Three Square
Dirty Gourmet: uncomplicated, outdoor-friendly recipes from three friends
Chilaquiles
I make these chilaquiles, a popular Mexican breakfast dish, on special mornings at home. I’ve experimented making them many different ways and love to survey my friends about their favorite methods. The simplest is my favorite, and it’s definitely the easiest to prep on a morning at camp.
Five ingredients, one skillet, and a few minutes are all you need. You don’t even need plates. I love queso fresco here, but if you can’t find it, use shredded sharp cheddar in its place. —Emily
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon oil or cooking spray
- 3 cups of your favorite salsa
- About 30 tortilla chips (6 ounces)
- 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled
- For Serving
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Chopped cilantro
- At home, crack the eggs into a Mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. This makes for easy transport in your cooler.
- At camp, preheat the cast-iron skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Coat it with oil or cooking spray. Mix the eggs by shaking the jar. (This is a good job for kids.)
- Pour the chips into the skillet, and then immediately add the eggs over the top, stirring occasionally to scramble them and coat the chips. Add the salsa, and continue stirring to coat. Once the salsa is heated through, about 2 minutes, remove the skillet from the heat and sprinkle the mixture with the cheese.
- Serve immediately with sour cream, avocado, and cilantro.
Lemony Kale and Avocado Sandwich
This recipe evolved from a salad I make all the time at home. I tend to crave greens on the trail, and hearty ones like kale hold up even after sitting dressed in your bag all day. You can certainly eat the kale as a salad, but when piled onto a sandwich roll with smashed avocado, it becomes a hearty trailside nosh. The kale won’t wilt or bruise easily, and it gets better over the course of a day or two in a sandwich like this. —Aimee
- 2 leaves of kale
- Grated zest of half a small lemon
- Juice of 1 small lemon
- 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 sturdy sandwich rolls
- 1 avocado
- Tear the kale into small pieces and place in a medium bowl. Add the lemon zest and juice, Parmesan, and oil. Massage to coat the kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Smash one half of the avocado onto both sides of each sandwich roll. Top one side of the roll with the kale mixture and cover with the other side of the roll.
- Store in an airtight container and keep chilled.
Easy Coconut Curry
My husband, Kismat, is from India, and when we first started dating, he would bring me food that his mom made. I had never tried Indian food before I met him, and I was instantly hooked. I’ve since learned to cook it, and we make it at our house often. It’s a guaranteed way to get our kids to eat their veggies, and it makes us grown-ups happy too. This recipe is my take on a curry that’s simple enough to cook outdoors. —Aimee
- 4 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, cubed
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 (14-ounce) cans coconut milk
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ cup peas
- For Serving
- Toasted cashews
- Chopped cilantro
- Lemon wedges
- Basmati rice
- Naan
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño, and sauté for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the tofu and cauliflower, stirring to coat with the spices. Stir in the coconut milk and salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Meanwhile, in a dry skillet over low heat, toast the cashews until lightly browned, being careful not to burn them.
- Stir the peas into the curry, cooking for another few minutes, until they’re heated through. Season to taste with additional salt, if needed. Top with cashews, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon, and serve hot with basmati rice or naan.
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