Gluten-Free Vegan Leftover Oatmeal Maple Cookies

I had some leftover oatmeal this morning from a lovely farewell breakfast with two dear friends of mine who are driving across Canada before moving to New Zealand. One of them is cursed with intolerances and candida, the other eats everything. Both are adventurous, and love to eat, so cooking for them was a total treat. After saying goodbye, I was feeling sorry for myself and envious of their journey as they move on to more visits in Montreal. My self-pity was amplified as I tried to study for an exam for a correspondence course I'm taking in statistics. As if to match my mood, an amazing amount of rain started coming down in sheets- and I was determined to do something comforting. 

I dream of the oatmeal cookies my mom used to make us. They were always so perfect, and before she could get through her batter, the yield would be reduced by about 1/3 from my brother and I sneaking into the kitchen and plucking them from the cooling trays to share with friends. I told myself I was "helping" since I would try and take the ones that looked a bit darker than the others or had broken edges- she probably wanted a really uniform-looking batch, and I was a very selfless child. 

Well, I "helped" myself through this batch, too, mostly from a lack of willpower and a considerable amount of time since my last freshly baked cookie. Plus, I have to review everything before I tell you about it. In this case, I reviewed a second cookie just in case I missed something when I had the first one. And then a third, in case I missed something in the second. 

Roasted Pear and Candied Maple Walnut Salad with Dandelion Greens and White Wine Dressing

It's tough to come back to a city after days in the wilderness. The stillness of the water, dipping an oar through bouquets of lily pads and cooking around an open fire is hard to let go of. I gave a sad sigh as I plucked pine needles out of my bag at lunch today, and had to analyze and then suppress my urge to pick up branches from the ground that looked perfect for kindling on my jog home.

One big advantage to civilization is fresh vegetables. Ever considered dandelion greens? When I was little, I used to use the milk from their stems as juice for "potions" in my backyard. That, partnered with an alarming amount of accidental finger-licking afterward, has lead me to carry a somewhat negative connotation toward ingesting any part of this plant. Then I started coming across articles and recipes about their edible properties, and began to wonder why everyone was weeding and not harvesting this plant. Since I am currently yard-less, I began my own exploration of paths and fields around the city. I then quickly decided public and dog-ridden parks were not ideal for harvesting greens, and settled for grocery.

Dandelion greens are best when harvested at a very young or old age, when their bitterness is minimal. In their adolescence, they can be a bit overwhelming. To alleviate the bitterness, it helps to soak them in cold water overnight. Either way, they are rich in vitamins, antioxidants and calcium. One cup has 10% of your daily calcium intake, 32% of vitamin C and 112% of vitamin A (Self Nutrition Data). So, if you don't have a good harvest in your backyard, and aren't lucky enough to live by a somewhat sanitary field, you can find them in the grocery store in the late summer months. The sweetness of the fruit and candied nuts are a nice contrast to the slightly bitter greens in this salad.

Raw Vegan Sushi Rolls with Sunflower Seed Paste and Fresh Veggies

I'm taking to the woods on a back-country camping trip today, and have been dehydrating food for the last week. This is not particularly aesthetically pleasing- especially the curry- and I have yet to discover how desirable these meals are once rehydrated. Therefore, I won't be sharing any of those experiments with you yet.

What I will share is the result of an impromptu craving for sushi last night while packing, and a lack of sushi rice in my kitchen. I will definitely not take credit for this idea. I had my first raw sushi roll from Four Sisters, an Ottawa-based family business that makes organic and natural prepared foods. They're on board with the slow food and hundred-mile diet philosophies, and sell their products in natural food stores in the city. I am a huge fan of veggie sushi, but not a huge fan of how easy it is to overeat when the delicious morsels tucked inside tend to be surrounded by so much filler. I was so intrigued by the replacement of rice with seeds that I had to try to make my own.

You can play around with this recipe and substitute any of the veggies inside. Marinated mushrooms, steamed asparagus or sweet potato would be terrific additions or replacements. For my first go, I chose simple, which translates into using whatever I had in my fridge. I couldn't muster up the energy for a fancy dipping sauce (planning six days of meals really takes the wind out of you), but basic soy sauce worked just fine.