Camping and Alligator Pears: Fresh Lime Guacamole

The last couple of Fridays have consisted of packing up and taking off to a camp-site or cottage. I will have you know, this does tend to be a bit more difficult for the gluten-free vegans out there. We take more preparation than your average camper. How easy- and not to mention, cheap- it would be to be able to toss hotdogs, burgers, chips, marshmallows and a fishing line into a backpack and be survival-ready. I always think I've remembered everything. That is, until it is day-3 and I have discovered I have eaten the exact same meal, with slight variation, every single time we've cooked. A girl can really only take so much re-hydrated hummus and tofu.

One thing that's great to pack to add variety on such adventures is avocado- also known as the alligator pear for its shape and texture of the outer skin. They're one of the most nutritious little savoury fruits out there. Some people (you know who you are) avoid these delicious morsels because of their fat content. People are always falsely grouping all fats into the "bad fats" category, but avocados are one of those magical things, like coconut oil, which are actually beneficial to digestion and very high in protein, vitamins and fibre.

Here is a simple guacamole recipe to enjoy. If anyone out there is allergic to corn, the closest thing I have found to a tortilla chip is a bean chip (pictured above). They're a bit expensive but can be found in specialty stores or organic sections of the grocery store, and definitely worth it if you miss corn chips as much as I do.

Salt & Pepper Kale Chips

Have you ever had vegetable chips? I don't mean the tri-coloured spinach and tomato potato chips. I'm talking about the delicious pieces off carrot, bean, parsnip and sweet potato that you can find in some bulk food stores. In university, I tried to make a version of this in my oven. What I ended up with was wilted pieces of vegetables glued to a cookie sheet. Another attempt in my dehydrator left me with bitter and tough pieces of eggplant. While my roommate tried to be polite, it's difficult to conceal involuntary nose scrunching.

I guess, for now, I'll stick to what I know. This is not ruling out the possibility of a third attempt in a year or two, perhaps with more patience and research, but one thing that doesn't let me down- save for one failed post-bar midnight snack- is a good kale chip. These are a perfect accompaniment to a summer barbecue, and can be spiced to your taste.

Salt & Pepper Kale Chips   

Ingredients   

1 bunch of kale

2 tbsp olive oil 

Pinch of sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp cajun seasoning (optional)

Directions   

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Tear kale into smaller pieces, removing the tougher stems, and put in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Mix the oil in, gently rubbing the kale with your fingers to make sure they're well coated. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss. If you like spice, sprinkle cajun seasoning. Lay them out on cookie sheets, without layering them, and bake for approximately 30 minutes, checking them often. If they are still soft in places, add more time in 3 minute increments. 

How to Grow Your Own Sprouts

Sprouts are amazing... and so satisfying and easy to grow on your own. They also often scare people, maybe because they have a pretty small window of time when they're perfectly fresh. This can be particularly true, and maybe a bit slimier, when dealing with the bigger sprouts. I have only tried two different kinds thus far: mung and alfalfa. I actually wasn't able to eat the mung bean sprouts - I found they matured at different times, leaving some a bit passed their due date and some just sprouting (I welcome comments on how to avoid this).

So, for now, I'm sticking to alfalfa- which is the kind of small, crisp sprout you would use to top your salads, wraps and sandwiches. You may have come across a small, rather expensive container in a health food store. I purchased 1/2 cup of dried seeds for just over $1.00, and decided if all I had to do was add water and rinse consistently, it couldn't be anything but profitable to explore. Two tablespoons of seeds exploded to fill a mason jar over a couple of days, and I knew I would never go back. The important rule to follow is accurately portrayed in the following quote from a Doctor Yourself website: "Once a day is not enough for taking vitamins, brushing teeth or rinsing sprouts."