Easy-to-make motorhome recipes from the on-the-go-cooking experts “” FMCA members.
Cooking On The Go
By Janet Groene
January 2010
When you see an FMCA goose egg affixed to a motorhome in a campground, why not get acquainted with the folks who own the coach and swap recipes? These great ideas come from FMCA members who excel at good cooking.
Paynes’ Stuffed Peppers
Guy and Linda Payne prepare this recipe for two, but that means a half-pound of ground beef per serving. People who prefer smaller portions may want to use four peppers to make four portions out of this delicious recipe.
1 pound lean hamburger, browned
1 onion, diced and sauteed
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, sauteed with hamburger and onions
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash seasoning (or equivalent)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 cup white (or red) wine vinegar
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
2 large green peppers (or up to 4, depending on serving size)
4 ounces grated Colby cheese (or other cheese as desired)
Combine the browned hamburger, onion, mushrooms, seasonings, wine vinegar, and barbecue sauce, and set aside. Cut the tops off the peppers; clean out the seeds and remove the inside membranes; and parboil them in boiling water for five minutes. Drain the peppers and place them in a deep baking dish. Stuff each of the peppers with the meat mixture and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake the peppers for 30 minutes, uncovered, at 350 degrees. The Paynes said this meal takes approximately 40 minutes for prep time and baking.
Ruth Russell’s Wasabi Shrimp Crackers
Ruth Virginia Russell of Bloomington, Indiana, is not only an avid RVer and a gifted cook, but she’s also the author of Gourmet On The Go: Easy Cuisine For The Galley ($19.99, AuthorHouse). She has generously shared these appetizer recipes from the book, which contains more than 300 galley-ready Russell recipes.
Ruth said it takes only 15 minutes to whip up 30 of these zesty appetizers. When shopping for the rice crackers, read the package labels and you’ll find many that are gluten free, a plus for guests who are on special diets.
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 teaspoons wasabi paste (depending on taste)
30 thin rice crackers (plain or sesame)
30 medium shrimp (approximately one pound), peeled and cooked
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Mix the cream cheese with the wasabi paste until smooth. Spread approximately 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture on each cracker and top with a shrimp. Sprinkle each with the sliced scallion and serve immediately.
Herbed Goat Cheese Sandwiches
This recipe from Ms. Russell makes four to six servings and takes only 15 minutes to prepare.
1 baguette, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup goat cheese
Make these mini sandwiches by spreading a tablespoon of goat cheese on a slice of baguette. Top with olives, two basil leaves, and a second baguette slice.
Smoked Salmon On Potato Chips
This appetizer from Ms. Russell takes 10 minutes to prepare, and it makes 24 portions.
24 thick-cut potato chips
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
Arrange potato chips in a single layer on a large platter. Slice or break apart the smoked salmon into 24 pieces and place a piece on top of each chip. Evenly divide the sour cream on top and sprinkle with dill. Serve at once while the chips are still crunchy.
Here are several recipes from my own collection that I think you will find quick and delicious.
Cucumber ‘N Cow Salad
Save leftover steak to slice thin for this luncheon main dish, which is a welcome change from the same-old lettuce salads. If the day is cold, add a mug of hot cream of tomato soup.
1 large cucumber
8 ounces thin-sliced, cooked beefsteak
3 or 4 scallions, the white portion only, sliced
1 medium tomato, peeled and diced
1 medium avocado, peeled and diced
Creamy cucumber dressing
Grated Cheddar cheese
Peel the cucumber; cut it in half lengthwise; scoop out the loose seeds; and slice thinly. Put the cucumber slices in a bowl with the steak, the scallions, the tomato, and the avocado. Toss with enough dressing to coat lightly. Place the salad on two plates and top each serving with a tuft of grated cheese. Complete the meal with breadsticks, then grab Tootsie Pops and take off for a stroll.
Toaster-Oven-Baked Chicken For Two
Choose white or dark meat chicken, with or without the bones, in portion sizes that work best for you.
2 portions of chicken
½ cup bottled Italian dressing
1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
Grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the toaster oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a toaster oven pan with nonstick foil. Pour the Italian dressing over the chicken and turn to coat. Bake the chicken for 30 minutes, turning after 15 minutes; add the mushrooms and turn the chicken over again so the mushrooms and chicken get basted with dressing and pan juices. Bake for another 15 minutes or until the chicken tests done. Sprinkle lightly with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Celery-Apple Chutney
Try this condiment with baked chicken, duck, or ham. Once prepared, this chutney keeps well in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
1 bunch celery, trimmed and sliced
2 large, tart apples, peeled and diced
1 small green sweet pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup raisins
Pinch salt, pepper
½ teaspoon ground ginger
Place all of the ingredients in a pot and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The recipe also can be made in a pressure cooker by cooking for one minute at full pressure, then turning the heat off and letting the pressure come down on its own. Chill and serve as a condiment.
Make-Ahead Mash
For that special occasion when you want mashed potatoes but don’t want to mash them at the last minute, have these creamy spuds waiting in the wings.
8 portions instant mashed potatoes
1 8-ounce package cream cheese (not non-fat)
2/3 cup sour cream
½ stick butter, melted
Make the potatoes according to package directions and stir the cream cheese and sour cream into the hot potatoes. Put the potatoes in a buttered casserole dish; cover and allow them to cool; and place in the refrigerator. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Drizzle with melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until heated through.
Broccoli With Walnuts
This is a hearty side dish, and it can be served as a vegetarian main dish when made with plenty of walnuts for protein. I use a reamer to drizzle small amounts of lemon juice.
1 bunch broccoli
Juice of half a lemon
1 to 2 cups shelled, broken walnut pieces
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ stick butter
Trim off the tough stalk ends from the broccoli and cut into small, bite-size pieces, including peeled stems. Drizzle lemon juice over the broccoli and steam it until just tender. While the broccoli steams, in a nonstick skillet, swirl the walnuts and nutmeg in the butter. Toss the walnut-butter sauce with the broccoli and serve at once.
Creamy Chile-Corn
This is another simple side dish to go with your favorite meat-and-potatoes meal. To make a meatless meal, spoon it over poached eggs or sauteed tofu.
2 15-ounce cans whole-kernel corn
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies, drained
Bring the corn to a boil with its juices to heat through. Drain the corn and quickly stir in the cream cheese, butter, and chilies. Cover the pan and set aside for five minutes to allow the cheese and butter to melt. Stir again and serve.
Snappy Slow-Cooker Roast Beef
3-pound lean, boneless chuck or round roast
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice
1/4 cup flour
Put the beef in a slow cooker. Whisk the V-8 juice and flour together and pour over the roast. Cover and cook on low for six to eight hours until the beef is tender. Serve in slices or use two forks to shred the beef for hot sandwiches.
Solar Cooking
I remember solar cooking with flimsy foil reflectors in my Girl Scout days, but I’ve long wanted something permanent. This has led me to my most exciting current project: cooking with a solar oven. And the one I am working with is the first I have seen that is affordable and practical for long-term use on the go. The Sport Solar Oven from the Solar Oven Society (http://www.solarovens.org/) should hold up for years. And one of the best aspects about this cooker is that the group uses its profits to send solar ovens to developing countries where they’re needed for both cooking and, even more importantly, to pasteurize water.
At just under 10 pounds, this oven is easy to move around. It’s also large enough to accommodate a pair of two-quart pots at once. It also bakes. However, it’s a little bulky. I like the capacity, but I had to reorganize a storage area so it would be easy to get in and out of the compartment. Our weather has been cloudy lately, so I’m using it only for dishes I can finish on the stove if the sun doesn’t do the job.
Still, the effectiveness of solar heat has amazed me, and all that free heat has gone to my head. On a sunny morning I’ll rush out with sweet potatoes to boil for dinner and maybe a batch of oatmeal that will cook now and warm up in the microwave oven for tomorrow’s breakfast. Soups, stews, and baking bread will have to wait for sunnier weather. Watch future columns for reports on my successes and failures with this oven.