OUTDOOR COOKING METHODS & RECIPES Presented by Allison Stuart 1st Parkview Pathfinder Unit Colchester Area Truro Nova Scotia What's the secret behind terrific outdoor cooking? Knowledge of the basics, seasoned with just the right dash of creativity . . . and a pinch of fun. Buddy burners could be used to make fajitas, Bake on your Coleman stove, cook your bacon and eggs in a paper bag. No matter the recipe, it can be adapted to the method of cooking you choose. All you need to do is experiment and have fun with it !!! OUTDOOR COOKING TIPS Do as much food preparation at home as possible. For example, dice your onions at home and store them in plastic bags. It's easier and cleaner to do the job at home where you have plenty of water and a nice countertop. To keep your vegetables fresh on a longer trip, wrap them in foil and several layers of brown paper. Avoid taking glass containers into the wilderness. The container is heavy and does not compress (safely) like cans. Broken glass is dangerous. If you do take glass, please carry it out! Experienced cooks cook on coals (either wood coals or charcoal). Coals provide a more steady, predictable heat without the smoke (which blackens your pots). If possible build your fire with hardwoods. Hardwoods generally produce hotter, longer-lasting, less-sooty coals. To reduce blackening of pots, follow the two tips above and rub soap on the outside of your pots. Liquid soap is easier, but any soap will greatly aid cleanup. When cooking on gas or propane stoves, note that you have a variety of temperature settings. You rarely need to run that burner at full roar. You'll overheat pots, burn food, and waste fuel. If your food always seems to be burned on the outside and raw in the middle, try lowering the cooking temperature. This will ensure more even cooking. Instead of "stick" butter or margarine, try "squeeze" margarine. This margarine comes in a squeeze bottle and is much easier and cleaner to use in the woods. It also is easier to use in cooler temperatures. If it gets too hard, simply place the bottle in a pot of warm water for a few minutes. It's the only "butter" to use when winter camping. Add a bit of butter or vegetable oil when cooking spaghetti, oatmeal, and pancakes. You'll have fewer problems with sticking and the pot will be easier to clean. When cooking pancakes, lightly grease the griddle or pan before cooking the first batch. Rub a raw peeled potato on the griddle between batches. You'll have less trouble with sticking. Before cooking pancakes, test the griddle for the correct temperature: drop a few drops of water onto the griddle. If the water simply lies there and bubbles, it's too cold. If the drops sizzle and dance, it's ready to cook. If the water splatters and disappears, the griddle is too hot. Like eggs? Prepare them at home. Remove them from the shell and store them in an empty vegetable oil bottle. They can be poured out one at a time. An excellent egg choice for winter camping is in the supermarket freezer case: "Egg Beaters". They are already frozen. To use, simply thaw in a pan of warm water, then cook like any other egg. Eggs dipped in boiling water for ten seconds will stay fresh longer in the ice chest. To test an egg for freshness, place it in cool water. If it sinks, eat it. If it floats, it's bad. Eggs will stay fresh longer if stored with the large end up. Mix drinks in a screw-top plastic bottle. Last night's leftovers make a quick easy breakfast. Put the food in ziploc bags. At breakfast time, place the filled bags in hot water to reheat. Then serve! To keep your bread from getting smashed in the backpack, pack it in a shoe box. Better yet, bake biscuits or bread from dry mix or refrigerator rolls. To eliminate cleanup hassles, mix foods such as pancakes and biscuits in ziploc plastic bags. Need a rolling pin? Use a can! Forget making bread and biscuits from dry mix in the winter. It'll only freeze before you get the dough mixed. Instead, use refrigerator rolls from your supermarket dairy case. When you need meat stock for making soup, stew, or gravy, try substituting bullion cubes. They're lightweight and also make a nice coffee substitute when winter camping. Don't salt meats prior to, or while, cooking. Salt makes the meat dry and less flavorful. If your stew or gravy is too salty, add slices of raw potato. The potato will absorb much of the salt in a few minutes. When cooking bacon, cut the slices into two-inch lengths, then stir-fry. It's much easier, faster, and more even. Many canned foods can be warmed directly in their own cans. Either warm them in a pot of hot water or punch a vent hole in the lid and place directly on the coals. Line your cooking equipment with foil for easier cleanup. When the meal is over, burn the foil to eliminate food residue. This will avoid attracting wild animals. Crush and pack-out the foil when cool. When baking biscuits, cakes, etc. in a dutch oven, put the dough or batter in a disposable foil cake pan for easy cleanup. Place the pan on three small pebbles. This creates an airspace which avoids burning and uneven cooking. Toast bread by wrapping individual slices in a foil envelope to be placed on the coals for a few seconds. For an interesting variation, try "Tarzan Toast". Put the bread directly on the coals without foil. Blow the ashes off and butter. It works! Foil dinners tend to burn or scorch where they are in direct contact with the coals. Try double-wrapping and frequent turning. You might also try adding a bit of water between the foil layers. Some campers wrap foil dinners in cabbage leaves before wrapping in foil to avoid scorching. Thin foil dinners are more likely to burn. Larger packages tend to be more successful. Try using a thickness of about 1.5 inches. Cook on coals - not fame, turning 3 or 4 times at 3-5 minute intervals. End fights over foil dinners by marking meals with fingernail polish. It won't burn off. Pack a small natural-fiber whisk broom or 4-inch paintbrush. Use it to brush coals off your dutch oven and other pots. It's also handy for sweeping debris out of the tent. Keep a paper towel or a damp dish rag handy for wiping off sticky surfaces or hands. FOOD HYGIENE Poorly prepared, cooked or stored food is a health hazard because of the risk of food poisoning. Keep your food clean and free of infectious agents by following this advice: Store food in clean, covered containers. This will discourage infection. Keep foods wither refrigerated or piping hot. Make sure everyone washes their hands after using the toilet and before handling food. Cover cuts and sores on your hands with a clean, waterproof dressing or wear gloves when preparing food. Clean working surface with hot, soapy water before placing unwrapped food on them. Rinse dishes before actually washing them. Do not keep cream cakes, custards or other milky foods, even when refrigerated, for longer than 48 hours. Let frozen foods thaw out in the refrigerator before cooking it and do not refreeze. All long hair should be tied back for hygiene as well as safety reasons CHARCOAL COOKING Charcoal burns clean & hot and requires you to plan and preheat the coals while you are preparing the food. The best way to light charcoal is use a fire starter and a charcoal chimney. To construct a charcoal chimney cut both ends out of an old one pound coffee can or large juice can. Make air holes all around one end with a can opener. Put gloves on and bend back the sharp metal. TO light the charcoal, place a fire starter on a piece of foil and light it with a wooden match. Set the chimney over it, with the air holes at the bottom and fill the chimney with charcoal. White smoke will show the charcoal is heating. Leave the chimney alone for about thirty minutes until the top briquettes turn white. Use tongs to lift off the chimney and the charcoal is ready to use. CAUTION: Inexperienced charcoal users think that because they can not see a flame it is not burning. White ash on the charcoal, and warmth means it is burning. For more heat, tap this white ash from the charcoal with a stick. Charcoal fires should be allowed to burn out, and all forms of cooking heat should be doused with water or sand. Never dump hot coals on the ground, as they will not only burn out, but may ignite grass, roots, etc. and start ground fires. Making a portable barbecue: In a cookie tin with a lid, punch 8 -10 holes around the bottom rim. Add approximately 12 charcoal briquettes to a paper bag and put into can. Place a small round cake rack (available at the Dollar store) on top of the paper bag. The lid can be taped down and this portable BBQ can be transported in a backpack. Coffee Can Stew for One Wash, peel and cut 1 carrot in half and lengthwise. Cut 2 celery stalks in 2 inch pieces and cut 2 strips of bacon in half. Mold 1/2 lb of hamburger into meat patties, slice 1 onion, 1 potato, and 1 tomato. Place two pieces of bacon on the bottom of a clean, empty coffee can, add a layer of onion, hamburger, more onion, tomato, celery, potato, carrot, salt & pepper and hamburger. Put a cover on the can. Place can on bed of coals for 25 minutes. Open and if browning too fast, pour some water in the can and finish cooking. Friendship Soup Have each girl bring a can of soup (NO creamed soups) with the label taken off it. Open cans and mix in a large pot with the appropriate amount of water. Cook on a grill over a bed of coals. Hot Dog Shish Kebobs Hot dog cut into 3 chunks potato cut into 4 chunks small tomatoes pineapple chunks or apple cubes Alternate pieces on skewers. Cook over coals. Can be brushed with BBQ sauce or ketchup. 4 oz cubed meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken) assorted vegetables (pepper, onion, potato, cherry tomato, mushroom) Marinade 1/4 cup oil 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 tsp salt dash of onion salt Prepare marinade in a large screw top jar. Add meat and vegetables. Let sit for 1-2 hours (take it on a hike with you & have it for lunch when you get there!) At meal time, string everything on a green stick or skewer, alternating vegetables & meat. Grill over hot coals turning often. Roast on Hot Coals Roast beef (boneless) salt & pepper Oil any other seasonings you may enjoy on your roast. Slice your roast almost in half, leave a small section still attached. When your coals are done, take a square of tinfoil and using tongs, wrap 3 briquettes of charcoal up. Place this packet in between the roast layers. Tie up roast so this does not fall out. Rub oil on the meat (so it does not stick) and add you seasonings. Wrap seasoned meat in 2 layers of tinfoil. Place on coals, and make a tent with tinfoil, turning every 15 minutes. A 2 lb roast takes appro ximately 50 minutes to well done. * Do not throw away the tinfoil used to make the tent, it can be reused. Pizza 2 cups Bisquick 1/2 cup water pizza sauce toppings of choice (ham, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese onion, mushroom,etc) Grease foil pie plates well. Put in dough and spread to edges. Spread with pizza sauce, and add toppings of your choice. Put mozzarella cheese on top. Drugstore wrap in a "sandwich" of foil - wet newspaper - foil. Place on or near coals for approximately 20 minutes. Do not turn package upside down. Rotate for even cooking. Variation: use pita bread or ready made shells for crust. Box Oven Cooking The Cardboard Box Oven A cardboard box will make an oven -- and it works just as well as your oven at home! There are different ways to make a cardboard box oven. 1. The open top Box Oven Cut off the flaps so that the box has four straight sides and bottom. The bottom of the box will be the top of the oven. Cover the box inside COMPLETELY with foil, placing the shiny side out. To use the oven, place the pan with food to be baked on a footed grill over the lit charcoal briquettes. The grill should be raised about ten inches above the charcoal. Set the cardboard oven over the food and charcoal. Prop up one end of the oven with a pebble to provide the air charcoal needs to burn - or cut air vents along the lower edge of the oven. 2. The copy paper Box Oven The cardboard boxes that hold reams of paper, 10 reams of 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper, or 10 reams of 8 1/2 by 14 inch paper, will make very nice box ovens. Line the inside of the box and lid with aluminum foil. Use a sponge to dab some Elmer's glue around the inside and cover to hold the foil in place. Make a couple holes in the cover to let the combustion gases out, and make a few holes around the sides near the bottom, to let oxygen in. Make a tray to hold the charcoal using one or two metal pie plates. You can either make feet for a single pie plate using nuts and bolts, or bolt two pie plates together bottom to bottom. Cut a couple coat hangers to make a rack to hold up the cooking pan. Poke the straight pieces of coat hanger through once side, and into the other. Two pieces will usually do fine.. Put several lit briquettes on the pie pan, put your cooking pan on the rack, and place the cover on top. The first time you use this box oven, check it a few times to make sure that enough oxygen is getting in, and enough gases are escaping, to keep the charcoal burning. 3. Box oven without the box! 1.Pound four one inch + diameter by about 1.5 ft length sticks into the ground in the shape of a square about 1.5 ft per side and wrap them with heavy duty foil. 2.Arrange aluminum foil around stakes and drape over top and crimp to hold in place. Also line floor with foil. 3.Drive three or four stakes into the ground through the foil floor to hold up the baking dish. OR: 1.One large box (whiskey or any double corrugated box that will fit a cake pan or cookie sheet with about 1" all around will do.) Note: this does not have to have a lid or top. 2.Lots of large high quality, heavy duty, tin foil 3.Four small TIN juice cans 4.A 9x13 cake pan or small cookie sheet 5.One #10 can, open at both ends and vented at bottom for charcoal chimney 6.One small friendly stone to vent bottom First cover the inside of box with two layers of foil. Be sure you have no box showing anywhere. You can tape it down on OUTSIDE. Place a large sheet of foil on a level, not burnable, piece of ground. Place the charcoal chimney on the foil and place a fire starter and whole charcoals (one for every 40 degrees of temperature plus one or two for cold, wet, or wind) Light the chimney and wait about 20 min for charcoal to be ready. Pull off chimney and spread out charcoal to fit under pan used. Place four small juice cans to support cake pan and lower box oven over all. Vent away from the wind with small stone. Cook for amount of time called for in recipe. If cooking for much more than 30 minutes replenish charcoal. Note: Be sure and lift box straight up or you will "dump" the heat. No peeking allowed!! Anything you can cook in an oven at home can be done in a box though I prefer things that can be done in 30 min or so. For all box ovens: Control the baking temperature of the oven by the number of charcoal briquettes used. Each briquette supplies 40 degrees of heat (a 360 degree temperature will take 9 briquettes). Experiment! Build an oven to fit your pans - or your menu: Bake bread, brownies, roast chicken, pizza or a coffee cake. Construct a removable oven top or oven door. Punch holes on opposite sides of the oven and run coat hanger wire through to make a grill to hold baking pans. Try the oven over the coals of a campfire. Recipes There aren't many recipes here, because you can use this box oven to cook anything from any other cookbook that can be cooked in an oven! Herb Cheese Bread 4 1/2 c. Bisquick 2 tsp. garlic salt 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/3 c. milk or water 2 tsp. oregano 1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted Mix all dry ingredients in a 1-gallon zipper bag. Light 15-20 briquettes to red hot. Lightly oil inside baking pan. Add cheese and milk to dry ingredients; zip bag and knead just until mixed. Spread evenly in pan and cover with tinfoil. Bake for 30 minutes, turning a quarter turn every 15 minutes. After baking, brush melted margarine over top of bread, sprinkle with a little garlic salt if desired. Serves 15-20 children or 10-15 adults. You may also roll out dough and cut into biscuits and bake for 20-30 minutes. Bannock 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp sugar 3-4 TBS. oil 3/4 cup water Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and mix well. Add water and knead. Press dough into a pan & cook until golden brown, For backpacking, put all dry ingredients into a ziploc bag and just add water when ready to use. Breakfast Soufflé 5 slices bread, cubed 8 oz cheddar or mozzarella cheese, cubed 1 lb bacon, cooked & crumbled 2 cups milk 3 eggs Combine eggs and milk. Beat. Combine bread, cheese and bacon in 9X12 baking dish. Pour eggs and milk mixture over this. Cover and store in fridge overnight. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes in 350°F . Wiener Roll Ups Wieners Cheddar cheese Pillsbury dough Slice wieners lengthwise and fill with cheese. Wrap Pillsbury dough square around and secure. Bake in box oven until dough is browned. NOTE: Bannock may be used but should be kept fairly thin. Cheese slices may be wrapped around wiener instead of stuffing with cheddar Cheeseburger Pie 1 lb hamburger 1 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 1/2 cup milk 3/4 cup Bisquick 3 eggs 2 tomatoes 1 cup grated cheddar cheese Grease 10" pie plate. Brown beef & onion (can be done ahead of time). Stir in salt & pepper. Spread in plate. Beat in milk and Bisquick and eggs until smooth. Pour into plate. Bake 35 minutes at about 400°. Top with tomatoes and sprinkle on cheese. Bake until knife inserted comes our clean, about 5-8 minutes. Cool 5 minutes & enjoy. Individual Fruit Cobblers canned pie filling of choice white or yellow cake mix (prepared) Grease foil lined tuna cans. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of pie filling into each can. Pour on 2-3 tablespoons of prepared cake mix batter. Stir well and put on top of pie filling. Bake 30-40 minutes using 15 briquettes of charcoal. Variations Spread a can of pie filling on bottom of a cake pan. Pour over pie filling a prepared cake mix. Place in box oven for approximately 35-30 minutes. Serve with Cool whip !! Coleman Stove Baking & Cooking The Tools You will need one deep (1-1/2'' to 2") non-stick fry-bake pan with a lid that fits snugly. Your batter or dough should not overfill the pan. Half-full is a good gauge or the rising that ensues when you bake may cause the batter to overflow or minimally stick to the lid. The lid must fit tightly to ensure that you adequately trap the required amount of heat. If your pan is smaller than this, merely cut the recipes in half and proceed as directed. Use a large pan even for the two of us because if you are going to the trouble of baking, it's rewarding to have leftovers. The Heat You will need a source of bottom heat. In this case, a backpacking stove that simmers well. In preparation for Stovetop baking, light your chosen stove and adjust it to a simmer. You should be able to hold your hand comfortably about 10 inches above the stove, but still feel your hand being warmed. Too hot is generally more of a problem than too cold. Flip-Baking Flip-baking is faster. You end up with a still tasty yet denser version of your stovetop baked bread. It is useful if you are in a rush, you forgot your convection dome (heaven forbid), twiggy supply in the area is low, or the fire danger is high. Merely oil your fry-bake pan, place the dough or batter inside, and flip carefully when it is done on one side. Cook until both sides are toasty and the middle is not gooey. Time per side depends on thickness of the dough and the heat of the stove. To prevent "black on the outside, goo on the inside," flip-bake over medium heat with the lid in place We traditionally flip-bake pancakes, pan biscuits, chapatis, tortillas, johnnycakes, and many other things when we're too hungry to wait. Coleman Stove Baking With The Twiggy Fire Gather a pile of pencil-sized or smaller twigs. Light your stove and let it run at its lowest heat. Put the baking pan, with secure lid, on the stove, and build a twiggy fire on the lid. Spread the fire out evenly on the lid, and feed it enough wood to keep it burning. It's almost impossible to generate too much heat on the lid. Every 4 to 5 minutes rotate the pan clockwise to assure even baking on the bottom. Use a couple of sticks to make rotating the pan simple and painless. Total cooking time usually runs 30 to 40 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes, or if you start to smell the rich aroma, carefully lift off the lid and check the progress, just to be safe. DON'T LIFT THE LID TOO OFTEN, or you will keep losing the heat needed to bake the goodie. When the dough is cooked, it has a firm crust and sounds hollow when you thump it. Set the pan off the stove, but continue to burn the twiggy fire on top until nothing is left except a fine ash that can be scattered harmlessly. Essential Batter Mix The initial Essential Batter Mix ingredients will vary little from pancakes to quick breads to pie crust. What will vary is the consistency of the batter and the additional ingredients (the ingredients that make it special). For example, pancake batter needs to be lumpless and pour easily; muffins and cakes need to be thicker but still pour if encouraged; and biscuit dough needs to be just that, dough (sticky, but you can form it into a ball and it stays there). These recipes will include some ideas about amounts of fluid needed, but the best plan is to add water slowly until the batter is the desired consistency. B2's Essential Batter Mix 2 cups flour 1/3 to 1/2 Cup dry milk 4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 Cup margarine or shortening 1/2 tsp. salt (optional) Water How Much Water? For Pancake Batter: About 2 cups. Batter should run off spoon easily. For Cake Batter About 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups. Batter should walk off spoon quickly. For Muffin/Quick Bread Batter: About 1 1/4 to 1-1/2 cups. Batter should drop off spoon into pan, but not in a huge rush. This batter is about twice as thick as pancakes. For Biscuit Batter: About 1 cup. This batter is quite stiff but still sticky You have to push it off the spoon or press it into a pan. It will not go anywhere by itself. Essential Pan Biscuits 2 cups Essential Batter Mix 3/4 cup water. Helpful Hints: Mix wet with dry ingredients. Form into a ball. Knead lightly (about 30 seconds). Pinch off balls of dough and form into patties (1/2" thick) and fry in buttered frying pan a few minutes per side. Variations On The Theme Buttermilk Biscuits: Make the Essential Batter with buttermilk powder and proceed as in Pan Biscuits. Bacon Biscuits: Add 1/3 cup bacon bits to Essential Pan Biscuits and proceed as above. Cheese And Garlic Biscuits: Add 1/2 cup grated cheese and 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to Essential Pan Biscuits. Herb Biscuits: Add 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1/2 tsp. sage and 1 1/4 tsp. caraway seeds to Essential Pan Biscuits. Other herbs work well too. Funnel Cake It is hard to know if this should really be called a cake, but it has historically been called a cake, so it is a cake, even if it is fried. Let your imagination run wild with the toppings. 1 1/3 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp soda 2 TBS. sugar 3/4 tsp baking powder 1 egg, beaten 2/3 cup milk, or more as needed oil for frying powdered sugar Into a large bowl, sift together: flour, salt, soda, sugar, and baking powder. In another bowl, blend together beaten egg,, and 2/3 cup milk, or more as needed. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ones. Beat until smooth. Fill a skillet or pan with 1 inch of cooking oil and heat to a temperature of 375 F. Now cover the small hole of a clean funnel with a finger. Then fill the funnel with the batter. Carefully move your finger away from the hole in the funnel, allowing the batter to flow into the skillet. Move the funnel to form patterns with the batter. Fry until golden brown, about 1 or 2 minutes, turning once with two spatulas. Remove to paper toweling to drain. Place on a plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve hot. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used up. Hearty Hamburger Soup 2 lb Hamburger 2 cups carrots, sliced 2 cups celery chopped 1 large onion, diced 6 cups water 2 cups noodles 14 oz can spiced tomato salt & pepper Brown hamburger and onion. Add tomato then water. Add all ingredients. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Takes approximately 40-45 minutes and serves 12-16. Vary recipe as desired. Frozen vegetables can be used. Thicken soup with 1/2 cup flour and cold water. Serve with Italian bread or fresh Bannock. Camp Fire Lasagna 1 lb hamburger 1 pkg. onion soup mix 1 tsp Italian seasoning 28 oz can tomatoes 2 cups water 2 cups uncooked med. macaroni (spirals work well) 1/3 cup parmesan cheese sliced mozzarella cheese Brown beef and drain. Add onion mix, Italian seasoning, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and stir on macaroni. Cook covered until macaroni is tender (20-30 minutes). Stir in parmesan cheese and top with mozzarella. Serves 6 One Pot Spaghetti 1 lb hamburger 1/2 cup onion, chopped 8 oz can tomato sauce 15 oz jar spaghetti sauce salt dash of sugar 2 cups water 8 oz spaghetti or any pasta except noodles Brown the beef and drain off the fat. Add the onion, tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, salt, sugar and water, and mix well. Add uncooked spaghetti. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Stir again before serving. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Serves 4-6. Chili 1 lb hamburger 1 medium onion, finely chopped 28 oz can beans with pork 19 oz can tomatoes 19 oz can kidney beans salt & pepper to taste Brown hamburger and onions. Drain well. Put all ingredients in a large pot. Cook about 15-20 minutes. Serves 5-6 Patrol Stew 2 carrots (diced & cooked) 3 potatoes (diced & cooked) hamburger or stew meat (cooked) 1 cup pork and beans 1 cup tomato juice salt & pepper to taste Have girls bring one item each, making sure it is wrapped and sanitary. Put in a pan and heat up.