Time to Chill, Cook, and Dine

After that invigorating hike, we decided to chill a bit, and the awning finally got deployed, as well as our outdoor chairs and table.  I guess the bright sun and altitude just made this a perfect location.

Carol whipped up a couple of dishes (Pasta Primavera and Thai Yellow Curry with Crispy Tofu), so we'd have multiple meals (and leftovers) that would keep us going for a while.   The Curry recipe is at the end of this post, and the Pasta recipe will be included in a later post.

Making Shade, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Vegan Cookathon, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Now That's Camping!, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Cheers!, Glen Canyon NRA, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The Curry recipe looks rather complicated, but it's actually pretty "easy" since it is made in just one pot.  It shows what can be done in an RV with the proper canned goods, fresh produce, and most importantly, spice selection!  These can be prepared in parallel (along with the rice).

Crispy Tofu (Vegan), makes 8 servings:

2 packages extra firm tofu, drained and pressed to remove as much water as possible

Cut into 1" x 1.5" x 1/2" thick pieces for griddle frying (on 2 flat sides)

Roll in spice mixture (1/4 cup Kirkland Organic No-Salt Spice Mix + 2 tsp curry powder)

Heat griddle and brush on a tiny bit of avocado oil to crisp up each side of tofu pieces

Thai Yellow Curry (Vegan), makes 8 servings:

1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 small orange bell pepper, chopped fine

2 medium sweet onion, chopped fine

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced into small pieces

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

4 sliced carrots

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 1/2 cup golden raisins

2 15-ounce can regular coconut milk

1 15-ounce can light coconut milk

4 tsp garam masala

2 tsp cumin

1 TBS turmeric

1 TBS coriander

1 teaspoon ground sea salt

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 TBS fresh ginger, minced

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS dried lemongrass

Add all ingredients in Dutch Oven. Simmer covered for 2 hours, stir every 30 mins.

Add 1-2 cans of water (optional) for desired consistency
Serve curry over brown rice, and top with Crispy Tofu

Slowing Down (Literally and Figuratively)

So after the breakneck pace to get to Fort Worth (on I-45 -- don't do it), we made a conscious decision to "slow down".  From now on we'll keep the speed limited to 55 mph, and ideally, avoid all interstates.  We figure this will be a better way to see the country, keep Thistle Dew Too happy, and remain relaxed.  And when possible, we'll spend multiple days in one location to "smell the roses".

So we drove past a recommended TX state park (Mineral Wells) because it was really close to Fort Worth, and decided to rest in a picnic area along RT 180.  Turns out this is allowed in TX and many other states -- you can stay in your vehicle, but must leave within 24 hours.  This policy sounds very reasonable to me, and would make for safer roads everywhere, I suspect.

So anyways, we found a nice picnic area (GPS: 32.7598 -98.991295) west of Breckenridge that overlooked Hubbard Creek Lake and a mile long bridge across it.  A very nice place to park for the night and watch the sunset.

TD2 at Picnic Area, Rt 180, Breckenridge, TX, GPS 32.7598, -98.991295, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sitting Room View, Rt 180, Breckenridge, TX, GPS 32.7598, -98.991295, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And now having been on the road for a couple of weeks, we had eaten through most of the prepared foods that Carol had made for us at home.  So now, after restocking veggies and other fresh food in Fort Worth, it was time to try vegan cooking on the road.

And yes, we have proven what all you experience travelers already know, it is possible.  Carol whipped up a yummy salad (including spinach, red pepper, sweet onion, celery, carrot, beets, garbanzo beans, black olives, tomatoes, capers, apple, and walnuts).  Yum!  She also made a one-pot sweet potato and lentil soup/stew.  Both of these are vegan, using no oil, so they are quite healthy (and yummy).  

RV Vegan Cooking, Rt 180, Breckenridge, TX, GPS 32.7598, -98.991295, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Yummy and Healthy, Rt 180, Breckenridge, TX, GPS 32.7598, -98.991295, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

And should anyone be interested in this one-pot recipe, here it is, based on www.thevegan8.com (modifications in yellow by Carol):

Recipe: Makes about 8 cups Prep: 15 mins Cook: 30 mins
Gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free, practically fat-free
Nutrition per 1 cup serving: 143.8 calories/ 34.3 carbs/ 15g protein/ 1.25g fat

1 lb bag of dry green lentils
1 large sweet onion
5 large garlic cloves
3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into bite size chunks
6 oz (1 can) tomato paste
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons smoked paprika (don’t omit!)
1/2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sea salt (add more to desired taste)
Optional:  ~2 cups of vegetable juicer pulp (we got from our friends).  Made it very hearty -- more like a stew than a soup, and very yummy.

Rinse lentils well and add them into a large pot with 8 cups of water. Next, peel and chop the sweet potatoes into bite size tomato paste and stir well to combine everything. Bring to a boil, stir, and turn to simmer and put the lid on with it slightly tilted to let some of the steam escape. Simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender, but not mushy, stirring a few times during the cooking process. If you cook it too fast, the lentils will not become tender.