I just got back from a great overnight camping trip.
It was completely spur of the moment and I was amazed by the level
of food we ate. No hot dogs for us. It was first class all the way
and there was very little in the way of prep and
equipment. You don't have to have an RV kitchen to eat great in
the great outdoors. Here is a list of the meals we ate and what you
will need to live high on the hog even when you are sleeping on the
ground.
For two people, depending on your how much you eat.
Dinner:
Steak Sandwiches with cheese and peppers
-8-10oz steak- Thicker cut the better, cut into strips
(freeze the steak whole then put it in the fridge to thaw the
night before. It will cut into strips easier if partially
frozen.)
-peperjack or chedder cheese, cut into slices for melting on
top
-1/2 large Serrano pepper, cut into thin strips
-Ciabatta buns or we used thick pieces of homemade focaccia
-butter, one stick is more than enough for dinner and breakfast
-Garlic, minced
Heat the skillet and make a little packet of tinfoil for the
pepper slices and steam on the skillet, when almost done, take off
heat and leave in foil, melt a tablespoon or so of butter and
minced garlic on one side of the skillet and put the bread facedown
on it to crisp. Dump the strips of steak seasoned with salt and
pepper or your special seasoning pack on the other side and make
sure to turn the steak until almost done and dump the pepper slices
on top and turn down skillet, finish peppers. Put your sliced
cheese on top to melt. Scrape a big pile of steak, peppers and
cheese onto your crispy bread and enjoy.
Corn on the Cob
-2 ears sweet corn husk on.
Boil about 2 inches of water in your pot, drop in the ears of corn
and cover. Turn a few times to cook evenly. Steam until the kernels
pop when poked (about 20-25 min). Use your butter and salt and
pepper to season.
Breakfast:
Pepper fried potatoes and eggs
-2 large russet potatoes, diced into small cubes (a little salt
water keeps them fresh)
-1/2 Serrano pepper diced in small cubes
-chopped herbs
-butter for skillet (if you fry bacon in the morning leave a little
grease in the pan to fry the potatoes, very rich)
-salt and pepper for taste
-four large eggs
Heat your skillet and melt a little butter. Crisp your potatoes and
pepper cubes, smaller cubes crisp faster (about 15-20 minutes).
Cayanne pepper can be added for heat or chopped herbs for flavor.
Fry a couple of eggs per person and serve on top of the
potatoes.
You will need a camp stove, a skillet and deep pan w/ lid, a good
sharp knife, a spatula and a cooler (an insulated lunch bag works
great with a cold pack). Bring enough tinfoil to make a
little packet for the pepper to steam in and little baggies of salt
and pepper. We also brought a baggie of dill, basil and oregano. A
small roll of the blue mechanics papertowels works great for clean
up and stays in one piece when wet. A campstove will cook more
evenly than a fire and you avoid scorched or underdone meat.
Do the prep at home before you go, especially if you are hiking
into a spot. We parked next to our site this time (having a car is
fancy camping for us), and used newpaper for a cutting board.
We got to use our campstove which weighs a whopping 20lbs and
a cast iron skillet. Normally we opt for a lighter weight
options.
*For lunch we are usually hiking around and make sandwiches or
tortilla wraps with lunch meat and cream cheese. Dried fruit and
chocolate are great for energy too.
What do you eat when you are "roughing" it?
