a side of sauteed greens or a salad for balance.
- 1 can red kidney beans (you could make from dried if you want, more power to you)
- 1 c. white rice (brown would be more nutritious, but takes a really long time to cook and I have other things to do at Pennsic)
- 1 green bell pepper
- 3-4 stalks of celery
- Oil or butter
- Creole seasoning to taste (or your own blend of onion and garlic powder, chili powder, salt, pepper)
Put rice and 2 c. water in small pot. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, cover and let cook 10 min. If it finishes early, turn off heat and let sit; it'll stay warm.
Chop most of the bell pepper and the celery into little bitty pieces.I think I did about 1/2" dice and I'm thinking of going smaller. Saute until tender in oil or butter in cast iron Dutch oven or other large pot.
Drain and rinse kidney beans. Add to pepper and celery. Using a masher, muddler, or some smashing tool, smash beans in the pot. Add water gradually until bean paste forms a sauce with a nice consistency. There will be bean skins in it; it will not be perfectly smooth. They've fiber and good for you! Season with Creole seasoning; it's okay to make it a little strong since the rice will cut it.
Put rice into serving bowls; I like to add a pat of butter for flavor. Spoon beansauce over rice.
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