Camping & Rafting : Tri Tip Roast

The guy is bonkers about food. He's our camp chef on the American River trips in California. Steve can be found squeezing avocados at dawn at the local markets for the best of the squishy delight or gathering melons from the local farmers markets for the best quality flesh. Either way, he is passionate about all things food. (I even heard that he watches the Food Channel for grilling and cooking tips!)

Steve's been beta testing recipes again and all of us at the office have been guinea pigs to his gourmet treats. Here's one that we all loved and hope to see on the next river rafting camping trip on the South Fork American.

TRI-TIP ROAST ::

1 large tri-tip

Marinade to cover tri tip (salad dressing is easiest; add other ingredients)

head of garlic (peeled, cut in half; see below, save a few cloves)

1/4 diced scallions

handful of herbs (use your favorite; rosemary, thyme, etc)

soy sauce (splash or to your taste)*optional

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup diced onions

whole onions (cut in half)

10 small yukon or red potatoes (cut in half)

splash of wine (*optional)

6 large carrots cut into thirds

2 cups of cleaned brussel sprouts (make a small cut x at the bottom to cook thoroughly)

Marinade the tri tip in a ziplock baggie with your favorite marinade. Add garlic cloves (add a whole head or just part of it), green onions and any herbs to the baggie. Add a splash of soy sauce (*optional). Set aside for at least an hour or overnight in the refrigerator or cooler. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil into a roasting pan or heavy dutch oven. Heat to high. With tongs, add meat and sear on all sides helping to seal in juices. Take meat out and set aside onto a clean plate. Add the rest of the olive oil into pan. Heat to medium high and add diced onions and garlic. Heat until onions are slightly browned. Add halved onions & potatoes. Add meat with all juices. Add a splash of wine*. Roast in 450 degree oven or dutch oven for approximately 30 minutes. Add carrots and brussel sprouts at the end. Continue cooking until done to your liking for approx 10 to 15 more minutes. Serve after letting the meat rest for 10 minutes. Serve with an additional salad or crusty grilled baguette... but the potatoes are already in it so it really is a one pot meal!

Variations: for vegetarians or vegans just separate the meat from the vegetables into two roasting pans. Prepare vegetables and add olive oil, salt, pepper and herbs. Toss well, coating all vegetables. Roast at 450 degrees as instructed before. Serve when potatoes are done. Add a meat substitute like grilled tofu to complete this vegetarian or vegan dish. Groups rafting with us will love this hardy meal!

Brussel Sprouts with Yukon Gold Potatoes

Winters in California are highlighted with cruciferous and root vegetables. Brussel sprouts on the stem are at the farmer's market throughout the valley and coastline. Broccoli, so sweet, that just a light steaming will suffice. Yukon gold potatoes, the creamy yellow flesh rivals all potatoes for flavor. All are so good along with the fresh winter onions that look like gigantic fresh green shallots. Here's a great veggie and vegan dish that will have you craving for more on the next camping or rafting trip!

Brussel Sprouts with Yukon gold potato
Dutch oven or large iron skillet
1/4 cup of olive oil (or less)
1 whole large diced yellow onion
1 bunch of chopped shallots or fresh winter onions
3 large diced Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 stem of fresh brussel sprouts
1 cup of cleaned cut broccoli heads
1 Tbsp of oyster sauce (skip this for vegans)
soy sauce to taste (omit if using oyster sauce)
splash of rice wine vinegar
pinch of chili flakes

Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil to a large skillet. Heat until oil is medium. Add diced onions. Saute until edges are carmelized. Add diced shallots. Continue to carmelize both onions. Push to the side of the pan. Add more oil. Add diced potato and cook until translucent. Push to the side of the pan. Add brussel sprouts. (if cut in half, they will cook faster) As brussel sprouts start to wilt, add broccoli heads. Cook until heads are bright green. Add oyster sauce or soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and a pinch of chili flakes. Stir all ingredients gently; try not to smash the potato. Serve immediately.

Variations: add cooked meat; chicken, pork, beef to make this a one-pot meal. Add kale, cabbage or other greens to this dish at the very end of the cooking process for even more of a cruciferous boost!

Figs, Nuts... it's Fall

Figs are all over the driveway covering the walkway with a sticky, jammy mess. Oh, how I love fresh figs! Another few doors down, a neighbor has a magnificent pecan tree kicking out fresh nuts from a very old tree. The combination of figs and nuts is an ancient one with references in biblical times dating back to the Torah and even found and mentioned in the Promise Land. Ficus is the genus of the fig tree and the common fig is grown in mostly temperate or desert climates.

I love figs gently sauteed and then wrapped in prosciutto. It is a treat to die for while you are lamenting the loss of fresh summer peaches. I added nuts to this most well-known dish for the added crunch and protein. Omit the prosciutto and you have a glorious dessert for any vegan.

Proscuitto wrapped Figs w/ Nuts
2 Tblsp of olive oil
California Black Figs
cracked black pepper
nuts (pecans, almonds)
small package of proscuitto

Place olive oil in a low medium skillet. Wash and cut figs into halves. Place cut side down into the skillet. Gently sautee until the edges seem to melt (do not overcook; just warm through). Add cracked black pepper. Take out of pan and set aside. Place half a nut and push into the fig half. Wrap a thin slice of prosciutto around the entire half of fig. Set aside. Then place all wrapped figs back into the skillet to warm the prosciutto (do not brown; just warm). Take out and serve or let cool and serve at room temperature.

I just made this last night. So tasty! For an interesting video on how W.E.T. River Trips makes those awesome dinners on whitewater trips, check out Big Poppa's recent video blog about dinners on rafting and camping trips.

Nuts for Dessert

When you are planning a long extended wilderness rafting trip, the menu becomes a difficult chore of organizing perishable food items. You cook the items that will spoil first. So veggies and herbs go first. That's the easy part. Dessert, on the other hand, is a difficult meal plan.

I had ice cream on the East Fork of the Carson River on day two, but it was seriously cold outside anyway, so we were able to dry ice a small cooler and sit in the hot springs eating gelato and drink champagne. That was easy. But when you are on a Klamath River trip on day 5, in 100 degree heat in August, ice cream is definitely not a choice.

I came up with this very tasty treat on a long extended river rafting trip a few years ago. Pack almonds and cashews in a dry box and don't open it until you are ready to make this. Yummy nuts!

CANDIED SPICY NUTS

2 lbs nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc)

butter (enough to coat the nuts)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

2 pinches of chili flakes (to your liking)

1 small sprig of rosemary (leave whole; easier to take out when done)

salt (optional if salted butter is used)

Heat a dutch oven to medium heat. Throw nuts into the dry dutch oven and slowly toast by stirring. You will smell the nuts toasting. This will take a minute to 3 minutes depending on the size of your nuts. (Don't let the nuts get black on the edges or it will taste burnt) Add butter to cover the nuts. Continue to stir. Add sugar, cinnamon, chili flakes, rosemary and salt. Stir. When the sugar melts, remove rosemary spring and take dutch oven off of heat and continue to stir until it starts to clump. Let cool and break up any large pieces. Serve.

Variations: add toasted oats after the sugar melts. Add raisins or any other dry fruit (cherries, cranberries, prunes). These variations can be saved in ziplock baggies and served throughout the day while on the river. Imagine munching on this vegan treat while riding on the rafts and enjoying the scenery. Add some chocolate chips into the baggies... aahhh, life on the river is grand!

Bruschetta on the River

Since the 15th century, bruschetta has graced the tables of Italian cuisine. I imagine leftover pieces of bread were probably grilled and laced with oils and herbs just so the kitchen would not waste precious food. This recipe is so good that you will look forward to dried out loaves of Italian-style or French breads in your pantry. The crustier, the better. The next rafting trip, try this out on the grill as an hors d'houevre. Your guests may not need dinner after munching on this grilled delight!

BRUSCHETTA

Leftover bread (French, Italian crusty breads are best)
cup of olive oil
5 - 6 large fresh tomato sliced in half (roasted is best!)
4 red peppers (roasted is best!)
10 garlic cloves (cut 5 cloves in half; mince the rest)
fresh basil - save a few leaves for decorative touch (or rosemary)
balsamic vinegar (or your favorite champagne vinegar)
gorgonzola cheese (blue cheese, romano, feta are great substitutes)
parmesan cheese

Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside onto a cookie sheet. Oil tomatoes and red peppers generously with olive oil. Set on grill at medium-high heat. Let tomatoes wilt slightly and take off the grill when blackened on cut side. Set aside. Continue to roast peppers until skins are black. Place peppers into a paper bag or covered bowl. Set aside. Peel garlic and cut several in half. Set aside. Take 5 cloves of garlic and mince, then set aside. When peppers have cooled enough to handle, take a slightly wet paper towel and rub the blackened skin off until the roasted red flesh is visible. Chop both tomatoes and peppers into a coarse dice. Place into a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add minced garlic. Chop basil or rosemary or both into a fine dice. Add to the bowl. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil and 3 - 4 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Stir. Set aside. (Add more oil for a good spreading mix)

Grill bread last because it will toast within seconds. Take cut garlic and rub each slice top and bottom. Drizzle olive oil generously over the bread. Place onto the medium heat side of the grill and watch carefully. I usually wait until the edges blacken then turn. This only takes a minute to complete, so keep an eye out. Place toasted bread back onto the cookie sheet to cool.

Drizzle more olive oil onto the serving side of the toast. Smear a tsp of gorgonzola onto the toasted bread. Place a dollop of the marinated tomatoes and peppers on top of the cheese. Add finely chopped basil on top (optional). Place onto a nice serving tray and sprinkle a light touch of parmesan cheese over everything. Serve. (Make a double serving, it will be gone in a flash!)

Variations:
Instead of gorgonzola, use mozzarella or bufala cheese. Place cheese on top instead and then after assembling the toasts, broil until bubbling on top. Then serve onto a decorative plate and add slivers of basil.

You can also make this as a vegan dish by omitting or substituting a vegan cheese product. I like it just with the tomato and pepper mixture. Cracked pepper on top with extra slivers of basil... WOW. So deliziosa...

Stone Soup on the River

Weather in California during November can be a mixed bag of extreme weather. One day it can be pouring rain and another, it can be sunny and warm. I'm looking out the window and all I see is blue skies. Country Mike just did an outdoor rafting trip last Sunday. He said it was warm and sunny and his friends had a blast. River trips in the fall demand a piping hot soup to close the day. Here's a really quick soup to do in the great outdoors.

STONE SOUP
1 palm-size river rock (check for cracks or fissures; should be round and solid)
water to add if necessary
3 cans of your favorite minestrone soup (Campbells, Wolfgang Puck, etc)
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of corn
various vegetables; suggest carrots, peas, broccoli, asparagus, etc
leftover pasta

Heat up the grill or camp fire. Place a large pot on the heat. Have your child add the clean rock. Add cans of soup. Add kidney beans and corn. Add carrots and any hard vegetable like small pieces of potato. Cook until boiling. Add broccoli and aspargus, stir until semi-hard. Add peas and pasta before serving. Serve this hot soup with a crusty toasted grilled bread. Or just open up a bunch of hardy whole wheat crackers. This is an ideal soup for a vegan or vegetarian. For those meat eaters, add cooked meat before the broccoli and asparagus. I like adding leftover roasted chicken to this.

Then read the story of Stone Soup to your children. They will be fascinated by the cooking process outdoors.

Tomato, tomahto... as long as its Fresh!

I had the pleasure of meeting a professional chef recently. One thing that he told me about grilling and cooking is that you always try to cook with fresh regional ingredients. Optimum flavors in its prime. A tomato is best coming from California's valley at the peak of freshness. Just adding that single tomato to greens will turn the simplest salad into a gourmet experience. Try to bring regional fresh produce into your rafting camping menu. Tomatoes, basil, peaches are all in peak freshness. Add them to your next recipe.

TOMATO AND BASIL SALAD
10 large fresh tomatoes (heirlooms are recommended)
water
1 bunch fresh basil (picked fresh if possible)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp olive oil
cracked fresh pepper to taste
1 large peach (optional)

Rinse tomatoes in fresh water. Set aside. Wash basil. Pick leaves off of stem and set aside to dry in small colander. Take care not to bruise the delicate leaves. Slice tomatoes. If large, cut in half and then slice. Arrange on a platter. Stack leaves of basil; one on top of the other. Roll the stack until it forms a tubular cylindar. Slice thinly cross-wise. This will form strings of basil when you unroll them. Sprinkle the thin basil chiffonade over the tomatoes liberally. Splash on the balsalmic vinegar and olive oil. Pepper to taste. Decorate with thin slices of peaches (optional). This is a perfect salad for a vegan.

Variation: add slices of fresh mozzarella or bufalo cheese. Talk about an awesome meal after rafting all day. Just add a crusty sour dough baguette and it's dinner. In the winter, add a minestrone soup to cap off this meal.

Oyster Sauce

Oh yuck, said the kids.... when I mention Oyster Sauce. Oyster sauce is a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. It is a wonderful condiment to add to stir fries and grilled meats. I especially like it on fresh greens such as spinach, bok choy or even just cabbage. It's almost equivalent to ketchup; an all purpose condiment and cooking ingredient! Pack this bottle of flavor on your next camping trip on the river. Believe me, you will find more ways to cook with this or marinate with than any other sauce out of bottle.

BABY BOK CHOY
10 baby bok choy (do not separate leaves; keep whole)
water
2 T olive oil
2-4 cloves of garlic; peeled and sliced
2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
dried chili flakes (to taste)
2 T oyster sauce

Wash baby boy choy heads in cold water and drain upside down. Do not separate leaves. Only peel off older or bruised leaves. Heat pan to medium high. Add olive oil & garlic. Add drained bok choy to oil. Careful as water will cause the oil to spatter. Stir fry quickly and add sesame oil and a pinch of chili flakes. Add oyster sauce to taste. Serve immediately when you see the bok choy translucent and bright green.

Variations: use other greens such as spinach, chard, brussel sprouts, etc. You can also slather a steak with this and grill it. I like to slice a steak into thin strips, stir fry it with veggies and then slather it with a dose of oyster sauce... ok, people, get over the word "oyster." Maybe we can just call it an Azun ketchup...

Daikon - Japanese Radish

Daikon is a Japanese white radish. Long and pointed, its white flesh is beautifully designed to go with many dishes including decorative ones. The daikon is a spicy radish that can be prepared in many ways. Take this radish on your next camping and rafting trip. My favorite is very plain; just cut and serve. This small bright and tasty salad goes well with grilled meats or as a topping for another green salad. When served, this bright white radish will impress the whitewater rafting paddlers for its exotic crunch.

Daikon Salad
(1) Large Daikon (Japanese white radish)
slice into matchsticks
glass bowl
fresh cold water (or ice)

Take the back of the knife and scrape the daikon clean or just peel with a potato peeler. Cut the top (greenery) and tip off. Cut in half crosswise. Slice lengthwise into 1/16th slices and stack. Slice across into matchsticks. Place into a clean glass bowl. Rinse with cold water. Add ice cubes and cover with fresh cold water. Cover and place into the cooler. Serve when icy cold.

A good accompaniment with grilled steak, pork chops or fish. Tangy, spicy flavor with a clean after taste helps to brighten any grilled meat on a river trip. Top another green salad for a spicy radish kick.

Barbecue Tofu

All you met eaters keep an open mind. BBQ tofu is one of my favorite things to make on an overnight camping and rafting trip. So easy to do that the kids will even enjoy the snack or meal if you let them help prepare it. Tofu is a great source of protein and can help enhance your diet. Besides, our vegan friends love it...

Barbecue Tofu
4 blocks of extra firm tofu (in water)
extra large zip lock bag
sliced green onions include greens/white (scallions)
1 head of garlic crushed/sliced
2 small bottles of your favorite bbq sauce
hot grill w/catcher below

Rinse blocks of tofu in fresh water. Slice into 1/4 thick strips (cut into a grid, then slice). Place into the zip lock bag. Add green onions, garlic, and bbq sauce to cover all the tofu. Marinate for 2 to 4 hours (or overnight). Place on grill and cook slowly over medium/high heat. Cook until edges are browned and starting to curl. Be patient, tofu is mostly water. You want to cook most of the moisture out leaving a tasty meat-like strip.

Variations: Add the strips to a bowl with a favorite dipping sauce as an hors d'ouevres before dinner. Or place them on a toasty bun and add the fixings of a hamburger. I like to eat them with brown rice and veggies. A truly healthy dish... but don't tell the kids that.

Grandma's Kabobs

This is a funny retro kabob that grandma used to make. You can substitute steak, chicken or shrimp instead of the bologna or salami... though, I love the retro flavor of this dish, it is definitely not one for the calorie counters. The kids love this one. Let the kids prep this for the first night camping on the rafting trip.

JIFFY KABOBS
12 slices of bologna
12 slices of salami
3 dill pickles (cut into strips)
1 medium green pepper (cut into chunks)
cherry tomatoes
tiny pearl onions

Place slices of salami on slices of bologna so that edges slightly overlap. Fold around dill pickle strips. Run skewers through centers of meat & pickle roll and alternate with green pepper, tomatoes and pearl onion. Grill 10 minutes until meats are browned. Makes 4 kabobs.

Remember fried bologna sandwich? This kabob tastes like that sandwich without the bread. The first time I ate this was during a Mother's Day celebration with great-grandma. She put these on the grill. I thought it was weird. But after eating one, I ate another and another. Reminds me of my childhood...

Wok in Camp

When we cook up stir fry veggies on our California river trips, we like to use a large wok. This is the biggest wok that I have ever seen. We purchased a few from a couple of local Chinese restaurants. They were throwing them out because the woks were old and had tiny little holes in the metal. Cooking over coals and fire, the small holes really didn't matter to us. You might want to go to a restaurant supply house and purchase a smaller one for your own camping needs. Just make sure it is all metal without wooden handles. While you're at the restaurant supply store, grab an extra long pair of tongs, spoons and/or chopsticks for cooking.

WOK IN CAMP
vegetable oil
diced onions
vegetables (broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, cabbage, etc.)
1/8 cup of soy sauce
1 Tblsp sesame seed oil
pinch of chili flakes
cooked white rice (or brown)

Use a well-seasoned wok. Add oil and place wok over coals or fire. The oil will get hot very quickly. Add onions and stir fry. Scoot the cooked onions to the upper portion of the wok and it will stay warm without burning. (Tilt the wok towards you, push the onions away from you) Add any of your favorite vegetables cut into similar sized pieces. If you are adding greens such as spinach or cabbage, add these in the last minute of stir frying. When veggies look bright, incorporate the onions back into the mixture. Add soy sauce, sesame seed oil and a bit of chili flakes. Stir fast and eat quick. Very yummy with fried rice or plain white rice.

Variations: add left-over cooked chicken, pork or turkey as the last ingredient and warm thoroughly. Without the meats, this dish will serve any vegan or vegetarian, and I would serve brown rice instead of the white. I also like to splash a bit of mirin (Japanese rice wine vinegar) along with the soy sauce as an enhancer while stir frying. Or you can use an oyster sauce instead of the soy sauce. Asian ingredients are so popular that most grocery stores carry the items in their international aisles.

Caution: use pliers, heavy tongs or metal hooks to lift the wok away from the fire. The metal handles will be very hot, so use caution. To clean your wok, just add salt and scrub with a ball of aluminum foil. (When I was on the Grand Canyon, we just threw sand into the wok and scrubbed it that way. Just don't toss the sand into the river. Throw it away in your garbage to be brought out of any river corridor.) Rinse and oil the wok before storing.

Toast

I love toast. And toast in camp is the best. First I want to explain that I'm one of those that likes toast well-done where the butter is scraping across the blackened bread. I just love the crunchiness of toasted bread. The bread just tastes different when it's well done. Toast is not just for breakfast. A hearty bread toasted and schmeared with garlic and butter is a simple accompaniment to a great grilled steak. Save the leftovers, cube it and throw it in a green salad for instant croutons to go with the miner's lettuce you harvested around the river.

1 loaf sliced store-bought bread (or slice your own baguette, wheat bread, etc)
5 - 8 cloves of garlic
1 stick of butter
1/4 cup of herbs (finely chopped; mix rosemary, oregano and thyme together)

Get the grill hot and ready for the toast. Oil the grill well so the bread doesn't stick. Crush the garlic and rub over the bread slices. Mix softened butter and herbs together. Smear this over each slice of bread. Place each slice on grill with smear-side up. Toast until done and then turn. Toast to your liking. Serve hot with grilled vegetables and meat.

Variations: sprinkle parmesan cheese right before you take the toast off the grill. Add chili flakes to the butter-herb mixture for a spicy addition. Add grilled onions and steak on top of the toast for an open-faced sandwich.

Breakfast Variation: omit the garlic and just coat with plain butter. Toast as before. Mix cream cheese and strawberry jam together. Schmear a light coating over the toast and serve with breakfast. A sweet crunchy delight on your next rafting trip!

Stuffed Chicken Tenderloins

Most groceries carry frozen chicken tenderloins. These are fast and convenient when camping on an outdoor trip. They thaw quickly so they are always ready for a quick camp meal. Pound them flat and stuff them with your favorite mixtures. You can cook them in a dutch oven very quickly. On a rafting trip, these are a hit at dinner. Serve with a simple green salad dressed lightly with Italian dressing. I like to add a few kalamata olives on top of each serving.

STUFFED CHICKEN TENDERLOINS
20 chicken tenderloins thawed
round, smooth river rock (palm size)
plastic wrap
1 box frozen spinach (fresh, if you are at home)
1 pt ricotta cheese
salt
pepper
2 pinches chili flakes
oil
small jar marinara sauce
20 slices mozarella cheese

Thaw chicken in a large bowl of cold water while you prepare the mixture. Wrap plastic wrap around rock and set aside. Take frozen spinach (or you can saute fresh until cooked; cool, squeeze all moisture out and chop) and mix with ricotta cheese, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside. Place each tenderloin between two pieces of plastic wrap or just place in a zip lock baggie. Throw a dish towel over the covered tenderloin. Pound flat with the covered rock. Take each strip of tenderloin and place a teaspoon or more of the mixture onto the center and roll. Secure with a wooden toothpick or just place seam side down in an oiled dutch oven. Pack the rolled chicken tightly into the dutch oven. Pour marinara sauce over the chicken and smear evenly. Place one slice of mozarella over each rolled chicken piece. Bake covered for 30-40 minutes with evenly distributed coals at the bottom and top of dutch oven. (Cooking time will vary depending on your coals) When chicken is thoroughly cooked, take dutch oven off the heat. Take lid off. Let cool slightly before serving.

Variation: place a thin slice of prosciutto onto the tenderloin first, before the mixture, and then roll. Cook as before. Very tasty!

Quick Canned Chili

You've been driving for 8 hours and you finally get to the put-in at the river right before dark. No one wants to cook and you're in the middle of no where. Everyone is starving and it's been hours since lunch. You dig out the extra large cans of chili to heat up for a quick meal. I like to add stuff to make it a bit more homemade. Cook a lot as this goes really quick with a hungry rafting crowd.

QUICK CANNED CHILI
3 extra large cans of your favorite chili (or as many cans needed)
1/4 cup of chopped red onions
2 cans of corn
1 can of red kidney beans
1 can of black olives (crush them in your hand for a quick chop)
leftover veggies (optional)
leftover meats (optional)
cheddar cheese (grated or sliced; doesn't matter)
corn tortillas

Heat a large pot or dutch oven over the coals or fire. Add chili. Add onions. Saute until wilted and translucent. Add canned chili. Warm and then add corn, kidney beans, olives, and veggies. Heat until bubbling. Place one corn tortilla at the bottom of a bowl with a handful of cheddar cheese. Add chili and serve. Have extra tortillas or corn chips to eat with the rest. Hearty and satisfying... and very quick.

If the coals are hot, throw in a bunch of potatoes for breakfast the next morning. Just wrap in aluminum foil and place near the coals. Bank the coals to stay hot and they will cook the potatoes overnight. You'll be ready to cut them up for a quick breakfast with eggs and leftover chili.

Mexican Lasagna

Tacos are a favorite food and the kids could eat them everyday. Here's a dish that is a taco in a casserole. The ingredients are simple and the kids always want more. Perfect for a dutch oven or large skillet over the grill. Serve with blue corn chips or your favorite corn tortillas and an iceberg lettuce salad.

MEXICAN LASAGNA
1-1/2 lbs of ground beef
olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
1 small can of chopped/sliced black olives
1 small can of tomato sauce (or your favorite jarred marinara)
1 pkg taco seasoning mix (add water according to instructions on package)
1/2 pt cottage cheese (or ricotta)
1 pt sour cream
1 bag of tortilla chips
grated cheese
2 T chopped green onions

Heat pan with oil. Add beef and saute until browned. Pour and drain the excess oil. Add onions and cook until wilted. Add black olives, tomato sauce, taco seasoning mix. Stir thoroughly and cook until liquid is gone. Take off heat. In a greased casserole, crush chips and distribute evenly on the bottom. Add a layer of meat mixture. Take the cottage cheese and sour cream and mix thoroughly. Add this layer to the casserole. Repeat the sequence with the 3 layers again. Add chips and grated cheese to the top. Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly.

This is a favorite with the Scouts rafting trips. You can cool it down and cut into wedges and serve with cornbread, more chips or corn tortillas. Omit the chips and substitute layers of corn tortillas for a different texture. Or you can serve it piping hot and use it like a large Mexican dip while everyone's gathered after their day on the river.

Beef Stew and Camping

Here's a beef stew using all convenience foods. When you're cooking on camping rafting trips, sometimes you just don't have time to whip everything out from homemade ingredients. You can do this one while everyone's fishing in the late afternoon. Get this on the coals around 3pm and you'll have enough time for a nap in the hammock overlooking the river. Grab a book to read while you wait for this to cook. Three hours later, you'll have a hot piping stew. This retro recipe comes from great-grandma's cooking files.

BEEF STEW
1 lb beef (cut into 1" cubes)
2 T olive oil
1 can mushroom soup
1/2 pkg of Lipton's onion soup
1/2 cup red wine

Add oil into a dutch oven or heavy skillet. Keep coals evenly distributed at the bottom. Temperature should be medium-high. Sear the beef cubes until browned. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover. Add coals to top of the dutch oven. Simmer at low heat for 3 hours. (Move the coals off until you reach a simmer) Keep everyone away from the area especially the kids. Check every hour. Serve with crusty baguette or grilled toast and a simple salad.

Variations: add potatoes and carrots the last hour with 1/4 cup of water or stock. Add a variety of veggies (green beans, cauliflower, or chopped greens) the last 10 minutes for a fresh taste.

Olive Nut Bites

When you're camping and rafting, you have to encourage the kids to help with food prep and camp duties. The kids love to make this little appetizer before the dad's come out with the grilled foods. My child used to say that we were serving eyeballs on the river trip. We also used to make these during Halloween. We dyed the cream cheese blue to make the eyeballs look really gross. These are easy to make, so let the kids do this one alone.

OLIVE NUT BITES
1 pkg softened cream cheese
3 T of finely chopped toasted almonds
20 green olives w/ stuffed pimientos

Stir the cream cheese with a fork and mix with almonds. Take out the pimiento out of the olive and reserve. Stuff the olives with the cream cheese mixture and replace the pimiento into the hole. Arrange on a platter and chill for 10 minutes. Or cover with plastic wrap and place at the top of your cooler until ready to serve. They do look like eyeballs...

Fried Rice

Day 2 on the river and you've grilled some chicken. Potatoes are an option, but you decide to cook up a pot of rice. Rice is inexpensive and grilled meats and vegetables go well with white rice, brown rice or wild rice. Add bouillon or herbs to the water to give the rice a great flavor. Make an extra pot while you're at it and get ready for day 3 on the rafting trip. You'll love the flavor of this quick fried rice.

FRIED RICE
1/4 cup vegetable oil (olive oil preferred)
1/2 cup of diced onion
1/4 cup of diced carrots
4 cups of leftover rice (white, brown, wild rice or a mixture of all)
1/4 cup of leftover veggies (broccoli, cabbage, snap peas etc)
1/4 cup of soy sauce
4 eggs (optional)
1/4 cup of frozen peas (optional)
1/4 cup of sliced green onions (scallions)

In a large dutch oven or skillet, add 1/8th (1/2 of the oil) of a cup of oil. Heat at medium-high heat. Add diced onions and brown. Add diced carrots and cook until limp. Push onion and carrots to the edge of the pan, slightly moving the pan's edge off the burner or coals. Add the rest of the oil (reserve 1 T) to the pan. Heat that oil until hot. Add rice. Stir quickly so the rice doesn't stick. (It will stick no matter what you do, but if you keep stirring, it won't burn) As the rice is coated with the oil, stir pan's ingredients together. Coat until the rice starts to brown. Add left over veggies. Add soy sauce. Cook until rice is brown and dry. Push all ingredients to the edge of the pan again. Push the pan's edge off the burner. Add the rest of the oil to the empty part of the pan. Heat. Add eggs. Scramble. Incorporate the cooked eggs with the rice and stir thoroughly. Cook until steam disappears. Add peas and green onions. Take off burner and stir again. Serve immediately or bring to room temperature.

I used to make this as a college student. Sometimes, all I had to mix in were onions and carrots. Just those two simple ingredients were enough to flavor a leftover pot of rice. Leave out the eggs, and it is a perfect side dish for a vegan. You'll never throw away leftover rice again.

Carmelized Onions

Speaking of condiments... the last post camping recipes was about roasted peppers. Another condiment ingredient for the camper or river trip chef is carmelized onions. Onions contain a lot of sugars and this sweetness becomes the highlight when you roast or carmelize them.

10 onions (red, yellow, hawaiian, valdalia, etc)
1/4 cup olive oil
paper towels

Cut each onion in half (in quarters if they are really large). Oil liberally by drizzling the oil and swabbing with a paper towel. Place on the grill. Rotate them until they are evenly shriveled and cooked.

Another method is to slice the onion into large pieces. Cook in a slightly oiled pan on medium-high heat. Cook slowly and toss. Add oil so the onions don't burn. Keep tossing until the pile becomes completely wilted and browned. Carmelization occurs when the sugars start to burn. That's why the onion becomes dark brown and sweet.

Top a grilled steak with the carmelized onions. That alone will give the steak a great flavor. Add cooled onions to a bowl of soft cream cheese and stir with a bit of salt and pepper. This dip will be gone in a flash or schmear it all onto a bagle with turkey or chicken. The kids like to add carmelized onions onto their burgers. They like it more than the addition of cheese!