CHICKEN AND ROOT VEGETABLE STEW
Don’t rush the step of cooking the onions, as they will help give this dish its depth of flavour. Adding the fennel is optional, but does give a delicious aniseed flavour to the stew, so buy some before your trip if you can.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 carrots, sliced
300 g pumpkin (winter squash), diced
1 large fennel bulb, sliced (optional)
800 g skinless, boneless chicken thigh or breast fillets, cut into large pieces
200 ml (a small wine glass) white wine
12 waxy potatoes, quartered
1 Heat the oil in a large camp oven or casserole dish on a grill rack over the fire. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly until they start to turn golden and caramelise – ensure the pot isn’t too hot, or they will burn.
2 Add the carrot, pumpkin and fennel and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the chicken, stir well to combine and cook for 2–3 minutes, or until the chicken is starting to brown. Add the wine and bring to the boil for about 1 minute to cook off the alcohol.
3 Add 420 ml (1⅔ cups) water, then add the potato and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and bring to the boil, then move to the side of the fire or over the coals away from the direct heat and cook for a further 30–40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potato is very tender. Check the seasoning and adjust as desired, then serve in bowls.
BEEF, MUSHROOM, POTATO AND RED WINE CASSEROLE
You can make life at the campsite a bit easier by putting the flour and cumin in a large re-sealable snack bag before you leave home. Then, when you come to cook dinner at the campsite, you just need to put the cubes of meat into the bag and shake it in the pre-seasoned flour. This recipe can easily be doubled to serve more if you’re camping with several families, just make sure you have a big enough pot to cook it in!
SERVES 4–6
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil or vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2–3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons plain flour
½ teaspoon ground cumin
800 g–1 kg cubed beef blade steak
250 ml (1 cup) red wine
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
3–4 large potatoes, roughly chopped
3–4 field mushrooms, roughly chopped
1 Heat the oil in a large camp oven or casserole dish on a grill rack over the fire. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the carrots and cook for a further 5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, put the flour and cumin in a re-sealable snack bag or clean plastic bag and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the meat and shake it well to coat the beef cubes. Add to the dish, making sure it is on the hottest part of the fire, stirring for a few minutes until the meat is light brown on all sides.
3 Add the wine to the dish and bring to the boil, stir using a wooden spoon to scrape any bits stuck to the base of the dish. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and ½ a tin of water (use the tomato tin) and move to a cooler part of the fire away from direct heat. Cover and simmer gently for about 40 minutes.
4 Add the potatoes and mushrooms to the dish and cook for 30–35 minutes. Stir everything around and let the potatoes break down in the sauce.
5 Remove from the fire and set aside for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as desired, then divide the casserole between bowls and serve.
MASSAMAN LAMB CURRY WITH POTATOES
This is a delicious and warming Thai curry that will cope with sitting over an open fire for several hours. If cooking over gas, once the coconut milk and tomatoes are in, cook for about 40 minutes, then add the potatoes and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.
SERVES 4–6
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tablespoons Massaman curry paste
2 carrots, chopped
400 g butternut pumpkin (squash), cubed
1 kg cubed boneless lamb leg
2 x 400 ml tins coconut milk
400 g tin tomatoes
10 waxy potatoes, quartered or chopped if large
1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large camp oven or in a casserole dish on a grill rack over the fire. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the curry paste, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant smells waft from the pan.
2 Add the carrot, pumpkin and lamb, stirring to coat in the paste. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the coconut milk and tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
3 Once boiling, the dish can be simmered over the coals, so pull a few coals out to the edge and surround the dish. Cook for about 30 minutes, topping up with hot coals as necessary and ensuring that the curry keeps simmering gently. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
4 The curry is ready when the pumpkin has melted into the dish and thickened it, but the potatoes should retain their texture and shape. If you want to cook this dish for longer, that’s fine, but just don’t add the potatoes until the final 30 minutes of cooking. Check the seasoning and adjust as desired, then serve in bowls.
LEFTOVER FRIED-RICE
This meal is just what it says it is! I often make this for our final camp lunch or dinner as you can use up any leftovers from previous meals or the one or two vegetables that are still lurking in the cool box. I’ve given suggestions, but so long as you’ve got the rice, you can add whatever you like.
SERVES 4
200 g (1 cup) raw basmati rice or 500–600 g (3½ cups) cooked rice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 eggs, lightly beaten
cooked boneless meat, such as chicken, sausages, beef or lamb, shredded or diced (even some bacon slices would be tasty)
cooked chopped vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin (winter squash), snow peas (magetout)
2 cooked corn cobs, kernels removed, or 420 g tin sweet corn, drained
sweet chilli sauce, to serve (optional)
1 If preparing the rice from scratch, cook according to the packet instructions. Drain well and leave to cool, using a fork to fluff up the grains occasionally. You can cook this earlier in the day if you like and store in the cool box.
2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok. This is best done over a gas cooker, but it will work well over a fire too. Combine the soy sauce and egg in a bowl, then pour into the pan and swirl around. Sit for about 40 seconds, then stir around to mix up and lightly scramble.
3 Once the egg is almost cooked, add the cooled rice and stir well to combine. Then add any meat and vegetables you are using and mix everything together well.
4 Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, (remembering that the soy sauce is salty) and cook, stirring regularly for about 5 minutes, or until it is piping hot.
5 Remove from the heat and set aside for a couple of minutes to let the flavours mingle, Serve the rice accompanied by sweet chilli sauce, if desired.
ONE-POT ROAST CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES
This dish couldn’t really be any simpler – chop your vegies, put them in a casserole dish, top with a whole chicken, then leave it to cook over the fire while you sit back and enjoy the afternoon. If you’re anything like my family, it will give you the chance to get everyone involved in a spontaneous game of cricket. When the game is over, dinner for your ravenous team is ready and waiting.
SERVES 4
80 ml (⅓ cup) olive oil or vegetable oil
3 large floury potatoes, cut into 3 cm chunks
4 carrots, cut into 3 cm chunks
1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
4 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed with the back of a blunt knife
1.5 kg whole chicken, preferably free-range
steamed green vegetables or a salad, to serve (optional)
1 Heat 60 ml (¼ cup) of the oil in a large camp oven or casserole dish on a grill rack over the fire. Once the oil is hot, add the potato, carrot, onion and 2 of the garlic cloves. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to coat the vegetables in the oil.
2 Put the remaining squashed garlic inside the chicken, then drizzle or brush the outside of the chicken with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Use a sharp knife to make two slits in each thigh to help it cook evenly.
3 Sit the chicken among the vegetables, moving the vegetables to surround it if necessary, and cover with a lid. Sit the dish to the side of the fire or in the coals away from the direct heat, cover, and cook for 1½–2 hours, or until the vegetables and chicken are tender. You will need to stir occasionally to prevent the vegetables on the bottom from burning. Check the chicken is ready by piercing the thigh, the juices should run clear when cooked.
4 Remove from the fire and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken from the dish, tipping any juices back into the dish. Carve the chicken and serve with the vegetables from the dish and steamed greens or a salad on the side.
HEARTY BEAN AND VEGETABLE ‘STOUP’
We go camping throughout winter as well as summer, although I have to admit that even we draw the line at camping when we know it’s going to rain. This dish is brilliant whatever the weather – the name says it all really – it is a cross between a stew and a soup, hence the name our family has given to this ‘stoup’!
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 large leek, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 large potatoes, cut into small chunks
400 g tin cannellini or borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
400 g tin diced tomatoes
crusty bread or damper, to serve
grated parmesan or tasty cheese, to serve (optional)
1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan or camp oven on a grill rack over the fire or a gas cooker. Add the onion, garlic and leek and cook, stirring regularly for about 10 minutes. If it gets too hot, add a dash of water to the pan to cool it down.
2 Add the carrot and potato to the pan and stir well to combine. Add the beans and tomatoes, then add 1½ tins of water (using the tomato tin) and stir gently. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, ensure all the vegetables are submerged, then cover and return to the boil.
3 Once boiling, move the pan to the side of the fire or surround by hot coals away from direct heat and cook for about 35 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. You may need to replace the coals every so often to keep it simmering. It’s okay to let this dish sit for a while – it will become a bit mushy but the flavour will be great.
4 Check the seasoning and adjust as desired, then divide the soup between bowls and serve with crusty bread or damper. It also tastes great with a little grated cheese on top.
ROAST PORK WITH VEGETABLES
I prefer to cook this dish with a joint that still has the bone in, as it gives it more flavour. However, you can easily use a boned joint, just cook it for about 30 minutes less. See if your butcher will remove the skin and fat for you and then vacuum pack it (they may charge extra for this). This will save you some time at the campsite and avoid making it too messy.
SERVES 4
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
2 onions, thickly sliced
2 teaspoons sea salt
4 large potatoes, cut into 1 cm thick slices
1.8 kg bone-in pork leg, skin and fat removed
2–3 carrots, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
185 ml (¾ cup) beer or apple juice
1 Drizzle about 1½ tablespoons of the oil into a camp oven or a large heavy-based saucepan and arrange the onions in a layer in the base of the pan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with a little more oil, then add a layer of potatoes.
2 Sit the pork on top and arrange the carrot around the meat. Drizzle the pork with the remaining oil and season. Cover the pan and sit on a grill rack over the fire for about 2 hours, checking the temperature occasionally and stirring everything around. Roast until the pork is almost cooked through – check by slicing close to the bone, it should still be a little pink and look a bit watery.
3 Meanwhile, combine the mustard and beer or apple juice in a bowl, stirring well.
4 After about 2 hours, pour the mustard and beer mixture into the dish and stir well, scraping the base and sides of the pan to remove any delicious bits that are stuck to the pan. Cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the pork is tender. Do not overcook or the meat will become dry.
5 Remove the pork from the pan, cut into slices and remove and discard the bone. Return the pork to the pan with the vegetables and serve immediately.
PASTA, BEAN AND VEGETABLE STEW
This is like the Italian dish ‘pasta e fagioli’, a simple broth of pasta and beans, to which I’ve added extra vegetables and a good dollop of pesto at the end to give it a boost of flavour. My husband insists that it be served with crusty bread, although it’s not essential, as the stew already has both pasta and beans in it.
SERVES 4–6
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 zucchini (courgettes), halved lengthwise, then sliced widthwise
1 red capsicum (pepper), seeded and diced
2 x 400 g tins borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
200 g (2 cups) small pasta shapes
1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken or vegetable stock or water (or a mixture of both)
3 tablespoons pesto
50 g (½ cup firmly packed) finely grated parmesan cheese
crusty bread, to serve (optional)
1 Heat the olive oil in a camp oven or a large heavy-based saucepan on a grill rack over the fire or a gas cooker. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the zucchini and capsicum, stir to combine, and cook for 3–4 minutes, or until the zucchini is just starting to brown.
3 Add the cannellini beans, pasta and stock or water, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then cover and bring to the boil. Move to the side of the fire and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked.
4 Just before serving the stew, stir in the pesto, divide between bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
BARLEY ‘RISOTTO’ WITH PUMPKIN
Barley makes a great risotto-style dish, but doesn’t need stirring like risotto rice. For added creaminess, I sometimes add cream cheese at the end, but it’s not essential. However, cream cheese is a useful ingredient to have while camping, as it can be used as a sandwich filling or added to pasta sauces.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
450 g (3 cups) chopped pumpkin (winter squash)
300 g (1½ cups) pearl barley
750 ml (3 cups) vegetable or chicken stock or water
140 g (1 cup) peas
40 g cream cheese (optional)
mixed salad or steamed green vegetables, to serve (optional)
1 Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided heavy-based frying pan or camp oven on a grill rack over the fire or a gas cooker. Add the onion, garlic and pumpkin and cook gently, covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the barley and stir to coat well in the onion mixture. Add the stock and stir to combine. Cover with a lid and bring to the boil.
3 Once boiling, if you are cooking over the fire, move the pan to a cooler part of the fire away from direct heat. Cover and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the barley is tender. Check the liquid level after 40 minutes – if it looks dry add 60–80 ml (¼–⅓ cup) water. Mash the pumpkin into the barley a little at this stage. Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes.
4 When the barley is cooked it will still have a definite bite, it shouldn’t soften completely. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as required, remembering if using stock it may be quite salty. Stir in the cream cheese, if using, and serve with a salad or steamed green vegetables.
ONE-POT LAMB SHOULDER WITH WHITE BEANS AND TOMATO SAUCE
There are a couple of optional ingredients in this recipe, it’s up to you if you add them. The feta is a salty, creamy addition that softens the tomato sauce flavour, while the olives are there just because I love black olives!
SERVES 4–6
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1.2–1.4 kg boneless shoulder of lamb
375 ml (1½ cups) red wine
2 x 400 g tins diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 x 400 g tins cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
about 20 pitted kalamata olives (optional)
200 g feta cheese, crumbled, to serve (optional)
crusty bread, to serve
steamed green beans or other vegetables, to serve
1 Heat the oil in a camp oven or large heavy-based saucepan on a grill rack over the fire. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, or until light golden.
2 Add the lamb and cook for about 10 minutes, turning the lamb to brown on all sides. Add 125 ml (½ cup) of the red wine, then add the tomatoes and oregano. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover, and bring to the boil.
3 Move the dish to the side of the fire or surround by coals away from direct heat, cover, and cook for 2 hours. Check the dish occasionally and gradually add the remaining 250 ml (1 cup) wine (or a bit more if you like!), making sure there is still plenty of sauce – if not add a little extra water. If cooking over coals, turn the pan every 15 minutes to ensure it keeps simmering gently and cooks evenly.
4 Add the cannellini beans and olives, if using, and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender.
5 Remove the meat and break it into bite-sized pieces, then return to the pan with the vegetables, scatter over the feta, if using, and divide between bowls. Serve with crusty bread and steamed greens.
POT-ROASTED PORK WITH POTATOES AND PEARS
This tasty pork dish is very quick to put together and once it’s cooking on the fire, you can sit back and relax while the pork simmers gently. The end result is meltingly tender pork with soft potatoes and fruit. It might sound a little gourmet to some people but don’t let that worry you – it’s just simple, camping gourmet! Apples can easily be used in place of the pears.
SERVES 4–6
1 kg strip loin pork, skin and fat removed, cut into 2 cm cubes
3 medium (about 500 g) floury potatoes, cut into chunks
4 pears (unpeeled), cored and quartered
500 ml (2 cups) water, chicken or vegetable stock
125 ml (½ cup) beer (optional)
140 g (1 cup) peas
green vegetables, crusty bread or damper, to serve
1 Put the pork, potato and pear into a camp oven or large heavy-based saucepan and toss to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2 Pour over the water or stock and the beer, adding an extra 125 ml (½ cup) water if not using the beer.
3 Sit the dish to the side of the fire or surrounded by coals away from direct heat, cover, and cook for 2½–3 hours, adding extra hot coals as necessary to ensure that the curry is always simmering gently. Stir occasionally and be careful not to overcook the pork.
4 Add the peas and cook for a further 5 minutes. Divide the pork and pears between bowls and serve with green vegetables, crusty bread or damper.