need new camping meal ideas

[CampingMama]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Campfire Stroganoff :

Take left over steak
1 can cream mushroom soup
! can milk or water
1/2 an onion diced
butter
garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
Instant plain couscous


Cook over the fire in the Dutch oven or deep iron skillet
Chop steak into bite size pieces, dice onion.
Saute onion and steak in a little butter with seasonings until onions are almost clear
Add soup and milk, cover, Stir every 5 minutes or so adding more milk or water as needed.
Simmer 20 minutes or so.

While your onions are cooking, boil some water on the fire or stove.
Use a big bowl and make couscous.
Serve stroganoff over cosuscous

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Some veddy nice recipes above and I thank youse for the brain jog.

I enjoy keeping my freezer well stocked so been taking advantage of various protein and veggie sales.
So far I've bought porterhouse steaks (and home aged em before freezing), pork spareribs, boneless leg of lamb, a coupla Cornish hens, steamed and froze lobster meat, bought various cuts of beef roast and home ground hamburger meat from it. Some became burger patties, stuffed w/ cheese or not, some became wontons, empanadas and meatloaf. O right and I'm enamoured with making sausages this year. Lamb, pork, chicky and mixtures of same. Also found a new way to make a fast chicken stock that allows the remaining meat to be moist and still tasty so it can be used in chicken salad, white chili, enchiladas and burritos.

Haven't made my formal menu fer camping yet but figure I'll do it in the next few weeks and update accordingly.

[Joyous56]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

..... Also found a new way to make a fast chicken stock that allows the remaining meat to be moist and still tasty so it can be used in chicken salad, white chili, enchiladas and burritos.

Do tell more about your way to make a fast chicken stock. I usually just use a carcass and simmer the hell out of it, along with some aromatics.

[Joyous56]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Don't believe that my use of the word carcass was edited!

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Do tell more about your way to make a fast chicken stock. I usually just use a carcass and simmer the hell out of it, along with some aromatics.

Oh u fast editing person,u, .

I used to boil the remaining life outta a bird yet found this method perfect for when whole chickys or parts go on sale. Anddddddddd the meat is still moist/ tasty/usable!
This is from a thread I posted on another BB..no sense in re-inventing the wheel

Quick Homemade Chicken Stock

Published January 1, 2004.
Why this recipe works:

We chopped a chicken into small pieces and then sautéed it with an onion until the chicken lost its raw flavor. We covered the pot and allowed the chicken and onion to cook over low heat until they released their rich, flavorful juices. At this point, we added water and brought it back up to a simmer. While this recipe requires more hands-on work (hacking up a chicken, browning an onion, then the chicken parts), it is ready in a fraction of the time required by traditional methods.

Makes about 2 quarts

This stock can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 4 days or frozen for 4 to 6 months.
Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped medium
• 4 pounds whole chicken legs or backs and wingtips, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 quarts water (boiling)
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering; add onion and cook until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer onion to large bowl. Brown chicken in two batches, cooking on each side until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to bowl with onions. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onion. Return onion and chicken to pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and sweat until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer slowly until stock is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes, skimming foam off surface, if desired.

2. Strain broth and discard solids. Before using, defat stock. After stock has been refrigerated, the fat hardens on the surface and is very easy to remove with a spoon. To defat hot stock, we recommend using a ladle or fat separator.

Welllllllll, I screwed it up a bit and since the step I missed was prolly an integral part of the technique, can't say this is the truest of reviews.

It does take less time (normally it's several hours to make a poultry stock) yet there is more effort needed in the chopping of the meat- Chinese cleaver is yer friend-and browning.

I decided to add a traditional mirepoix/trinity of veggies to the pot since the recipe just dinna sound quite right w/o it to me: to the medium chopped onion, I added... about 3 stalks of minced parsley, 1 med. box-grated carrot(use the "slaw" side), 1 stalk of minced celery, and the thinly sliced dark green tops of a leek.
Added the boiling water and bay leaves directly into the pot after browning the chicky instead of sweating the chicken and added veggies. Simmered the pot ingredients for 20 minutes, tasted the liquid and decided to simmer for another 20 minutes. It now tasted like I think stock should and the meat was still juicy and usable in other dishes.

I dinna add the salt to the stock mostly because for years I've tended to add that seasoning when I further cook the dish(and of course we allllll know how I feel about salt and would prefer if I don't play the broken record no mo,LOL). This was not the richest stock I've ever made yet it certainly was bright tasting and full of natural chicken flavour.

ETA: This morning I pulled the last of the stock out of the fridge to transfer to the freezer and it jiggled like Santa's belly


All in all I'll do this again; the fact that the simmered poultry is still eidble makes it worthy in and of it self.Put the man to work removing meat from the bones. Got 6-1/2 cups out of a start of 4.25 lbs. Froze the meat in 3 cup increments ZipLoc bags. I'll be using the meat in chicky salad, as soup meat, pot pies, empanadas and chili.

[Joyous56]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

"All in all I'll do this again; the fact that the simmered poultry is still eidble makes it worthy in and of it self.Put the man to work removing meat from the bones. Got 6-1/2 cups out of a start of 4.25 lbs. Froze the meat in 3 cup increments ZipLoc bags. I'll be using the meat in chicky salad, as soup meat, pot pies, empanadas and chili."

I first went right to your original recipe, and thought the trick was to sweat the chicken and onion for a bit, before adding water. This time around, you say to skip that step. That's cool. What I like about your method is (1) your stock benefits from the actual meat, not just the bones, and (2) you end up with chicken meat that's usable for other recipes.

I imagine the shorter cooking (simmering) time keeps the meat from getting too dry. I'll definitely be trying this! Thanks.....

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

From the time I posted the original technique(end of Jan on a different message board) to date I've made the stock 4 different times and 2 different ways; each time it was delish and yes I too like a technique that gives ya latitude . This weekend I'll be toying with a quick Chinese chicken and pork stock using the above recipe as a base. I've found that a mix of the 2 meats makes a credible base for sweet and sour, wonton and noodle style soups w/o the use of cornstarch. Also allows me to use certain pork cuts (necks, sliced feet, ears) that various close to me ethnic groups use and allows a lower price to acquire. I'll let youse know if it's a success or not.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Despite having an over-abundance of homemade Italian style sausages in the freezer the man forgot and purchased store bought sweet and hot sausages today. Sooooo I'm making a batch of the following sauce to use atop pasta; as a sandwich filling with sauteed peppers and could do nicely as a meat filling fer lasagna. Prolly I'll store the sauce in quart bags and into the freezer it'll go with a lot of the work in advance done for camp or home food.

http://www.nickstellino.com/recipes/...men=20&rec=754

[Joyous56]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

From the time I posted the original technique(end of Jan on a different message board) to date I've made the stock 4 different times and 2 different ways; each time it was delish and yes I too like a technique that gives ya latitude . This weekend I'll be toying with a quick Chinese chicken and pork stock using the above recipe as a base. I've found that a mix of the 2 meats makes a credible base for sweet and sour, wonton and noodle style soups w/o the use of cornstarch. Also allows me to use certain pork cuts (necks, sliced feet, ears) that various close to me ethnic groups use and allows a lower price to acquire. I'll let youse know if it's a success or not.

I'll look forward to hearing about how the chicken/pork stock works out....it's an interesting concept. I don't know where to get those pork cuts, but I know a butcher I will try. I'd also like to know your hot & sour soup recipe, if you wish to share. If you're using bones, I've heard that roasting them first gives a richer flavor.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

I'll look forward to hearing about how the chicken/pork stock works out....it's an interesting concept. I don't know where to get those pork cuts, but I know a butcher I will try. I'd also like to know your hot & sour soup recipe, if you wish to share. If you're using bones, I've heard that roasting them first gives a richer flavor.

Sure!............this is my base recipe for hot and sour soup...I use pork chicken stock to replace the traditional American Chinese style substitution of cornstarch to thicken the soup. Errrr I also have been known to use silken tofu if that's all I've on hand andddddd that's all I've had as leftovers the last 3 years I've camped, LOL. For watever reason everyone in my camping party prefers silken tofu over other types so that's what I give 'em.

This is the base:
http://food52.com/blog/9404-joanne-c...-and-sour-soup

Since I generally use pork chicky stock I tend to not use the ground meat but I bet the soup would be more substantial if any ground meat is added. I prefer using dried 'shrooms(tree ear, wood ear, cloud ear or shiitake) over button mushrooms yet using what's on hand and or readily available is always a good thing. I can say that it's nice to add salad greens or shredded kale to the soup at the last minute and I'm in agreement with some of the reviewers that bamboo shoots add a nice texture/taste. I just make the soup my own by using whatever ingredients I have.

Roasting bones is a classic for stock and gives great flav as well as cutting back on skimming! One of my freezers (a mini fridge that I keep on high thus making it a freezer...alright alright the truth is the plastic thermostat dial broke off and I just turned the metal knob to the highest position making it a F/T freezer) works nicely as an 'boneyard'. When I've enough backs, rib cages,etc it's time to make a nice old fashioned stock.

Uhmmm ....have I mentioned I enjoy cooking?

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Because a lot of beef has been on sale the last few weeks did some stocking of the freezer and of course decided to make some of it into pre-made camping dishes.

a 4.75 lb bottom round roast (3.99/lb) became hamburger meat; was added to an all meat chili; and the remainder was used to make Chicago style Italian beef for sandwiches.

A whole trimmed beef tenderloin(9.99/lb) was cut into steaks and a roast; the scraps were added to the hamburger meat.

Chuck roast (2.99/lb) was ground and added to the burger meat as were deboned beef rib meat that I found in the freezer already and don't recall what I paid for it.

So now I've cheese stuffed and unstuffed burger patties, chili, sammy meat and the tenderloin steaks (the roast will stay home) that I'm not quite sure how I'll cook yet.

Somehow I missed the pork pieces is parts sale so haven't made the pork chicken stock yet.

O and because I found a really great tasting saltpeter less corned beef made by a local market.. bought a 1/4 lb hunk to make the corned beef hash that will have the man's tongue hanging out just before I ask him to drive 100 miles out of the way to hit an art gallery exhibit I wanna see. Yeehup...I'm evil.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Probably my last meat meat and more meat session for the moment. DEFINITELY went overboard on that this cooking season. Defrosted a bone in pork shoulder(.69/lb...sweetttttt!) yesterday. Today, I sliced it into 3 "hunks" and did the following:

1/3 Shanghai style roast pork. Great thin sliced as the protein in Chinese style soups; chopped in pork buns or New World ish meat patties or just on it's own. Shouldn't forget the beauty of it in fried rice or lo mein though.

1/3 Latino style roast with more garlic necessary to kill a vampire. Trying to figure out how to keep the fried skin(chicarones) on hold long term before we've finished dibbing and dabbing it into non existence..

1/3 good ol' American shredded pork with a side of vinegar sauce for me and tomatoes added for the man. We'll eat this with slaw on sliders.

Saved the bone for eventually to be made stock.

[MacGyver]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

All sounds good. I think you should come down to Maryland and cater our next camping trip.

[wildhands1]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

We also like to make Breakfast Burritos. With 4 hungry kids, they go fast. We pre-make them at home. You can use which ever breakfast meat you like, eggs, potatoes, onions, and peppers all scrambled together. When it has cooled enough it won't melt the cheese, you mix the scrambled ingredients together with the cheese and roll up your burritos in tin foil squares. If you use the 8" tortillas, they fit into quart ziploc bags really well, keeping them dry in the cooler. Then, because they are wrapped in foil, when you are ready you can throw them right on the grill.

[wildhands1]

Re: need new camping meal ideas

Also, I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned omelets in a bag yet. They are really easy to prepare ahead of time. Just cut up your veggies and pre-cooked meats, and cheeses and portion them out into ziploc bags. When you are ready, crack a few eggs into the bag and scramble them all up. Seal the bag and submerge into a pot of warm but not boiling water and your omelet will set up and slide right out of the bag.