Paddle Meals: Mix It Up

October-November 2006

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
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By Deb Leach

For paddle trips, I like to take along fresh ingredients and a few mixes (in foil pouches) to punch up meals. Coconut cream is excellent for poaching fish or mellowing a curry. Hollandaise kicks “Eggs in Muffins” up a notch. Before you go, mix up and bake some polenta cakes with cooked veggies—compliments of Simple Foods for the Pack, a cookbook lent to me by my friend Teri.

EGGS BENNY

Bring along a foil pack of Hollandaise sauce to mix with water, a tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Place poached eggs over smoked salmon or sliced ham or 5-second (precooked) bacon on English muffins and drizzle with Hollandaise. (The sauce mix is also lovely with fresh fish.)

POLENTA CAKES

Makes 1 dozen

These are like small casseroles—eat them with cheese for lunch or with soup or fried fish for supper.

1 cup polenta or cornmeal

2 tablespoons soy grits or textured vegetable protein (TVP)

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups water

2 onions, grated or chopped fine

2 carrots, grated

2 small zucchini, grated or chopped fine

1 garlic clove, minced

5 tablespoons tahini or sesame butter

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

2 teaspoons honey (optional)

1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

¼ cup milk powder (optional)

Cook polenta and grits in salt and water until very thick, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté vegetables until browned. Combine all ingredients and allow to cool. Form into 12 patties, place on cookie sheet and bake in 300°F oven until firm and golden brown, about 30-45 minutes.

Variations: use cashew or almond butter instead of tahini; mashed leftover vegetables; nuts or pumpkin seeds in place of sunflower seeds. Season with basil, oregano, savory, chervil or tarragon.

MINESTRONE

Minestrone is Italian for “clean out the crisper!” Use a packet of Minestrone Soup mix, add water, a couple of cups of chopped veggies (e.g. carrots, celery, onions, rutabagas) along with a can of tomatoes, a can of kidney beans and a couple of handfuls of small noodles. Or toss in leftover rice or noodles.

© Debbie Leach enjoys paddling and working on ActNow BC Healthy Eating initiatives out of Victoria.among schoolchildren.