Campfire Cooks Love Makeshift Meals

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023. To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 Ready, Set, CAMP! Let's eat.

 
Camping Recipe of the Week
Girl Scout Stir-Fry
    When I learned about camp cooking as a Girl Scout, our colors were green and yellow. The two hues still make a healthful, handsome, one-skillet dish AND it’s easy enough for any campfire, grate, camp stove or camper galley.

1 medium yellow squash
1 medium zucchini
1 medium green pepper
1 medium yellow sweet pepper
Medium onion (white or yellow)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon mixed Italian seasonings
16-ounce fully cooked smoked sausage
Shaker of Parmesan cheese

 

    Slice squash and sausage in half lengthwise, then in half moons. Slice peppers and onion in slivers. In a large wok or skillet, stir-fry vegetables in hot oil, gradually adding sausage. End with seasonings. When vegetables are crisp-tender, serve at once. Pass the Parmesan. Serves 6.

See Janet Groene’s Pantry Recipe of the Week using only shelf-stable ingredients, no fresh foods needed at BoatCook. 

 

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

 

 

 
Chunky Ranch Dip
This makes a big 1 ½ quarts of dip for the potluck, family reunion or a BIG party.

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream
1/2 cup bottled ranch salad dressing
1 pint plain yogurt
1 packet dry ranch dressing mix
½ cup ketchup
10-ounce package spinach, thawed and pressed dry with paper towels
10- to 12-ounce can corn with green and red peppers, well drained
4 drops Tabasco sauce

    Mix everything well in a large bowl. Divide into smaller bowls to serve at several food stations. Surround with raw vegetable sticks, crackers, tortilla chips, etc.  Makes  6 cups dip to serve 20 to 24.

Tips for the Camp Chef

    * Rosy garnish! Whisk 3 eggs with 2 T. water & ½  t. salt. Pour into a greased 12" nonstick skillet, tipping pan to cover evenly. Cook  over low-medium heat without stirring to make one large, thin disc. Cool completely. Flip out on cutting board and cut in 1 1/2" strips. Curl each strip into a  rosette and nestle in a bed of rice or mashed potatoes.

* Canned chunk chicken is a camping staple, but it’s bland and blah. Empty the can into a bowl. Break up chicken, then toss with soy sauce, sriracha or melted butter. For a small can use 1-2 t. Large can 2-3 T. Enhanced chicken is now ready for your soup, chili, casserole, etc.  

    * Another way to develop the flavor of canned chicken is to drain it (save juice). Then brown chicken in melted butter and proceed with your recipe.  

* Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas. Make your favorite vegetarian risotto (bits of, carrots, broccoli,  mushrooms, etc. for color)  and add chickpeas last. Heat through and shower with minced parsley.  

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
    Make a BIG batch while you’re at it, then package and freeze in right-size portions for your camp-outs.

Fennel Linguine
    
16-ounce package linguine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon powdered bouillon (chicken or vegetable)

2 large bulbs fennel, trimmed, cored and sliced
Large onion, cut in crescents
1 pint sliced mushrooms
Large carrot, cut in matchsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 fresh lemon

 

     Cook linguine in water flavored with bouillon. When it’s just al dente, drain and toss lightly with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
    Prepare vegetables and saute in hot butter and oil. When vegetables are crisp-tender, toss lightly with linguine and juice of the half lemon. Cool and package for the freezer, allotting 1 ½ to 2  cups per main dish serving or 1 cup per side dish serving.
    Bonus points if you freeze this in boilable bags for easy warm-ups.

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Motorhome & Camping Meals

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023, all rights reserved. To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

If you opted to receive a nudge when new posts go up here and do not  receive an email from me each Friday, check your spam folder and blocked list. You may have to unblock janetgroene at windstream.com and janetgroene at yahoo.com. If you're not on this list and choose to be, email janetgroene at yahoo.com and put RV Yes in the topic line. This list is never shared nor sold. 

 

Indoors or outdoors, camp stove or RV stove or campfire, there is a knack to all camp cooking. Here's how to save  time, space,  mess, water and fuel.  

 

    

Camp and RV Recipe of the Week
Ratatouille Risotto   

 

2 cups peeled eggplant, cut in small bites
2 tablespoons olive oil
Small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
Small red sweet pepper, seeded and diced
Small zucchini, diced
Medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup arborio (short grain)  rice
2 cups hot water
2 bouillon cubes (chicken, beef or vegetable)
Fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved

   Time saver: Cut up vegetables ahead of time and keep cold in a plastic bag.  In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry eggplant in hot oil, gradually stirring in peppers, zucchini, onion and garlic. When vegetables are crisp-tender, stir in rice. Dissolve bouillon in hot water and stir 1/2 cup of the hot bouillon into the rice  mixture over medium heat.  When water is absorbed, add the next half cup of bouillon, stirring constantly until all water is absorbed.  Rice should be creamy and tender.  Serve with shaved Parmesan. Serves 4.

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Slow Cooker Italian Sausage Subs

 

 Freeze in portions of one to whopper. Then thaw, heat and spoon into buns. 

Bring sub rolls for adult servings, hot dog buns for the kids.

3 pounds mild bulk Italian sausage
2 tablespoons minced garlic
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoon dried mixed Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Fry out sausage, breaking it up into crumbles. Gradually stir in garlic. Add remaining ingredients and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low. Cool and package for freezing, allowing 1 cup per sub serving, 1/2 cup per hot dog bun.

  ONE COOKBOOK FOR ALL YOUR CAMP-OUTS
 

   Have all your favorite camping recipes in one place with Janet Groene’s Cooking Aboard Your RV. More than 270 recipes cover soup to supper. Also see tips on furnishing a compact, easy-care galley. For yourself and for gifts, it’s a handsome volume suitable for every RV-er on your list.    https://amzn.to/3nNndWY

Camp Cook Smoker Tips
    The experts at Weber Grills offer these 10 Top Tips for Smoking. Add them to your barbecue skills.

 

 
1. Start early. Best flavor absorption occurs when meat is raw.

2. Most of the time, go low and slow.

3. Regulate heat with a water pan. If your grill doesn’t have one, fill a disposable foil pan with water.

4. Don’t over-do. Too much smoke makes for bitter meat.

5. Watch the color of smoke. White is good, black bad, says Weber.

6. Keep air circulating by using the vents on the grill.

7. Be there. Don’t leave the grill unattended. You may have to add charcoal, adjust vents or add water. (Janet adds: for safety sake, keep kids away from the hot zone.)

8. Try not to peek. Smoke and heat escape when you do.

9. “Let bark get dark”, say the Weber folks. The meat should glisten with a dark mahogany crust.

10. Focus on the feature (which is the meat.)Other foods on the menu should support the smoke recipe, not overpower it.


Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

 

Pickledilly Carrots
    Consider bringing a #10 can of this or that for campground potlucks.  They are pre-cooked and ready to use in big potluck recipes. This economical side dish needs to soak up flavor in the refrigerator or ice chest overnight. Save room in the fridge by making it in a 2-gallon zip-top bag.

1 can of condensed cream of tomato soup
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried dillweed
1 teaspoon each celery seed, salt, pepper and dry mustard
#10 can of sliced carrots, drained (about 8 cups)

 

     Whisk soup, sugar, vinegar oil and spices until sugar dissolves. Put carrots in a large bag and add dressing mixture. Refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. Empty into a large bowl and provide a draining spoon for serving.

See Janet Groene’s Pantry Recipe of the Week, made entirely from shelf ingredients, at BoatCook.




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Camping, Glamping, RV Cooks Keep It Simple

Blog copyright janet groene, 2023 all rights reserved. To ask about placing your ad for one year on all six Groene sites for one low rate email janetgroene at yahoo.com
 

CAMPING & RV RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Meat Crust Cabbage Pie

 

    The trick to making this a two-“crust” pie is to use the skillet itself to shape the “crusts”. As it cooks the rich, beefy flavor floats through the cabbage and onion filling. It’s a whole meal from one skillet.
    Packaged cabbage for coleslaw comes in a variety of sizes and types, some with some red cabbage or shredded carrot in the mix. Have all ingredients chilled and chopped ahead of time so this pie can be assembled quickly. When working with raw meat, it’s a safety plus to use disposable kitchen gloves.

1 pound lean ground beef
Salt, pepper
2 cups shredded cabbage
Large potato, scrubbed and thinly sliced (2 cups)
Medium onion, peeled an thinly sliced

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs
½ cup ketchup

1 1/2 cups shredded  cheese

    Line a cold,  deep, 10-inch skillet with plastic wrap. Divide ground meat in half and press half the ground meat into the skillet in a thin, even layer. Using the plastic wrap, slide this layer out of the pan. Set aside and keep cold.
    Spray skillet with nonstick spray. Press the rest of the ground meat in the pan to form a bottom crust. Arrange cabbage, potato and onion on the meat layer. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Drizzle with half the ketchup and 3/4 cup cheese. 

    Carefully flip the second layer of meat over the top, like pie crust. Discard plastic wrap. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper
    Cover skillet and cook over medium heat-low 40 minutes or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Spread with remaining ketchup. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Let stand uncovered 10 minutes for easier cutting.  Cut in  wedges. Serves 4. 

Cook's note: A slope-sided, nonstick skillet works best for sliding this pie out of the pan. 

 

 Is full-time RV life and travel on your bucket list? We did it 10 years, earning a living on the way.  Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition helps you choose an RV to be a lean, green, real  home. Detailed chapters cover the nomad life, warts and all. It ends with a sane exit strategy. Kindle or paperback.  http://amzn.to/29XFEkq


Camp and RV Recipe of the Week
Nutso Risotto
    This recipe may become a vegan or vegetarian favorite in your camping cuisine. Carnivores will also love its toothsome texture and rich taste.  I like it with pecans but you might make a different dish each time by using walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts or cashews.

4 cups water
4 bouillon cubes (chicken or vegetable)
10-ounce package of chopped spinach, drained and pressed dry
1 cup nuts
1 cup arborio rice
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
Medium onion, diced
Parmesan cheese or non-dairy cheese substitute
Water or white wine

     Heat water and dissolve bouillon cubes. Stir-fry nuts in hot oil, gradually stirring in mushrooms, onion and rice. Keep stirring over medium heat while adding bouillon  ½ cup at a time. When each addition is absorbed, add another. When bouillon is used and rice creamy, stir in spinach for about 3 minutes, adding a little more water or white wine if needed.
    To serve, pass the cheese and the pepper mill. Serves 3 to 4. 

 

 

Eat real food, not salty, greasy, overpriced snacks when the hungries hit. Make homemade trail mix in a big batch. Package it in small bags for the pocket. Eat anywhere.  Delicious recipes sweet and savory at https://createagorp.blogspot.com.

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Strawberry Whip

 

   2 pints strawberries, trimmed and cut up
1/4 cup water
1 4-serving packet strawberry gelatin dessert mix, regular or sugar free
Large (8 servings) box French vanilla pudding mix, regular or sugar free
3 cups whole milk
Large tub of whipped topping.
Graham crackers

    Reserve the second pint of fresh strawberries. In a covered pan over low heat, stew one pint of the strawberries with water until juices are released. Bring to a boil, turn off heat and stir in gelatin to dissolve it. Set aside to cool to lukewarm. Spray a 9 X 13-inch dish with nonstick spray and cover the bottom with a single layer of graham crackers.
    In a large bowl, whisk together pudding mix and milk. Fold  in half the whipped topping and the cooled strawberries. Spread pudding mixture  over the graham crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers,  pressing them gently into the pudding to form an even layer.      Cover with plastic wrap and chill several hours or overnight. Spread with remaining whipped topping and garnish with fresh strawberries. Keep cold.  Serves 12 to 15.
    

Camp Cook Tips

    * Cut a piece of ribbon, rope or clothesline about 3 times the length of a roll of paper towels. Thread it through the roll and tie a square knot (or a pretty bow). You can now hang the roll on any nail, hook or limb around the camper or campsite.  Ditto for toilet paper.

    * Use a sharp, pointy knife to cut a walnut-size cone out of the top of each muffin. Fill hole with a marshmallow, peanut butter or cheese.  Pop the cone back on top, nuke for a few seconds and serve.
 
    * To make a quick supper in a frying pan,  whisk a can of condensed cream soup, any flavor, with half  a soup can of milk or light cream and a one-pint  carton of liquid eggs. Pour into a buttered, nonstick skillet, cover and cook over low-medium heat until eggs set. Serve as is or sprinkle with grated cheese and crushed Fritos. 

       * Inexpensive pop-up laundry hampers store flat, so buy several. They make big temporary storage containers for camping. Line with plastic bags and use indoors and outside for waste baskets, recyclables, firewood, laundry, toys or  game supplies. https://amzn.to/2mlUvyg



 

 

Bonus Recipe
One-Pot Pasta-La-Vista
    Is your family tired of tomato-based pasta dishes for camping? Here’s one that isn’t.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil    
1 pound lean bulk Italian sausage
Large onion, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup cut-up mushrooms
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups small pasta such as dilatini
20-ounce bag of baby spinach, trimmed if necessary
½ cup heavy cream (or more to taste)

 
    Heat oil in a large pot and stir-fry sausage, breaking it up. Keep stir-frying while adding  onion, garlic and mushrooms. Add water and bring to a boil. Add pasta. Keep heat high and push down pasta if necessary to keep it covered. Cook 7 minutes. Stir in spinach for 2 minutes more. Turn off heat and set aside, covered for 5 minutes while flavors blend.  Stir in cream. Serves 4. 

Are any new campsites coming to your neck of the woods? See updated reports of proposed and about-to-open campgrounds each week by state and province at https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com/

 

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Cooking Easy for Campers, Glampers, RV-ers

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023. To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene travel and food sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 

Camping & RV

Recipe of the Week

Buttery Crab Crumble

20-ounce package shredded imitation crab
1 cup white wine
½ stick butter
1 ½ cups dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Heaping tablespoon mayonnaise (or more to taste)
Salt, pepper to taste

 

    Bring wine to a boil and add crab. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet and stir in bread crumbs and nutmeg until toasty. Stir into crab mixture to thicken. Stir mayonnaise into hot crab mixture over low heat until everything is heated through. Season to taste. Spoon onto plates and add a hot, green vegetable and some sliced red tomatoes.



Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Mexican Corn Casserole
    Many cornbread casserole recipes are making the rounds, many of them starting with cornbread mixes that contain sugar. Here’s a rib-sticking,  from-scratch vegetarian dish without the added sugar. 

 

15-ounce can cream style corn
2 cups cornmeal
4 eggs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 ½ cups milk
1 stick butter, divided
1 or 2 cans diced chilies, well drained
1 cup grated sharp cheese such as Cheddar

    Set the oven for 400 degrees.  Cut off a third of the stick of butter and melt the rest. In a bowl whisk corn, cornmeal, eggs, salt, soda, milk and melted butter. Use reserved butter to grease a pan generously. Fold half the  cheese and the chilies into batter. Pour into pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let stand 10-15 minutes.  Cut in squares and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 15.  

BONUS RECIPE
Cheaper Cocktail Franks

Tiny cocktail wieners are premium priced and highly seasoned. Save money with cheap hot dogs. Cut in chunks and let the sauce do the seasoning. 

½ cup each ketchup and rum
1 cup red jelly
½ teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
2 pounds hot dogs

Just add a sassy sauce and toothpicks

     

 

Heat and stir ketchup, rum, hot sauce and jelly until smooth. Cut hot dogs in chunks and heat with sauce. Serve with toothpicks. 

 

 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
White-on-Wild Rice Ragout
    If you’re freezing this thick, satisfying comfort food for future camping, remember to bring nuts for a final garnish. To serve it as a soup, thaw and add additional water, milk, broth or tomato juice. 

  
1 to 1 ½ cups each fine-diced onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter, olive oil or one of each
1 teaspoon each dried parsley, sage, thyme, oregano

Sizzle vegetables in hot oil until they start to brown. Stir in seasoning to coat.
ADD:
6 cups water
6 teaspoon powdered chicken or vegetable bouillon
Bring to a boil and add
1 1/4 cups 100% wild rice

Cover and simmer over reduced heat 40-45 minutes or until wild rice pops open and vegetables are tender. 

Stir in:
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
Salt, pepper to taste

At this point, cool ragout and package for the freezer, allowing 1 to 1 ½ cups per serving as a ragout. To present it as a soup, freeze in 1 cup servings, thaw in camp and heat with ½ cup additional liquid.

Sprinkle each serving with
1/4 cup broken roasted, salted  cashews

Nutrition note: Compared to white rice, wild rice (it's not really a rice but a grass)  is said to have three times as much iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc per serving and about about double the phosphorus.

         Tips for the Camp Cook

      * Instead of crackers, float plump kernels of popcorn in clear soup. Sprinkle popcorn over salad instead of croutons. It’s cheaper, has fewer calories and no gluten.   

* Save on dishwashing. Use edible dishes such as romaine and endive leaves, lettuce cups, green pepper halves, melon halves or avocados.Fill with chicken salad or cottage cheese.  

* Flip over a muffin tin on your workspace to make a temporary prop to hold recipe cards, phone, tacos.

    * Make your own latte. Heat 1 cup water, 2 cups milk with 1 tablespoon instant coffee, 3 tablespoons each cocoa powder and sugar and 1 teaspoon apple pie spice. Heat to boiling. Remove from heat, stir, pour into 4 mugs and top with a dollop of Cool Whip.

    * Egg nog, served hot or cold, is a year-round nutrition boost. For safety’s sake make it with egg substitute or other pasteurized eggs rather than raw. 

Have you seen this week’s breaking news about proposed, future and soon-to-open campgrounds? We list them by state or province, giving you a heads to pounce on reservations before word gets out. Https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com Then scroll down to CAMPGROUNDS GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS. 

Where to go next? Janet Groene blogs timely travel news tidbits at Janet Groene. See upcoming festivals, concerts, state park events, art shows and more destinations and dates.

 

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Cooking Easy for Campers, Glampers, RV-ers

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023. All rights reserved. To ask about rates to place one ad, one year on all Groene sites email janetgroene@yahoo.com 

Let's go camping rain or shine, tin can camper or tent, single or mingle. Just do it!

 

 
Camping & RV Recipe of the Week
Orange Blossom Breakfast Sliders

    These breakfast bites will disappear in a wink. Make the filling. Make the glaze. Then it all comes together at the last minute. The secret is in the cutting of a package of fully baked dinner rolls.

 

Start with store-bought rolls

1 package of a dozen baked dinner rolls
1 pound lean sausage
4 eggs
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper
1 cup orange marmalade
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 drops vanilla flavoring
Water, milk or orange juice  

  
    Do not separate rolls. Carefully cut the top half off the entire piece.  Set aside on a cutting board.. Fry out sausage, spoon off any excess fat and add eggs. Cook, stirring until eggs set. Stir in orange marmalade as a binder. Spread hot filling on the bottom half of the rolls. Put the top on the rolls. Press gently and allow to set for a few minutes. 

Glaze:
    Stir vanilla into powdered sugar with just enough liquid to make frosting.  Spoon glaze over rolls. Now cut rolls into 12 sliders. Serve at once. Makes 12 sliders.  Serve 2 to 4 per person.

Tips for the Camp Cook

      * Make “croutons” with stale pound cake. Dice, brown in hot butter. Sprinkle over instant pudding or canned fruit for an easy camping dessert.

    * No oven? Make crisp, toasty chicken "pot pie" on the camp stove.  Heat creamed chicken, your own or canned. Butter thick sliced bread and fry on both sides until golden. Use a biscuit cutter to cut a hole in each slice. Put slices on plates, fill hole with creamed chicken, top with round toast piece.

* Old-fashioned electric heating pads are a plus in camping when you have hookups. Pre-warm beds for humans and pets. Stack dinner plates between two heating pads, cover with a dish towel and pre-heat before serving a hot meal on a cold night.

    * Make your own trail mix meal for hiking. Start with flat-bottom ice cream cone (waffle cones are too sweet and they are pointy so you can’t set them down.)  Fill with tiny bits of snipped apricots, Craisins,  raisins, nuts, jerky. This makes a  meal to nibble anywhere, any time. To make it a dessert mix,  fill with mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, raisins, Skittles, etc

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week
Lasagna Pepperoni Poppers

 

 
    Easy to cook, serve and eat at potlucks, these poppers can be baked in and served from disposable foil muffin cups. You’ll need 24 foil cupcake papers and four six-hole aluminum foil muffin pans. 

 

 

24 wonton wrappers
Olive oil spray
24 slices of pepperoni
1 egg
15-ounce carton of part-skim ricotta
8-ounce package of shredded 4-cheese mix
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 can or jar of your favorite pasta sauce

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Press wonton wrappers into muffin cups and spray with olive oil. Press a pepperoni slice into the bottom of each wonton. Whisk egg, ricotta, parsley and half the cheese. Spoon some into each wrapper. Top with pasta sauce.  Do not over-fill.
    Bake about 25 minutes or until wrappers are toasty and filling is set. Makes 24 poppers. 

 

     Have you tried those high-priced, 25-year
survival foods? Portions are small,  nutrition value is so-so and some taste simply awful. Instead, stock your emergency panty with familiar, affordable supermarket staples. Survival Food Handbook tells how to plan, buy, stow,  then gives mouthwatering recipes requiring no fresh ingredients. 

 Also see tips on water shortage, back-up stoves, other food emergencies. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe    

Bonus Recipe
Corny Bucatini Casserole
    In this recipe, hollow pasta takes on sweetness from the corn.  Here’s how:

 

 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husk and silk removed
16-ounce package of macaroni, dilatini, bucatini or other hollow pasta
1 stick butter, cut up
12-to 16-ounce jar of Alfredo sauce
Parmesan for garnish

   Bring salted water to a boil and cook ears 5 minutes. Remove corn with tongs and keep water at a boil to cook pasta.  When corn is cool enough, cut off kernels in chunks. Drain cooked pasta and gently fold in butter, Alfredo sauce and corn.  Cover and heat over low burner until heated through. Pass the cheese shaker.  Serves 6. 

 

 

 Cooking Aboard Your RV  is filled with hundreds of shortcut recipes that save space, time, fuel and water. For yourself and the perfect gift for an RV newbie or wannabe.  http://amzn.to/1NdWI4o

 

 

 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Pigs in a Poke
    Thaw these meaty treats individually as needed and serve in a different “poke” each day of your camping trip. Bonus points if you make your own specialty sausage. Experiment with turkey or chicken or bison sausage, venison sausage, vegetarian “sausage”. 

 

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
2 pounds bulk breakfast sausage
1 pound lean ground pork
2 cups cracker crumbs such as Ritz
Large onion, very finely chopped

    In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk with lemon pepper. Using your hands,  work in sausage, pork, crumbs and onion. Mix well. Form into 12 balls and put in a lightly greased muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. 25-35 minutes or until balls test done (165 degrees F.).  Remove from pans, drain and place each in a cupcake paper. Wrap individually and freeze. Each pig is one serving.
    Serving ideas: Heat meat and place in the center of a mound of instant mashed potatoes, a shallow bowl of vegetable stew, a puddle of chunky spaghetti sauce, store-bought or homemade tortilla bowls, a nest of cooked rice or pasta,  Add red sauce, white sauce, cheese sauce. Serve cold  in a nest of greens and drizzle with vinaigrette.  Make up a package of stove-top dressing according to package directions, then plop a warm pig in the middle of each serving. Get the idea?

See More Janet Groene how-to articles: at
https://www.rvtravel.com/author/janet/

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Camping, Glamping & RV Cooking

Blog copyright janet groene, all rights reserved. Do all travelers need your product or service? To ask about rates to place one ad, one year on all Groene travel sites email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 

Camp and RV Recipe of the Week
Toasty Vegetable-Chicken Salad
    
    With springtime we campers start thinking about easy salads, but there is still enough chill in the air to warrant a hot meal. Here’s how to have the best of both.

1 pint deli chicken salad
1 cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup thin-sliced celery
1 cup peas, thawed
Small sweet onion, finely diced
Mayonnaise ad lib
About 2/3 cup each crushed potato chips and grated Cheddar cheese

    Combine chicken salad, celery, peas, peanuts and enough mayonnaise to bind them together. Top with a mixture of chips and cheese and bake at 350 degrees to heat through. Serves 4 to 6.
    Stove top method: In a covered skillet over low heat, warm up chicken salad mix. Sprinkle with crushed potato chips and cheese and let stand uncovered a few minutes to melt the cheese. Bonus point if you have a kitchen torch to put a toasty finish on the topping. 

If you suddenly remember a forgotten birthday, anniversary or other gift need when you're out camping, immediately send an Amazon gift card. They don't expire nor subtract a transaction a fee like credit card gift cards do. See all the choices of designs, holidays, prices at https://amzn.to/3KhjOwK

See this week’s Pantry Recipe, made entirely with shelf-stable ingredients, at Boat Cook. Like camping cooks, boat cooks have a small work space and finite supplies of water and fuel. 

 

 See an entire cookbook of recipes made with pantry foods, and a guide to provisioning your camper with affordable supermarket staples. Janet Groene’s Survival Food Handbook  is for sailors and campers who have limited storage space.  See tips on water shortage, fridge failure, no fuel. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Campground Potluck 

Recipe of the Week
Applejack Rice
    
½ cup applejack (or apple schnapps or other apple liqueur)
1 cup golden raisins
2 cups apple juice
2 cups water
4 cups instant rice
1 teaspoon sugar
1.2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cans drained, diced water chestnuts
3 Golden Delicious apples
½ stick butter, cut up
Salt, pepper to taste

 

 Bring liqueur to a boil, remove from heat and soak raisins until lukewarm.  Bring apple juice and water to a boil and stir in instant rice, sugar and cinnamon. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes until rice is tender.  Core and dice apples. Fold into warm rice with butter and undrained raisins. Heat through and stir.  Adjust seasonings. Serve at once or nuke gently to reheat later. Serves 10 to 12.
Budget alternative: make rice from scratch using 2 cups water and 2 cups raw rice. 

See More Janet Groene RV Articles: at
https://www.rvtravel.com/author/janet/

Including How to REALLY See an RV Show and 20 Tiny Essentials to Take on an RV Rental Trip   

 

  
Camp Cook Tips of the Week

    * Whether your pizza dough is store-bought or homemade, make it more your own. Quickly knead in one of these:grated cheese, finely chopped pepperoni, finely chopped hazelnuts, minced fresh basil or shredded coconut. Do not over-work dough.  Shape pizza, fill, bake.  This isn’t recommended for dough that comes in a tube.

    * Make Thai-style Red Chicken. Whisk together 1 cup water, 1/4 cup each ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire and 1 tablespoon each sugar and Tabasco sauce. Pour over browned chicken parts. Cover, braise until chicken is tender. Serve with jasmine rice.

    * Easy garlic: put salt on cutting board and crush garlic cloves with the flat side of a knife. Discard papery peel.  Garlic is now ready to use. Remaining salt is used to scrub the cutting board.

    * When you get breads at the bakery for a camping trip, have them slice some loaves extra thick for making “toad in the hole” breakfast eggs.  No toaster needed. 

    Homemade trail mixes save money and allow you to fine-tune recipes and portions to your own needs. See easy homemade gorp recipes, sweet or savory,  to make in a big batch, then package by the portion for camping, hiking, fishing, boating.  Create A Gorp.

Bonus Recipe
Dilled Onions   
    This easy condiment can be served in salads or hamburgers. It keeps in the fridge for days.

2 large onions (red, yellow or white)
½ cup each sugar and white vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried dillweed

 

     Slice onions in thin rings. Bring sugar, vinegar, water, sugar, salt and dill to a boil and pour over onions. Cool and chill overnight before serving. 

 

 

 

FREEZE AHEAD RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Sausage and Apple Do-Over   
    Do-overs are toppings that save space in the freezer because they are completed later in camp by "doing them over" a starch base. This meaty,  tangy topping will be thawed, heated and served over campfire-baked white or sweet potatoes steamed rice, cooked pasta or noodles, buttered biscuits, toast, mashed potatoes--depending on what you have on hand. 

 

16-ounce package bulk Italian sausage
3 medium onions, diced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups cored, diced green apples
Salt, pepper

 

    Fry out sausage, breaking it into crumbles. Over high heat, continue stir-frying while adding onions, mushrooms and apples. When they are crisp-tender and sausage thoroughly cooked, season to taste and package for the freezer allowing 2/3 to 1 cup per serving. Heat and spoon over ½ to 1 cup starch of your choice

 

 

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Camping & RV Cooking For Home and Away

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023. To see your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, contact janetgroene at yahoo.com/

Camping and RV Recipe of the Week

Janet Groene’s Crustyburgers

These are toothsome sandwiches you can get your teeth into. Budget alternative: cube steaks may be beef, pork or turkey.

6 good hamburger buns

1/4 cup each mayonnaise and mustard

1 cup cracker or bread crumbs

1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and mixed Italian seasoning

3 tablespoons grated dry cheese such as Parmesan

2 eggs

6 small cube steaks

Vegetable oil for frying

Slice buns and “butter” cut sides with the mayo-mustard mixture. Mix bread crumbs, seasonings and cheese on a paper plate. Whisk eggs until light. Heat a nice layer of oil in a large skillet. Pat cube steaks dry with paper toweling.  Dip steaks in eggs. Let excess drip off, then press in the crumb mixture to coat well.  Fry in hot oil until crusty and meat is done to food-safe temperatures (160 F. For pork and beef; 170 for poultry).  Serve in buns. Serves 4.

Where to go next? See travel dates and offbeat destinations here and there, near and far, sooner and later from travelwriter Janet Groene at https://janetgroene.blogspot.com

Tips for the Camp Cook

* Heat a 2-quart bottle of apple juice and stir in ½ cup Valentine candy redhots until they dissolve. Serve juice as is or add a shot of rum to each glass. 

*Put a heaping teaspoon of chocolate or vanilla frosting in a mug and fill with hot coffee or tea. Stir and sip and ahhh. 

* Make streusel coffee cake with a surprise filling. Put half the batter in the pan and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the streusel. Dot with small dollops of apricot jam. Carefully add remaining batter and top with remaining streusel. 

* Mash a small can of deviled ham with an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese. Scoop into small balls and roll in chopped nuts. Serve as finger food or put atop salads. 

Campground Potluck Recipe of the Week

Sweet ‘n Hot Green Beans

Is it your turn to bring a vegetable side dish to the campground potluck or family reunion? Trick out canned green beans to make a snappy-spicy, economical side dish. 

3 pounds green beans, trimmed and cooked OR

Budget alternative: #10 can cut green beans

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon sriracha 

½ cup almond or pecan meal

1 cup crumbs made from Ritz crackers

½ cup real bacon bits

Drain green beans. In a small pan, stir garlic in hot oil until garlic is golden. Then stir in soy sauce, honey and sriracha to heat through. In a bowl or clean, dry bag,  toss nut meal cracker crumbs and bacon bits to mix.  Just before serving toss crumb mixture lightly with the hot green bean mixture. Serves 10-12. 

Freeze Ahead Recipe of the Week

Breakfast Banana Bread

Better than muffins for breakfast! Large, firm slabs of luscious banana bread are easy to slice, wrap individually, freeze and take camping with you. Eat them plain, fry in butter until crusty or slather with butter, pineapple cream cheese or honey butter for breakfast. This recipe  makes 12 pieces of a dense, moist, nutritious bread. Budget ingredient: use marked-down over-ripe bananas. 

2 cups flour (preferably half whole wheat flour)

1 cup sugar

4- serving box French vanilla instant pudding mix

1 teaspoon each salt and baking soda

6 ripe bananas, mashed

4 large eggs

2/3 cup mild vegetable oil such as canola

1 cup shredded coconut

½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Put dry ingredients in a clean bag to mix. In a large bowl, mash bananas and whisk in eggs and oil. Mix in dry ingredients. When everything is well mixed, fold in coconut and nuts. Put in a well-greased tube pan and bake one to 1 1/4 hours at 325 degrees. When it’s cool, slice in 12 pieces and wrap. Freeze up to three months. 

Do you long for the day when you can shed whatever is holding you back, move into an RV and take off to see what’s over the next hill forever? Don't wait.  Go NOW. We did. Earn as you go. Kids on board? Homeschool on the go. Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition  tells how,  from A (choosing the right rig for full-timing) to Z (going back to real life, if and when the time comes).   https://amzn.to/3knbvll

BONUS BUDGET RECIPE

Easy Mix, No-Egg Spice Cake

You don’t need tn electric mixer to make this batter. It does not contain eggs but  if you have an egg allergy,  be sure to use egg-free mayo or salad dressing. 

3/4 cup each water, mayonnaise and sugar

2 tablespoons molasses

2 ½ cups flour

1 teaspoon each baking soda and baking powder

2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

Grease an 8 X 8 cake pan and set the oven to 350 degrees. (See below for stovetop baking.) In a bowl whisk wet ingredients. Dump dry ingredients into a clean bag and “work” the bag to mix them. Stir dry ingredients into wet until no dry spots remain. Put batter in the pan and bake 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Serve alone or with powdered sugar, frosting, maple syrup, ice cream, whipped topping, etc. 

Stove-top Method:

Grease a heavy, 10-inch skillet, preferably cast aluminum.  Add batter. Cover tightly and cook over low-medium heat (use a flame tamer if necessary) 20 minutes, then check cake, cover and cook 10 minutes more. (Remove cover as little as possible to avoid letting heat escape.)  Remove from heat, uncover and cool. 

 

See Janet Groene's list of 20 Essentials to Take on an RV Vacation, RV Rental, Camping Trip, Boat Charter. Even if this is a fly-in vacation, most will fit in a medium suitcase. https://www.rvtravel.com/renting-rv-take-along-1090/

 
 

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