Cooking on the Go
By Janet Groene, F47166
February 2006
Absentee Cook
Put these recipes in the oven or refrigerator and forget them while you enjoy the campground lifestyle.
Tipsy Mushrooms
Make these mushrooms up to two days ahead of time and bring them out of the fridge to add a classy touch to a raw veggie platter.
1/4-cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 whole garlic cloves
Freshly ground pepper
1/3-cup vodka or gin
1 teaspoon mixed dried herb(s) of your choice
8-ounce package small, bite-size mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
In a lidded container or a plastic bag large enough to hold the mushrooms, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice. Add the garlic cloves, pepper, vodka, and herbs. Mix well and add the mushrooms. Chill, turning the container or the bag often to distribute the marinade, for at least six hours or as long as two days. Discard the garlic and liquid and serve with toothpicks.
Cruisin’ Crisp
Make this topping at home, keep it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, and bring out as much as you need each time to make a fruit crisp of any size. One 15- or 16-ounce can of fruit with a crisp topping makes a luscious breakfast for two. Or, use several cans of fruit to make dessert for a crowd. Even a thin sprinkling of topping makes a satisfying “crisp” for dieters. Or, if you can handle the calories, pile on more topping.
1 cup butter (real butter is best)
1 cup flour
1 cup quick oats, uncooked
1 box brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Let the butter come to room temperature and cut it into the dry ingredients (except the nuts) with a pastry blender or two knives used scissors-style. The mixture should be mealy, with butter particles the size of peas. Stir in the nuts. Refrigerate. Fill a sprayed casserole of any size two-thirds of the way with your choice of fresh or canned fruit, juice and all. Add no sugar unless the type of fruit you use is very tart, such as green apples. Cover with a layer of the topping up to 3/4-inch thick. Bake at 350 degrees until the fruit is bubbly and the topping golden brown.
Cheese Dreams
Find miniature cheeses in the dairy or deli department. It’s important to chill these puffs thoroughly before baking. Make them up to two days ahead of time.
Package of 6 puff pastry shells
6 individual cheeses in red wax, coating removed
Sliced red and yellow apples
Thaw the puff pastry shells and roll until they are large enough to wrap completely around the small cheeses. Seal with a moistened finger and place, seam-side down, on a greased baking sheet. The pastries should not touch one another. Cover and chill. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and bake the cold pastries until they are a crisp, golden brown. Serve surrounded by apple slices. This recipe makes six servings as a light lunch or as a dinner appetizer or dessert. Note: if you can’t find miniature waxed cheeses, buy a 6-ounce, waxed cheese (such as Edam), remove the wax, and cut into six wedges.
Croissant Casserole
4 large croissants (can be stale)
Mayonnaise (regular or flavored)
8 strips bacon, cooked crisp
4 slices deli turkey
4 slices deli cheese, such as provolone
4 slices tomato
4 to 5 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt
Cut the croissants in half and spread the cut halves with mayonnaise. Make croissant sandwiches using the bacon, turkey, cheese, and tomato. Arrange them in a greased casserole dish. Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the croissants; cover with plastic wrap; and refrigerate for at least six hours or as long as two days. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until the croissants are golden and the egg mixture has cooked through, as for custard. Using a pancake flipper or spatula, remove the croissants to serving plates and surround with the remaining custard.
Tiered Tabbouleh
Make this in 10 large, individual plastic glasses. It’s the perfect side dish with meat from the grill. It should be chilled for one or two days. If you have fresh mint, use it. Otherwise, omit the ingredient; do not substitute dried mint. Raw garlic isn’t for everyone. Use it with caution.
1 cup bulgur
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or to taste)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (optional)
1/3-cup olive oil
1/3-cup lemon juice
1/3-water
1 large, sweet onion, diced (approximately 2 cups)
4 large tomatoes, seeded and diced
Leaves from 1 bunch parsley, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and diced
Approximately 1/2-cup finely cut fresh mint
1 tablespoon dried dill weed
Put the bulgur in a large bowl with the salt, pepper, and garlic. Whisk together the oil, lemon juice, and water; mix with the bulgur; and let stand for 30 minutes. Divide among the containers. Make layers with the onion, tomatoes, parsley, red and green peppers, and cucumbers, distributing the mint and dill weed as you go. Cover the tops of the glasses tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
Lemonapple Layered Delight
If you have room in the refrigerator, this convenient recipe allows you to make individual desserts ahead of time, which you can then bring out ready to serve.
15 lemon cream-filled sandwich cookies
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
6-ounce can lemonade concentrate, thawed
8-ounce container whipped topping, thawed
21-ounce can apple pie filling
Crumble or cut up the cookies coarsely and set aside. Set out eight clear glasses. Disposable plastic champagne flutes are ideal. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and lemonade concentrate, then fold in the whipped topping. In each glass put a layer of crumbs, a layer of apple pie filling, and a layer of the topping. Repeat. Chill for several hours.
Individual Layered Salads
Stack ingredients in large, clear disposable plastic glasses for a pretty presentation and easy cleanup. Eliminate cleanup altogether by using plastic forks.
Layered salads have three rules. First, the dressing is spread on top and must go to the edges of the container to seal the salad completely. Second, salads must be chilled at least three hours or as long as 24 hours. Third, don’t fill the container(s) too full. The idea is to dig deep with a fork to get a variety of ingredients with each bite.
Bake a double batch of cornbread for breakfast and reserve half for this recipe. To save time, look for diced vegetables in the supermarket.
6-ounce package cornbread mix
6 large, clear glasses (24 to 32 ounces each)
9-ounce package shredded lettuce
12 ounces deli roast turkey breast, diced
2 sweet red peppers, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
8-ounce package shredded cheese of your choice
3-ounce package real bacon bits
1 medium onion (Vidalia or Texas Sweet), diced
1/2-cup mayonnaise
1/2-cup bottled dressing, such as ranch
Prepare the cornbread according to package directions. Crumble the cornbread with your hands and divide it among the containers. Then add the lettuce, turkey, peppers, celery, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, and onion, one layer at a time. Whisk together the mayonnaise and bottled dressing; spread over the tops to the edges; and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Variations: Use four hard-cooked eggs, chopped, instead of turkey. Unpeeled zucchini and yellow squash can be substituted for the peppers.
Blushing Hummus
Make a huge batch of hummus at home to serve a crowd or to keep in the refrigerator to enjoy a little each day for up to two weeks. Serve it as a dip or spread with crackers or raw vegetables.
4 15- or 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or to taste)
1 cup well-stirred tahini (sesame paste)
1/4-cup olive oil
1 cup roasted red peppers from a jar, well-drained
1/3-cup water or broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon salt
Up to 1/2-teaspoon ground red pepper (optional)
2/3-cup lemon or lime juice (or to taste)
Drain, rinse, and redrain the garbanzo beans and place them in a food processor with the other ingredients (use only half the lemon or lime juice at this time) to make a smooth, buttery paste. Add the remaining lemon or lime juice to taste. If your processor’s bowl is small, mix in batches and then stir them together. Adjust the seasonings when everything is blended together. Chill. Surround bowls of hummus with scoopers (crackers, tortilla chips, carrot sticks) of your choice. If the dip separates, stir it before serving.
Canned Tomato Chutney
Use shelf ingredients to throw this recipe together when you have time. Then bring it out to serve as a relish with meats, as a condiment with chicken curry, or as a flavor enhancer for cheese dishes. It adds a gourmet touch to ordinary dishes such as crackers and cheese or grilled ham steaks.
1 whole lemon
3 14- or 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes with onion
1/2-cup sugar
1/2-cup vinegar
1/2-cup raisins
Pinch salt
1/2-teaspoon cinnamon
1/4-teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Using a zester or a sharp knife, cut off the outer peel from the lemon (yellow only, no white) and chop the zest finely. Put it in a saucepan with the other ingredients, including the juice from the lemon. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer, uncovered, for approximately 30 minutes or until thick. Pour the chutney into containers; cool; and keep in the refrigerator for up to three months.
Pickled Shrimp
This recipe needs 48 hours to marinate for the flavors to develop. If you plan six medium shrimp per person, it will serve serve six.
36 medium shrimp, cleaned and shelled but with tails on
1 red sweet pepper, diced
Bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced (white only)
Half a lemon or lime, thinly sliced
1/2-cup olive oil
1/2-cup lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Few drops hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
French bread
Put the shrimp, bell pepper, and scallions in a resealable plastic bag with the sliced lemon or lime. Whisk together the oil, lemon or lime juice, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, and sugar. Pour over the shrimp and refrigerate for two days, turning occasionally for the flavors to blend. Place a slab of crusty bread on each plate; arrange six shrimp around it; and ladle the sauce over the bread. This makes a light lunch or can be served as the first course for dinner. Note: the pickling mixture “cooks” the shrimp, but you also can use cooked shrimp. If the shrimp are frozen, thaw and drain them well before putting them into the marinade.
Books for cooks
The EatingWell Diabetes Cookbook ($29.95, Countryman Press) by Joyce Hendley has a clear message for everyone, not just for people with diabetes. Marion J. Franz, a professional dietician, says in the book’s forward that this is “the way everyone should be eating.” The sturdy, hardcover book is filled with delicious recipes and mouthwatering photos. Best of all, it provides an extensive nutritional breakdown for each recipe.
Whether you count carbs, calories, or exchanges, or are simply curious about vitamins, minerals, and fiber, this book tells what you’re getting in each serving. Also provided are portion sizes, prep time, total time from start to finish, helpful notes on preparation, and suggestions for varying the recipe. This book is available at bookstores, through online booksellers, or from the publisher by calling (800) 245-4151 or visitinwww.countrymanpress.com.