Camping

“Campers: Nature’s way of feeding mosquitoes.” – Author Unknown

It’s the Victoria Day long weekend this week. For a lot of people here, it usually means the first week of the summer camping season. The weather most years has been warm and sunny and perfect for camping. I personally am not a camper but there are so many people who are, so I have decided to merge camping along with something that I like this week for the blog, food! I can imagine that when you go camping you’d want to take and make very simple foods that are quick and easy. I went hunting for some yummy sounding camp food ideas that you can try out the next time you go camping, or you can just try them out at home if you’re not a camper like me.

Enjoy the treats,

Samantha 

Grilled Glazed Beef & Veggie Kebobs

I found this recipe on the Today’s Parent website. It’s easy to prep at home and then take with you when you go on your camping trip. It sounds delicious and seems simple to make.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 lb. strip loin, fat trimmed and cut into 1-in. chunks
• 1 small red pepper, cut into 1-in. chunks
• 1 zucchini, cut about ¾ in. thick

Instructions

• Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic and sesame oil in a sealable plastic bag or bowl.
• Add strip loin and toss to coat.
• Toss red peppers, zucchini and red onion with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Alternate beef and vegetables on skewers. Heat
  grill to medium-high.
• Grill for 8 to 10 min, turning, or until meat is at desired degree of doneness.

Notes:

Peppers and zucchini work well in this recipe because they cook at the same rate as the meat, but customize your kids’ kebabs with the veggies they like best.

Tip:

Dice, marinate and freeze beef up to a month ahead of time for quick on-site cooking. Metal skewers conduct heat (which means they help cook meat from the inside out) and don’t need soaking like bamboo skewers.

Campfire Pizzas 

This recipe from Today’s Parent, sounds like fun to make and again very simple if you do all the prep at home like chopping up veggies and shredding up the cheese. 

Ingredients

•  large flour tortillas
•  spaghetti sauce, homemade or canned
•  mozzarella cheese, shredded
•  additional pizza toppings – like pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers

Instructions

• Place a tortilla into a lightly greased skillet that is just big enough to hold it, and turn up the sides slightly to form a bowlish crust. Spread some spaghetti sauce onto the tortilla, top this with a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese and whatever other pizza toppings you like. Cover the pan with a lid and cook over hot coals until the cheese begins to melt, but before the bottom of the tortilla is completely burnt. If in doubt, go for partly melted cheese over a cremated crust.

One Skillet Breakfast

I found this recipe on CampingRoadTrip.com. It seems like the perfect camping breakfast to me; it’s got a lot of protein and carbs to keep you full as you spend the day outdoors exploring. All you need is one skillet, so it’s easy and there is little cleanup.

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• ¹/₂ small onion
• ¹/₃ lb. ground sausage
• 5 eggs
• ¹/₂ cup cheddar cheese
• Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions

At Home:

Dice the potatoes and onion into small, bite-size pieces. Store them in separate airtight containers.

Mince the garlic and place them in a separate container.

 
Shred the cheddar cheese. Pack it in a separate container.

At the Campground:

Add the oil to a large skillet and heat it on a stove or over the campfire.

Fry the potatoes until golden.

Add the onions and garlic and fry them until they start to change colour.

Fry the sausage until they are brown, breaking it up as you cook it.

Add the eggs into the skillet, breaking the yolks and mixing them through the entire pan. Cook until the eggs have set.

Add the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Classic Cocoa

It may be warm during the day, but at night it still tends to get quite chilly especially when you are out camping. Mixing up a whole bunch of cocoa before you leave allows you to instantly make this warm delicious drink, just add water. I found this recipe on MyRecipes.com

Ingredients

·         1 cup of granulated sugar

·         1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

·         1 cup of powdered milk

·         ½ teaspoon of salt

·         ½ cup mini chocolate chips

·         ½ cup mini marshmallows

Preparation

Layer sugar, cocoa powder, powdered milk, salt, chocolate chips, and marshmallows in a container and take along with you camping. Add boiling water. 

S’mores

Last but not least I have included a classic camping treat. Whenever I watch movies or TV shows and camping is involved, so are S’mores! I found a website that had 12 very interesting S’mores recipes. Some look very sweet and some are savory, but take a look for yourselves and experiment with ones that look appetizing to you. 

http://www.thekitchn.com/12-creative-smores-for-a-party-gatherings-from-the-kitchn-192834

From what I have seen, I think that the key thing about cooking while camping is having everything prepared at home so all you have to do it throw together simple meals in the midst of all the fun that you are having. Happy Camping!