Camping food

[tuixiu]

We're definitely not "knife and a loincloth" hardcore campers, but we're also not lined up in little driveways at a designated campsite. We do dispersed, which has so much opportunity in the lovely and geographically diverse state of Arizona, but are pretty well limited by how far from our vehicle we can waddle with a cooler full of beer.

That said... looking for new ideas for camping food. Prefer nothing that needs to sit on a grate like steaks or burgers, easier something that can be held or suspended over a fire.

Hot dogs are obvious, and we've recently discovered how perfect quesadillas are since can put precooked slices in little foil packets.

Any other ideas from you wise ones?

 

[audreyh1]

You can cook a huge amount of stuff in foil packets. The Reynolds site has a ton of recipes (search recipes for them): Cooking, Baking and Cleanup Tips and Timesavers

Audrey

P.S. Glad I don't have your challenge. I love having a 14 cu. ft. fridge/freezer wherever I camp! (Ice cream!!!!!)

 

[Leonidas]

I second the packet cooking. It's great during hunting season, all my veggies are prepared at home in packets and left in the cooler until it's time to cook. But we use a grill for meats and not an open fire. And the way we do fire time would be tough to add cooking in as well. I mean, you need one hand to hold your beer, scotch or whatever, and the other hand to gesticulate while [-]lying[/-] recounting your adventures.

I guess if I had to do it the way you're suggesting, I would do something like kebobs. Make everything small, almost as if you were doing fondue, so it would cook quicker.

 

[skyline]

You can do a lot of damage with one of those BBQ contraptions designed to cook fish - it basically looks like a rectangular cage with a handle. Anything that cooks quickly and is at least an inch or so in one dimension (or can be cut/sliced to that size) can go over the fire in one of these.

Quesadillas actually work like magic in one of these (and flipping is pretty brainless). Pizza (already cooked and stored in the cooler) reheats well, Veggie patties, Pre-cut peppers/onions (spray with a little oil first). Pretty much anything that's already pre-cooked or doesn't need to be fully-cooked will work. Stay away from poultry or other meats that need to be properly cooked for any over-the-campfire cooking

 

[RonBoyd]

Of course, if you don't want to cook at all, nothing tastes better than this (and good for you too):

Combine one 15 oz. can of drained cannellini beans (white navy beans) with a 5 oz. can of high quality olive-oil packed tuna. (Do not use water-packed.) Add some chopped red onion and season with a little sage (rosemary and basil works well also). Add more extra-virgin olive oil as desired. To add crunch, eat with something like Triscuits or Bagel Chips.

This recipe is a generous two-portion. Double for four, etc.

Okay, if you must cook:

Combine cannelini beans (drained or not, you decide) with extra-virgin olive oil and small (or chopped) shrimp, minced garlic, and thyme leaves. Cook, stirring, until shrimp just turn pink (minute or so). Garnish with more olive oil.

Both of these recipes are "easy clean-up after" type of meals. (And, to be honest, I serve them at home as often as I do on the road.)

 

[tuixiu]

Thanks all.

I'm especially intrigued with use of the fish cooker, as I've got one for our grill at home but never thought to take it camping. We could do burgers and stuff with that no problem.

 

[Lazarus]

Take a look at foil packs. Did this often in Scouts.
Foil Cooking

 

[FUEGO]

Take a look at foil packs. Did this often in Scouts.
Foil Cooking

We also did foil packs all the time in the scouts. A hunk of meat (usually ground beef), big chunks of veggies (carrots, potatoes), maybe a chunk of cheese in there. Salt, pepper. Mmmmmm... almost tastes like brunswick stew when you are done. I imagine you could use an infinite variety of ingredients and combination of meats and veggies.

The hardest part is leaving it in the coals for long enough for it to fully cook, then pull it out and leave it sitting around for long enough to cool down, all the while smelling this delicious smell of roasting meat and veggies. Painfully good!

 

[tuixiu]

Pretty neat. I bet I could do chicken curry over rice in one of those, and probably jambalaya if it's sausage/chicken style.

 

[brewer12345]

One other thought: If you get your hands on a super lightweight aluminum camping griddle (I bough one that is maybe 3# at Cabela's), you can saute, fry eggs, etc.

 

[FUEGO]

I have always wanted to try putting cans of stuff into the coals and letting it heat up right in the can (after opening slightly of course). Definitely nothing with a plastic liner inside the can, like some acidic foods have. Soup, corn, beans, etc might work.

 

[ziggy29]

I have always wanted to try putting cans of stuff into the coals and letting it heat up right in the can (after opening slightly of course). Definitely nothing with a plastic liner inside the can, like some acidic foods have. Soup, corn, beans, etc might work.

Yeah, that "opening slightly" thing is slightly important....

StateMaster - Encyclopedia: MythBusters (season 4)

The MythBusters tested whether putting the following items on a stove will cause an explosion that could kill a person…

... a can of beans -- confirmed -- The cans of beans tested exploded with force proportional to the size of the can. Larger cans explode more violently than smaller cans, especially since large cans do not have a weakened pop-open top, but the build team concluded that any can of beans on a stove is potentially lethal.

 

[IndependentlyPoor]

If you are lugging ice chests from a car to a camping spot (as opposed to hard-core backpacking) you can use another trick from the Boy Scouts. Take along a container of refrigerated biscuit dough. You'll probably have to use it the first morning, but you can have freshly baked bread with almost no work. Just mold the biscuit dough into a fat snake and wrap it around a trimmed green branch. Angle the branch over you campfire, and turn it as needed.

I think we also did this with powdered biscuit dough, but I can't remember exactly.

 

[kumquat]

Here's a book whose recipes could be adapted to a campfire (most are tinfoil wrapped). You won't have to stop at restaurants en route either.

 

[Lazarus]

The usual foil pack that we did used a layer of cabbage nearest the foil. (keeps the meat from burning.) Layer of potato slices. Layer of sliced carrots and onions. Sometimes a little corn. Ground beef. (Should be lean) then add the same layers on the other side of the meat.
Then roll up the foil pack at one end. Put a little water or an ice cube if you are using it later for moisture. Seal it up and cook it. I have frozen these for use a few hours after getting to camp.