Skip right to the recipes and ignore the history?
OK, I admit it! When I started camping I thought all we would eat would be coldcuts, hot-dogs and burgers! As a foodie I was horrified but the thought of "simplistic" cooking. In short I was being close minded and a food snob! My first "camping" trip was going up to a VERY rudimentary cottage in Bedford County, PA, owned by my ex-girlfriend's family. We spent a couple of days cooking over a huge firepit. I had venison/beef burgers, Mountain Pies (never heard of one? Click here), S'Mores, and of course hot dogs and fresh made fries. But we also had deep fried Turkey, fresh pasta salad and all sorts of stuff. So I leaned about the simple pleasures plus the other cool stuff...it got me to thinking about what else I could accomplish over a fire.
Yes, I still like certain staples that to me SCREAM "Camp Food" (I have really gotten into camping- to the point that I bought a 10' x 10' Dome tent, air mattress and other camping gear) but I have also started to expand camp food to include all sorts of healthy and not so healthy treats! Hey if I'm on vacation do I have to eat healthy too? sheesh! ;-) So yes, I do the canned baked beans ( I admit to preferring Bush's with the various flavors like onion or barbecue to spice it up at least), marshmallows of course, hot-dogs (though I prefer Hebrew National-its not a kosher thing, its a taste thing), burgers and my own version of Mountain Pies.
As time as gone on, I have found myself more comfortable with camping and cooking while camping, leading us to test our limits and try new things with foil packets and a cast iron pan. (I do have a campstove with me usually but the goal is to use only the campfire with a cooking grate if at all possible. The pan is useful on there as are a few camping pots I have gotten.)
Entrees Side Dishes Desserts & Snacks
OK- Here's the recipe section!
Take two slices of a regular store brand of white bread (you can of course use whatever you wish, this is how I do it). Spray the bread with butter flavored cooking spray or spread with butter or margarine. Place one slice of bread, butter side down in the the mountain pie maker (I have an aluminum one so watch how long you leave it in the fire! They melt-trust me, I know) Spread a tablespoon or so of your favorite pizza sauce on the bread, top with shredded or sliced mozzarella and pepperoni slices. Add the second piece of bread, butter side up then close the pie maker over it and clamp. Cook in the fire until desired doneness is achieved.Variations on this theme: Add sliced onions, bell peppers or other meats (deli ham, precooked bacon).
Grilled sandwiches
OK, another use for the Mountain Pie Maker. Any kind of grilled sandwich you like! Prepare the bread as before but change the filling-or use one of those flavored sprays like garlic flavored butter spray (various brands I couldn't care less though Pam (TM) is most common in our area)
We have made ham and Swiss, grilled cheese, and plan on trying many more. Some thoughts include Dijon honey mustard and sliced chicken with some cheddar. I've also done burgers in the pie makers when I didn't have a cooking grate. Add your favorite sliced veggies and cheeses for some variation. Feel free to email me with your ideas and tried and true versions. I'll post ideas as I have time.
Chicken
Grill it! I brought some frozen chicken, as it thawed I tossed in some Italian dressing and when we got back from a hike and swimming I tossed it on a hot grill. Tough stuff, right? Pretend you're working on your backyard grill and assuming you are any good in the backyard you'll do fine!
Steak
Again, GRILL IT! I coated ours in a lemon pepper mixture after squeezing some fresh lemon juice over both sides. I really pressed the lemon pepper into it,then let it sit a few hours. Once the coals were good and hot, threw them on the grill. Med. rare, YUM!
Burgers and Hot-dogs
Ya need a recipe? Heck I just buy the frozen burgers and Hebrew National Hot-dogs and toss 'em on a hot grill. Or we spear the 'dogs on cooking forks and toast them. I find the frozen burgers hold together better than my handmade ones and they are nice and easy. Slice an onion thickly and grill next to them for an added condiment.
Q'ed ribs
I went camping up near Scranton a bit early in the 2000 season for tenters but we had a blast! The rain let up long enough to get a fire going to make spare ribs! IMPORTANT: It isn't Q if you boil them or bake them! ya gotta smoke them! I let the rack sit in a baggy of Lager overnight after pealing the membrane off and rubbing with a bit of salt and pepper. when I pulled them out of the beer I pushed the fire to one side of the ring and put the grate on the other side. The ribs went on bone down with a strip or two of bacon on top of them. I covered loosely with a foil dome and basted about every 45 minutes with apple juice. After about 6 hours I moved the fire a little closer and applied Sweet Baby Rays Original sauce (TM) to the ribs. After another hour or so the ribs were nicely glazed, succulent and falling off the bone tender. Besides I got a lot of reading and drinking done while I tended the fire.
You mean you've camped and grilled and NOT done foil packets? OK, friend of mine does them as a main dish by including some ground beef or stew meat but I prefer them as a side. Technique is simple, cut things so that they will all cook in the same time frame. (I.E. bell peppers larger than potato, onion or carrots). Bring the two lengthier edges together, make a fold then another fold (I fold it three times for security) then double fold the ends to make sure everything is sealed. Its done when it gets puffed up but don't forget to turn it now and then. Tuck it into cooling coals or place on the cooking grate.
Some of my favorites so far:
A basic diced potato (Russet) with sliced Vidalia Onion, slices of carrot, Chunked red and yellow bell peppers, a squeeze of lemon juice, a little salt and pepper and some butter. Garlic powder is a nice touch also...not something I use much of at home but easy for camping.
Yam diced, Vidalia onion sliced, an apple sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice, yellow and orange bell pepper, salt, pepper, butter and maple syrup.
Diced Zucchini, seeded chunks of tomato, diced carrot, onion diced, broccoli cut very small, almost a dice, sundried tomato vinaigrette and in the same foil packet a can of corn with butter. I set them next to each other in the packet but kept them separate. It worked very well!
Sides have also included fresh corn on the cob picked up at farm stands on the way to our campsites. Simply peel the leaves back but keep them attached, de-silk it and then re-fold the leaves back into place. Soak in cold water for about 15 minutes or more then place on the grill turning periodically. Alternate methods include placing the shucked corn right on the grill and basting with butter, wrapping in foil and tossing it in the coals or slicking it into rounds and grilling again basting with butter.
Baked Beans
As I said I prefer to have these but not to make them! I usually buy whatever brand looks good and by bringing along canned goods I do save some cooler space. You can punch a couple of holes in the can and put it on the grate or the edge of the coals or like me, you can make an extra pan and toss them into the mess pan on the grate. I like to add a little BBQ sauce or hot sauce to the beans.
Squash
Onetime I got some little gourd squashes from the grocery store and simply sliced them in half (a good use for the camp ax!) wrapped in foil and tossed on the coals. When they came out we added butter and maple syrup to the cavities.
I'm simple, I admit it! Give me some good cold watermelon and I'm happy!
Simply make up a mixed fruit bowl before you leave for camping. Store it in big closeable baggies together or separate and you've got good snack food or dessert. We like to bring a variety of melons, berries and some good snack size produce like baby carrots or celery sticks.
Granola bars of course make decent snacks but I'm not overly fond of them. For snack, heck make a mountain pie or toast a few marshmallows! You're on vacation fer cryin' out loud! Have some fun! <G>
