Hints and Recipes for Food on the Move

Your_freezer_and_fridge
Time_saving_suggestions
Scones
Damper
Rosettas_Lamb_Shanks
Beef,_beer_and_honey_pot-roast
Creamy_Chicken_and_Mushroom_Fettuccine
Potjiekos_-_South_African_one_pot_dish

Cooking on the move

Cooking on move can be easier if you plan carefully and cook meals that can be cooked in one or two pots if possible. There are some great commercial options in the way of slow cookers on the market, and it is worth checking them out at camping stores. If you have only the stove in your van, supplemented by the BBQ area of the caravan park or an open fire, you can still cook some great meals with some forward planning, click here for a meal planning sheet or request an editable version. Do you have a great "One Pot" recipe you would like to share with other traveller? Please send recipes to us at Nomadic Life and we will consider publishing them. Be sure to let us know the ingredients, cooking method and how many it serves.

The following general information is from Better Health - Victorian Government (click here if you want the full document) they have some suggestions on what to have on hand to help inspire you to cook instead of relying on Take-Away etc. The suggestions are valid, but bear in mind the weight you are towing, the available fridge and storage space you have, and adjust according to your own circumstances.

Your pantry You may be tempted to order takeaway if your pantry is bare and you can’t face the thought of going to the supermarket. The secret is to stock long-life ingredients that can be combined in any number of ways to create interesting dishes. Suggestions include:

Buy extra of long lasting vegetables like potatoes, carrots and onions, which can form the basis of soups or casseroles.

Stock plenty of dried pasta, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, macaroni and spiral varieties. Keep a selection of other long-life carbohydrates like rice (stock different varieties such as white, brown, arborio and jasmine), Asian-type dry noodles, lentils and couscous.

Use tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, tinned corn and other vegetables (look for ‘no added salt’ varieties) for pasta sauces, soups or casseroles.

Stock a range of canned meats including tuna, salmon, ham, crab meat, sardines, beef and chicken. Keep tins of legumes on hand (for example kidney beans, three bean mix, chick peas).

Include canned and packet soups.

Have a stock of oils and vinegars including olive oil, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. You can make a wide range of salad dressings or marinades with these ingredients if you include a dash of herbs and lemon juice.

Stock dried herbs including basil, coriander, mint, thyme, oregano and mixed herbs. Useful condiments include tomato sauce, mustard, mayonnaise, relish, stock cubes, ready-made stock, soy sauce and chilli sauce.

Dried goods to stock include pine nuts, curry powder, sun-dried tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. Store a variety of nuts - these are a great meat alternative, especially in pasta or rice dishes.

Your freezer and fridge
Keep your fridge and freezer stocked with handy healthy food. For example:

Buy frozen vegetables. Contrary to popular belief, these products retain a high proportion of their nutrients. Fresh crushed garlic and ginger are available in jars to keep in the fridge and fresh herbs are available in tubes to keep in the freezer.

Citrus fruits like oranges have a long life when refrigerated. Fresh lemon and lime juice can be bought in bottles and stored in the fridge.

Grated cheese can be sealed and stored in the freezer to increase its shelf life. When buying fresh meat, choose de-boned varieties.

Divide the quantities into meal-sized portions and freeze separately. Buy red meat and chicken already sliced or diced or marinated.

Buy bread in bulk and keep it in the freezer until needed. Bake-at-home rolls can also be kept in the freezer to have as an accompaniment to many different meals.

Meal suggestions The above pantry and fridge items can offer you a range of easily prepared main meals including: Pasta, Casseroles, Stews, Curries, Soups, Risottos, Stir fries and Salads.

Time saving suggestions include:

Make extra portions - while you’re making your pasta sauce, casserole or soup, make double (or even quadruple) the quantity you need. Freeze the remainder in meal portions, and you have ready-made meals for later in the week.

Double up on tasks - you can save time if you do two things at once. For example, prepare your pasta sauce while your spaghetti is cooking.

Prepare easy meals - one-pot meals (such as soups, risottos, stews, curries and casseroles) save on washing up.

Use a microwave - it’s easier and faster to microwave foods than cook them in the oven or on the stovetop. Check your manufacturer’s instructions on how to best cook different foods using your microwave.

Use small, thin chunks of food - they cook faster than big chunks.

Don’t throw out leftovers - store them appropriately (such as refrigerated or frozen) for a quick meal the next day. Or reinvent the leftovers in a creative way; for example, pasta sauce can make a tasty jaffle filling or the base for a pie filling.

Cook the night before - for example, cook in the evening and ask your partner, if you have one, to help you with the preparation like chopping vegetables. This will speed up the process and make it more fun. This means time-consuming recipes like soups, curries, stews or casseroles can cook while you relax in the evening.

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Scones: Preparation Time - 10 minutes, Cooking Time 10 minutes, Makes 12

Ingredients

450g (3 cups) self-raising flour
1 tbs caster sugar
80g butter, cubed, at room temperature
250mls (1 cup) milk, at room temperature
Self-raising flour, extra

Method:
Preheat oven to 220°C. Measure all your ingredients. Combine the self-raising flour and caster sugar in a medium bowl. Use your fingertips to rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. To help incorporate some air into the mixture, keep the palms of your hands face-up as you lift the flour to rub in the butter. This will help make the scones lighter in texture. I have found that room-temperature butter gives a better result than chilled butter in scones. It is also easier to incorporate into the flour when at room temperature. Butter helps give the scones a tender texture as well as adding flavour.

Add the milk all at once. Use a round- bladed knife to mix together using a cutting motion until evenly incorporated and the mixture begins to hold together. Do not over mix. Again, I have found that room-temperature milk is better to use in scones than milk straight from the fridge. The flour mixture needs less mixing to incorporate the room-temperature milk evenly, resulting in a lighter texture. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is a little dry, simply add a little more milk. Then bring dough together with your hands.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently about 4-5 times with your hands, by pressing and then turning, until the dough is just smooth. It is important that you knead gently and don't handle the dough too much. If it is overworked, gluten in the flour will develop which will cause the scones to be tough in texture and heavy.

Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough until about 2cm thick. (Alternatively, you can flatten the dough with the palm of your hand). Then use a round 5cm pastry cutter to cut out the scones. Dip the cutter into the extra flour before cutting out each scone. Use a straight-down motion to cut out the scones. Do not twist the cutter as this will cause the scones to rise unevenly during cooking. You can re-roll any scraps and cut more scones; however, these will be slightly less tender than the scones cut from the original dough and will rise less evenly.

As you cut out the scones, place them on a baking tray about 1cm apart. Placing them this close together will also help them rise evenly. I have found there is no need to grease or flour the tray. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with a little extra flour. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden and cooked through. The best way to tell if the scones are cooked is to tap the top of one with your fingertips - if it sounds hollow when tapped, they are ready. Alternatively, insert a skewer into a scone - if it comes out clean, they are ready.

Remove the scones from the oven and immediately wrap them in a clean tea towel. Wrapping the scones will keep them warm and will give them a soft crust. Serve warm with lashings of butter or with jam and whipped or thick cream.

Variations: Wholemeal scones: Replace 150g (1 cup) of the self-raising flour with 160g (1 cup) wholemeal self-raising flour and add an extra tbs of milk. Continue as in the basic recipe.

Herb scones: Add 2 tbs chopped fresh continental parsley, 2 tbs chopped fresh chives and 4 chopped green shallots to the flour mixture before adding the milk. Continue as in the basic recipe.

Buttermilk brown sugar scones: Replace the caster sugar with brown sugar and replace the milk with buttermilk. Sprinkle the scones with a little extra brown sugar instead of the flour before baking. Continue as in the basic recipe.

Cheddar scones: Leave out the caster sugar. Add 55g (1/2 cup) coarsely grated cheddar and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to the flour mixture before adding the milk. Sprinkle the scones with 25g (1/4 cup) extra grated cheddar instead of the flour before baking. Continue as in the basic recipe.

Spiced currant scones: Combine 75g (1/2 cup) currants and 60mls (1/4 cup) water in a small saucepan and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 tsp mixed spice to the flour mixture before rubbing in the butter. Add the currants to the flour mixture before adding the milk. Sprinkle the scones with a little sugar instead of flour before baking. Continue as in the basic recipe.

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Damper - Serves 4
Preparation Time - 10 minutes
Cooking Time - 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

450g (3 cups) self-raising flour
Pinch of salt
80g butter, chilled, cubed
185ml (3/4 cup) water

Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the water to the flour mixture and use a round-bladed knife in a cutting motion to mix until the mixture just comes together, adding 1-2 tbs extra water if the mixture is a little dry. Use your hands to bring the mixture together.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Shape into an 18cm disc and place on tray. Use a sharp knife that has been dipped in flour to mark 8 wedges on top. Dust the damper with a little extra flour and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until the damper is cooked through and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: Damper was traditionally made in a cast-iron pot with a lid, called a "camp oven". The entire pot was either covered in hot wood coals or the camp oven was placed in a hole in the ground and surrounded with hot wood coals. It was usually served with tea made in a billy over the camp fire. Damper was originally made with plain flour, salt and water. Adding butter and self-raising flour came later on and gives a much tastier result.

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Rosetta's Lamb Shanks - Serves 4
4 lamb shanks (*frenched, with no fat) (*frenched = is the way they are prepared by the Butcher)
1 chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic (or as much as you like)
4 Carrots
2 sweet potato
2 zucchini
1 can of chick peas
1 can of diced tomatoes
half cup of pipped black olives
250 ml vegetable stock
Herbies Tagine herbs (or "Moroccan herbs" if Tagine is unobtainable)

Method
Roll the shanks around in the tagine mix, and then seal them in a hot pan.
Toss the onion and garlic in the pan while the shanks are cooking.
Once the shanks are sealed, pop them in an oven dish (with lid) with the following - drained chick peas; diced carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, olives, can of diced tomatoes and the vegetable stock. Add a little salt and pepper to taste.

The original recipe says cook the dish for about 5 hours in a slow oven (but if doing it in a camp oven over hot coals, check as the heat is harder to control, and the cooking time will be considerably less). The meat just drops off the bone. Very yummy.

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Beef, beer and honey pot-roast - Serves 4

You need:
1 kg topside roast
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1½ cups beer
1 tablespoon honey
1 sprig thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method:
Trim all visible fat from meat.
Place oil in a casserole dish.
Place topside roast in dish.
Add remaining ingredients.
Cover and cook in 180°C oven for about 1½ - 2 hours or until meat is tender.
Uncover casserole.
Cook a further 30 minutes or until some liquid has evaporated.
Serving Suggestion: Serve slices with freshly steamed broccoli and golden squash and fresh crusty bread.

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Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Fettuccine - Serves 4

1 1/3 cup Fettuccine, uncooked
225g boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup diced red Capsicum
1 1/2 cups low-fat Mayonnaise
3/4 cup Skim Milk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
3 tbs chopped fresh Basil or 1 tsp dried Basil
1 tsp coarsely ground black Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Add a little oil a large frying pan with cooking spray. Add chicken and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan. Add a little more oil to the frying pan, and add the mushrooms and red pepper; sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Combine the mayonnaise, milk, cheese, basil, pepper and paprika in a small bowl. Add to the vegetables in the frying pan. Add the chicken to the pan. Stir constantly and heat over medium-low heat until thoroughly heated. When pasta is done, drain and return it to the pot. Add the contents of the frying pan to the pot and mix well. Serve immediately

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Potjiekos - South African one pot dish - Serves 6

You need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely chopped
80g finely shredded cabbage
900g chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite size pieces
500mls peach nectar
250mls chicken stock
8 chat potatoes
1-bunch baby carrots, trimmed, scrubbed
8 eschalots
1x400g can diced tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Crusty bread to serve

Method:
Heat olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion and shredded cabbage and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft.

Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add nectar, chicken stock and potatoes, and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

Add whole carrots, eschalots and tomatoes, and simmer, covered for 10 minutes or until carrots are tender.

Taste, and season with salt and pepper if required. Reduce heat to low. Sprinkle with the sliced mushrooms, herbs and garlic, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until sauce thickens slightly.
Serving Suggestion: Serve with crusty bread.

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