These simple, savory recipes minimize time in the kitchen so you can spend more time in the sunshine.
By Janet Groene, F47166
May 2021
B e ready for a comeback-from-COVID summer! We all have a huge pent-up appetite for camping potlucks, small-town food festivals, campfire confabs, and melting-pot meals made in the fresh outdoor air. We’re getting back to camping the way it used to be. That means hearty meals prepared the easy way and designed to save space, time, mess, and the Earth’s resources.
Here are summer-ready shortcut recipes to fill you up and free up your time.
Cold Oven S’mores Pie
There’s no need for oven heat when you make this velvety chocolate “icebox” pie.
1 store-bought graham cracker crust
1 cup evaporated milk
12 ounces milk chocolate, cut up
1 to 2 cups (to taste) miniature marshmallows
Chill the graham cracker crust. Shake the canned milk well, and then pour it into a pot. Bring the milk to a simmer, and then remove it from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate. When the chocolate softens, stir the mixture until it is smooth, and then fold in the marshmallows. Pour the mixture into the pie crust, and chill four to five hours until the pie is firm. Makes six to eight servings.
Spinach-Poached Fish
1 package frozen spinach soufflé, thawed
½ cup light cream
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
4 portions (5 to 6 ounces each) of firm white fish such as mahi-mahi
In a large, buttered skillet, heat the spinach soufflé and cream over low-medium heat. In a small cup, mix 1 teaspoon each of salt, white pepper, and curry powder. Sprinkle the seasoning lightly on both sides of the fish, discarding any excess seasoning. Nestle the fish in the simmering spinach, and then cover the skillet and cook over low-medium heat until the fish flakes easily. Transfer the fish to plates and smother it with the spinach sauce. Complete the meal with cornbread or cheese scones. Makes four servings.
Pork Chops And Chili Rice
This one-dish retro meal is a twist on an old Cajun theme that will take you back to your tent-camping days. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the pork.
4 lean, meaty pork chops or pork steaks
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 small green or red bell pepper, chopped
1 can condensed chicken gumbo soup
1 soup can water
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1½ cups instant rice
4-ounce can diced green chilies, drained
1½ cups instant rice
Brown the pork well in the oil and push it aside in the pan. Continuing over high heat, stir-fry the vegetables to soften them. Then add the soup, water, and soy sauce, and rearrange the pork. Cover the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat and cook on low until the pork is at least 160 degrees.
Add the rice and carefully flip the pork over the rice and vegetables. Bring the sauce back to a boil, and then turn off the heat, cover, and let everything stand until the rice is cooked according to package directions. (Instant brown rice takes longer than instant white rice.) Makes four servings.
Seafood Silverado
Assemble this easy meal one portion at a time in foil; grill it in foil; and eat it out of the foil. This is the campiest kind of campground meal, yet deft seasonings and succulent clams add a touch of gourmet goodness.
4 portions firm white fish such as grouper or halibut
Salt, pepper
Butter for foil
1 lemon
1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint grape tomatoes, cut in half
2 cups fresh baby spinach cut chiffonade style
Dried thyme
Parsley flakes
12 to 16 (more or less) medium-sized clams, scrubbed
8 tablespoons dry white wine
Olive oil
Lightly sprinkle the seafood with salt and pepper and set aside. Lay out four large sheets of nonstick foil, and lightly butter the center of each sheet. Cut the whole lemon into small pieces, and on the foil, arrange a nest of beans, tomatoes, and the lemon pieces. Lightly sprinkle the nests with salt and pepper and cover them with tufts of spinach. Gently nestle the fish on top.
Sprinkle the fish with salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley flakes, and then surround each piece with 3 to 4 clams. Bring up the sides of the foil slightly to hold in the liquids, and then drizzle each piece of fish with 2 tablespoons of white wine and a little olive oil.
Wrap the foil into a packet, sealing it well. Grill the packets over high heat for 6 minutes on one side and 4 minutes on the other. If the fillets are thick, turn them again and grill for 2 more minutes. Test one package for doneness. (Open the foil carefully to avoid the hot steam and so the juices don’t leak out.) Fish should be flaky and the clams open. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices. Makes four servings.
Stuffed Mushroom “Kisses”
Canned Mexicorn is whole-kernel corn with bits of red and green pepper. Whole-kernel corn also can be used.
Butter
6 large portobello mushrooms (about 4 inches)
1 cup cooked rice
1 cup canned Mexicorn, drained
1 cup rinsed, drained black beans
Half of an 8-ounce brick of cream cheese
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
4 to 6 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon dried tarragon or chives
About 1½ cups grated cheese, such as cheddar
Lay out 6 sheets of foil and butter the center of each sheet. Scrape the stems and gills out of the mushrooms; place the mushrooms on the foil, hollow side up. In a bowl, mix the rice, corn, and beans, and divide the mixture among the mushroom caps. In the same bowl, mash the cream cheese with the garlic and onion powders. Add the Tabasco sauce and the tarragon or chives.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the bean filling, and top each with a tuft of grated cheese. Bring up the corners of the foil and twist to seal the foil and form a handle. They will look like Hershey’s Kisses. Cook on a grate over a medium fire, without turning, for about 12 minutes until the mushrooms are tender and the cheese is melted. Open the foil carefully, as the steam is very hot. Makes 6 “kisses.”
Cold Cornbread Salad
This make-ahead salad is substantial enough to serve as a main dish.
4 large Roma tomatoes, diced
Large green pepper, seeded and diced
Medium sweet onion, finely diced
8 to 9 slices precooked bacon, chopped
½ cup bread ’n butter pickles, drained (reserve juice) and chopped
1¼ cups mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 baked pan of cornbread such as Jiffy
Parsley flakes
Put prepared tomatoes, pepper, onion, and bacon in a zip-top bag and shake to mix. Add ½ cup chopped, drained bread-and-butter pickles, and then set aside or chill. Whisk ¼ cup pickle juice and mayonnaise in a bowl. Fold in diced cornbread and the vegetable-bacon mixture. Pack down the mixture with the back of a spoon, smoothing the top. Cover and chill for at least two hours. Sprinkle with parsley flakes and serve as is, or in lettuce cups. Makes six to eight servings.
Curry Quinoa Skillet Your Way
This versatile skillet meal can be made vegan, vegetarian, or meaty. For protein, add tofu, chopped hardboiled eggs, bits of rotisserie chicken, thawed cooked shrimp, or rinsed cannellini beans.
1 1/3 cups quinoa
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/3 cup raisins
2 cups water
2 bouillon cubes (vegetable or chicken)
Small can of sliced ripe olives, well drained
1 to 2 cups protein, if desired
Optional garnish: chopped parsley or cilantro, chopped roasted peanuts, slivered almonds, yogurt, or sour cream.
Rinse the quinoa and drain it well. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and stir in the curry. When the curry is fragrant, stir in the quinoa so it is coated with the flavored oil. Add the tomatoes, raisins, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring the mixture to an active simmer, stirring to dissolve the bouillon. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes until the quinoa is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir in the olives and optional protein of choice. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir and serve with garnishes of choice. Makes four to six servings.
Five Finger Foods
Give a hand to finger foods for easy eating. Serve a colorful platter of bits and bites for snacks, lunch, or as a quick supper. If the evening turns chilly, add mugs of creamy tomato soup.
*Stir ¼ cup strawberry jam into a cup of ricotta cheese, and spread on melba toast or zwieback. Eat at once.
*Parboil frozen French-cut green beans until they are crisp-tender and drain well. Chill with grated sweet onion, dried cranberries, and slivered almonds. Just before serving, toss with bottled balsamic vinaigrette to taste. Serve in endive “boats.”
*Cook cheese gnocchi, drain, and toss carefully with Italian vinaigrette, quartered cherry tomatoes, and minced red onion. Wrap in Boston lettuce cups. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
*Mix 1½ cups of ketchup with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and add ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. Use as a dipping sauce for heated chicken nuggets.
*Set out flat-bottom ice cream cones and fill them with store-bought rice pudding. Drizzle with chocolate ice cream sauce. Serve at once before the cones get soggy.
Thirst Ade
*Fill a tall glass with ice and then fill it halfway with apple juice. Top with sparkling water and a sprig of fresh mint. As an option, add 1 shot of coconut rum.
*Shrubs are tart, refreshing summer drinks made with vinegar. Combine 2 cups of raspberry syrup with 1 cup of red wine vinegar. Fill a glass with ice and then fill it halfway with the raspberry mixture. Top off the glass with raspberry-flavored sparkling water and a 3-inch sprig of thyme.
*Mix equal amounts of ruby red grapefruit juice and cranberry juice or cranberry juice cocktail. Fill a glass halfway with the mixture and top it off with cold cranberry tea. As an option, add a shot of bourbon.
*Mix equal parts Tang and powdered instant iced tea mix with lemon flavor. Keep cool and dry. Add regular, sparkling, or zero-calorie flavored water. Stir to dissolve. Add ice.
*Packets of unsweetened Kool-Aid and other powders are very inexpensive, featherweight to carry, and are easily sweetened to taste with any sweetener you choose. Choose from a rainbow of flavors.
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.