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CAMPING AND RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
CranApple Cobbler
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 can apple pie filling
1 can unsweetened pie sliced apples
1 cup wine or fruit juice
1 tube of 8 buttery biscuits
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Oven method: Heat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a two-quart baking dish that fits in your galley oven.
Mash cranberries in the baking dish and mix in apples and pie filling. Pour wine or juice over all and bake 10-15 minutes or until hot. Arrange biscuits on top and sprinkle with a mixture of the sugar and cinnamon.
Bake another 15 minutes or until biscuits are toasty brown. Spoon onto plates and serve warm. Makes 8 portions. It’s good plain or you can add whipped cream, heavy cream or whipped topping.
Campfire method: In a fire-safe dutch oven, heat cran-apple mixture as above. Arrange biscuits on top, sprinkle with sugar mixture, cover tightly and nestle in well-started coals until biscuits are puffy and firm. Biscuits brown best in a dutch oven that has a flat top, allowing hot coals to be placed on top.
Cook’s note: it’s important to heat the cranberry mixture first or biscuits will be doughy.
TIPS FOR THE CAMP COOK
* Hard sided coolers are ideal for many things. Some have large rollers that travel well on any terrain including the beach.Large sizes double as seats or a work surface. They usually have better insulation than soft sided coolers. Soft coolers, on the other hand, make a good cushion or pillow after the ice is gone.
* Foil-baked potatoes are a campfire classic and the same goes for foil-wrapped sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and “toasted” cheese sandwiches. Make a cheese sandwich, butter generously on the outside, wrap in foil and grill.
* Pre-chill ice chests with sacrificial ice. Drain, then fill with fresh ice and pre-chilled or frozen foods.
* A scant teaspoon of any flavor gelatin dessert mix in mug of hot water makes a soothing hot drink. Stir thoroughly until gelatin dissolves.
BONUS RECIPE
Voyageur Vegetarian Bread Pudding
The secret to this main dish casserole is to use a crusty, chewy peasant bread such as sourdough. Saute fresh vegetables if you have them or use canned or frozen. Canned milk and process cheese are shelf stable, so they’re ideal provisions for boondock camping. It works with fresh eggs, pasteurized eggs in a carton or reconstituted powdered eggs.
4 cups diced bread
2 to 3 tablespoons dried diced onions
2 cans, 12 ounces each, evaporated milk
Water
6 to 8 eggs or equivalent
Freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon nutmeg
8-ounce package Velveeta cheese, thinly sliced
15-ounce can baby carrots, drained and cut up
15-ounce can cut green beans, drained
Oven method:
Spray a 9 X 13-inch casserole and set the oven for 350 degrees. Put bread in the casserole and sprinkle with onions. Add water to milk to make 1 quart (4 cups) liquid. Whisk in eggs, a few twists of pepper and nutmeg.
Arrange vegetables over bread and top with sliced cheese. Pour egg mixture over all, cover with plastic wrap and refrierate overnight, or let stand 30-45 minutes before baking. Casserole can also be refrigerated several hours or overnight.
Bake until it’s puffy, golden and set as for custard (baking time will be longer if casserole was chilled)
Stove-top Method: Prepare as above and put mixture in a buttered heavy skillet. Let soak 30-45 minutes. Cover tightly and bake over low-medium heat until it’s set, as for custard.
set as for custard (baking time will be longer if casserole was chilled)
FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
This recipe is easily doubled. Cut in squares and wrap individually, ready for anything from backpacking to solo motorhome camping.
Utterly Butterly Bar Cookies
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 stick butter
2 eggs
12-ounce bottle butterscotch ice cream topping
12-ounce package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped peanuts
Spray two 8 X 8-inch foil baking pans and heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cut butter into the dry cake mix and oats until it’s mealy. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture into pans to form a crust. Bake 4 minutes.
Whisk together eggs and butterscotch topping. Put half in each pan. Mix chocolate chips and peanuts with reserved crumb mixture and sprinkle evenly over pans. Bake 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool 20 minutes, then use a serrated knife to mark squares or bars. When it's completely cool, cut and wrap squares. Or cool completely in the pans and wrap the entire foil pan for the freezer.