John Myers
Vacation time, vacation time. We have recipes for an extraordinary form of vacation: camping. Cancel the preserve and discover our camping kitchen!
Simple recipes for the camping kitchen
Vacation time is vacation time. The enthusiasm for an extraordinary form of vacation remains high: camping. Numerous travel enthusiasts avoid four solid walls and set up their tents or park their mobile homes by lakes, in forests, or on campsites near the beach.
Despite the proximity to nature, camping does not have to be spartan. Not even in the choice of meals. Say goodbye to canning and discover selected recipes for camping in our camping kitchen. We have also provided each recipe with a short packing list of cooking utensils.
Camping classic stew
Cooking a complete meal in a cauldron has a northern German tradition. The large hall houses of the North German farmers had an open hearth over which a cooking kettle hung. The goulash cannon, which was invented almost 200 years ago and which is still used today, for example, at folk festivals or missions by the Technical Relief Agency, contributed to the popularity of the filling pea soup and other stews.
Not only the versatility of stews explains their popularity. A hash can be vegetarian or vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free, or hearty with meat or fish. Prepared quickly, with little effort and few cooking utensils, the soup-like dishes are particularly suitable for the camping kitchen.
Once cooked, they stay warm in the pot for hours without significantly losing their taste. For all these reasons, one-pot meals are now a true classic among camping recipes.
Stews can be assigned to home cooking and are therefore often down-to-earth and extremely hearty dishes. But there are also quite noble variants, such as a beef and chickpea stew with basil and hazelnut pesto, or fine recipes such as this fish stew with fish fillet, prawns, vegetables, and wild garlic.
Camping tip: one-pot pasta
The phenomenon of the so-called one-pot pasta is not new but fits in with the times. Because with the one-pot pasta, pasta, sauce, and vegetables cook together in one pot and the preparation time of the pasta dish is thus greatly reduced.
But not only the duration of the preparation is optimized, but the taste is also optimal. This way of preparing the noodles soaks them up with the flavor of the sauce.
By the way, there are no limits to your choice of ingredients. You can prepare one-pot pasta, for example, with salmon fillets, Asian-style with pork belly, ginger, and shiitake, or as a vegetarian version with lots of fresh vegetables. Incidentally, one-pot pasta is perfect for using up leftover vegetables or other ingredients.
As a rule of thumb, you have to remember the ratio of 3:1, i.e. 750 ml of water for 250 g of pasta, for example. This ratio may vary slightly depending on the type of pasta or the water content of the vegetables. Then add the other ingredients to the pot, cook for 10 minutes and you’re done. It’s that easy to prepare a wholesome pasta dish, even when camping.
Buy high-quality pasta for your one-pot pasta, otherwise, the noodles will get mushy. Try one-pot pasta on your next camping trip and inspire your fellow travelers to try this simple way of camping cooking.
Ideal for camping: canned fish
Fresh fish is one of the most perishable foods. Nowadays, freshly caught fish is already cooled on the cutter in order to get the goods as fresh as possible onto the plates of the world.
One solution, especially for camping without a fridge or similar, is the popular canned fish. Canned fish accounts for almost a third of the total fish consumption in Germany.
Canned fish is not only ideal for storage, but also a great snack in between. Many of the preserves can now be opened without a can opener using a practical tab.
Figure-conscious people should, however, pay attention to the method of preparation. For comparison, a can of tuna in water contains almost 40% fewer calories and around 30% less fat than a can of tuna in oil. In addition, canned fish is still very healthy.
Of course, fresh fish contains more nutrients than canned fish, but fresh fish spoils very quickly and is only conditionally suitable for camping trips. Canned fish still contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids. Tuna fillets are particularly popular with athletes because tuna is very rich in protein.
Simply keep herbs fresh
Fresh herbs are often the icing on the cake of a recipe. You should not do without herbs, especially when you are out and about, because herbs determine the flavor of a dish, especially in simple recipes. If you don’t have any transport problems, you can of course transport fresh herbs in the pot and cut off the bush in portions.
If you cannot or do not want to take any herb pots with you, we recommend that you transport an unwashed bunch of herbs in a wet tea towel. Even without refrigeration, herbs stay fresh for longer.
A wonderful, traditional way is to dry the herbs. With the exception of, for example, cress, dill, or chives, you can dry almost any kitchen herb. An ideal method that also works on the go is hanging it up. Tie herb sprigs in small batches to the stem and hang these bundles in a dry place. If the leaves rustle when touched, the herbs are dry.
Barbecue at the campsite – Please note
Barbecuing is simply part of camping. However, barbecue fun is not allowed on every campsite without restrictions. The safest way to drive is with a gas or electric grill. These can be used almost anywhere because of their slight smoke development.
This often looks different with charcoal grills. Not only the smoke development should be considered. In the hot summer months, when it is very dry, barbecuing on some campsites is often only possible at designated barbecue areas. Keyword: risk of forest fires. In many cases, open fires are not permitted at all.
When barbecuing, cleaning up, and washing up, you should find out about your obligations in the campsite regulations. But even away from campsites, barbecuing outdoors can cause problems. In Hamburg, for example, lighting a fire outdoors in nature or landscape conservation areas can result in a fine of up to 5,000 euros.
Outdoor grilling is regulated differently depending on the city and municipality. In principle, however, barbecuing in forests is not permitted. There is a minimum distance of 100 meters to the tree line. This matter of course should only be briefly mentioned: Your rubbish must of course come with you. Please leave a barbecue area in the open air just as you found it.
