Outdoor recipes (green and fresh)
Taking a vacation doesn’t have to mean giving up on your dietary habits. Actually, it can even represent a new start, like trying out easy vegetarian meals, which can give you a much-needed rush of energy for all those hikes and bike rides you will be taking!
Here are 5 meals with the ability to transform any holiday park vacation from drab to absolutely fab!
Tossed Salad with Green Goddess Dressing (Vegetarian) 25’
This fresh bouquet of vitamins offers you and your family a high dose of minerals during the summer months, necessary for the healthy workings of the body and an energetic lifestyle. Serve it up on its own, as an afternoon snack or next to a bigger dish, you will thank all the green leaves in it later for fueling your adventures.
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/4 c. parsley
- 3 tbsp. fresh tarragon
- 1 tsp. lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 small clove garlic
- 2 anchovy filets
- 1 (.75-ounce) bunch fresh chives, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 heads lettuce or 1 small head green leaf lettuce, torn
- 4 cucumbers, sliced
- 3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
Preparation
Puree the avocado, parsley, tarragon, lemon zest and juice, oil, garlic, anchovies, and 1/4 cup chives in a blender. Season this with salt and pepper. You can thin the consistency with additional lemon juice or water if needed.
Cut the remaining chives into 1/2-inch pieces. Toss together the lettuce and half of the dressing and arrange these on a platter. Top with cucumbers, tomatoes, and the remaining chives. Drizzle your salad with the other part of the dressing then season with pepper.
Buddha Bowl: Avocado Quinoa Harvest Bowl (Vegan) 40’
Buddha bowls have become very trendy lately but for good reason! These little mashups of nutrition offer everyone healthy fats and fibers, all in a clean and lean serving style, which brings joy not only to your stomach but also your soul.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of Arugula
- 1/2 Cup of Cooked Quinoa
- 1 Cup of Sautéed Brussels Sprouts
- 1 Tbsp of Pepitas
- 1/2 an Avocado, Sliced
- 1 tsp of Olive Oil (to cook brussels sprouts)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Tbsp of Tahini
Preparation
Cook quinoa according to package instructions. Sauté the brussels sprouts for approximately 15 minutes or until light brown and tender. Slice up one half of the avocado. In a large salad bowl mix together arugula, cooked quinoa, brussels sprouts, pepitas and the other part of the avocado. Drizzle tahini or tahini sauce on top.
Grilled Eggplant with Feta relish (Vegetarian) 25’
For this dish, you may opt for a portable grill from home, but you can also use an iron grill pan, it should work like a charm!
Eggplants are such a versatile legume, they can be used in many formats ranging from whisked up and put in crunchy country bread, to being the star of the show in a main dish when handled carefully and seasoned well. Somehow the eggplant and the feta combine into an exceptional but simple experience for the taste buds, beloved by adults and children alike.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 2/3 cup chopped seeded peeled cucumber
- 1/2 cup chopped seeded plum tomato
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 8 slices eggplant (3/4 inch thick)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- Minced fresh basil or parsley, optional
Preparation
In a small bowl, whisk vinaigrette and garlic powder until combined. Stir in feta, cucumber, tomato and onion. Refrigerate, covered, until serving.
Brush eggplant with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat or broil 4 in. from heat 4-5 minutes on each side or until tender. Top eggplant with feta mixture. If desired, sprinkle with basil.
Warm Roasted Cauliflower and Spinach Salad (Vegetarian), 40’
Cauliflower and spinach are both packed full of vitamins and minerals which help with your day-to-day activity levels, so logically, this dish will be the ideal choice for when you and your family will be spending large amounts of time outdoors during your holidays, breathing in fresh air, in a vacation park!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
- Kosher salt
- 1 small shallot
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 2 lbs)
- 1 14-oz can lentils, rinsed
- 3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
- 5 c. baby spinach
- 1 oz. pecorino cheese, shaved
- 1/4 c. pomegranate seeds
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 220 °C. In a small saucepan, warm up the oil, spices, and ½ tsp salt just until hot. Finely chop the shallot and place it in a small bowl. Pour half of the oil mixture over the shallot and this aside.
On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the cauliflower with the remaining oil mixture and roast until golden brown and tender, which should be about 20 to 25 minutes.
Add lentils and vinegar to the shallot mixture and let sit for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, toss with spinach, pecorino, pomegranate seeds, and the roasted cauliflower.
Spring Minestrone (Vegetarian), 40’
Often you might feel the craving for a warm, rich, filling bowl of soup. The bright, herby pesto (made with cashews and dill instead of the traditional pine nuts and basil) adds richness to this hearty vegetarian option.
Ingredients
- 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced into ¼-in.-thick half moons
- 1 small bulb fennel, cored and cut into ¼-in. pieces, plus 1 cup fennel fronds
- Kosher salt
- 2 32-oz containers low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/4 c. cashews
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 c. fresh dill
- 3 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 oz. Parmesan, grated
- 1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into ½-in. pieces
- 1/2 lb. green beans, sliced into ¼-in. rounds
- 4 oz. sugar snap peas, cut into thirds
- 1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed
Preparation
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in an oven on medium-low. Add leeks, fennel, and 1/4 tsp of salt and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add broth and 2 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer while making the pesto.
Prepare the pesto: In a blender, puree cashews, garlic, dill, lemon juice, parmesan, and fennel fronds until smooth. With motor running, slowly add the remaining oil in a steady stream. Add asparagus, green beans, snap peas, and cannellini beans to soup and simmer until just tender, for 4 minutes. Serve the pesto on the soup.
All of these recipes are easy to prepare and a great option for a holiday park stay for the entire family. Vegetarian meals can be very fulfilling and delicious, so why not be adventurous and go full on veggie lover during your vacation in one of the holiday parks which provide you with the option of cooking your own meals: Vallée les Etoiles (Belgium), La Sapinière (Luxembourg), Hof van Zeeland (The Netherlands), Grafschaft Bentheim (Germany).
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Emily Williams
Emily Williams
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