Dissolve honey and yeast in warm water. Stir together whole wheat flour and salt. Pour yeast and water into flour mixture, add olive oil, and mix well. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to absorb water. Then turn out onto surface sprinkled with all purpose flour and knead for about 8 – 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding just enough flour as you go to keep it manageable. Grease inside of clean bowl with oil or butter. Place dough in and turn to grease. Cover with moist towel or plastic wrap or plate and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 – 2 hours.

Gently deflate and pinch or cut into about 10 pieces. Cover with tea towels and let rest about 10 minutes. Roll each ball out on lightly floured surface to about 5 or 6 inch circles approximately 1/4 inch thick. Recover with tea towels. Let rise 20 – 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 500*F with rack at lowest setting. Preheat baking stone or cookie sheet, or you can also bake right on the oven rack. Bake two or three at a time about 2 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned. Remove with metal tongs or spatula.
Cover with tea towel as they come out of the oven. Store in zip loc plastic bag.

Measure sesame seeds, olive oil and 1 Tbsp liquid into blender. Blend until pureed. Add chickpeas, about 1 Tbsp liquid, lemon juice, garlic cloves, salt, and chili powder or red pepper flakes. Puree again in blender until smooth. Add additional liquid if necessary to blend, but should be thick. Taste and adjust if necessary, adding extra garlic, lemon, chili powder, or salt. Garnish with a pinch of paprika powder and drizzle a tablespoon or so of olive oil over the top. Serve with pita bread or vegies.

Easy Puliogare (Tamarind Rice)

1 cup basmati rice
2 cups water

1 Tbsp oil (approx)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 Tbsp MTR Puliogare Powder (or substitute another brand of Tamarind Rice Powder – a masala or spice blend specifically for making this type of rice)
1 Tbsp dry coconut powder (opt)
1/3 cup (about a handful) raw Spanish peanuts (can substitute roasted, unsalted peanuts, but raw is best)
salt to taste (only if it needs it)

Cook basmati rice according to directions. Heat oil over medium heat, add mustard seeds, peanuts, puliogare and coconut powders. Heat a couple minutes and then mix nicely with the rice. Taste and add salt if necessary.

To try something different and because I didn’t feel like frying, this time I baked them in a hot oven. For the record, although still tasty, they pale in comparison to the fried version. Additionally, I used an oil dough; I think a shortening pastry dough would produce better results.

Alu Matar Samosa (Potato and Pea Filled Pastry)

Filling:
4 – 6 potatoes – boiled and peeled (about 3 cups or a little more)
1/2 cup chopped onions (approx.)
1/2 cup peas (approx. can omit)
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 – 2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp whole cumin
1 hot green chili pepper – finely diced
1/2 tsp pure hot chili powder or cayenne pepper

Coarsely mash potatoes together with the rest of the filling ingredients.

Dough:1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
scant 1/4 cup canola oil or shortening
sufficient water to make workable dough (about 1/3 cup)
pinch of salt

Stir salt into flour, then stir in oil, or cut in shortening. Add water to make dough (use warm water if using oil, cold water if using shortening). Divide into 8 balls and roll each out into a thin circle about the size of a saucer. Note: Shortening makes a flakier pastry.

Cut circle in half.

Shape into a cone. Use a dab of water to moisten overlapping edges, and press together to seal.

Fill with a large spoonful of potato filling, leaving enough room at the top to seal.

Seal top edge. Moisten fingertip with a bit of water and run along one side. Press sides together, then fold over and pinch repeatedly all the way across.

Continue until all samosa are made (you may end up with extra filling, and that’s okay – it’s good to eat as is).

Heat oil in pot until hot and fry to a light brown.(Note: Not shown. Maybe next time…)

OR
Bake on cookie sheet in hot 450*F oven until lightly browned and crisp, about 15 – 20 minutes.

Serve with ketchup or chutney (eg. mint).

Yum!

(You’ll note, no peas in the picture. For one: I’m the only one who seems to like them in my family. For two: I forgot.)

The recipe is a bit general, adjust quantities to amount of vegetables you are coating, and the amount of heat and spice you like. Regular teaspoons and serving spoons, ladles and tea cups are often used for measuring. A pinch of this, a handful of that…

There are different variations to the basic recipe, not everyone makes it the same. For instance, some use tomato paste, others use a bit of garlic and/or ginger for flavor. Water is used in place of buttermilk in some recipes. The most common vegetables used are onion, potato, cauliflower and spinach. Using a mixture of vegetables keeps it interesting!

Pakora (Sabji Pakora / Sabzi Pakora – Vegetable Fritters)

1 large onion, cut up or sliced in rings
1 1/2 to 2 potatoes, sliced thin
2 – 3 hot green chilli peppers, diced

Optional:
- cauliflower, cut up
- spinach
- green onion
- other vegetable

dhaniya (coriander seeds) – a little bit for flavor
1 heaping teaspoonful garam masala, or to taste
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt, or to taste
cayenne or pure chilli powder, to taste (optional)
tomato paste – 1 big spoonful
buttermilk – pour in 1/2 – 2/3 cup
chana (chickpea) flour – 2 big ladles full (about 1 cup)
water to moisten, if needed
oil for deep frying

1. Mix all ingredients together with hands to make a medium-thick batter. Add more chana flour or water if needed to make batter the right consistency. Batter should coat vegetables, but not too thickly. Should taste salty and spicy hot. Taste and adjust if necessary.
2. Heat oil in pan. Oil is ready when a small bit of batter dropped in comes right back to the top.
3. Drop in small handfuls of batter and fry until brown. Dip out with slotted spoon (round metal style is good) and pile onto plate.
5. Eat hot – with ketchup is best, or chutney.

Portzelky (say “portzelchya”)

2 cups milk
2 eggs, well beaten

1 cup warm water
1 tsp. sugar
2 pkgs. yeast (4 1/2 tsp)

4 1/4 – 5 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups raisins

1. Scald milk, then cool to lukewarm. Add beaten eggs and beat all together well.

2. Dissolve 1 tsp. sugar and yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Stir yeast mixture into milk and egg mixture.

3. In large bowl, mix flour, salt and 1 Tbsp. sugar. Make well and pour in liquids. Stir all together well. Add raisins and stir in.

4. Let raise until doubled.

5. Stir down and let raise again.

6. To deep fry, drop by spoonfuls into hot fat or oil, heated to about 350*F. Bake until browned on both sides, about 4 -5 minutes, to make sure center is done.

7. Serve warm. Very good dipped or rolled in sugar.

Keeps well frozen for later use. May be reheated in the oven.

Makes about 4 – 5 dozen.

Mix cream cheese and picante sauce and spread in the bottom of a casserole dish, or on a large plate.  Next, layer on refried beans, then guacamole, then sour cream.  Sprinkle on grated cheese, tomato, green onions and olives.  Serve dip with tortilla chips.

Customize by adding other nuts, seeds and dried fruit, such as: almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, banana chips, dried papaya or pineapple chunks, dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, dried apples, apricots, coconut, yogurt-covered raisins…etc.

Other ingredients, such as dry cereal, granola, pretzels, chocolate chips, m&m’s, miniature marshmallows, tiny crackers, etc. can be added, as well. 

Just mix all ingredients together in a bowl and store in sealed container or ziploc plastic bags in cool, dry place.

Keep in mind, some things don’t keep as well as others.  For real on-the-trail use, you will need to consider the climate and how you will carry your snack when selecting ingredients and containers.  For example: chocolate will melt in hot climates and warm hands;  marshmallows can grow hard; crackers and cereal can get slightly ’soggy’ when in with moister dried fruits.  Plastic bags take up less room in pockets, but make sure they are durable and well-made enough that they don’t easily rip or fall open. 

In the old days, some of the First Nations peoples of North America - particularly in colder climes – used to carry a trail mix with them in leather or hide ”pemmican pouches”.  “Pemmican” was made of  a mixture of pounded up dried meat and fat, and often dried berries, as well.  Incidentally, the word “pemmican”, or “pimîhkân”, comes from the Cree language.

Microwave sliced onion and diced green pepper for 3-4 minutes in a microwavable bowl.  Stir in 3 Tbsp. salsa. 

Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese over each tortilla, place beef slices on top of cheese, then salsa mixture, dividing up evenly.  Fold tortillas in half.

Heat quesadillas for about 2 minutes each side on a preheated skillet, until cheese is melted and beef is hot.  Serve quesadillas with remaining salsa, either on top or beside.