Posted by Zac Cusac on 11/14/2014 to
RV'ing Tips
1. Foil-Baked Salmon with Basil Pesto and Tomatoes
Using heavy-duty foil to wrap and cook food is a go-to cooking method for many campers. Poultry and seafood cook well with this method, along with any veggies. Just make sure to spray the foil with oil, and wrap tightly, before you lay it on the hot coals. You can also use the grill for this method, but it also easily be cooked in the oven of your RV, or over your campfire when you’re camping.
Prep time: 20 min.
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
2 salmon filets, about 6 oz. each
2 tsp olive oil (to grease foil)
About 4 tsp basil pesto
4-5 medium tomatoes, sliced about ¼ in. thick
Directions:
Preheat your oven, grill, or prepare your fire.
Tear two pieces of foil, big enough to wrap salmon with some overlapping. Place foil pieces one on top of the other. Put about 2 tsp olive oil of top piece of foil and lay salmon on top of oil.
Spread each piece of salmon with about 2 tsp basil pesto. Arrange sliced tomatoes over pesto so they cover the top of the salmon.
Wrap salmon securely in foil, doubling over the seam and ends several times. Place salmon packet on your heat source and cook 15 minutes, or when done.
Remove from heat, and let sit 2-3 minutes. Then open carefully and serve immediately, while salmon and tomatoes are hot.
2. Campfire Quesadillas
Ooh. The great thing about the foil method? You’re not just limited to meats and veggies. Look here at this quesadilla. There is something about oozing cheese and brings out our primal traits.
Prep time: 5-30 minutes, depending on your ingredients.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 tsp oil
½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
10 button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup corn
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 flour tortillas
1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Directions:
For Veggie Mixture: Lay out a piece of foil and center onion, mushrooms, and corn on the foil. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bring up the sides of the foil and double fold the ends to make a packet. Place on the grate and cook until veggies are tender.
Alternately, you can book the veggies on your camp stove. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and mushrooms and sauté until softended and lightly browned. Add corn and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Note: The veggie mixture can be made a day or two ahead of time.
For Quesadillas: Lay out four pieces of foil and place a tortilla on top of each piece. Divide half the cheese among the four tortillas, sprinkling it down the center of each. Divide the veggie mixture evenly among the tortillas, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the veggies. Fold the two sides of the tortilla toward the center and then wrap the quesadilla in the foil, sealing the edges to make a packet.
Place the packets on the grate and cook for a few minutes on each side, until the cheese is melted and the tortilla is crisp.
3. Three Cheese Potatoes
You need carbs and protein for energy. These will provide you those in the most delicious way. It would also make an excellent breakfast.
Prep time: 15 min.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp minced chives
½ tsp seasoned salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 tbsp butter
½ cup crumbled cooked bacon
½ cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Transfer to a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter.
Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-18 minutes on each side or until potatoes are tender.
Carefully open foil. Sprinkle the bacon and cheeses over potato mixture. Grill 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.
4. Summer Sausage Hobo Packets
What a great way to incorporate veggies along with your meat. How colorful and beautifully balanced does this look? Let’s take a break from all the meat and potatoes and cheese, and let us gaze at the glorious colors of summer.
Prep time: 25 min.
Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1 lb summer sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
3 cups shredded cabbage
1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
1 medium green pepper, cut into strips
1 medium sweet red pepper, cut into strips
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow summer squash, sliced
1 lb chicken tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
½ chup butter, cut into eight cubes
¼ cup prepared Italian salad dressing
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Gently stir in the chicken and tomatoes. Divide mixture among eight double thicknesses of heavy-duty foil (about 12 in. square). Top each with a butter cube.
Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink and vegetable are tender. Carefully open foil to allow steam to escape. Drizzle with dressing.
5. Lumberjack Breakfast
Craving an omelet? This would be a great way for your friends and family to make customized omelets without the mess and use of pans (and the damned omelet flip).
Prep time: 10 min.
Serves: How many you need to serve.
Ingredients:
Sausages or Canadian bacon
Frozen hash browns, or leftover cooked potatoes, diced
Eggs
Chopped tomatoes and green onions, if you like
Shredded cheese of any kind
Directions:
Lay sausages or Canadian bacon on a double layer of foil that has been sprayed lightly with cooking spray.
On top of the sausages, add a handful of frozen hash browns or diced leftover potatoes, an egg or two, and diced tomato and green onion if you like.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Wrap up packet and place on a hot BBQ for 15-20 minutes or until meat is thoroughly cooked. Open it up and add the shredded cheese and put it back on the grill for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
6. Warm & Melty Cheese Dip
You just can’t trust people who don’t like cheese. So don’t take them with you.
Prep time: 5 min
Serves: About 4
Ingredients:
2 sheets of tin foil wrappers
1 250g container of Philadelphia Herb & Garlic cream cheese
¾ cup salsa
Diced tomato
Sliced green onion (optional)
Directions:
Place cream cheese on double layer of tin foil.
To cream cheese, add the salsa, diced tomatoes, and green onions.
Wrap up in foil and place foil packet on a hot BBQ for 10-15 minutes.
Open up the middle fold of the packet completely to form a bowl for serving.
7. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Skimping out on dessert might make you an unhappy camper. This is super easy, especially if you use canned pineapple. Nothing says summer like fruity desserts.
Prep time: 5 min
Serves: However many you’d like.
Ingredients:
Pineapple chunks, fresh or canned
Poundcake, cubed (or plain cake donuts or donut holes)
Butter
Brown sugar
Whipped cream or ice cream, if desired
Cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired
Tin foil
Cooking spray
Directions:
Spray a double layer of tin foil with cooking spray.
Add a handful of pineapple chunks.
Add pound cake cubes on top of the pineapple.
To the top of the pineapple and cake, add a good dollop of butter and brown sugar.
Foil up the packet and place on a hot BBQ for about 15 minutes, until the butter has melted with the brown sugar and formed a sauce over the pineapple in the bottom of the packet.
Open up the packet for the last few minutes to brown up the cake a little.
8. Chicks on Sticks
Assuming you’re bringing a grill, the possibilities really are endless. We seem to love food on sticks. And in the outdoors? There’s nothing better.
Prep time: 9 hours (or keep frozen in marinade until ready to use)
Serves: 5
Ingredients:
2 tbsp each sodium reduced soy sauce and brown sugar
1 tbsp each olive oil and grated lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1-1½ tsp grated ginger
1 tsp each cumin and ground coriander
4 chicken breast halves
Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients in a small bowl.
Cut chicken into kebab sized pieces.
Place chicken pieces in a Ziploc bag.
Pour marinade over chicken pieces, and mix well until covered.
Place in freezer. Now your meal is ready to go into the cooler for your camping trip.
Thaw the chicken by placing it on the top of the cooler.
Thread the chicken pieces on skewers, along with any veggies you might have.
Grill each side about 5-6 minutes or until the chicken looks cooked and juices run clear.
9. Nutella and Banana S’mores
What’s a camping food list without s’mores? Finish off your meals with sticky fingers, chocolate on your face, and an overwhelming urge to shovel in three more of these.
Prep time: 10 min
Serves: How many you’d like.
Ingredients:
Peanut butter cookies
Nutella
Bananas, sliced
Marshmallow
Directions:
With pokers or skewers, toast marshmallows over a flame.
Spread Nutella on one side of a peanut butter cookie. Place sliced bananas over the Nutella.
Smush the toasted marshmallow on one side of another peanut butter cookies.
Join the two cookies, and make a sandwich out of them.
10. Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter
Be still my heart. This is the epitome of camp grilling. You’ve reached Great American Camping nirvana at this state.
Prep time: 15 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 small garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp finely grated zest from 1 lime
1 tbsp fresh juice from 1 lime
Kosher salt
1 ½ tsp sweet paprika
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp chipotle powder
Four thick, boneless steaks, such as ribeye or hanger, 10-12 oz each
Vegetable oil, for the grill
Directions:
Combine the butter, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, and salt to taste. Set aside. Combine the paprika, cumin, and chipotle powder in a small bowl. Sprinkle the steaks with plenty of kosher salt, then evenly sprinkle the spice mixture over them and rub into the meat.
Oil the grates of the grill (or grill pan) and preheat over high heat until smoking. Reduce heat to medium high and add steaks. Cook without moving until well charred, about 4 minutes. Flip steaks and continue to cook until center of steaks register 125˚F on an instant-read thermometer for medium-rare, 135˚F for medium, or 145˚F for well done. Transfer to a platter and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes, adding the lime butter after a few minutes to melt from the residual heat.
Slice the steaks and serve immediately.
Whether you’re a vegetarian or a carnivore, your options don’t have to be limited when you’re on the road in your RV or you’re camping.
Cooking and the process of making food provide a special bonding experience that is unlike any other, especially in the outdoors.
And you don’t even need to follow these sinfully easy recipes; they can easily be customized to fit your liking and your lifestyle—and that’s the beauty of it.
