Three Square
Light, vibrant spring camp cooking from an upscale plant-based chef
Shaken Oats with Apples and Bananas
Instant oatmeal is a standard campsite breakfast, mostly because it’s easy, comforting, and you can buy a box of the stuff at nearly any grocery or convenience store you pass on the way to camp. But those instant oatmeal packets are often loaded with sugar and the resulting bowl is not something you look forward to when climbing out of a sleeping bag in the morning.
This version elevates oats to a real-deal breakfast treat. It’s thickened with oat milk and sweetened with maple syrup, rich dates, and whatever fresh fruit you’d like. Apples and bananas make an excellent topping and are readily available, so that’s what tops this recipe, but you could use blueberries and strawberries, too, if you prefer.
It’s almost as easy as boiling an oatmeal packet, much healthier, and tastes like something served at a hip brunch place with a line snaking out the door.
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 cups oat milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup quick oats
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
- 1 Fuji apple, chopped
- 1 ripe banana, sliced into coins
- At home: In a lidded jar, combine the oat milk, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Tightly screw on the lid and shake the mixture well. The mix can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for use at camp.
- In a separate jar, add the oats, chopped dates, and salt; this jar can also be prepared in advance.
- At camp: Pour the maple mix into a pot and heat on medium-high. When it begins to boil, turn off the heat and pour into the jar with the oats and dates. Screw on the lid and shake until the oats and maple cream are fully combined. Keep the lid on tightly and let rest for two minutes.
- Remove the lid and top with the apples and banana.
Jerk Pineapple and Avocado Tacos
If you’ve ever had al pastor tacos, you know they’re a mouthwatering combo of the savory richness of spiced pork, the sweetness of pineapple, and the tartness of lime juice. The crunch of fresh, cool cabbage contrasts the soft corn tortilla and its delicious filling. This recipe provides the same flavors and luxurious mouthfeel, but without the fattiness of the pork. It’s a lighter, brighter, healthier version of a taqueria staple.
Pineapple is terrific in this taco, but if it’s not your jam or you can’t find a good fresh one, you can substitute pretty much any hardy fruit. Mangoes work and so do papayas. You can even try it with apples or pears. This dish is meant to be cooked over an open fire, but if that isn’t an option at your campsite, you can sear the fruit in a frying pan.
- 1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into thin wedges
- ½ head green cabbage, shredded
- 2 avocados, diced
- 1 lime cut into wedges
- Corn tortillas
- Marinade
- 4 limes
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 3 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- Salsa
- 5 Roma or other small tomatoes, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 limes
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Preheat grill over wood or charcoal fire.
- In a container that seals, combine all the spices for the marinade. Add the juice of 4 limes and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Stir or shake until the ingredients are well mixed. Add the pineapple wedges and let sit for at least 3 minutes.
- In a separate container, mix all the ingredients for the salsa and let that rest for a few minutes while the pineapple marinates.
- Place the marinated pineapple wedges carefully on the heated grill. They’ll cook fast. Flip the pineapple once to get a nice char on each side. When the pineapple is done, remove it and set aside. Heat the tortillas on the grill until soft.
- To assemble, pile shredded cabbage on a tortilla then layer with slices of the pineapple. Top with diced avocado hunks, then spoon the salsa over the taco fillings. Serve with sliced lime wedges on the side.
Snap Pea Stir Fry With Brown Rice
Fresh vegetables taste better when camping. If this is not technically a natural law, it should be. This stir fry uses sturdy veggies that transport well, cook quickly, and will keep for a few days in a cooler without wilting. The seasoning is simple—just soy sauce and ground black pepper, so it prepares with minimal fuss.
If you want to save time at camp, prep the vegetables at home and bring them pre-sliced in a sealed container. That will also mean fewer utensils to clean at your campsite and more time relaxing in a camp chair after dinner.
The key to this stir fry, as with any good stir fry, is a very hot pan and constant movement. Also, quality soy sauce is worth the splurge. Cheap stuff will be okay, but the better the soy sauce, the better the stir fry.
- 4 ounces snap peas, cleaned (about 14 pods)
- 6 button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 4 tablespoons neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1¾ cups water
- Preheat a sauté pan (carbon steel or cast iron) on high heat. Add the rice, water, and 1 tablespoon of oil to a pot. Bring to a boil. Once the water boils, lower the heat to a simmer, put a lid on the pot, and cook for about 40 minutes. After the rice is cooked, turn the heat off but keep the lid on to preserve the warmth.
- Once your pan is nice and hot, pour in the oil. Add the onions, garlic, and snap peas. Cook the aromatics, constantly stirring, until slight color starts to develop. Next, add the bell peppers and mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes, still stirring or flipping the veggies in the pan.
- Slowly pour in the soy sauce while stirring. Finish with the black pepper, making sure it’s well incorporated. Add more soy sauce or black pepper to taste.
- Scoop some of the cooked rice onto a plate, pile the stir fry on top, and drizzle extra sauce from the pan on the veggies.
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