Club 80-90 Forums

I am hoping one of the Moderators will allow us to add this food section to the wiki....

Courgette Carbonara...
I came across this simple Italian Classic recipe at our local Free music festival....Bickerstock 2008.

Ingredients:
4 Medium Courgettes,,,,,,,,,,,500g Penne Pasta
4 Large Egg Yolks,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,100ml Double Cream
2 Handfulls of freshly grated cheddar cheese
10 Slices of Bacon, cut into chunky lardons
Fresh or dried Thyme,,,,,,,,,,,Olive Oil

1, Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Dice the Corgettes into smallish pieces, roughly the same size as your pasta. When your water is boiling add your pasta.
2, To make the creamy sauce, mix together your yolks,cream and half of your cheese in a bowl and season.
3, Heat a large frying pan, and add your corgettes to the pan and add 2 big pinches of pepper. Sprinkle in a big pinch of thyme and give a stir. Fry until the courgettes are soft but firm.
4 Now you have to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and then immediately toss it in the courgettes and bacon before adding your creamy sauce,stirring it and remove it from the heat. Continue to sir but no more cooking is required.
5, Serve ASAP and sprinkle with your remaining cheese.

If any one would like to try this recipe and report on it before adding one they have found so we can try it our selves.

Regards


Fritz,,,,,,,

PS, The rules of the game are you have to cook any of the above and tell us what you thought before you add your chosen simple recipe that can be replicated in a camper van on a 2 burner stove.....

I think that's a good idea. There must be loads of good two pan meals.

I have a great side salad recipe if anyone is interested?

Chilli, curry, corned beef hash, stir fry, BBQ (no pan dish)

Here's a good 'bung it all in' type recipe. You need a largish frying pan / saucepan though.

It's called 'Bubble & Squeek Pasta'.

Ingredients:

Cooking Oil,
Bacon rashers,
Onions,
Garlic (optional),
Tinned Tomatos,
Tomato paste / sun dried toms
Vegetable stock
Pasta
Greens (Cabbage / Broccoli / green beans - whatever!)
Herbs & seasoning to taste.

Quantities - up to you. Experiment with it. It depends on how many you are feeding and how big your appetite is. I always make FAR too much!

Dice the bacon and onions and fry gently in a little oil. When translucent (not brown), add the crushed garlic and fry this gently for a minute or two. Make up a pint or more of veg stock and add to the pan with the tinned toms and tom paste / sun dried toms. Sometimes I add a slug of white wine here, but I prefer to drink it rather than boil it away in the mix if I'm honest.

Add herbs and seasoning, then chuck in the pasta. Cover and simmer until the pasta is nearly cooked, then add your greens. Keep simmering until the greens are cooked, and the fluid has reduced to a tasty sauce. Serve!

Done! Only one pan to wash up plus your plates, K & F.

There are many ways to vary this. Add a tin of drained tinned tuna in brine, or sweet corn, chicken pieces, etc. etc.

Hope you will try it and that you will enjoy the recipe.

I know it's cheating, and I know they say you shouldn't do it, but we have done it lots of times.

Buy a couple of takeaway curries on the way to the campsite.

Leave them in the containers to go cold.

Put them in the van fridge.

Then, when required...

Gently heat the curry in a pan till "piping hot"

Plonk the rice in boiling water and just wait till it comes back to the boil.

Enjoy a nice curry

Remember though, it is my civic duty to point out that this procedure does go against the advice on re-heating cooked food

Good advice we had this year was...

reheat a curry once but not twice!

This was from Brish, who kindly made the Saturday night curries this year at the Devon Lanes Syncronauts meet in Cullompton. One meat and one veggie. I think we served about 15 in all, next year we expect this event to be back to 20 or 30 again.
We also had lots of new potatoes and salad, various accompanying vegetables, nan and white and brown rice.

On the Monday night we took a vote whether to reheat a second time, 'cos they were so delish again on the Sunday night - we did and those that risked it pronounced themselves fit and healthy the next morning

We aim to repeat this catering size curry again for next year's August Devon Lanes - it was yummy.

Fritz
A good idea, others have also mentioned this recently, so I'll open up a Wiki topic and put those recipes in.

OK, for starters!

Wiki on Camping Cooking

Alway cracks me up when people talk about cooking in a camper. Set the scene, four people sleeping in a very confined space, all breathing the same air all night. The van is full of bedding for the four people, bags of clothes and its damp and windy outside. One of the four pipes up and makes a suggestion," hey here is an idea why dont we all make a pasta dish with heaps of smelly garlic to improve the situation" One of the others reply," thats madness it will smell to much, lets make chili" The third person says,"that is far to pleasant a curry will really stink the van out and make it totally unbearable in here" The fourth has had enough and insists on a more realistic dinner for them all so fair enough they have Monstermunch and beers followed by a curly wirly desert.

Why do we feel the need to cook the most pongy food while in the van

jed

I cook anything with meat or smelly outside. I really only cook pasta, rice etc inside. This may change now as it is gettin g cold outside!!

jed the spread wrote:Alway cracks me up when people talk about cooking in a camper. Set the scene, four people sleeping in a very confined space, all breathing the same air all night. The van is full of bedding for the four people, bags of clothes and its damp and windy outside. One of the four pipes up and makes a suggestion," hey here is an idea why dont we all make a pasta dish with heaps of smelly garlic to improve the situation" One of the others reply," thats madness it will smell to much, lets make chili" The third person says,"that is far to pleasant a curry will really stink the van out and make it totally unbearable in here" The fourth has had enough and insists on a more realistic dinner for them all so fair enough they have Monstermunch and beers followed by a curly wirly desert.

Why do we feel the need to cook the most pongy food while in the van

jed

you have to eat smelly food, it's the only way to keep the dogs off the bed....

Think the Wiki has referenced that Jed...

Suggestions - General

Making more space for cooking

HM: Whenever we can (3 day stay) we put our Khyam shelter-tent up and cook in that, gives us a lot more scope, and keeps cooking smells and condensation out of living quarters.

Ditto camper awnings.

jed the spread wrote:........they have Monstermunch and beers followed by a curly wirly desert........

Can I add one of my favuorite camping desserts (to soak up the beer) it has to be Hot custard, stuff in the carton is fine, poured all over loads of broken up jaffa cakes

As the custard melts the orange and chocolate bits of the jaffa cakes its the best ever!

If you need instructions on how to make it, your to thick to understand them...

ttcharlie wrote:
Can I add one of my favuorite camping desserts (to soak up the beer) it has to be Hot custard, stuff in the carton is fine, poured all over loads of broken up jaffa cakes

As the custard melts the orange and chocolate bits of the jaffa cakes its the best ever!

Good input there !

I will try that tonight

Penne all' Amatriciana.
For the sauce
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 pack of pancetta from Tesco
500g/1lb 2oz ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
salt and freshly ground black pepper


For the pasta
1 tsp salt
2 litres/3½ pints boiling water
250g/9oz penne pasta
20g/¾oz parmesan cheese, finely grated, to serve

1. For the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onion and cook over a medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until softened. 2. Add the bacon to the pan and fry gently until lightly golden-brown, about ten minutes 3. Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well. 4. Reduce the heat and simmer until the tomatoes begin to break down, about five minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, but take care with the salt as the bacon is salty. 5. For the pasta, place the salt into a saucepan of boiling water and add the penne. 6. Boil for 8-10 minutes, or according to packet instructions, until al dente (the pasta should give some resistance when bitten into). Drain, then add to the pan with the sauce and mix well.

Easy to make and Yummy too.
Rob.

Van Cottage Pie
*******************

Empty 2 tins of minced beef into pan, heat
Make 1 packet of smash
Empty hot beef into ovenproof dish
Spread over smash
Grate cheese on top
Grill

Don't laugh, my kids love it