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Spent a nice portion of this winter planning and cooking my kid friendly 3 week camping menu. One kiddo doesn't eat cheese but has gotten past her food can't touch phase (Hallelujah!); another kid doesn't eat lamb knowingly. The last and oldest is a stevedore in training and the skinniest of the lot; peeves some portion o' me off on a certain level
.
The menu planning has become a true exercise in trying to get it right nutrition-wise, ease for the cook, and likes of the eaters.
Here is where I am to date, in terms of make ahead and prepping dinner dishes for the time frame:
Lamb
Lamb and veggie stew over egg noodles. The noodles will be cooked on site. Think I'll use small egg noodles since they cook faster.
Chicken
Chicken shawarma. The pounded breasts are already seasoned and sliced before freezing. The rest of the dish will be made on site including the bread. Decided that pre-portioned grilled pizza dough tastes better than pita bread so I'll buy some dough before the trip starts.
Froze some brined chicky parts. I'll grill them on site.
Spatch-cocked some Cornish hens, seasoned 'em and will grill them over the fire pit and prolly serve w/ ratatouille what hasn't been made yet but will be by Spring.
Chicken and kale stuffed shells. I'll sauce them on site and serve with a salad. The entree freezes beautifully in a ZipLoc bag.
Turkey
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...h-sausage-13063 . Haven't decided if I'll serve it w/ rice or not yet.
Mini turkey meatloafs. They freeze up nicely in muffin tins.
Beef
Italian beef wedding sandwiches. http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/italian-beef-sandwich/ Meat is already cooked, thin sliced and in the freezer. Still need to make the pickled veggies and haven't found the right bread yet. I'll buy the pickled pepperoncino.
Lasagna Bolognese. 2 layers have spinach ricotta as a change up from the listed recipe. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...gnese-51193620 .I already know that the Princess(DGD) might not eat all the layers but I'll just remove the cheesy top layer and she should be fine. Again, no tomato sauce atop until we get on site and served w/ a green salad. Already cut the lasagna into serving portions before freezing.
Browned meatballs made from beef, veal, and pork. I make this w/o a written recipe so it's just in my head. Can say that a milk soaked panade is the secret to making the meatballs tender on my end. I'll serve em over angel hair pasta or fresh fettuccine from a nearby supermarket (either versions cook faster than most pastas which is good for fuel conservation and time) and marina sauce. Again, a side salad.
Oklahoma onion burgers
Stuffed burgers. I do a variation or 2 on this recipe: http://leitesculinaria.com/4779/reci...#comment-87944. Serve em on store bought potato rolls.
Taco seasoned ground beef
Pork
Won ton noodle soup w/ spare ribs. Made the pork and shrimp won tons already and in the freezer. Brine boiled the ribs with lots of seasoning and will grill and glaze em on site. Blanch freezed baby bok choy. Will take a gallon of frozen pork and chicken stock and assemble the soup there prolly throwing leftover salad greens and cooked veggies in. The actual how to is pretty much out of my head based on too much time spent in Chinese restaurants.
Chinese roast pork served with ramen noodles and and stir fried brocolli. The pork is already made and sliced . If there are any leftovers it'll go in fried rice for another meal.
Here's my go to play with it recipe:
http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com...ssic-char-sui/
Carnitas and pulled pork. They came from the same pork shoulder as the Chinese roast pork and will be served as sandwiches and filling for wraps. Wuvvvv that cut of meat; it's so versatile.
Fish
Fish tacos. Home seasoned frozen fish fillets . Will buy whole wheat pizza dough to grill in place of tortillas.
Tuna salad Niciose using canned tuna packed in olive oil.
Vegetables
Blanched frozen green beans. These work nicely as snacks w/ hummus; stir fried, added to soups, on an antipasti platter and as a side dish.
Tomatoes. Home canned quarts of whole tomatoes last summer so turned one qt into a confit and will bring 2 quarts moved into a ZipLoc bag. The 2 qts will become marinara and pizza sauce. The confit will be useful as an ingredient of the marinara sauce and the ratatouille.
Cauliflower stems; blanched and frozen. Side dish, steamed or mashed. Also good with hummus and an antipasti platter.
Now on to lunch and breakfast.
.The menu planning has become a true exercise in trying to get it right nutrition-wise, ease for the cook, and likes of the eaters.
Here is where I am to date, in terms of make ahead and prepping dinner dishes for the time frame:
Lamb
Lamb and veggie stew over egg noodles. The noodles will be cooked on site. Think I'll use small egg noodles since they cook faster.
Chicken
Chicken shawarma. The pounded breasts are already seasoned and sliced before freezing. The rest of the dish will be made on site including the bread. Decided that pre-portioned grilled pizza dough tastes better than pita bread so I'll buy some dough before the trip starts.
Froze some brined chicky parts. I'll grill them on site.
Spatch-cocked some Cornish hens, seasoned 'em and will grill them over the fire pit and prolly serve w/ ratatouille what hasn't been made yet but will be by Spring.
Chicken and kale stuffed shells. I'll sauce them on site and serve with a salad. The entree freezes beautifully in a ZipLoc bag.
Turkey
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...h-sausage-13063 . Haven't decided if I'll serve it w/ rice or not yet.
Mini turkey meatloafs. They freeze up nicely in muffin tins.
Beef
Italian beef wedding sandwiches. http://lidiasitaly.com/recipes/italian-beef-sandwich/ Meat is already cooked, thin sliced and in the freezer. Still need to make the pickled veggies and haven't found the right bread yet. I'll buy the pickled pepperoncino.
Lasagna Bolognese. 2 layers have spinach ricotta as a change up from the listed recipe. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...gnese-51193620 .I already know that the Princess(DGD) might not eat all the layers but I'll just remove the cheesy top layer and she should be fine. Again, no tomato sauce atop until we get on site and served w/ a green salad. Already cut the lasagna into serving portions before freezing.
Browned meatballs made from beef, veal, and pork. I make this w/o a written recipe so it's just in my head. Can say that a milk soaked panade is the secret to making the meatballs tender on my end. I'll serve em over angel hair pasta or fresh fettuccine from a nearby supermarket (either versions cook faster than most pastas which is good for fuel conservation and time) and marina sauce. Again, a side salad.
Oklahoma onion burgers
Stuffed burgers. I do a variation or 2 on this recipe: http://leitesculinaria.com/4779/reci...#comment-87944. Serve em on store bought potato rolls.
Taco seasoned ground beef
Pork
Won ton noodle soup w/ spare ribs. Made the pork and shrimp won tons already and in the freezer. Brine boiled the ribs with lots of seasoning and will grill and glaze em on site. Blanch freezed baby bok choy. Will take a gallon of frozen pork and chicken stock and assemble the soup there prolly throwing leftover salad greens and cooked veggies in. The actual how to is pretty much out of my head based on too much time spent in Chinese restaurants
. Chinese roast pork served with ramen noodles and and stir fried brocolli. The pork is already made and sliced . If there are any leftovers it'll go in fried rice for another meal.
Here's my go to play with it recipe:
http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com...ssic-char-sui/
Carnitas and pulled pork. They came from the same pork shoulder as the Chinese roast pork and will be served as sandwiches and filling for wraps. Wuvvvv that cut of meat; it's so versatile.
Fish
Fish tacos. Home seasoned frozen fish fillets . Will buy whole wheat pizza dough to grill in place of tortillas.
Tuna salad Niciose using canned tuna packed in olive oil.
Vegetables
Blanched frozen green beans. These work nicely as snacks w/ hummus; stir fried, added to soups, on an antipasti platter and as a side dish.
Tomatoes. Home canned quarts of whole tomatoes last summer so turned one qt into a confit and will bring 2 quarts moved into a ZipLoc bag. The 2 qts will become marinara and pizza sauce. The confit will be useful as an ingredient of the marinara sauce and the ratatouille.
Cauliflower stems; blanched and frozen. Side dish, steamed or mashed. Also good with hummus and an antipasti platter.
Now on to lunch and breakfast.
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