Black Bean and Avocado Tacos with Cumin-Lime Dressing

A favorite local blog is Dishing Up The Dirt from Tumbleweed Farm in Hood River. Everything we've tried has been great, especially these tacos. They are a camping staple for a hot July summer dinner paired with an Oregon IPA.

4 corn tortillas

1/2 TBS olive oil

1 14.5 oz can of organic black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium sized avocado, chopped into small cubes

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 cups, shredded red cabbage

1 small red onion, diced

1/4 cup cilantro, diced

For the dressing

Juice from 1 lime

1 TBS olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 TBS pure maple syrup

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat add a little olive oil. Add jalapeño pepper and saute for about 1 minute. Add black beans and cook until just heated through. (About 3 minutes) Remove from heat and place beans in a bowl.

In the same skillet add a little more oil and add the tortillas and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, (or until they turn slightly brown)

Combine the beans with the cabbage, cilantro, onion, and avocado. Drizzle with cumin-lime dressing. Top each tortilla with a healthy portion of bean mixture and enjoy!

Smashed Lemon Potatoes

These potatoes are refreshing and incredibly simple. They come from the guru Ruth Reichl and are delicious with seafood, especially slow roasted salmon with grapefruit and jalapeño avocado salsa. 

• 2 pounds baby potatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Zest of 1 lemon (in thick strips)
• 2 cloves garlic
• Olive oil
• Sea salt
• Parmesan, for grating

Preheat oven to 400F.

Put the potatoes in a wide-based saucepan, add chicken stock, lemon zest and garlic (the stock may not cover the potatoes fully, that’s OK). Bring to the boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes.

Drain potatoes, picking out the lemon zest and saving it for later.

Oil an oven tray generously. Gently flatten each potato. I found the best method was to flatten them on a chopping board using the base of a small saucepan, but you could use the side of a chef’s knife or a rolling pin. Flattening them on the oven tray is possible, but the oil makes the surface slippery and the potatoes tend to dart around the tray when you try to flatten them.

With the smashed potatoes on the oven tray, drizzle them with olive oil and lay the reserved lemon zest in between the potatoes. Roast for 40 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp, golden and irresistible.

Sprinkle with sea salt and finely grate parmesan over the top.

Slow Roasted Salmon with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa

When we camp, we love to eat like locals based upon our destination. When camping near Cape Perpetua, Oregon last year, we wanted to try a new seafood recipe and decided to use up steelhead from the freezer. We found this recipe from Portland Monthly Magazine and loved it! The citrus flavor infused perfectly in the fish. We served it with Lemon Smashed Potatoes and DePonte Cellars Melon.

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large grapefruit
• 2 meyer lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa:

• 1 large grapefruit
• 1 small firm but ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 large jalapeño chili, seeded and minced
• 3 Tbs. minced red onion
• 2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro
• 1 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 250 degrees.  Cut the top and bottom off the grapefruit and one of the lemons and slice into rounds about 1/4-inch thick.  Lay the fruit on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and top with the salmon fillet.  Zest the remaining meyer lemon over the top of the fillet drizzle with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.  Roast the salmon for 25-30 minutes until the fish is opaque and slightly firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, using a sharp knife, cut off the peel and all of the white pith from all around the grapefruit. Working over a small bowl, use the knife to cut between the membranes to release the grapefruit segments into the bowl. Squeeze the juice from the membranes into the bowl. Remove the grapefruit segments from the bowl and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, then return them to the bowl. Gently mix in the avocado, jalapeño, onion, cilantro and lime juice. Season the salsa with salt and pepper.

Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Bananas are a favorite to the boys in our house and we always seems to end up with some that become over-ripe. How convenient, since a delicious way to eat said bananas are in muffin form with chocolate chips! This fantastic version comes from the talented Isa Chandra and her "Isa Does It" cookbook.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with your favorite liners (we prefer the natural parchment variety) or you can lightly oil them.

3 large very ripe bananas
1/4 cup almond or rice milk
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons coconut or canola oil
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (whole wheat pastry is good too)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Penzey's signature blend is our favorite)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas until they look pureed, with only a few small chunks left. Add the milk, applesauce, oil, ground flaxseed, and vanilla and stir vigorously with a fork.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice then add the sugar. Mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill each muffin well most of the way full with batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes. The tops should be lightly browned and a knife inserted through the center should come out clean. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. Enjoy!

Nehalem Bay Crab Cakes

• We absolutely love Dungeness crab, especially when we catch it ourselves on a beautiful day on the Oregon Coast. On a recent camping trip to Jetty Fishery, along the Nehalem Bay, we caught our own crab and made crab cakes at the campsite. We couldn't have asked for a better day, being outside and eating an amazing meal. We paired these with our Roasted Red Pepper Aioli which we made in advance of the trip. 
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• 1 pound dungeness crabmeat
• 2/3 - 3/4 cup panko crumbs (start with the smaller amount then add more if they are too moist.
• 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• Pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 egg plus 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• Olive or Canola Oil for frying
• Lemon wedges 
• Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

In a large bowl, break up crab meat into slightly smaller pieces, feeling through mixture to make sure no shell pieces remain. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine panko, peppers, green onions, parsley, Old Bay and pepper. Add to crab, then stir in mayonnaise, egg and egg white. Blend well and gently form into patties. Mixture will make 4-6 patties, depending on the size. Flatten patties, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to fry. (They can be prepared the night before.) 

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add crab cakes and fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning gently, until golden brown. Transfer to an oven at 350 degrees and cook for 10 minutes until cooked through. At the campsite, you can cook these on a grill over medium heat on a surface or pan (we have a Magma set)  and close the lid to cook through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate as done, then serve with lemon wedges and aioli. 

Pad Cashew Nut Stir Fry

Pad Cashew Nut is our go-to stir fry anytime we crave Thai. This version comes from an international food blog and it is delicious! We typically add prawns but you can keep it vegetarian, add tofu, chicken or whatever you crave. It's another very fast and easy stir fry that you can quickly throw together on a week night.

3 Tbsp cooking oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 Tbsp Thai roasted chili paste (you can find this in Asian markets)

1 ½ Tbsp fish sauce

1 ½ Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp white vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

20 medium sized peeled prawns

3 small sized sweet peppers (red or yellow), cut in large dices

1 medium sized white onion, cut into medium slices

2 spring/green onions, cut into 1 inch long slices

1 cup roasted cashew nuts

2 cups jasmine rice

Dry cracked chili (for spicy food lovers)

Cook Jasmine rice first, so when the dish is ready, the rice is ready too.

Prepare the sauce in advance too. Mix the Thai roasted chili paste, fish sauce, soy sauce, white vinegar and sugar. 

Set a frying pan or wok on a stove on medium heat, and add cooking oil. When the oil is hot, add minced garlic, and stir the garlic until it is a golden brown color, about 1-2 minutes. Add the sauce mixture, stirring until ingredients are well combined and have a thick sauce texture.

Add prawns to the sauce, stir and cook them for about 4 minutes. Don't overcook the prawns!

Add the sweet peppers and white onions and mix well. Quickly cook the vegetables, so they are still crunchy.

Turn off the heat, and add spring/green onion and cashew nuts. Stir all the ingredients until they are well combined.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice. It's fantastic with Tom Kha Soup too!

For spicy food lovers, you can sprinkle dry chili on top of the dish and enjoy.

Tom Kha Soup (Thai Coconut Milk Soup)

Tom Kha soup is one of our favorites of all time. It takes me back to college where a warm soup was the perfect remedy to a rainy Oregon day. There are many variations, depending upon which Thai restaurant you visit. This recipe is adapted from a top rated version by Sunset magazine and serves 2-3. We often pair it with a Pad Cashew nut stir fry and a really good beer. It is so easy and quick to make, much faster than waiting for take out at the local Thai restaurant!


1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1 can (14 oz.) chicken or vegetable broth
6 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh lemongrass, cut in 1-2 inch pieces so you can easily 'fish' it out later
1 cup sliced yellow onion
1 cup sliced button or crimini mushrooms

1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc mam or nam pla)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Thai chili paste
1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

You can add chicken or shrimp depending on your preference. 

• 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-in. chunks
• 16-20 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk, broth, ginger, and lemongrass and bring to boil over high heat. Add onion, mushrooms, tomatoes lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili paste. (Add chicken or shrimp here too). Reduce heat and simmer 5 to 10 minutes. If using chicken or shrimp, cook until firm and opaque.  

Discard lemongrass with a slotted spoon. Garnish servings with basil and cilantro.