After camping I haven't been making many dishes since I had leftovers for what seemed like ever! I ate bowl after bowl of that awesome chili and forgot to tell you about my other pre-made camping dish!

Camping is traditionally considered a meat and potato event, you grill steaks and burgers and hot dogs, eat chips and drink beer. I have been on many a camping trip where only those things were brought and breakfast, lunch, and dinner consisted of hot dogs washed down with more hot dogs. Since I like to eat healthy and am a vegetarian I was determined to create a few dishes for non-meat eaters or those who didn't want to only consume ground beef.

My veggie chili was perfect for the cold nights we encountered but my Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea and Quinoa salad was an amazing and diverse meal that retained its flavor and was equally as delicious served warm or cold.

When creating dishes I often try to go with a theme or flavor profile that incorporates all of the things that I love. Therefore, this dish combined sunflower seeds, dates, cumin, roasted eggplant, lemon and a new delight, that John from Royal Acres Farm insisted I try - celery greens! I also threw in some Parmesan cheese but it was completely optional.

Overall, the salad was hearty to make you feel satisfied when camping but light enough so that you could take a hike after eating it. I hope that you enjoy!

Roasted Eggplant, Chickpea, Date, and Quinoa Salad with Celery Greens

4 cups of Eggplant, cubed

2 cups of Quinoa

4 cups of Water

2 tbs Cumin

4 tbs Olive Oil

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 cup Sunflower Seeds

1 cup Dates, chopped

2 cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup Celery Greens, lightly chopped

1 Lemon, juiced

Parmesan Cheese and Additional Sunflower Seeds for Garnish

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cube eggplant and toss with 2 tbs olive oil, sea salt and cumin. Spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 30 - 40 minutes until browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the 2 cups of quinoa, reducing to simmer and covering. Cook until water is absorbed then fluff with rice.

Combine the eggplant, quinoa, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, dates, and celery greens in a large bowl. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon, tossing to combine. Season with salt to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and additional sunflower seeds and enjoy!

I am so excited! The sun is still warm and the nights are cooling off and this weekend I am going to be escaping into the woods to do some camping! I personally love camping and not that RV nonsense, the sleeping in a tent, cooking over a fire, snacking out of a cooler camping!

There is something so satisfying and serene about hiding out in the woods, I often fantasize about becoming a survivalist and escaping deep into the forest with no technology, no noise and no stress. I am a total nemophilist and love to partake in werifesteria and have incredibly romantic notions about living off of the grid.

This camping trip is not the serene escape that I usually enjoy but instead is a time of celebration and a gathering for a number of friends from far and near so some planning does need to take place. It always seems that camping in general revolves around food and drink and this time is no different. As a vegetarian, I cannot just rely on hamburgers and hotdogs to see me through so I have to become a little creative especially since I want to share my bounty with others.

Not only have I packed up some veggie burgers and marinated some carrot dogs but I decided to throw together a batch of my delicious, hearty, and warming Cocoa Chipotle Chili filled with sprouted beans, TVP, corn, and a touch of cocoa powder to mellow that spicy little kick. TVP, better known as Texturized Vegetable Protein is made from soybeans and is a wonderful meat substitute that will likely trick all of you meat eating friends. I always let everyone taste it before I let it out of the bag that it is a Vegetarian/Vegan meal as I like people to embrace eating healthy even if trickery is involved.

I like to pre-make a few things when going camping so that way I can spend more time with friends soaking in the atmosphere, hiking, kayaking or meandering instead of chopping veggies in the woods. This way I can throw the pot on the fire, do a little stirring and then divvy it up and enjoy. I hope that you try this awesome warming Chili as fall descends on us. Enjoy and healthy eating!

Cocoa Chipotle Vegetarian Chili with Sprouted Beans and TVP

2 cups of TVP

2 cups of Water, boiling

2 tbs Olive Oil

2 medium Onions, chopped

2 Sweet Peppers, chopped (you can use a mix of colors, I used 1 bell and 2 Italian peppers because I had them on hand)

4 large cloves of Garlic, chopped

1 -2 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, chopped (the rest reserved for another purpose)

1 Jalapeno, seeds removed and chopped

1 tbs Cumin

1 1/2 tbs Chili Powder

1 1/2 tsp Oregano

1 pinch of Cinnamon

1 tbs of Lime or Lemon Juice

6 cups of Sprouted Beans or 4 cans of Beans (I used a mix of black and kidney beans)

1 1/2 cups of fresh Corn

3 (14oz) cans of Stewed Tomatoes in their juice

1 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt

1 tbs Cocoa Powder

Place the 2 cups of TVP in a large bowl, pour the boiling water over top and let hydrate. Put aside.

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions, peppers, garlic, and chipotle to the oil, sauteing for 5 minutes or so until tender. Add the spices, lime or lemon juice, beans, corn, TVP, and stewed tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to simmering for 30 minutes.

Stir in cocoa powder and salt to taste. Divide into bowls or cups and top with your desired condiments. Enjoy!

I always let my chili rest for a few days in order to develop the flavors. This chili is awesome the first day but even better after 2 days so if you can make it ahead, do so.