Here it is the end of June already. How did it go so fast? If summer vacation is about slowing down, why do the days seem to speed up? If you have only a little time off this year, consider a road trip, for a day or overnight. Explore a beach or a hiking trail and spend time with someone you haven’t seen in a while. And if this little adventure involves camping out for a night, don’t panic: we’ve got you covered on the food part.
Even if your experience of cooking around a campfire is limited to canned stew, bags of chips and hot dogs on a stick, you can step up to these budget-friendly, tastier outdoor meals. After all, pre-packaged convenience foods seem so out of sync with the surroundings of nature. The following easy options can be prepared in advance, so you can spend more time relaxing. Just pack a few essentials for your camp kitchen: a nonstick frying pan or cast iron skillet, a pot for boiling water, an oven mitt or barbecue mitt, a spatula, plastic or other recyclable cutlery, paper towels, and biodegradable soap for washing. Two things that haven’t changed for road trips: a cooler with ice, and all the fixins for S’mores. Travel safe!
Curried Peanuts &Raisins
Road food munchies should be salty and sweet, with a little crunch and protein. Here’s an easy make-ahead munchie from “Make Now, Serve Later” by Better Homes &Gardens; makes 2-3/4 cups.
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 to 2 teaspoons curry powder
12-oumce package (2 cups) raw peanuts
3/4cup raisins
Combine oil, curry powder, and 1/2teaspoon salt. Stir in peanuts; mix well. Spread evenly in a 13x9x2 inch baking pan. Bake in preheated 350 F. oven about 25 minutes or until nuts are lightly browned. Cool, then stir in raisins. Store, covered, at room temperature.
Pita Crisps
These easy little chips are way better than store-bought bagged ones. Try them with dips or with a little cheese on the side. You can substitute different seasonings, such as basil or oregano for the thyme, or chili powder for the plain pepper. Recipe from Food &Wine magazine; makes about 96 crisps.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
Six 6-inch whole wheat pita breads
1/4cup sesame seeds
1 tablespoon thyme
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper
1/2cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a bowl, combine butter and oil; set aside. Trim edges off pita breads. Arrange pitas on a baking sheet; bake about 3 minutes or until warm. Separate top of each pita from bottom; brush inside of each half with butter-oil mixture. Stack pitas on a cutting board; cut into eighths to form triangles. Arrange triangles, buttered side up, on 2 baking sheets. In a small bowl, combine sesame seeds, thyme and pepper; sprinkle mixture on pitas. Top with the Parmesan. Bake pita triangles for 8 minutes on the upper and lower racks of oven. Switch pans; bake 6 minutes longer, until toasted. Transfer crisps to paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container up to one week.
Chicken Salad Tortillas
You can serve the make-ahead salad alone, but it’s more fun to roll some into tortillas. Recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine; makes enough for 4 servings.
1 rotisserie chicken, meat removed and shredded
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1/2cup chopped pickles
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Mustard Vinaigrette
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, pickles, shallot and tarragon. Toss with vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 2 days, until ready to use. Pack regular or whole wheat tortillas if desired.
Mustard Vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2cup extra virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a small glass jar; seal tightly and shake until emulsified. Refrigerate until ready to use; shake again before using.
Tortellini Salad
with Pine Nuts
Here is a delicious combination of tastes and textures to serve with a hunk of good bread at lunch time on the trail, or dinner around the campsite. You could divide servings into individual plastic containers when you make it, for even less fuss on the road. Recipe from “Picnic” by DeeDee Stovel; makes 8 servings.
2 pounds fresh tortellini pasta
1 cup seeded and chopped green bell pepper
1 cup seeded and chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped scallions, with some green tops
1/2cup chopped pine nuts
1/4cup chopped fresh basil
1/4cup chopped fresh dill
1/4cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dressing:
1/4cup balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4teaspoon salt
Fresh ground black pepper
3/4cup salad oil
Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain. Place tortellini in a large bowl with the peppers, scallions, pine nuts, basil, dill and Parmesan. Make dressing: combine vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until well combined. Pour dressing over tortellini and chill, covered, until ready to take on the road. Divide into individual containers if desired.
Thai Turkey
Sausage Patties
Lucky campers will wake up in the morning to bacon frying in that nonstick pan. Add some scrambled eggs, and breakfast is ready. Here is an alternative to all that bacon fat. These sausage patties can be cooked ahead and frozen until ready to warm up at campsite. Great with papaya wedges, too. Recipe from Sunset magazine; makes about 16 patties.
1 pound ground turkey
1/4pound green beans, ends and strings removed, minced
8 green onions, ends trimmed, minced
1 stalk (5 to 8 inches) fresh lemon grass, tough outer layers, stem end and
coarse leaves removed, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh Serrano chilies (2 or 3), stemmed, seeded and finely minced
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4teaspoon sugar
About 2 tablespoons olive oil
In a bowl, mix turkey, beans, onions, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, fish sauce, egg, cornstarch and sugar. Divide into 16 equal portions; shape into 16 patties, each 1/2inch thick. Pour oil into a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. When hot, add a few patties, without crowding. Cook until brown on both sides and no longer pink in center, about 7 minutes. Remove to paper towels; add more patties and repeat until all patties are cooked. When patties are cool, freeze in a single layer in a metal pan until hard, then seal airtight in plastic freezer bags. Transport to campsite in an insulated cooler. In camp, place frozen patties in your nonstick frying pan over low heat on a campfire or cook stove. Cover and cook until warm, 3 to 5 minutes; turn at least once. Serve hot.
