Three Square

Chili Crisp Roasted Nuts

I was lucky enough to test this recipe in California’s Joshua Tree National Park during a rare stint of snow in the desert. The white-blanketed yuccas were beautiful, but it was also quite cold, so I was glad to be cooking at the campfire. We’re as obsessed as everyone else with chili crisp and this is a deconstructed version. We suggest specific nuts in the recipe, but it really doesn’t matter whether you use salted or unsalted, raw or roasted. The nuts will get roasted and smoky, and you can adjust the level of salt at the very end. The recipe keeps well and makes for an addictive snack for the drive home. —Mai-Yan

Charred Tofu Breakfast Sandwiches

I started eating vegetarian in 2011 when I was living with vegan friends. The rule was no meat in the house, and we loved cooking together, so I worked my way through Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Veganomicon cookbook and learned how to love tofu. I don’t remember ever making an official decision to quit eating meat—it just happened gradually as more of my go-tos became plant-based. These days, a family favorite standby is my childhood “egg-a-muffin” turned tofu breakfast sandwich. —Emily

Serves 4 | Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 (16-ounce) block super-firm tofu
• 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 or 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 packed cups fresh spinach
• Salt and pepper
• 4 bagels, preferably with “everything” topping
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• Marinade
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

1. Prepare the marinade by combining the vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, paprika, and cayenne in a shallow container.
2. Slice the tofu block from the short side into eight ½-inch slabs. Marinate the tofu for at least 10 minutes; if the marinade doesn’t cover the tofu, gently flip the tofu pieces halfway through.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they begin turning brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the spinach, salt, and pepper and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
5. Increase the heat to medium-high and add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add the tofu slabs and grill on both sides until brown and crispy. You may have to do this in several rounds if your skillet is small. Set aside.
6. Add more olive oil to the skillet if needed, then grill the bagel slices, cut-side down.
7. Spread cream cheese on one grilled side of each bagel. Top with 2 slabs of tofu per sandwich and a heap of greens. Top with the other bagel half.

Cajun Grits Bowls

Writing a cookbook has many perks. All the new recipes and ideas are at my fingertips, begging to be tested, which makes it so easy to plan meals. It also encourages me to think about my favorite dishes from other locales and how to recreate satisfying camp versions of them. I often think of Shrimp and Grits, and this recipe is my vegan camping answer. We make it at home a lot, but it’s more fun to make at camp, as the campfire adds smoky flavor. —Emily

Serves 4 | Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 sausages
• 1 cup grits, we like Bob’s Red Mill
• 4 cups cool water
• 3 teaspoons bouillon powder or bouillon cube equivalent
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ⅓ cup tahini
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 12 ounces spinach, frozen or fresh, chopped
• Foil-Pouch Vegetables
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Optional, for Garnish
• Green onions, sliced
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. To make the foil-pouch vegetables: Lay out a 2-foot sheet of aluminum foil and put the pepper and onion slices, olive oil, salt, and pepper in the center. Fold into a packet.
2. Place the packet on the campfire grate over medium-high heat and let cook, flipping once, until the vegetables are charred and tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile, skewer the sausages and roast over the campfire until crispy on the outside and cooked through, about 10 minutes. When cool to the touch, slice into rounds and set aside. If you forgot your skewers, these can be cooked in a foil packet.
4. In the pot on the camp stove, stir the grits, water, bouillon, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until the grits are creamy and thick, about 20 minutes.
5. When the grits are cooked, add the tahini and lemon juice and stir until combined well.
6. Stir in the spinach. If you’re using fresh spinach, you’ll need to cook it in batches, adding more as it cooks down.
7. To serve, put about 1 cup of grits in each bowl and top with vegetables and sausage. Optional: Garnish with sliced green onions and Parmesan cheese.