Your Gourmet Camping Menu for This Summer

Summer’s finally here and the weather is perfect for that year long awaited camping trip. Are you just as excited as I am? Then time to pack all your camping essentials: a tent, sleeping bag, pre-made food, etc. You know what, why not try skipping the dry cold sandwiches this time and unleash your inner outdoor chef? Make it your experiment for the summer and see what happens.

Nature always brings out parts of us we never knew existed. And don’t worry, you don’t even need to bring a whole kitchen – just pick what you need from the large choice of camping kitchen equipment that is specifically designed to be light, practical and take up less space.

As for recipe ideas, well, you are lucky you don’t have to look that far. I’m a huge gourmet, so food is my area of expertise. There are no ingredients and no place where I haven’t tried cooking. As a fan of the great outdoors, I have tested all my favourite recipes in a camping setting which is why I prepared for you The Gourmet’s Camping Menu for This Summer.

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it’s even more important when staying outdoors. You will need the necessary energy and stamina to go through the whole day bushwalking, fishing, hunting or whatever is your favourite thing to do when in nature. So having an extremely nutritious meal is a must. I found that this Cheesesteak Sandwich keeps me perfectly satisfied and satisfies my energy needs.

Ingredients:

• one large loaf of bread
• 600g sliced roast beef
• 500g sliced cheese
• ¼ cup garlic butter
• sliced onion and pepper
• aluminium foil

Cut slices into the bread about 2,5 centimetres apart but not all the way to the bottom. Butter each cut and drop some of the sliced peppers and onions inside of it. Next, layer it up with roast beef and cheese and wrap aluminium foil around the whole loaf. Then place it near the hot coals of your fire (not in it!). This usually takes 20 minutes so that the whole cheese melts. Wait a minute for it to cool down, unpack it and enjoy!

Lunch

You came back from your nature expedition to the comfort of your camp. Tired and hungry, you need something to satisfy your hunger, pronto! I have just the right recipe for you – The Chili Campfire Bake. It will take you literally one minute to prepare it and only 15 more for it to cook.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of pasta
• 1 can of chilli
• 1 bag of corn chips
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• some salt

Put the pasta into a large pan and poor 3 cups of water over it. Make sure that the water completely covers the pasta. Bring it on to the fire and stir occasionally until the water evaporates. Add some chilli when is nearly ready. Remove it from the fire and finish it by putting corn chips and cheddar cheese on top. Bon appetit!

Dessert

Are you out camping with your kids who beg you to cook them something sweet and tasty? Or maybe you’ve got a sweet tooth yourself and can’t imagine a day going by without dessert? Here’s something easy and delicious – Banana Boats.

Ingredients:

• bananas
• marshmallows
• chocolate chips
• aluminium foil

Slice a banana down the middle and put it on the aluminium foil. Stuff it with as much marshmallows and chocolate chips as you can. Wrap the whole thing and put it on the coals of your campfire. Wait there patiently for 15 minutes. Open your goody package of melted marshmallows and chocolate and dig in with your spoon!

Dinner

And for dinner, some Campfire Mushrooms will be a perfect addition to the whole nature mix. I don’t encourage scavenging for wild mushrooms, plain old supermarket ones will do just fine. Cooking them on your campfire will bring a delicious smoky flavour to this dish. Here’s what it takes:

Ingredients:

• mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves of sliced garlic
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• ½ cup of lemon juiced
• ¼ cup of red wine

Pour the olive oil and butter into a large frying pan and put it over the fire. When it melts add the mushrooms, stir them and cook for a minute. Then add the garlic and rosemary, again stir and wait 3-5 minutes until the mushrooms are slightly soft. Add the lemon juice, and after a minute add the wine. Stir the whole thing and leave it to cook for 5 minutes. Take it off the fire and serve over sliced bread if you like. Voila, you can now enjoy your delicious dinner around the cosiness of the warm fire.

Hope you find my recipes mouth-watering and can’t wait to try them out. One last thing though: Don’t go into it with expectations that it will taste just like it is home-made. Even though camping kitchen equipment succeeds in replacing all the real tools, the whole experience will be quite new for you. And that’s the best thing about improvised cooking – the surprise factor. The outcome might taste like dry hay or it might just be the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten in your life. Trust me, the risk is worth it!