Bringing the Camp Dining Hall Home: 3 Classic Favorites

International Day Menu at 2025 ManSask Camp Meeting Dining Hall Source

If you have ever spent a week under the big-top tent (or the contempory mode--more like an auditorium) or walking the leaf-lined paths at the ManSask Seventh-day Adventist Conference's Whitesand Camp Meeting near Theodore, Saskatchewan, you know that the spiritual nourishment is only half the experience—the community bonding over shared meals in the Dining Hall is just as unforgettable!

Over the years, the kitchen staff has surprised and delighted campers with a diverse rotation of hearty, comforting vegetarian and vegan dishes. Three absolute legendary standouts from previous years' menus have been the rich and creamy Perfect Alfredo, the aromatic and bold Nigerian Jollof Rice, and that sweet, sticky Western-Canadian staple, Ginger Beef.

Now, with this year's camp meeting running from July 3rd to 11th, we aren't quite sure if these specific favorites made the final cut onto this summer's official menu rotation. But whether you are missing the dining hall baseline or just want to recreate that classic camp magic right in your own kitchen, we have completely veganized and perfected all three recipes for you below!

Over to you: What is your absolute favorite camp meeting grub? Do you live for the shared dishes served up fresh in the dining hall, or do you have a secret, go-to snack or meal that you always pack and bring to the campground yourself? Let us know in the comments below!

🍝 1. The Perfect Vegan Alfredo

                                      Vegan Alfredo    Image Source

This velvety pasta relies on raw cashews and nutritional yeast to replicate the classic, rich Italian comfort food without dairy.

• Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Yield: 4 servings
• Ingredients:
  • 340g fettuccine pasta
  • 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained)
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or soy milk
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Instructions:
  1. Boil the fettuccine in salted water according to the package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.
  2. Blend the soaked cashews, vegetable broth, plant milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a high-speed blender until completely smooth.
  3. Simmer the blended sauce in a large skillet over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to thicken slightly.
  4. Toss the cooked fettuccine directly into the sauce. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out the coating. Serve immediately.

🍛 2. Vegan Nigerian Jollof Rice

Joloff Rice  Image Source: Wikipedia

A vibrant, smoky, one-pot staple. Traditional Nigerian Jollof relies on a rich pepper-tomato base and long-grain parboiled rice.

• Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 40 mins | Yield: 6 servings
• Ingredients:
  • 3 cups long-grain parboiled rice (washed thoroughly to remove starch)
  • 1 can (400ml) tomato paste
  • 2 red bell peppers & 3 plum tomatoes (blended together until smooth)
  • 1 large red onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tbsp curry powder (use mild, medium, or hot varieties, to taste)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper (kept whole for aroma, or pierced for high heat-- I imagine this will not be used in most Adventist homes)
  • Salt and white pepper to taste
• Instructions:
  1. Sauté the chopped onions in vegetable oil over medium heat in a deep pot until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in the tomato paste and fry for 7 minutes until it turns a deep crimson color.
  2. Pour in the blended bell pepper and tomato mixture. Cook down for 10 minutes until the oil separates to the top.
  3. Season with curry powder, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and white pepper. Pour in the vegetable broth and drop in the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a rolling boil.
  4. Stir in the washed rice. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, then place the pot lid over top to trap all steam.
  5. Simmer on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes without opening. Let the bottom rice slightly burn at the very end to achieve that authentic smoky flavor. Toss before serving.

🥢 3. Crispy Vegetarian Ginger *Beef*

                                     Crispy Ginger *Beef* Image by Grok

A plant-based take on the famous Western-Canadian Chinese takeout dish, swapping out steak for crispy, high-protein seitan strips or soy curls.

• Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 15 mins | Yield: 4 servings
• Ingredients:
  • 300g dehydrated soy curls or seitan strips (rehydrated in warm veggie broth)
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • Oil for shallow frying
  • 1 red bell pepper & 1 green bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
  • 1 medium carrot (julienned)
  • The Sauce: 1/3 cup dark soy sauce, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp fresh ginger (grated), 4 cloves garlic (minced), 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1/2 cup water mixed with 1 tsp cornstarch.
• Instructions:
1. Coat the rehydrated, squeezed-dry soy curls evenly in the 1/2 cup of cornstarch until completely dusty.
2. Fry the coated pieces in hot oil over medium-high heat until they turn golden brown and crisp. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
3. Stir-fry the carrots and bell peppers in 1 tablespoon of oil in a clean wok for 2 minutes until tender-crisp.
4. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and pour into the wok with the veggies. Bring to a boil so the sugar melts and the starch thickens the sauce into a sticky glaze.
5. Toss the crispy soy curls rapidly into the sauce until completely coated. Serve immediately over jasmine rice.
• text yourself the Grocery Lists

  ============================================================
  VEGGIE SCHOOL BLOG - SHOPPING LIST: PERFECT VEGAN ALFREDO
  ============================================================
  [ ] 340g Fettuccine pasta
  [ ] 1 cup Raw cashews
  [ ] 1 cup Vegetable broth
  [ ] 1/2 cup Unsweetened plant milk (almond or soy)
  [ ] 1 bulb Garlic (3 cloves needed)
  [ ] 1 container Nutritional yeast (3 tbsp needed)
  [ ] 1 Lemon (1 tbsp juice needed)
  [ ] Salt & Black pepper
  
  ============================================================
  VEGGIE SCHOOL BLOG - SHOPPING LIST: VEGAN NIGERIAN JOLLOF
  ============================================================
  [ ] 3 cups Long-grain parboiled rice
  [ ] 1 can (400ml) Tomato paste
  [ ] 2 Red bell peppers
  [ ] 3 Plum tomatoes
  [ ] 1 large Red onion
  [ ] 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
  [ ] 3 cups Vegetable broth
  [ ] 1 bottle Vegetable oil
  [ ] Curry powder (1 tbsp needed)
  [ ] Dried thyme (1 tsp needed)
  [ ] Bay leaves (2 needed)
  [ ] White pepper & Salt
  
  ============================================================
  VEGGIE SCHOOL BLOG - SHOPPING LIST: GINGER BEEF (VEGGIE)
  ============================================================
  [ ] 300g Dehydrated soy curls OR Seitan strips
  [ ] 1 box Cornstarch (1/2 cup + 1 tsp needed)
  [ ] 1 Red bell pepper
  [ ] 1 Green bell pepper
  [ ] 1 medium Carrot
  [ ] Fresh ginger root (3 tbsp grated needed)
  [ ] 1 bulb Garlic (4 cloves needed)
  [ ] Dark soy sauce (1/3 cup needed)
  [ ] Brown sugar (1/3 cup needed)
  [ ] Rice vinegar (2 tbsp needed)
  [ ] Chili flakes
  [ ] Cooking oil (for shallow frying)
  [ ] Jasmine rice (for serving)
  
  Use code with caution.

• You might also be interested in Veggie School's DIY Camp Stroganoff recipe to pack along with you on your overnight or day-hiking trips-- a healthier, tasty dehydrated meal that you can quickly rehydrate and serve. No worries about refrigeration, and much more economical than the commercial packages (we think: tastier too).
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• Want to know more about a Seventh-day Adventist Camp Meeting near you? A great spiritual, holistic individual and family experience awaits you!  Phone an Adventist Church in your community to learn more or go HERE.