By substituting certain ingredients in recipes, cooks can please eaters of all stripes.
By Janet Groene, F47166
November 2020
One thing family RVers have in common: We all eat.
But what if you have to pivot from meaty meals to vegan or vegetarian for one or more family members or guests? It can be a tall order to make sure everyone gets a balanced meal with enough protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Fortunately, many main dishes are convertible; that is, simple substitutions make it possible to satisfy everyone at the table. The following delicious recipes can supply a colorful, easy, one-pot campground meal, one way or another.
Amounts and serving sizes will vary depending on how many eat meat.
Two-Way Posole
Shop ahead of time for frozen, fully cooked beef or turkey meatballs and vegetarian meatballs. Then thaw them, place them in bowls, and drown them in this spicy Latin classic.
4 medium red-skin potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
10-ounce package shredded cabbage for coleslaw
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon hot or mild chili powder
1 seeded, chopped poblano pepper
1 teaspoon salt
32-ounce carton vegetable broth
15.5-ounce can white hominy, drained and rinsed
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 to 4 meatballs or vegetarian meatballs per person, thawed and cut in half
Optional garnishes:
Minced cilantro
Crumbled queso blanco
Lime wedges
In a large saucepan, stir-fry the potatoes in hot oil, gradually stirring in the onion, cabbage, garlic, chili powder, and poblano. Sprinkle with salt. Add the broth, bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the hominy and tomatoes and heat well.
Arrange the halved meatballs in shallow soup plates. Ladle the hot posole over the meatballs and let stand a minute or two to heat through. Add garnish. Makes six to eight servings.
Mediterranean Stew
When you ladle this hot stew over a plate of chicken nuggets or meaty beans, the dish warms up to a symphony of flavors.
Chicken nuggets or other cooked, bite-size chicken pieces
Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Fresh pepper
Chopped fresh parsley
1 large onion, diced
1 small red sweet pepper, seeded and diced fine
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups zucchini, diced large
1 can (28 to 32 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon mixed Italian seasoning
2 cups water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
1 cup orzo
Set out large soup plates and fill some with 1/2 cup of cooked chicken, some with 1/2 cup of beans. Add a few grinds of fresh pepper and shower with minced parsley. Set the plates aside in the warmest place possible.
In a saucepan or cook pot, stir-fry the onion and red pepper in hot olive oil; gradually add the zucchini and cook until it’s barely crisp-tender. Add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning, water, and bouillon. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the bouillon.
Add the orzo and cook until it’s tender, about 7 to 9 minutes. Ladle over the plates of chicken or beans. Makes six to eight servings.
Fish Or Cut Bait Casserole
You’ll need a smaller nonstick skillet for the tofu cakes. The main meal cooks in one large skillet.
1 portion mahi-mahi each for those eating fish
1 portion tofu, sliced firm and drained, per each vegan diner
Bottled sesame ginger salad dressing
Vegetable oil
1 lemon, sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 head fennel, trimmed and sliced
1 bunch celery, trimmed and sliced
Salt, pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/3 cup dry white wine or water
Thaw and drain the fish. Marinate the tofu in the sesame ginger salad dressing. Put a sheen of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok and once hot, sizzle the lemon slices, gradually adding the mushrooms, fennel, and celery. When the lemon slices are crisp-tender, remove and discard them. Sprinkle the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside sufficient vegetables for the tofu portions.
Nestle the fish in the remaining vegetables, sprinkle with parsley and tarragon, and drizzle with white wine or water. Cover and reduce heat. Steam the fish until it flakes easily.
Meanwhile, drain the tofu and brown it in hot oil in a second skillet. Distribute the vegetables over the tofu, and drizzle with some of the leftover marinade. Heat through. Makes six servings of vegetables.
Very Berry Monte Cristos
You choose the amounts depending on how many meat eaters are in your crew.
Mustard
8 pieces sandwich bread
Deli-sliced baked turkey
Deli-sliced Havarti cheese
1 tub deli hummus
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 stick butter OR 2 tablespoons olive oil for frying
1 cup raspberry or strawberry preserves
2 tablespoons water, fruit juice, or fruit liqueur such as Triple Sec
Spread mustard lightly on the bread. Make four sandwiches, some with turkey and cheese and some with hummus and cheese. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, milk, mayonnaise, and salt in a shallow dish and dip the sandwiches. This can be messy, so it helps to handle the sandwiches with disposable plastic kitchen gloves. Sandwiches will firm up when cooked.
Fry the sandwiches in hot butter or oil until crusty on the outside and thoroughly cooked inside. In a small saucepan or microwave-safe container, melt the preserves with the liquid (water, fruit juice, or liqueur) and drizzle over the hot sandwiches. Makes four servings.
Note: To identify vegetarian versus meat sandwiches, use oval bread instead of square, or whole wheat instead of white.
Sweet And Cheesy Brussels Sprouts
This unusual blend of flavors is for people who love Brussels sprouts. It’s also a double dare for those who are trying to love them. You’ll need homemade or store-bought candied pecans, so let’s start there. They can be made ahead of time.
Candied Pecan Halves
1 egg white
1/2 cup white or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound pecan halves
In a large bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy, gradually beating in the sugar. Fold in the vanilla and pecans. Spread the pecans on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper and bake them at 275 degrees until they are toasty brown, about 45 minutes. Cool them completely and keep them cool and dry. You will need only some of them for this meal.
Main Recipe
1/4 stick butter
4 cups trimmed, halved Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt, pepper
4 packets instant cheese grits
Boiling water
Have ready:
Crumbled queso fresco OR crumbled crisp bacon
In a large skillet, melt the butter and fry the sprouts cut-side down and covered until browned and tender. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Put the packets of instant cheese grits in four shallow soup plates and stir in the boiling water until creamy. Top with the sprouts and sprinkle with candied pecans and crumbled queso or crumbled bacon to taste. Makes four servings.
Smoky Bear Potato Salad
Smoked cheese adds a woodsy, meaty, lumberjack heartiness to a meatless meal. For meat eaters, add bacon. This salad is best served warm as a main dish spooned right out of the pot.
1 pound thick-sliced Applewood bacon (if desired)
6 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1½ cups trimmed, sliced fresh green beans
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup sliced scallions
4 hard-cooked eggs, cut up
8 to 12 ounces smoked gouda cheese, grated or shredded
1/2 cup (or more to taste) bottled ranch dressing
Shredded lettuce (optional)
For the meat version, chop the bacon, fry it until crisp, drain it on paper towels, and set aside. Boil the potatoes until tender, adding the green beans for the last two minutes. Drain the hot vegetables and fold in the celery, carrots, scallions, and some of the eggs and cheese. Toss lightly with the ranch dressing, to taste. Save the remaining eggs and cheese to garnish vegetarian portions. If desired, garnish with the bacon. Serve as is or on lettuce-lined plates. Makes six servings as a main dish.
Not-The-Real-Thing Romesco Sauce
Creamy, delicious, and colorful, this easy substitute for classic Romesco sauce can turn any plate into a festive meal. The real thing is satin smooth, so it’s a plus if you have a blender or food processor for the roasted peppers and tomatoes, but a hand mixer will work, too. The sauce can be spooned over toasted cheese sandwiches made with or without a slab of baked ham.
4 tablespoons flour
1½ cups water
8-ounce can (1 cup) tomato sauce
7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped fine
2 tablespoons drained, finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton)
1/2 cup almond butter
In a saucepan, whisk the flour and water and bring to a boil, stirring until it begins to thicken. Whisk in the tomato sauce and continue stirring over medium heat while adding the peppers, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Remove from heat and use a potato masher or hand mixer to incorporate the peppers as fine as possible. Stir in the almond butter. Makes about 2½ cups of sauce, or six to eight servings.
Look-Alikes
*Cook both real and plant-based hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill.
*Root beer floats can be made with regular or sugar-free soda and ice cream.
*Buckwheat flour, despite its name, is gluten-free and makes hearty, backwoods pancakes.
*Make a quesadilla platter, some filled with ground meat or pulled pork barbecue, and some filled with vegetarian or vegan-friendly fillings. To tell them apart, use different color tortillas, such as whole wheat or carrot for the meaty ones and spinach for nonmeat.
*Make tempura everything with ingredients that can include cauliflower and broccoli florets, squares of eggplant and zucchini, whole green beans, mushrooms, and pepper wedges. Then cook tempura chicken bites or shrimp in the same hot oil. Pile the preferred assortments over individual portions of peas and rice.
*Set out a do-it-yourself taco bar with several kinds of tortillas and a choice of meat, fish, or grilled vegetable fillings, plus shredded lettuce, coleslaw, chopped sweet onion, grated cheese, and other favorite toppings.
*Provide individual pizza shells, whether your own or store-bought, and give everyone a choice of toppings.
*Make a rich two- or three-cup white sauce. Arrange biscuit halves on plates. Top some biscuits with vegetarian sausage crumbles, grated cheese, or sliced hard-cooked eggs. Slather with bubbling hot sauce. For meat eaters, fold torn chipped, dried beef in the remaining sauce and serve over the biscuits. Plan on 1/2 to 2/3 cup sauce and 1½ to 2 biscuits per person.
*Use individual small cans of tuna, ham, chicken, or turkey to make composed Niçoise-type salads. Upend the contents of the drained can on the plate, then surround it with boiled potatoes, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and so on. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
Share your favorite recipes. If you have a recipe you enjoy making in your RV, share it with Janet at janetgroene@yahoo.com (put FMCA in the subject line). Visit Janet at CampAndRVCook.blogspot.com, where new recipes and tips are added weekly; a subscription for e-reader devices is available at http://amzn.to/1DsP67t. Janet’s books, including the second edition of Cooking Aboard Your RV, are available in bookstores and at Amazon.com.