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Car Camp Cookery
By David Eden
As many people do, we often find ourselves based in a campground on paddling, biking, or hiking trips, and the question of what to eat always comes up. Since our meals come out of the Yeti cooler, we are spared the worry about weight which is the only consideration that will move me to eat freeze-dried. (Despite all the fancy recipes, even fancier prices, and lovely photos on the food, freeze-dried food looks, smells and tastes to me like the repulsive glop it did 40 years ago. I'd rather eat oatmeal for a week.)
So car-based camping does mean that we can cook and eat real food. However, the corollary to camp cookery is camp clean-up, which is always messy and often requires walking a few hundred yards to the campground "cleaning station," juggling an armload of sticky or greasy pots, pans and plates.
One pot meals are the main solution, but it's easy to burn the food even on the best camp stove.
So it was beginning to look like a week of oatmeal, when I thought, "What about using a vacuum seal, then freeze the meals" I didn't have a vacuum seal, but I had been thinking about getting one. We have a large freezer, and often buy large quantities for economy and freeze amounts large enough for our meals. But freeze-dried zip-locking bags just weren't working, leading to freezer-burned leftovers.
So we did get one and spent some time figuring it out. Lots of information out on the web turned out to be very helpful in solving early mistakes and avoiding new ones. And then we turned to camp foods.
And what a help it was. We could make recipes as they were written, for four or six people, and just freeze in two-person amounts for camping or for quick meals at home. The meals boil up quickly in their bags and the water in the pot then serves for washup.
In the end, these techniques do not save overall time and effort. In fact, slightly more effort is required than just stocking the car with the raw materials and cooking on site. What they do mean is that most of the preparation and mess is confined to your home kitchen and dinner time means lounging in the hammock and watching the water boil.
Most of these one-pot recipes have the consistency of thick stew (another possible dinner would be you own favorite stew), and a certain technique makes vacuum-sealing far easier and less messy: You should prefreeze your dinner in a form best fitted to your cooler shape before sealing it. We use a shallow broiling pan, cut up the result into meal sizes, and then freeze them. They fit nicely into the cooler, and help act as ice blocks, as well.
We developed a set of our fave recipes, and now we pass them on to you. These meals are of the one-pot variety, but side servings such as bread or raw vegetables can be served with a minimum of fuss and mess at mealtime.
NOTE: Watch the timing when cooking pasta for freezing. It should be barely al dente, or it will be mushy when reheated.
Carry along a snack baggie of snipped cilantro for sprinkling and a small bottle of hot sauce. A small container of sour cream or plain yoghurt goes well with this dish, as does fried plantains, which can be vacuum-sealed as well.
Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Congri)
Prep Time 10 mins (more if you cook your own black beans)
Cook Time 50 mins
Six servings
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons olive oil.
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
• 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
• 1 lb. dried black beans cooked, or substitute one 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 3/4 cups water (less1/4 cup (if using canned)
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Snipped cilantro as a garnish, sour cream or plain yoghurt, hot sauce
Instructions
• Heat the olive oil and add green peppers and onions. Sauté for about three minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Add rice, beans with liquid, water, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 40 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam cooks the rice.
• After 40 minutes, remove from heat. Keep the lid on for another ten minutes. Fluff with a fork.
This dish is often served with fried plantains. These can be frozen and sealed, as well.
NOTE: The original recipe for this includes three slices thick-cut bacon and uses the bacon fat to sauté the vegetables. The crisped bacon is then chopped and mixed in after the rice is finished.
Jambalaya
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Six servings
Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, (adjust to suit your tastes/heat preference)
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 onion diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon each dried thyme and dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or more to taste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup thinly sliced okra (or 1 teaspoon file powder)
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (short grain or long grain)
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (frozen are fine)
• Sliced green onions and chopped parsley, to garnish (carry in a sealable snack bag)
Instructions
1: Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with half of the Cajun seasoning.
2: Sauté chicken until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; set aside.
3: Sauté the onion, bell pepper and celery until onion is soft and transparent. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).
4: Stir in the tomatoes; season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes (or Cayenne powder), hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and the remaining Cajun seasoning. Stir in the okra slices (or file powder) and chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
5: Add in the rice and chicken broth, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low-medium. Cover and let simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, while stirring occasionally.
6 Place the shrimp on top of the Jambalaya mixture, stir through gently and cover with lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are cooked through and pink (about 5-6 minutes, depending on the size/thickness of the shrimp being used).
7: Season with a little extra salt and pepper if needed and remove from heat. Adjust heat with extra hot sauce, Cayenne pepper, or Cajun seasoning. Serve immediately with sliced green onions and parsley.
NOTE: The original recipe for this includes 10 ounces andouille or keilbasa sausage, sliced into rounds. It is fried in the oil and added with the chicken.
Cajun Seasoning Igredients
• 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons oregano
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne
Mix together all ingredients. Use as desired.
We like to serve this with boil-in-a-bag brown rice, cooked right in the same pot as the Chana packet. Carry along a plastic container of chutney, too.
Chana Bhaji
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Four servings
Ingredients
• 2 29-oz cans chick peas (chana) or cook your own.
• 1 big onion (Finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (Finely chopped)
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste.
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons coriander leaves
• 1/2 teaspoons Cayenne
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt (As per taste)
Instructions
1: Heat oil. (On a medium flame)
2: Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds and fry them for 10 secs. (On a medium flame)
3: Add onions and fry them till light golden.
4: Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala and red chilli powder.
5: Add ginger garlic paste. Sauté briefly for a minute. (On a medium flame)
6: Add tomatoes and mix well till a gravy is formed and let simmer for a minute.
7: Add chick peas. Add some salt. Mix it thoroughly.
8: If curry seems too thick, add water. Mix it thoroughly.
9: Cover and let cook till the gravy thickens and reaches the desired consistency.
10: Once done, stir in coriander leaves. Keep covered for 10 minutes.
This is really rich and delicious and is just the comfort food when the temps are in the decidedly cool range. Wrap some garlic bread in aluminium foil and heat it on some hot coals for a crunchy side.
Tuscan Chicken Mac And Cheese
Prep Time: 10 mins. Cook Time: 40 mins
Six servings
Ingredients
• 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts or 4 thighs pounded to 1-inch thickness
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika (sweet or smokey)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 small yellow onion chopped
• 6 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup white wine or chicken broth
• 9 oz jar sun dried tomato strips in oil (reserve 2 tablespoons of oil)
• 3 level tablespoons flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups milk divided
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herbs
• 10 ounces (3 cups) elbow macaroni uncooked
• 3 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup grated cheese Cheddar or Gruyere
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
1: Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, dried parsley and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Heat the remaining oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden brown, cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. Transfer chicken to a warm plate, tent with foil and set aside.
2: To the same pan, add the butter and fry the onion and garlic until the onion becomes transparent, stirring occasionally (about 2 minutes). Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until beginning to reduce down.
3: Add the sun dried tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of the sun dried tomato oil from the jar and cook for 1-2 minutes to release as much flavour as possible.
4: Stir the flour into the pot and allow to cook for a further minute. Then, add the broth, 2 1/2 cups of milks (or cream/half and half), herbs, salt and pepper, and bring to a very low simmer (lower the heat if you need to).
5: Add the dry macaroni and stir occasionally as it comes to a simmer. Reduce heat down to medium low and stir regularly while it cooks (for about 9 minutes), or until the sauce thickens and the macaroni is just barely cooked to al dente. Add the spinach and stir through until wilted.
6:Take the pot off the stove and stir all of the cheese in quickly. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce it too thick, add the remaining 1/2 cup milk in 1/4 cup increments, until reaching desired thickness. Keep in mind the sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.
Serve this with egg noodles, cooked right in the same pot as the goulash packet. Carry along a plastic container of yoghurt, too, to dollop on top before eating.
Hungarian Beef Goulash
Prep Time: 15 mins. Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Eight servings
Ingredients
• 3 lbs beef stew meat in 1-inch cubes
• 3 large onions coarsely chopped
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 3 green peppers, finely chopped
• 2 large carrots cut into large pieces.
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs potatoes
• 1/3 cup lard (or vegetable oil)
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of mild mustard
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground caraway seeds
• 1 teaspoons of salt or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper
• 3 teaspoons of sweet paprika. Paprika is a super important ingredient.
Use a quality brand, preferably the Hungarian variety.
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of hot paprika or chili powder
• 1 teaspoon of dried marjoram, crushed
• 1 pint beer or 1 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• flat leaf parsley
Instructions
1: In a bowl, mix meat with soy sauce, mustard, salt, pepper, caraway seeds, olive oil, and sweet paprika. Let it marinade for a few minutes.
2: Sauté the onions with a dollop of lard on medium heat to a nice golden brown.
3:Turn the heat up and sauté the meat for a few minutes stirring often so the meat doesn't stick to the pot. Cover the pot, turn the heat down to medium and let the meat braise slowly.
4: Finely chop the pepper. give the sauce a more deep flavor. Cut the carrots into large pieces, as they will be mashed into the sauce later. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch dice and put them into cold water.
5: Once the meat becomes somewhat soft, (about an hour), add about a pint of pilsner or lager beer, the beef broth and 2 cups of water.
6: Add the green peppers, carrots, tomato paste, and about 1/3 of the potatoes, which will dissolve during cooking,thickening the goulash.
7: After about 20 minutes, the first batch of potatoes should be fully cooked and starting to break apart. Use a garlic press and drop the garlic directly into the goulash. Finely slice the flat leaf parsley and add it and the rest of the potatoes to the pot as well. Cover again and keep cooking until the potatoes are just done. This should take 30 minutes or less.
8: Give the goulash a taste and add salt or pepper if needed. You can also add some chili powder.
9: Add the dried crushed marjoram. Cook for 10 more minutes.
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