Saturday, March 30, 2013

Camp Cooking

Dried Fruit Bounty for Camping:

Assortment of dried fruits- figs; apricots; pineapples; mangoes; prunes; raisins; dates (with Walnuts); super dry dates; bananas; dried lemons; candied fruit peel.  Nuts: Walnuts - squeezed into dried dates, a delish sweet accompanist to hot  tea.   
Pack what ever you and your family enjoy.  Nutritious, chewy , instantly moistens the mouth in desperately dry climates, plus keeps the hunger bugs away.
Almonds Instant relief for heart-burn.
With a lot of folks I see habits remain the same,  not adjusted to being outside yet, with others a complete admiration for their ingenuity and acclimatization to their whole new environment.  Facing head-on and surpassing the call of duty.  For me that's what CAMPING is all about.  Knowing and learning more about one's self.  Let the FUN begin!
So here's what I learnt (please feel free to add your own, would love to learn more!)
Ready-made Salad-Dressings-in-a-Jar:  
 Variation 2.  Lemon Juice; Olive Oil; Salt; Dijon Mustard & Silan (date syrup)
Teas: Hot- Beverage-Jar.   A ground mix or bag with whole ingredients.  A ready-to-go all-comforting Chai drink.
Zuta (white Savory) is a firm favourite of mine, I love the medicinal, refreshing flavour, 
I'm always saving plastic containers so I can reuse for freezing such stuff as the below.  
Frozen Pureed tomatoes in a tub (for shakshuka or any tomato base sauce)
At festivals where there is running water etc, a plastic scrub and detergent in a small convenient squeegee bottle such as a child's water bottle with a twist open nozzle is handy.
I usually don't carry this, only at festivals, as in the desert I use dry dirt or if camping on the beach I use sand  as a detergent or abrasive and then rinse off with sea water.
A small table is handy for preparing food and eating on, it could be just a make-shift small board resting on a box.
Dried sage leaves for making tea.  A must for those stomach upsets that can easily happen camping out.


Creative impromptu cooking 

Tin Corn, Frozen home-made tomato/veggie sauce or often the blessed canned tomatoes.
As I was thinking hard on the hammock, (as you can plainly see)  of updating my old and trusted camping list, I realised Hey! this is blog worthy material for all to share and contribute.  I'm all for learning new tricks in the camping catering challenge.  Especially at festivals, never a better time to people watch, I love to learn how folks meet up to the challenge of 'survival' living in the great outdoors.

A real mess saver when outdoors, just tear up some lettace leaves or whatever and pour!  (Very convenient in the kitchen too)
Dressing 1. Lemon Juice; Olive Oil; Salt; Dijon Mustard
Dressing 3. Soya Sauce; Olive Oil
Dressing 4.  Bottle of Balsamic Vinegar and Bottle of Olive Oil
Perhaps techniqually not a dressing but used and just as handy as one is my favourite 
Peanut Sauce Recipe
Sauces stored in plastic bottles ready for pouring!

Bag containing: Cloves; Cinnamon; Cardamon; Ginger root;  for hot beverage flavouring in Tea and of course sweetener (Sugar/honey etc.)  

If you are using milk take along that  long-life kind, multiple small cartons rather than one large carton or get one that is in a bottle/container so you can close and avoid spillage.
Though when camping I never bother with milk or anything that might call for milk such as cereals etc.  Shashuka never tasted or looked more appetizing than while camping!

See for yourself

For camping I prefer soft coolers as opposed to the hard bulky coolers.  I can easily stuff them with frozen bottles of water for drinking and frozen foods. This way  I don't need those ice freezing packs taking precious space.  The bottles and my frozen foods not only stay cold much longer but keep everything else in the cooler cold.  Perfect!

Frozen Dal (recipe below) Click here for dal recipe
Frozen Carrot Lentil Cumin Soup Recipe - Click Here
These are all great as sauces served over carbs such as rice, pasta, potatoes

Recipe for Dal: Same recipe for the Carrot Lentil Cumin Soup just don't process it at the end.

Another great tip when the kids were smaller was having a bundle of  pot noodles (*'Magic"  brand is our family's favourite)  Hot water is easy to make and then keep in a flask for emergencies when they just HAVE TO EAT NOW.

Pesach Camping we've lately been sushiing like mad.  It's great for pesach for the Ashkenazim ;)
Spicy tuna or kid friendly tuna salad for sushi filling is handy for both camping and picnics.

Will write and collect photos to update here. :)







Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Goat Yoghurt Labane

Warning: I can never make this fast enough to keep up with demand.
Whole family loves this, son even asked we keep the fragrant oil for dressing :)  Well of-course!















Recipe

Goat Yoghurt (Thick type)
Garlic = diced
Salt
Optional flavourings - This is what I used:
Fresh Mint leaves - finely chopped
Coriander  - finely chopped
Lemon Zest

Mix all the above.
Place in a damp cheese cloth ( I used baby's cloth)
Twist and wring out as much water out as possible, hang overnight.  Place in refridgerator next day.
After a couple of hours the cheese should be more firm/set and easier to handle.
Roll into small balls and place in a nice glass jar. 
Then fill the jar with quaility olive oil.  Add herbs such as a sprig of rosemary or even a red chili.  Not only will this look pretty but infuse the olive oil with even more flavour.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Matzot Crunch - Chocolate-Covered Caramelised crack










  • Matzots
  • 1 cup (230g) Butter
  • 1 cup (215g) Sugar
  • Dark chocolate chip buttons
  • Sprinkles optional
1. Line a rimmed baking sheet (approximately 11 x 17″, 28 x 42cm) completely with baking paper to prevent sticking.
Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).
2. Line the bottom of the sheet with matzoh, breaking extra pieces as necessary to fill in any spaces.
3. In a 3-4 quart (3-4l) heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter and sugar together, and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is beginning to boil. Watch carefully till the liquid becomes golden brown colour.  Do not leave as at this stage everything can move fast. And it can quickly become burnt. (Unless u like it burnt- some do)
4. Pour over the waiting matzots on the tray
5.  Bake to golden crunch brown.
The oven stage can be totally omitted if the caramel was overcooked and you can see it will set anyway without the extra baking.  This happened to me once.  I just poured the scorching caramel/toffee on the matzoh, spread and dotted chocolate all over and spread that.  Let to cool and refrigerate for that glorious crunch.
6. Remove from oven and immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let stand 5 minutes, then spread with an offset spatula.
7. If you wish, sprinkle with toasted almonds (or another favorite nut, toasted and coarsely chopped), a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, or roasted cocoa nibs.
Let cool completely, then break into pieces and store in an airtight container until ready to serve. It should keep well for about one week.
Soooooo good








Thursday, March 21, 2013

Sweet Corn Quiche 2





By mistake I grilled this and not bake, took abit longer I think, still tasted good if not a bit chewy on the sweet corn.
Underneath all this was par-boiled potatoes (unpeeled)
Another quicky entree to-go-with an easy salad.
Luxurious fresh tahina - fabulous!
Served casual style
Enjoy









Sweet Corn Quiche



WISIWIG - What you see is what you get.








Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Calamari, Crunchy Fennel & Cabbage Salad



Had potato salad and some thinly sliced cabbage leftovers so that's where it all began...

White cabbage - Thinly sliced
Fennel - Thinly sliced
Onions - Thinly sliced
Potato salad
Dill - loosley chopped

Thinly sliced red pepper
Chilli flakes (op)

Calamari
Hot and sweet chili sauce

Salad dressing in a jar:
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Salt
Dijon Mustard.

Mix all the veggies and toss in dressing.  Pile high.

Soak calamari in hot boiled water till soft and tender.  Drain and toss in chili sauce.
Add on top of salad pile, garnish with more dill, red peppers or chilis or chili flakes.

I added hot chilis only on my plate, some like it hot, I like it very hot, but not my kids yet.
Enjoy

I am a great believer in "Dressing-in-a-Jar'.  Just make and keep in the refridgerator and when you make a quick salad or anything that needs 'dressing up' voilà! Just shake and pour!

Friday, March 8, 2013

Lemon Curd





Seriously easy to make.

4 Eggs
2 Lemons (zest and juice)
4 Tbps of Sugar
2 Tbps of cornflour (optional)
200g Butter

Revised
8 eggs
11 lemons
juice of 1 cup of lemons
1.5 cup white regular sugar
250g butter

Note: Do NOT add cornflour, it thickened too much and left a clarified butter on top of curd.
without cornflour was  still thick and yellow without floating 'oil'

Whisk eggs, add zest and juice.
Heat add sugar, stir, add butter till all melted.  If you like it thicker add cornflour mixed in lemon juice or a little water and stir into pan.
While still hot, pot in heated jars.
Exceedingly good stuff.

Personal note: Lemons 2 nis per kg,
                     Butter   9 nis,
                    4 eggs   5 nis,
                             = 20 nis. Yield 2 jars.
Jar of baxter Lemon Curd ranges 22-25 nis.

Made it again and this just got serioiusly easier!
No double boiler and whisking....

1.  Melt butter with lemon zest and sugar straight in a pan, on low fire.
2.  Separates yolks
       (keep whites for pavlova, goes great with lemon curd after all whats Lemon Meringue!)
3.  When butter mix melted added lemon juice and egg yolks, one at a time.
4.  Stir constantly to avoid curdling.
  (I like to remove any stray (egg) white strands while string)
5.  Can/bottle while still hot in hot sterile jam jars.

Easy peasy.

Ozen Oh Man2 - Lemon Curd and Poppyseed






Poppyseed filling:
150g poppyseed grinded
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbps honey
3 tbps of sugar
1/8 tsp salt
180 ml of milk
Vanilla paste/extract
1/4 cup of crushed biscuits

1. Mix and heat all but the biscuits in pan till thick

2. Take off heat. Add biscuits. Allow to cool.
After making your own poppyseed filing you'll never buy another.  Homemade is sooo much superior than bought.  The Lemon takes it to a totally different dimension.

Click Here for Lemon Curd filling Recipe



Poppyseed Dough/Pastry:

Pre-heat oven 180c
2/3 cup Oil
1 cup Sugar
4 cups Plain Flour
1/3 cup Poppyseeds
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 orange juice
Zest of Lemon/orange
2 Tbp Brandy (optional)

Whisk egg, add sugar whisk till pale.
Add oil, whisk.
Add Vanilla, whisk.
Add Zest, mix.
Add Flour, B. powder, Salt.  Poppyseed. Mix
Add juice till soft dough.  Don't worry if it's quite soft, it will stiffen up when chilled.
Refridgerate till cool and manageable.
Perhaps because oil is used and not butter, the dough softens up very fast out of the refridgerator.
So work quickly here.  Quarter the dough keep the rest in the fridge till needed.
Roll out this quarter, cut into smallest rounds,  drop small amount of filling in centre and pinch sides.
Bake in pre-heated 180'c oven till done.

I usually make half this amount at a time.





Click Here for Lemon Curd filling Recipe




 
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