Outdoor Adventure USA

GREAT CAMP RECIPES AND RELATED GEAR

The question that most campers should ask themselves is, why would you spend so much time preparing great meals at home, and then turn around and serve anything less when camping. Stated differently, would you serve the same meals at home that you serve while camping?

I suppose not everyone will answer these questions the same, but for us, we believe that there is no reason why camp meals should not be as great as those we have at home, and that has been the way we approach all of our trips. So, in the end, it is not necessarily a matter of how quickly a meal can be prepared, but how creative and carefully we plan for really good eats.

And, this is as good a time as any to remind everyone that preparing great meals outdoors, at camp, DOES NOT require an enormous amount of cooking gear. In fact, great meals can be created at camp with compact and easily carried cooking equipment.

Meal prep and meal time is is not just about great food (although that is really important.) In addition, there is a social component to this time. A good analogy, and one that makes this point, is something we find in most homes today - the kitchen is a central gathering place when guests are present. At camp, the same is true, and having several helping hands as well as dinner guests, who are all present while the meal is prepared, makes for a great experience.

And, while we are on the topic of the social benefits of group participation, we need to emphasize that all of the things mentioned above, hold true for appetizers, morning coffee, wine tasting, and after dinner drinks and deserts. Good food should go with family and good friends!!!

The purpose of this net is obviously to highlight successful recipes we have used in our camping trips, but it is also an opportunity to learn from others, whether it be for a great recipe or new or better equipment that we can incorporate into our kitchen box.

So, don't be shy. Give this your best shot, and make plans to join us.

DTK's Take on Camp Meals and Cooking Equipment

When it comes to the topic of food at camp, in the wilderness, I start by selecting the meals that I enjoy the most at home. Since I have settled on the pressure cooker for the preparation of all of my camping dinner meals, the next task is to find pressure cooker recipes, and then home test my favorites. When I find the right ones, I add them to my growing list of camp meals.

One benefit of pressure cookers that goes completely unnoticed and unappreciated by the cook, his helpers, and those in or near the kitchen, is the redundancy of safety devices that are built into every cooker. My current cooker boasts three pressure release locations, and in the event of an over pressure condition,the last line of pressure release will be when the cooker "blows the gasket." Although disabling the cooker, the benefits are obvious. Aside from this benefit, here are the others that we have appreciated:

• The entire meal can be prepared in one pot

• the pressure cooker is not affected by altitude

• since the pot is sealed, more of the nutrients remain in the food

• the pressure used to cook also infuses great flavor to the food

• meals can be fully cooked in a fraction of the time by other methods, (saves fuel and time)

• meals are served piping hot and remain so for the duration of the meal (especially appreciated when the weather turns cold and for those who wish seconds)

• The list of menu items is short and simple

• the pressure cooker takes up no more room that any other pot

• GREAT FLAVOR FOR GREAT MEALS

My current cooker, by Cuisinart:


While I have several favorites, there are at least three that have risen to the top:

• Chicken Adobo

• Beef Stroganoff

• Beef Stew

Prep time is around 30 minutes, and cooking time is between 12 and 15 minutes. If done properly, using prep time as a social opportunity with other campers, can be a prelude to a great meal. It can also be a time for appetizers and wine appreciation. Here are the recipes:

1. Chicken Adobo (Pressure Cooker)

This one is my favorite, and a favorite of many of our camping friends. This meal is an exception to my "one pot" comment, above, but only if you prepare the meal with my favorite side - rice. Sides can also include slices of avocado, tortillas, or fruit. The ingredient list is simple, but it is the pressure cooker which gives this meal much of its very flavorful appeal. Time permitting, there is a story that goes along with this dish, but for now, the ingredients:

• chicken (thighs are best)

• olive oil

• onions

• garlic

• chipotle peppers

• bay leaves

• soy sauce

• white wine vinegar

• water

• rice

2. Beef Stroganoff (Pressure Cooker)

This meal may share the top spot in my list of favorite camp meals. With a good glass of red wine, this one can't be beat!!! For those with a camp oven, you are well advised to add biscuits, with butter, to make a wonderful addition to this meal. Ingredients:

• beef (preferably filet, and from Trader Joes)

• flour

• onions

• garlic

• beef broth

• mushrooms (lots)

• tomato paste

• Worcestershire sauce

• sour creme

• egg noodles

3. Beef Stew (Pressure Cooker)

The term "comfort food" is one good way of describing a good beef stew. Its also a meal that goes particularly well with a fine glass of red wine, biscuits, and a cool evening. Ingredients:

• chuck roast

• butter

• onions

• beef broth

• red wine

• parsley

• potatoes

• carrots

• celery

peas (optional)

• bay leaves

Coleman Oven

The Coleman oven is one of the most versatile cooking tools you can carry. It's inexpensive, lasts for many years, packs very compactly, and makes it possible to add a whole new dimension to your meals. For these meals, I use them to prepare appetizers, and sides for the main dish. When you can enjoy freshly baked biscuits, with butter, in the wilderness, you know that you have entered the comfort camping zone.

The oven:



Happy hour and the dinner table:

Sous vide, which means “under vacuum” in French, refers to the cooking method of vacuum-sealing food in a bag, then cooking it to a very precise temperature in a water bath. This technique produces results that are impossible to achieve through any other cooking method and have been used by professional chiefs and upscale restaurants since the early 1970’s. Now, thanks to quality, affordable home vacuum sealers and sous vide cookers, this technique is available to us and is a wonderful way to prepare delicious meals for our outdoors adventures.

In order to get different types of food to the customer at the same time, many restaurants pre-cook food using sous vide techniques and then finish them off on a grill, or in a pan to get the sear or texture wanted. Ever wonder how your favorite restaurant can get that thick rib eye steak and the salmon filet out at the same time, considering that cooking times are so different? The secret is that they pre-cook the meat, or veggies, or whatever with the sous vide, then just finish them off to serve. While we are not so concerned with timely meal service, being able to create good tasting meals with convenience and ease of preparation can be a big advantage when on the trail.

The sous vide technique has recently became popular for home cooks with the availability of affordable and easy-to-use sous vide precision cooking equipment. Quality products are readily available from kitchen retailers and on-line. Sous vide cookers (costing between $75 and $150) and home vacuum sealers (costing $50 to $100) provide tools that are easy to use, help preserve food and provide this professional cooking technique to home chiefs. Because these tools do require a lot of electricity, this type of preparation is something you will want to do at home prior to your trip and not in the field.
Typical Souve Vide Cooker in a pot of water
Home Vacuum Sealing machine

Cooking in the sous vide style requires only a few steps:

1. Season your meat to your taste
2. Vacuum seal in a food grade vacuum bag
3. Warm a pot of water using your sous vide cooker to the temperature you want.
4. Put the meat, or meal, in the hot water and leave for a several hours.
5. Just prior to serving take it out of the bag and sear or finish cooking to taste.

The time in the water and the temperature of the water will depend on how thick the meat is, how well done you want it and so on. Setting the temperature is easy, and as it remains consistent, it requires very little ongoing attention.

Some examples of sous vise temperatures and times are: Medium-rare steaks: 129°F (54°C) to 134°F (57°C), 1 to 4 hours (2 1/2 hours for temperatures under 130°F/57°C). Medium: 135°F (57°C) to 144°F (62°C), 1 to 4 hours. Medium-well: 145°F (63°C) to 155°F (68°C), 1 to 3 1/2 hours. Well done: 156°F (69°C) and up, 1 to 3 hours.

There are more advantages to using the sous vide cooking method when in the field:

1. The vacuum packed food will last much longer in your cooler or fridge.
2. It won’t drip blood or juices all over the cooler,
3. The bag doesn’t take up as much space as a hard sided container (i.e. Tupperware or Mr. Lid),
4. The food bag is easy to pack out in a trash bag
5. Meal preparation and clean-up are much easier, quicker and cleaner, with fewer pots and pans, saving time, effort and water..

So if you want to prepare great food with a minimum of fuss and mess when on the trail consider using sous vide to pre-cook and vacuum seal your meals next time you head out into the bush.
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Camp Baked Apples

Camp Baked Apples are an easy to make, easy to serve, and easy to clean up camp desert. And they can be made in a Dutch Oven, Camp Stove Oven, or even in an oven improvised from a skillet and a lid.

Camp Baked Apples This Camp Baked Apple was one of 6 made in Navajo Country using a Coleman Camp Stove Oven. This recipe features Red Gala Apples, Pecans, Brown Sugar, and Butter finished with a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction made from the drippings and, of course, a healthy pour of Cabernet Sauvignon.


Baking Methods for Camp Baked Apples
Coleman Camp Stove Oven Dutch Oven
Camp Baked Apples Recipes

Camp Baked Apples with Wine Reduction (a WD6USA Original)
1. Preheat Coleman Camp Stove Oven to ~350F.

2. Wash and Top Core 6 Apples. My preference is for Gala apples. Use whatever apple variety you like. When coring, don't core all the way through, as you need to keep the bottom plugged. If you core too far, no problem...just take part of the core and stuff it back down into the bottom of the apple. Make sure to leave the skin on the apple because the skin gives the apple the structure it needs to keep it from collapsing during the baking process.

3. Stuff the apples. The core holes are pretty small, so you need to layer in the good stuff and lightly pack it. Start with some coarse chopped Pecans, topped with a little Brown Sugar, then a couple whole or half Pecans near the top, sprinkle in more Brown Sugar to fill the spaces, then top with a large pat of butter.

4. Arrange the apples in a generously buttered baking dish. For cooking in the Coleman Stove Top Oven, the 8"X8"X3" disposable/recyclable aluminum pans work great!! Do not use too big of a baking dish because you must have a gap between the pan and oven wall on all four sides, otherwise the oven will not function properly.

5. Bake the now stuffed apples in the Coleman Camp Stove Oven for ~30-40 minutes total time. If you like your apples a little firmer, go with 30 minutes. If you like your apples softer, go with 40 minutes. Enjoy a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon during the wait. Don't peek too often because peeking lets the heat out of the oven.

6. At about 25 minutes into the baking process, you will have a nice buttery and sugary sauce starting to form around the apples. If there is not much there in the pan, add some butter and brown sugar. Then, add about a cup of wine, ideally the same wine you are already testing, such as the Cabernet Sauvignon that pairs so well with this dish. Stir and then continue the bake until the desired doneness. This will give the sauce some time to thicken up. You can use a little Cornstarch to help with the thickening process, but I usually don't have Cornstarch with me so I just add a bit more brown sugar and let the sauce cook down on its own. If needed, remove the sauce to a pan and thicken it over the burner...I don't like doing it that way because it dirties up another pan!!

7. Place each Camp Baked Apple in a bowl, and then spoon the pan sauce over the top of the apple. Top off your glass of wine and enjoy the best ever Camp Baked Apple.

8. Mash ups. Use Steens Cane Syrup instead of brown sugar for a southern twist. Use pure Vermont Maple Syrup instead of brown sugar for a north-east twist. Use Alaskan Birch Syrup instead of brown sugar for a north-west twist. Use pure Sage Honey for a south-west twist. Use Walnuts instead of Pecans. The mash ups are a lot of fun and give you nearly endless variety based on a simple, proven recipe.

Camp Baked Apples - Recipes from the Interwebs

Boy Scout Camp Baked Apples:
https://scoutlife.org/features/149653/h ... ed-apples/

https://www.boyscouttrail.com/content/r ... s-1249.asp

Fancier and Slightly more Complicated Camp Baked Apples:

https://www.texasironchef.com/?recipe=baked-apples

https://www.lodgecastiron.com/recipe/ba ... fed-apples

Super Super Super Super Easy - Ode' to Philippe's in Los Angeles Baked Apples
Disclosure. I'm not sure how they make their seasonal baked apples at Philippe's in Los Angeles, but this is my best guess and it tastes pretty close.
A. Core apples, leaving a plug in the bottom.
B. Fill cored apple with Cinnamon Red Hot candies. Top with a pat of butter.
C. Bake apples until tender and the Cinnamon Red Hot candies have melted.

Breakfast Burritos



One of my favorite camping recipes is breakfast burritos. I've found that preparing a hot breakfast and keeping that way while you eat it can be difficult in the outdoors especially if its cold to cool in the morning. Keeping all of the hot ingredients wrapped up together in a tortilla it a great way to make sure the food is warm down to the last bite.

I don't use an specific recipe. The filling is usually some combination of meat, cheese, sautéed vegetables, scrambled eggs and salsa or hot sauce. To keep them from getting boring it's easy to have ham one day, beef the next, then chicken while varying the other ingredents. It's also a good way to use any left over meat entrée from the night before (which seldom happens ).

To save time I like to use pre-make pico de gallo from the store. That gives you tomatoes, onions, bell pepper, jalapeños, and cilantro. Unfortunately it doesn't have a long shelf life even when refrigerated but it's good for the first morning or two.

Camp Maid Dutch Oven Tool Set

A recent acquisition to expand my camp cooking is the Camp Maid Dutch Oven Tool Set -
It consists of a stand to allow the dutch oven to be used inverted. This way you cook on the inside of the lid and use the oven on top. This way is acts much like a regular oven. This technique works very well for making pizza in camp.
The kit includes the special stand, a charcoal holder that is height adjustable, and a grill so it may be used alone as a small BBQ, and a carrying bag -

https://www.campmaid.com

KK6CTT for the 05/06/21 online check-in please.


I find that most recipes done at home that you like can be reproduced in the field and are just as good or better; everything taste better in the field.

o In the Dutch oven; the cheesier, the better. The more layers of goodness the more awesome. This goes for lasagna, enchiladas and a crisp for desert.

• Most recipes require 350° and you can get there by doubling the diameter of the oven and putting 3/4 of the briquettes on the lid and the rest evenly spaced on the bottom (e.g., 12" oven x 2 = 24; 24 / 4 = 6...6 briquettes on the bottom and 18 on the lid)

• If you are worried about cleanup, you can use paper liners or line with aluminum foil (11 o'clock photo above)

• Another technique you can use is pre-cooking items and bringing them out ready to layer (e.g., lasagna noodles)

• The meat browning can be done in the pot before layering or in another pan and added as needed.

• End result, the goodness is really already cooked and what you are waiting for from the oven is the melding of all the flavors being cooked together

• A good way to do this can be the use of different pans to catch the ash and provide a wind break as well (I sometimes use a water heater tray (5 o'clock photo above)

• Don't forget to rotate the oven a quarter turn each 15 minutes (turn the pot and index the lid back to the same spot each turn...this helps to avoid hot spots

Cast iron skillets also have their place in camp for us. I like a lid with my cast iron skillet and you will find it is nice to have a cast iron lid but it is possible to find a glass lid from a crock pot will sometimes fit the 12" skillet. This affords the ability to get the best out of your heating source but it also allows you a chance to monitor you food while it is doing its thing without picking up the cover.

o "Egg Pizza" or a Fatata style, no flip egg, like pizza:

• Get all the fixings you like in an omelette (meat, veggies, leftovers...it's all good)

• Brown all your ingredients and if you get a little sticking on the bottom of the skillet, that is okay, that is flavor waiting be released

• I like to put a little milk in the eggs to make them fluffier

• Once everything is browned and ready for the egg, whip up the eggs and pour into the skillet, low-medium heat and cover

• check from time to time and sometimes you will have to rotate the pan to keep the heating area even the same like the Dutch oven rotation

• When you are comfortable with the progress of the eggs cooking through put on the cheese, cover and let it melt

• Cut like pizza and serve

o "Fried Rice" in the skillet:

• Cook your desired kind of rice at home and bring it along for a fast fried rice base

• What kind of meat do you want? Brown and prepare for the rice to be added

• Put in a bag of frozen peas and carrots and keep stirring or the rice will stick

• While stirring spice to taste to include garlic, soy sauce or Cajun spice...your choice

• This goes quick and is pretty simple. The smaller the cut pieces of meat the quicker your preparation time will be before you add your rice to fry up

I like to check out the different recipes from Camp Chef and Lodge on line. Sometimes we substitute say the tomato paste or sauce with Alfredo sauce but for the most part use what you like and experiment with the recipe. If you don't like peach crisp as much as cherry crisp, you know what to do!

Please check me in.

WD6USA

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

MAGPUL RADIUS GLASSES

If you check with "older shooters" your will quickly discover that they are keenly aware of protection that many of them wish they had used in the early days of their shooting or hunting. I speak of hearing and eye protection. Once lost, there are no replacements. These days we take such protections for granted, as they are commonly available and highly recommended, but, as with most things, some are good and some are not.

Tonight's product spotlight is on a type of eyewear that you should consider every time you pull the trigger. Magpul has introduced a line of eyewear for shooters, under the Radius name, that offers the highest level of protection from high velocity impacts.


This is what they say about these glasses, from their website: https://magpul.com/apparel-gear/accesso ... _lense=331

SUPERIOR PROTECTION
The lens and frame combination of the Helix is ballistic rated to Z87+ and MIL-PRF 32432 standards
Frames are constructed of TR90NZZ, combining lightweight construction and extreme ballistic protection

PREMIUM FEATURES BUILT-IN
Oleophobic treatment of lenses provides liquid & other chemical protection + scratch resistance.
Anti-reflective coating on inside of lenses minimizes distracting reflections
Coated stainless steel pins provide simple but dependable hinge functionality

RUGGED AND RELIABLE
Designed to combine rugged strength and flexibility with maximum overall coverage
Outstanding impact resistance, even at low temperatures
Chemical, UVA & B, and stress-crack resistant

Also Note:

Although it was written back in 2012, Lucky Gunner Labs has an excellent article on eye protection and it is a must read for anyone who shoots. The article includes testing done on different types of shooting glasses, and can be viewed here: http://www.luckygunner.com/labs/eye-pro ... es-review/.

Sometimes—especially while being outdoors—the most fantastic meal is the one that you can have As Soon As Possible.

A trail side stop, getting in to camp late, raining outside the tent ... hunger pangs gnawing at you ...

You need a quick, hot meal!

One of the best contingency meals are the various freeze dried offerings from a number of different vendors. Boil some water in your JetBoil, throw that water into the “cooking” bag, wait for the contents to reconstitute, and you can be eating a pretty decent hot meal in maybe 15 minutes total.

My favorites are made by Mountain House.

Admittedly, I’ve never had one where there weren’t a few couple of unreconstituted chunks, but what’s not to like about a little crunchiness?

And you can eat right out of the burnable bag **, so no dishes to wash either!

** Assuming you’re sharing only with close friends who are vaccinated.