RV Cooks Rock

RV Cooks rock unless, of course, one uses jacks properly.

Here are recipes from one of my favorite live-aboards, Margaret Zuber. The Zubers not only enjoy the RV travel life they are avid volunteers in some of our nation's most beautiful nature refuges and parks. These recipes are just as Margaret wrote them.

Margaret Zuber’s
Cheeseburger Soup

½ pound ground chuck
¾ cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced or chopped
¾ cup shredded carrots (Buy matchstick carrots and chop gently so they are not too long.)
¾ cup diced or chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 and 3/4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (Yukon Golds are good)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 8-ounce package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (if doubling
the recipe, use a 12 oz. pkg. )
¼ teaspoon black or 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
¼ cup sour cream

In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef. Drain & set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery, basil & parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer 20 min., or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook & stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook & stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, pepper, & Worcestershire sauce; cook & stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1q/4 quarts) You can double or triple the recipe, Margaret says, and freeze some.

Margaret Zuber’s
Marble-Chocolate
Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon (generous) vanilla
1 -1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3 bananas – be sure they’re very ripe!)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Butter & flour 2 3”x7” pans.
3.) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
4.) Cream butter & sugar in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 1 min. Add banana, eggs, yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moistablespoon Do not overbeatablespoon
5.) Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into pans (or you can use one 8-1/2x4-1/2 pan. I never have.) Swirl batters together, using a table knife. Bake at 350o for 45-50 min. (1 hr. & 10 min. for the large pan), or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Margaret adds: This is from an issue of Cooking Light magazine. I’ve used both the yogurt and the sour cream, with equally good results. I added the vanilla; took out the egg substitute, in favor of real eggs and I use regular instead of low-fat yogurt.