Follow Us!
Archive for the ‘Campfire Cooking’ Category
Fisherman’s Delight!
Portable Cooking Stove!
The following is an extremely quick way to cook fish fillets. It has proven to be a family favorite that can be quickly supplemented with potatoes/rice and a vegetable of choice to make a nutritious meal.
Ingredients (1-serving):
- 2 – tbsp of vegetable oil;
- 1-2 fish fillets;
- Your favorite breading;
- Salt and pepper (per choice).
Process: This basic fish recipe has been proven by the test of time. The heat source can either be a portable camping stove or the hot coals of a campfire. Place breading material in a bag; put fish fillets in the bag and shake vigorously. Place a frying pan on the heat source and pour-in the vegetable oil. Once the vegetable oil is sizzling, place fish fillets in the oil and cook 5 – 7.5 minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper (as desired) and serve.
Share Your Outdoor Recipe!
Perfect Cooking Coals!
This last Fall, the wife and I had an opportunity to attend an Outdoor Craft show that was sponsored by the local VFW Auxiliary. The activity had numerous booths with interesting outdoor handcraft. However, the one booth that interested me most was the one selling “White” Chili.
Having been born in Arizona and raised in New Mexico, I thought I knew and understood everything there was to know about chili; but, obviously that’s not the case. I had never seen chili made out of chicken; it did have a different taste but was not all that bad, actually quite good. I thought the recipe would make an outstanding novelty addition to our Share Your Outdoor Recipe segment.
Ingredients (one serving):
- ½ chicken breast;
- ½ can Great Northern beans;
- ½ can chicken broth;
- ½ of a small onion (chopped);
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil;
- salt and pepper;
- optional seasonings (including: oregano, cumin, and chili pepper) to taste.
Process:
- Coat an outdoor cookware pan with vegetable oil and place on the smoldering hot coals of a camp fire. Place chicken breasts into the pan, cover it and cook until there is no pink left in the breasts (or 165 degrees (F)).
- While chicken is cooking, combine broth, beans, onions, and seasoning in a separate pan/Dutch oven and place on the hot coals of the camp fire.
- When the chicken is done, remove the pan. Dice the chicken and add to the other chili ingredients.
- Let chili simmer over the coals for 20-30 minutes, and it’ll be piping hot/ready to serve.
Morning Burrito!
Quick, Nutritious, and Tasty!
As Dad used to say, the key to camping food preparation is to maximize taste and nutrition while minimizing preparation time. The following breakfast favorite not only meets but exceeds that criteria.
Ingredients (one serving):
- cooking spray;
- 1 – medium tortilla;
- 1 or 2 eggs (as preferred);
- 2 – bacon strips;
- several chopped onion and green paper slices (as preferred)
- salt and pepper (as preferred).
Process: Give your camping cookware frying pan a shot of cooking spray and place on a portable stove burner or in the hot coals of a campfire. Put 2-strips of bacon in the pan and while sizzling, mix eggs and chopped/sliced peppers in a mixing bowl. When bacon is done, set it aside on a paper towel. Take egg mixture and pour into the hot frying pan; stir frequently until done. Put tortilla on a plate; place bacon strips in the center of the tortilla; put egg mixture on top of the bacon strips; salt/pepper; then: roll, serve - ENJOY!
Family Involvement!
Outdoor Cooking!
Outdoor cooking can and should be a family activity. It makes an otherwise mundane chore something special. Eating is fun, as should be fixing the food you eat. However, to do this takes time and a-little effort; plan food preparation that will include the entire family. This activity will not only be educational but extremely rewarding.
Even cooking a hot-dog or marshmallow can be a real challenge to insure that it’s cooked just right and not burnt. Cooking, as you well know, is a learned skill; especially cooking outdoors with charcoal, wood, or a portable cook stove. This activity will require some hands-on training. Take time to talk about what you plan to cook, discuss safety, and practice fire building.
It can be fun to beat eggs, mix pan cakes, make milkshakes, or cherry cobbler providing you have the proper camping cookware, stove and/or campfire. Don’t be too ambitious, at first; but, based on the kid’s ages , do give them tasks to complete with each receiving an acknowledged task ownership. These type of experiences are character building – the memories will never fade away!
Portable Grill!
Portable Propane Grill!
There are many small types of camping grills that can be used at an outdoor campsite. Some require fuel/electricity or just an open fire. However, being forced to cook on one over an open campfire, each and every time, can be extremely inconvenient. As an option, the following two categories can be used as either a back-up or even the primary cooking source:
- Electric - Grills are heated using electricity. This would be an ideal choice if the campsite has the required external source of electricity.
- Propane – This type of grill uses natural gas to provide the heat. A propane grill may be the best choice if you are going out into nature where the resources are limited, but a plan must be in-place to obtain replacement fuel.
The use of either an electric or propane grill would provide more than adequate service. However, as stipulated, selection must be thought-out and based on available resources at the campsite.
Awesome Campfire Dough-nuts!
Tasty!
This has been a favorite recipe for many Girl/Boy Scout Troops since the invention of canned biscuit mix. As I recall, campfire dough-nuts were the highlight of our summer/fall Scout Camping Trip. It was facilitated once during the trip and normally done on the final day as part of the camp closing. It signified that all good things do not have to end, and that tomorrow was just a new day – Oh what memories!
Ingredients/Process:
- Open a can of biscuits, separate each biscuit and poke a hole in each one;
- Place one cup of oil in a skillet and heat the oil until it is very hot;
- Place biscuits with holes into the hot oil and fry until one side is brown;
- Using tongs, turn the biscuits over and fry the other side until it is also brown;
- Remove the biscuit dough-nuts with your tongs and place on a paper towel to drain;
- While they are still warm, dip the dough-nuts into a mixture of half cinnamon and half powdered sugar.
With the proper camping cookware, these treats can be prepared in just minutes and will surely become a memorable hit with everyone.
Dad’s Favorite!
Dad's Favorite!
For various reasons, breakfast was always the big meal during our family camping trips. It’s the one time of the day when everyone seemed to be there ,and therefore, it was an ideal opportunity for final coordination/make needed changes to the day’s activities. Part of this process included insuring that everyone started with a healthy breakfast; one that was not only tasty but nutritious and satisfying. This recipe seemed to be done more often than the others; we’ll just call it, “Dad’s Favorite“!
Ingredients/Process:
- Chop ½ cup each of green peppers, onions, mushrooms, and any other favorite vegetable;
- Fry the vegetables with oil in a campfire skillet — a large cast iron skillet works best;
- Beat up a dozen eggs in a large bowl and add the eggs to the vegetables once they’re tender;
- Cook the eggs by stirring constantly until they are set;
- If you would like, include pre-fried bacon when adding the vegetables or top the dish, when you are finished, with some shredded cheese allowing it to melt while the eggs are still hot.
To top this off, place on a camping cookware plate; include hash-browns/fried potatoes, toast and fresh coffee!
Storage of Heating and Cooking Stoves!
Before Storage "PM"!
Several times each year, I discuss the importance of taking care of your equipment. This not only includes maintenance but proper storage as well. The following tips might be useful to insure your heating equipment and cooking gear continues to provide the dependable service as expected:
- Clean all camping stoves and lighting equipment before storing for a long period. Make sure each item is working properly and if not, get it fixed before storing. If possible, place each device in its own protective case/storage container. This will insure protection, especially those items that have brittle glass parts.
- Check all cooking gear for possible damage and remove those that are completely useless. Take inventory and compile a list of missing items/components. This list will help you determine what is needed before your next camping trip.
- Clean all camping tools and utensils before storing. Care should be taken to insure all iron cook ware has been properly oiled. This must be done in-order-to prevent rust/corrosion. If possible, store items in separate containers. This will prevent cracks and scratches.
Point being, if you take care of it, it will take care of you. I still have the hunting knife used to skin my first “Mule Deer” buck over 50 years ago!
Cast Iron Cookware Seasoning!
Must Be Seasoned!
Cast Iron Cookware seasoning is a must. This is a gradual process where oil is baked into the pores of the iron to prevent rusting, and it will eventually add a non-stick cooking surface to the cookware. This thin layer of oil must be consistently applied before each use, or it won’t cure properly. The more use, the better seasoned it becomes.
Tips:
- The best oil to use when seasoning is vegetable oil. Slight inconsistencies may appear in the seasoned finish, but it shouldn’t effect its cooking performance.
- Do not use soap or detergent to clean your cast-iron cookware; it will breakdown the seasoning process.
- Use wood or silicone utensils to avoid cookware scratching.
If properly taken care-of, this durable camping cookware will last forever.
Cast Iron Cookware Rust Removal!
Rust Removal!
Rust on Cast Iron Cookware indicates that the seasoning/curing needs to be replenished or replaced:
- Flash Rusting – Normally, slight rust on a new piece of iron cookware is flash rusting. Put some vegetable oil on a cloth and rub the area briskly. This should fix the affected area.
- Profile Rusting – This is rust that can be seen and felt on the cookware. To remove it, you should use a very fine grade of steel wool or abrasive pad such as SOS, Brillo, etc. to scrub the affected area. When the cookware has been scrubbed down to the raw/bare cast iron, re-season/cure immediately.
- Severe Rust – If the rust covers most of the cookware’s surface, it is considered severe. To salvage the cookware, you must take it to a local machine shop or auto body shop and have it sandblasted back to the original form. Once done, the camping cookware must be seasoned/cured immediately (see article (this blog) for seasoning)).
Most Commented