Archive for camping recipes

Sky’s Favorite Camping Recipes: Omelet in a Bag

Omelet in a Bag

A few months ago, I shared a recipe for my delicious Spitfire-Roasted Chicken with Grilled Veggies. Today I want to share with you all one of my favorite morning recipes: an omelet in a bag. When you’re in a hurry to get out and enjoy your favorite camping activities, you need a breakfast that is substantial and nutritious but easy and quick to cook. As long as you cut and prepare the fillings ahead of time, an omelet in a bag only takes 6–10 minutes to make. Plus, it is packed with flavor and protein, making it convenient, healthy, and delicious, too!

Ingredients (per omelet)

  • 1 quart-sized ziplock bag
  • 2–4 eggs
  • cheese

Your favorite fillings, which might include:

  • ham
  • turkey
  • bacon
  • onion
  • bell peppers
  • mushrooms
  • jalapeño
  • salt and pepper
  • fresh herbs

Directions

For a fun breakfast group activity, have everyone make their own omelet! This will also ensure each omelet is filled with the right amount of ingredients.

  1. While preparing your omelet, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
  2. Using your portable kitchen and cooking supplies, beat the eggs until the yolk is well mixed. Place eggs into the baggie.
  3. Add your preferred filling ingredients to the bag. When it is full, zip the bag shut and gently massage to blend everything together. You might want to label your bag with a sharpie to prevent using the wrong ingredients.
  4. Place your mixture into the boiling water and let cook for roughly 6 minutes (more or less depending on the firmness you prefer).
  5. When done, remove and place in a bowl or on a plate to enjoy!

Great Vegetarian Recipes for Camping

Camping as a vegetarian doesn’t mean you have to fill up on just sides and snacks. There are plenty of healthy vegetarian camping recipes that are both delicious and nutritious, and even the meat-eaters on your trip will enjoy them! Here are three to get you started.

1. Campfire-Roasted Potatoes

Kick your bland potatoes up a notch. This recipe is packed with flavor and can be served with your favorite veggies.

Ingredients

  • 5 large red potatoes, cubed
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 3/5 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 3/4 tsp. dried oregano
  • Salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a large bowl, mix your ingredients together.
  2. Place your mixture in several layers of aluminum foil and then seal the edges.
  3. Position a wire rack over the hot coals and place your aluminum packet on top of the wire rack.
  4. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the packet midway through cooking.
  5. These potatoes also make great side dishes for those on your trip who still want a burger.

2. Campfire Salad

You don’t need meat to get a healthy dose of protein. This salad includes veggies and black beans to keep you energized and full.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • salt and black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. fresh oregano, minced
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad

  • 2 lbs. asparagus, ends trimmed
  • 1 lbs. fresh green beans, cut into pieces
  • 3 large carrots, shredded
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

Directions

  1. To make the dressing, use a whisk to mix the vinegar, sugar, and oregano. Season with salt and pepper, then slowly add the oil while whisking.
  2. Blanch the asparagus and green beans. Blanching is when you drop vegetables into boiling water briefly and then place them in ice-cold water immediately afterward for a minute or two.
  3. Combine your carrots, black beans, and green beans in a mixing bowl.
  4. Drizzle your dressing on top, mix thoroughly, and serve.

3. Campfire Couscous with Zucchini and Pine Nuts

As long as you have the right supplies and a portable kitchen, cooking gourmet meals is easy! This recipe offers a nice break from your typical camp food.

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 medium garlic clove, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 cups dry couscous
  • 4-1/2 cups water
  • 1 fresh thyme sprig
  • 1 medium zucchini, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  • 3 tbsp. currants

Directions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Add garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until garlic is softened.
  2. Add couscous and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
  3. Add your water and thyme sprig and reduce heat to medium-low. Then cover the pan and let the couscous simmer for about 8 minutes.
  4. Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the zucchini. Cover once more and let the pan sit for about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the pine nuts, currants, and remaining olive oil.

What are your favorite vegetarian recipes? Leave a comment and let us know!

Sky’s Favorite Camping Recipes: Spitfire-Roasted Chicken with Grilled Veggies

Spitfire-Roasted Chicken with Veggies

For the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing a variety of great healthy camping recipes, but today, I want to share with all of you one of my favorite camping recipes: Spitfire-Roasted Chicken with Grilled Veggies.

On camping trips, we like to do a lot our cooking over the fire pit with a spit, and you’ll soon learn why if you try out this recipe. Cooking your meat over the fire creates a very different flavor from simply roasting it in the oven. The fire gives the chicken a smoky flavor that is simply to die for.

While this recipe calls for chicken, keep in mind that you can also do rotisserie cooking with spare ribs, a rack of lamb, or prime rib as well.

Ingredients

  • 1–3 whole chickens (depending on size of your family/group)
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2–10 cloves of garlic (depending on how many chickens), sliced and cut lengthwise (slivered)
  • sage
  • veggies (choose your favorites!)

Directions

  1. Prep the chicken. Using a knife, create an opening in the skin of your chicken and slide slivers of garlic underneath at 2- to 3-inch intervals. Then oil the chicken evenly and douse with salt, pepper, and sage.
  2. Set up your spit. To create hot coals, start a fire and then let it die down until the flames are no more than 6 inches from the wood. Then center the spit over the fire (you’ll want to do this without the chicken to get the correct placement).
  3. Turn spit outward and put chicken on the rod. This step can be tricky because you want a good tight fit so the spit turns the chicken with it. If your spit comes with prongs, use those to hold the chicken in place.
  4. Cook the chicken. Turn the spit so the chicken dangles over the fire. Depending on how hot the fire is, you may need to adjust the spit’s height to prevent the chicken from burning. Keep stoking the fire and adding wood, if needed, to keep the flames low. The chicken should gently sizzle and become golden over time. It should cook for one hour.
  5. Cook the veggies. This step won’t take long, so you can wait to cook your favorite vegetables until you’re near the end of the hour. Prep the veggies first with spices and olive oil (I like grilled asparagus marinated in a blend of olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper). Then you can either grill or steam your veggies for 10 minutes.
  6. Check the temperature. After cooking your chicken for an hour, use a meat thermometer to make sure the meat is done; it should be at least 165 degrees. Then cut up the chicken, serve, and enjoy!

Easy Camping Meals That Are Also Healthy

With a portable camp kitchen like the Summit, it’s now much easier to cook gourmet meals while camping. That said, it’s always a good idea to have a few easy meals in mind for when you’re tired and need a break from cooking. These easy camping meals are still healthy, and they require little work to prepare.

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Oatmeal is perfect for breakfast because it comprises whole grains and is substantial enough to keep you energized throughout the day. All you need are instant oats, water, and any toppings you might like to include. When buying instant oats, be sure to look for Original and avoid buying flavored packets, which contain added sugar. After cooking your oatmeal, add fruits, nuts, and other healthy toppings as desired.

Lunch: Black Bean & Mango Salad

Nutritious food can also be delicious if you choose the right meals. This salad is refreshing on a hot summer’s day and is great if you have any vegetarians camping with you. All you need are black beans, mangos, a sweet red bell pepper, onions, cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and a dash of salt. To make this meal even easier, prepare the salad beforehand and store it in a cooler. That way, all you’ll have to do is serve the meal when you’re ready for lunch.

Dinner: Grilled Chicken Tikka

When you’re burnt out from a full day of activities, take it easy and make grilled chicken tikka for dinner. Before your camping trip, simply marinate boneless chicken pieces in a mixture of tandoori paste and plain Greek yogurt, then freeze it in a Ziplock bag. Make sure the chicken is fully thawed before grilling.

Snacks: Cut-up Veggies and Hummus

Instead of bringing along a bag of potato chips for an easy snack, cut up vegetables like carrots and broccoli that the family can snack on throughout the day. If you don’t like to eat veggies plain, hummus is a healthy alternative to vegetable dips.

Camping can be exhausting, so give yourself a break now and then with these easy and healthy camping meals.

Jazz up Your Camping Recipes and Get out of Your Meal Rut

When you think of “traditional camp foods,” what comes to mind? Probably s’mores and hot dogs, right? If that’s the case, then maybe it’s time to throw something new into the mix. Many campers stick with typical camp foods because it’s what they know, but you can easily branch out and create a whole new menu with the right cooking kits like the Outdoorsman and these three camping recipes.

1. Chicken Kebabs

Swap out those hot dogs and hamburgers for a healthier alternative. With lean meat and veggies, chicken kebabs make healthy eating easy!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. boneless chicken breast cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • herbs de Provence (or any of your favorite spices)
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 3 green peppers, sliced
  • 3 red peppers, sliced
  • 6 Vidalia onions, quartered and separated
  • 1 pint baby portabella mushrooms
  • 12 bamboo BBQ skewers

Directions

  1. Put the chicken pieces, olive oil, garlic cloves, and spices into a large ziploc bag. Marinate overnight.
  2. Soak skewers in water overnight while chicken is marinating.
  3. Arrange your chicken and veggies on the soaked skewers.
  4. Sprinkle kebobs with salt and pepper.
  5. Grill for 2 minutes on each side, turning three times.

2. Baked Apples

Sick of eating s’mores every night? Try using apples to make a deliciously sweet dessert instead.

Ingredients

  • 4 large baking apples
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 cup chopped raisins
  • 1 tbsp. butter

Directions

  1. After washing apples, remove apple cores, making the hole about 3/4-inch wide. Dig out seeds with a spoon.
  2. Combine sugar, cinnamon, raisins, and pecans in a small bowl. Then stuff each apple with this mixture.
  3. Wrap apples in aluminum foil and set in coals, baking for 15–20 minutes.

3. Lemon Dill Grilled Fish Filets

Going fishing on your trip? If you have a lucky day, take advantage of the fish you catch and use it to make lemon dill grilled fish filets!

Ingredients

  • 4 cleaned fish filets
  • 1 lemon, sliced in half
  • 1 tbsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. dry dill
  • pepper for taste
  • olive oil
  • 4 foil sheets

Directions

  1. Use olive oil to grease bottom of foil sheet and place fish filet on top.
  2. Sprinkle each filet with pepper and 1/4 of the salt and dill.
  3. Use half your lemon and squeeze juice over fish. Slice the other half into rings and then place the rings on top of the fish. Drizzle olive oil over fish.
  4. Fold sides of foil and tightly seal.
  5. Place foil packets over smoldering coals for 3 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for 3 more minutes.
  6. Remove foil from fire and wait 5 minutes before eating.

You don’t have to suffer hot dogs and hamburgers every night of your camping trip. When you’re stuck in a meal rut, these best camping recipes will hit the spot.

Healthy Camping Recipes That Are Both Delicious and Nutritious

During a camping trip, you’re typically left with fewer options when it comes to food. That doesn’t mean, however, that you have to eat the same unhealthy meals over and over again. With the right cooking gear and these healthy camping recipes, you can be a little more creative when preparing meals so your tastebuds don’t suffer.

Oatmeal with the Works

Instead of just frying up bacon or breakfast potatoes, start your day off the right way with a healthier, energizing meal. Serves 10 (serving size = 1 cup).

Ingredients

  • 6 cups of rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 cup tart dried cherries
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

Optional toppings

  • 1 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 cup roasted hazelnuts
  • milk

Directions

  1. At home, combine oats, apricots, cherries, and brown sugar in a large bowl and store in container.
  2. At the campsite, add water (3/4 cup per serving) to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then stir in oatmeal mix (3/4 cup per serving).
  3. Remove oatmeal from heat and let stand for 5 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Add toppings and enjoy.

Vegetable Campfire Hobo Packets

This recipe is perfect for both vegetarians and those who just want to eat healthy while camping. Serves 4.

Ingredients

  • 2 red onions, sliced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 large zucchini, diced
  • 2 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
  • 1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

  1. Combine all ingredients in an airtight container to pack.
  2. When you’re at the campsite, tear off 4 large sheets of aluminum foil.
  3. Toss your vegetables and place a pile of veggies in the center of each foil sheet.
  4. Fold foil over vegetable mix and make sure the edges are sealed.
  5. Cook packets over coals for 20 minutes.

Ready to give your taste buds a break? Try out these healthy camping recipes and enjoy food that is both delicious and nutritious.