| Written by: Jan Carla Santos |  April / May Outdoor Living Newsletter |
Enjoy evenly-cooked dishes on your camping trip
If you're tired of having to eat pre-packaged, instant meals on every camping or RVing trip, you should consider getting a Dutch oven. With a Dutch oven, you can enjoy the goodness of a slow-cooked, home-style meal even in the outdoors. Its cast iron material, with the help of hot coals and a camp fire, allows for even cooking so you get well-cooked meats, veggies, and even baked items. Here are some easy recipes to entice you to do some Dutch oven-cooking on your next outdoor trip:
1. Cajun Yellow Rice
A flavorful breakfast dish to rev you up for an activity-filled day.
Serves: 4 to 6
Preparation/cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 4 slices of bacon or 4 sausage patties
- 1/4 bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 2 ribs of celery
| - 1/4 stick of butter
- 3-4 cups of cooked rice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1/2 tomato, chopped
|
Instructions:
- 1. In a Dutch oven cook the bacon or sausage and remove leaving grease in bottom of pan.
- 2. Chop the meat up into little pieces.
- 3. Add butter to pan.
- 4. While it is melting, add the onion, celery and bell pepper. This is known as the trinity of Cajun cooking.
- 5. Saute these vegetables and in the last two minutes add the cooked rice and meat in the pan and stir vigorously.
- 6. When the rice is warm, move the mixture to the sides of the pan and leave the center empty.
- 7. Crack the eggs, mix well and pour in the center of the pan.
- 8. Once the egg mixture hits the pan, stir the rice and egg mixture well. The rice will turn yellow.
- 9. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.
2. Three Bean and Beef Chili
Who says you can't enjoy a thick, rich chili in the woods?
Serves: 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
- 2 carrots, diced (1/2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 pound extra-lean ground beef (90 percent lean)
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups water
| - 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
- 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can of chipotles
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
|
Instructions:
- 1. Heat the oil in large pot or Dutch oven over moderate heat.
- 2. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
- 3. Add the cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- 4. Add the ground beef; raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until the meat is no longer pink.
- 5. Stir in the tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and salt and pepper.
- 6. Simmer, partially covered, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes.
- 7. Stir in the beans and cook, partially covered, 20 minutes longer.
- 8. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
3. Dutch Oven Pork Roast
Fork-tender pot roast, perfect for round-the-campfire festivities.
Serves: 7 to 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 hours
Ingredients:
- 4-5 pound pork roast
- 1/2 cup olive or corn oil
- 2 onions, peeled and coursely chopped
- 2 green apples, peeled and cut into large slices
- 4 large carrots, cut coursely
- 1 dozen large mushrooms, cut in quarters
| - 4 large red potatoes, cut into large bite-sized pieces
- 2 stalks celery, peeled and sliced thick
- Lawry's Seasoning Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 2 cups chicken stock
|
Instructions:
- 1. Get a fire going to where you have a bed of long lasting slow-burning charcoals. You may have to check and add more fuel during cooking time.
- 2. In a large cast iron Dutch Oven, heat the oil until it's hot.
- 3. Brown the pork roast, onions and apples.
- 4. Add the chicken stock and spices. Cover and put on the fire (off to the side) to slowly cook over the coals for two and a half hours.
- 5. At the end of two and a half hours, layer the vegetables, carrots and potatoes first (they need more heat). Recover the pot.
- 6. Check after three hours are up and give it your best judgement on doneness (every campfire is different.)
- 7. Serve with good crusty bread and butter.
4. German Sausage Chowder
Thick, creamy and cheesy!
Serves: 6 to 8
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cooked bratwurst or knackwurst -- cut into chunks
- 2 medium potatoes -- peeled and coarsely diced
- 1/2 cup onion -- chopped
- 4 cups cabbage -- shredded
- 1 can whole kernel corn
| - 3 cups milk
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup shredded aged Swiss cheese
- Snipped parsley, for garnish
|
Instructions:
- 1. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, combine sausage, potatoes, onion, 1/2 tsp. salt, and dash pepper.
- 2. Add 2 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are nearly tender.
- 3. Stir in cabbage (and corn if desired); cook 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
- 4. Stir in 2 1/2 cups of the milk. Stir remaining 1/2 cup milk into flour; stir into soup.
- 5. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly.
- 6. Stir in cheese till melted. Garnish with parsley.
5. Smores Bars
A classic camp favorite!
Serves: 6 to 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1-1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
| - 2-(7 oz.) jars marshmallow cream
- 1-1/2 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- Chocolate candy bars
|
Instructions:
- 1. Cream butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy.
- 2. Stir in vanilla, salt and baking powder.
- 3. Add flour and crushed graham crackers.
- 4. Line the bottom of a 14" Dutch Oven with parchment paper.
- 5. Spread 2/3 of the dough mixture and spread on parchment paper in oven.
- 6. Place chocolate bars evenly over the dough.
- 7. Cover with marshmallow cream.
- 8. Spoon remaining dough mixture over chocolate bars.
- 9. Bake at 350 degrees (21 coals on top; 11 on bottom) for 45-50 minutes.
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April / May Outdoor Living Newsletter
