What is ecology cooking?Joyfully creating dishes
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Dear Universe: Someday I’d like to have a whole new website called Ecology Cooking so AdventureBuddies can explore how to create healthy & environmentally friendly recipes. Until then, here are some ideas. This page is dedicated to my husband who is the lucky? recipient of my experiments. That's Bob standing on Mt. Tam next to Sulphur Shelf, an edible FungusAmongus (we do NOT eat fungus in the wild) when it grows on conifers (so we're told by the experts at the Oakland Museum) |
Ecology Cooking Tip:
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Buying in bulk usually saves packaging and money. Throwing stuff away is bad for the planet and your pocketbook. Proper storage is the key to buying in bulk. We use a Foodsaver with roll bags. Make soup, lasagna, etc and store extra in your freezer. A Foodsaver will pay for itself very quickly in saving food from spoilage. We can keep brie for months. Freeze bulk grains to prevent bugs, then store in glass jars.
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Hiking Food Tips:
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Hiking food we like:
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Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Favorite Utensil: Silicone Spatulas – Scrape every piece of that yummy dish – no waste with your selection of colorful, handy, flexible spatulas. Store them hanging or on your counter in your favorite colorful jar. Use often. |
Agave AlmondsThis recipe is one I've perfected after about 40 iterations. When done just right, they do not stick together when cool. They are lightly sweet and extremely flavorful. Excellent Holiday Gift for your hiking buddies, great trail snack. Agave syrup is like watery honey and is available at many health food stores. From the label: a low glycemic sweetener more slowly absorbed into the body preventing spikes in blood sugar. 25% sweeter than sugar, so use less. |
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Mix all ingredients (except Almonds) into a muddy paste. The thicker the paste/the less agave, the more stirring and the less the almonds stick together when done. This will seem like a strangely small amount of coating – it’s the stirring that makes the dish…plus it’s great exercise! Add all almonds and stir like crazy until completely coated (fold with a large spoon from bottom to top.) Spread onto 2 large baking sheets (I like Analon). Bake for 15 to 20 minutes Stir – folding outside edges in toward center. Cook another 15 minutes and repeat this until almonds brown and are lightly brown in the middle when cut in half (this is important) Let cool. While cooling – massage (careful, they’re hot at first) and move almonds around so they don’t stick together & sprinkle with pinches of salt, most of which will not adhere. Use remainder of salt in your next creation. When completely cool, transfer to air tight container and vacuum seal or store in glass jars in fridge. store your nuts in the fridge or freezer – they stay fresh that way. Part of ecology cooking is not letting things spoil or go rancid. |
Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Store nuts in the fridge or freezer – they stay fresh that way. We like mason jars or used mayo jars. Part of ecology cooking is not letting things spoil or go rancid. |
WrapsWraps are easy to make and seem exotic OTT (on the trail) or your picnic or pot luck. Make no mistake - on a hard hike or paddle, PB&J is still the food of choice, but if you have the luxury of not having to hike hard after lunch, wraps are marvelous. The soft rectangular flat bread (such as those found at Trader Joes) make wonderful, healthy, low cal, high energy sandwiches. See Spreads below |
Base - lay the flat bread out onto your work surface. Silicone spatula your spread (see sample recipe below) out to the very ends, being sure to have spread for adhesion on the final end. Fill with: avocado, red/yellow pepper, feta & pine nuts. Fresh pear & brie. Smoked Salmon & veggies – Be Creative! If you use tomato, pat dry first and lay along just one section. If you use spinach or arugula, you can lay it over all the fillings and roll up, leaving space at the end for the "binder." If you use pine nuts or anything that can fall out, be sure to put them on a section with a "binder" like avocado or spread. The secret is in the rolling & wrapping up – Practice! Roll up either long ways (if you need more sandwiches) or the way you'd get more rolls. Actually, it's like folding, approx 2" folds each. If you lay your fillings in approx 2" sections, that makes them a bit more interesting. Wrap tightly in saran wrap and gently press to get the air out and blend ingredients. Pre-cut or bring whole and slice as part of your presentation. Use sawing motion with serrated knife for best results and practice this. |
Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Cloth napkins – all the time, not just for special occasions! |
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Here’s a cookbook that I like - healthy, low fat with FLAVOR. So often I tell a friend, a pinch of this, a taste of that - I create and improvise. That does not work for everyone. This is a very friendly-to-use, healthy cookbook that I highly recommend. One thing, I would add mint to the Quinoa Tabouli and I would lose the cilantro in other recipes, but that's me. |
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Ecology Cooking Tip: |
I generally cook once a week – an afternoon of creating & experimenting. During the week, we augment with salads and fresh items, but our team eat “prepared” foods that save a TON of money over eating out and are significantly more nutritious. Plus we know that our (mostly organic) meals are made with love, low salt & high nutrition. |
Got a lemon tree?
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Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Use your oven wisely. Plan your meals to conserve heat. Example: Roast beets & root veggies while the free range turkey is cooking. |
INSECT REPELLANTp.248 “Herbs for Health and Healing” by Kathi Keville, Rodale Press, 1998 |
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Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Rinse your organic vegetables in a big pot or bucket. Then use the water to water your plants. |
Peppered PecansSnack to prepare before a trip. |
Preheat oven to 250 degrees, Melt butter in small skillet, add hot sauce, garlic & salt, sauté for 1 minute Toss pecans in butter mixture and spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet Bake for about 1 hour or until pecans are crisp, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes |
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Have you ever seen America's Test Kitchen on PBS? They test & come up with the best way to do every day type recipes. They rate equipment & food products. They're a great resource! These cookbooks are amazing values, well organized and we love them! |
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SEASONAL
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In food processor, grind sunflower seeds, add rest of ingredients and whirl away into a yummy colorful spread that you can put on crackers, morning toast or serve as a side dish. Spread freezes very well! |
Kabocha or Sweet Potato Pancakes |
To your favorite healthy pancake mix Add cooked Kabocha Squash or 1 Small Sweet Potato Adding egg whites and vegetables ups the protein and nutritional quality. Add almond extract, toasted pecans, cinnamon or any spice you like to make a more interesting pancake. The flavor is so yummy, you’ll use less syrup. |
Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Water is a precious resource. We like Dr. Bonner’s Peppermint Soap for our non-organic vegetables. It rinses quickly and cleanly. It’s versatile. We use a big pot or bucket to wash all, then rinse all so it’s quick and conserves water. |
Low Cal Spreads |
You'll need a food processor for this one. Process together:
Enjoy instead of mayo, use on wraps, crackers, toast |
Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Get superb quality pans and take good care of them. Either hang them or use extra dish towels between them – always. It’s more ecological to take care of good quality gear than to have to frequently replace lower quality equipment. |
Healthy-ish Dessert |
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Ecology Cooking Tip: |
Good ingredients = good meals! |
Comments/ Suggestions/ Feedback ??Ecology Cooking Tips |
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