With a little planning, it’s easy to create healthful and tasty alternatives to the packaged and processed fare that many tote along for their outdoor camping experience.
Here are some recipes for camping created for Canadian Tire by Marcus Monteiro, executive chef of Brassaii Restaurant and Lounge in Toronto.
BREAKFAST: Vegetable Omelette
It’s easy to keep the base of the omelette the same, then tailor it to different tastes with vegetables and cheese. If you have any spinach and mushrooms left over, use them in a lunch sandwich.
Serve the omelette with toast.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
- 60 ml (12 tsp) canola or olive oil
- 12 eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 750 ml (3 cups) chopped spinach
- 250 ml (1 cup) chopped mushrooms
- 250 ml (1 cup) chopped onion
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped garlic
- 375 ml (1 1/2 cups) cubed orange cheddar cheese
In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. In a bowl, whisk eggs, salt and pepper, then pour into pan. Constantly move eggs around, scrambling them, until half-cooked. Let sit so omelette cooks on bottom. Top with cheese and flip over into a half moon. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, bring pan up to temperature, then sautee vegetables. Place on top of omelette.
Makes 6 servings.
—
BREAKFAST: Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Spanish Tortilla
This is an interesting way to make breakfast healthy, fun and different.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
- 750 ml (3 cups) olive oil
- 6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and peeled
- 8 large eggs
- 500 ml (2 cups) spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 medium Spanish onion, cut in 2.5-cm (1-inch) cubes
- 50 g (2 oz) goat’s cheese, crumbled
In a small pot, place oil and potatoes and cook at low temperature until soft (when a fork can go through potato smoothly, it is done). Strain potatoes from oil and set aside to cool. (Oil can be kept for another use.) Chop potatoes into cubes.
In a bowl, mix eggs, chopped cooked potatoes, spinach, salt and pepper.
Place non-stick pan on grill and heat to medium to high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Pour in egg and potato mixture and stir until about half of mixture is cooked. Then reduce heat to medium-low and stop stirring. (This will create a fully cooked bottom while the top is still half cooked.)
Let sit on low-medium for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place a plate on top of the pan and flip it over so the egg and potato mixture is transferred to the plate. Slide it off and back into the non-stick pan to continue cooking the other side on low-medium heat. (This will allow both sides to be fully cooked while the centre is soft.)
Remove to a serving plate and top with cheese. Slice into 6 as you would a cake.
Makes 6 servings.
—
LUNCH: Grilled Cheese With Bacon
Cut crusts off sandwiches if kids prefer.
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
- 18 slices bacon
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) butter, softened
- 175 g (6 oz) orange cheddar cheese
- 12 slices whole-wheat bread
- Ketchup, for serving
Heat pan for about 3 minutes. Cook bacon over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until desired crispiness.
Heat a skillet. Meanwhile, butter both sides of each slice of bread. Place cheese on 6 slices of bread. Top with bacon, then top with remaining bread. Grill sandwiches until lightly browned, then flip over and grill remaining side.
Serve with ketchup in which to dip sandwiches.
Makes 6 servings.
—
LUNCH: Crispy Skin Sea Bass With Sauteed Vegetables and Lemon Butter Sauce
This dish is very fresh, light, and flavourful – three important things to consider when eating during the day in the sun. It incorporates plenty of vegetables – they can be varied to your taste – and takes advantage of local or purchased fish.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
- 2 fillets European sea bass or your choice (about 200 g/7 oz)
- Oil, for cooking
- 3 asparagus spears, peeled
- 250 ml (1 cup) julienned radicchio
- 250 ml (1 cup) endive (picked leaves)
- 250 ml (1 cup) julienned napa cabbage
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
Score skin of fish with 3 lines to reduce curling during cooking. In a non-stick pan, place fish, skin side down, over medium heat and let it slowly cook. This will crisp skin. Once skin is crispy, flip over just to heat other side, about 2 minutes.
Heat another pan to medium-high and add a little oil. Add asparagus, radicchio, endive and cabbage and sautee until wilted.
Squeeze lemon juice over top and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, then add butter and stir mixture until butter is incorporated.
To serve, place vegetables on a plate and stack fish on top. There should be a little bit of the butter and lemon sauce remaining in the pan from the vegetables; drizzle over fish and serve.
Makes 1 serving.
—
DINNER: Smoked Three-Bean and Beef Chili
The smoky, charry and chocolaty characteristics of this dish are sure to make it a crowd pleaser.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes
- 30 ml (1 oz) olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, cut in medium dice
- 1 bell pepper (red, green or orange), cut in medium dice
- 1 chili pepper, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, cut in medium dice
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) chili powder
- 10 ml (2 tsp) paprika
- 500 g (1 lb) lean ground beef, turkey or ground meat of your choice
- 2 cans (each 540 ml/19 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 500 ml (2 cups) water
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) dried oregano
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) dried basil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 can (540 ml/19 oz) black beans, drained
- 1 can (540 ml/19 oz) kidney beans, drained
- 1 can (540 ml/19 oz) pinto beans, drained
- 1 smoking log or wood chips (optional)
Garnish
- 8 green onions
- Olive oil, for sauteing
- Salt
- 125 g (4 oz) chocolate
Place Dutch oven on grill and set temperature to high.
Add onion, bell pepper and carrots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add chili powder and paprika, stirring for 1 minute.
Add beef and cook, breaking up meat as you stir with a wooden spoon. Stir in tomatoes, water, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Stir in beans and cook for 30 more minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.
Smoking: If desired, create a bowl out of foil and place in centre of the pot of chili. Place smoking log or wood chips in bowl and light, then place lid on pot. Let smoke for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, sprinkle green onions with a bit of olive oil and salt; place on grill to char, then slice.
To serve, ladle chili into bowls. Use a cheese grater or vegetable peeler to shave chocolate over top, then sprinkle with charred green onions.
Makes 2.5 l (10 cups), enough for about 8 servings.
Source: Created for Canadian Tire by Marcus Monteiro, executive chef of Brasaii Restaurant and Lounge.
Comments