Preparing For Outdoor Cooking While Camping

[dashboardc33]

When we go camping I cannot stand eating brats, hot dogs and hamburgers every day. Don't get me wrong, they are great, but it gets sickening when we eat them every. single. day. Many people think there isn't much of a choice, but there most certainly is. What I like to do when we cook outdoors is prepare the food ahead of time. Here are some ideas if you are interested,

fajitas- place marinated cut up chicken meat, peppers and onion in a bag- throw in a skillet over fire when ready to cook.
kabobs- these can be made ahead of time, put your meat and veggies on the stick and store in container until ready to place over grill on fire.
Quesidillas - same method as the fajitas, but we place the goodies in a tortilla shell and in a pudgy pie maker instead.
soft shell tacos- premade, simply wrap in foil and place over fire to warm up.

What are some easy outdoor cooking while camping ideas that you use?

 

[sidevalve]

If you have a fire [lucky you] the list is huge - from the simple ham and eggs cooked in an orange skin in the ashes to a nice steak cooked as you like it over the hot embers.
PS What are 'brats' ? Here in the UK brats is a slang term for unruly children - fine by me but how do you cook them ?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

PS What are 'brats' ? Here in the UK brats is a slang term for unruly children - fine by me but how do you cook them ?

 

[Rosyrain]

We too call our unruly children brats, and they are also the name of a sausage her in America. Brats is short for bratwurst. I too hate eating normal camping food when we go camping. Once in a blue moon, we will make sausage dogs, but other than that, I like to prepare meals ahead of time too so that we can easily cook them once we get to camp. My mom has been known to make the Filipino food Lumpias, and even serve it with tomato soup all from a campfire. She just makes the lumpias ahead of time so all we have to do is fry them up once we are at camp.

 

[Corzhens]

The main problem in outdoor cooking is how to start up the griller. Of course, it's always barbecue on top of the list so charcoal is there. And lighting up the charcoal takes time so we take a note of it, meaning to start the charcoal at least 20 minutes earlier before the scheduled cooking time. But once lit, the charcoal would be by itself and barbecuing would be a breeze... especially when I am not the one handling the griller, hahahaaa.

 

[LyraLyra]

One of my favorites has to be campfire baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. Me and my partner went for a month long cycle tour around England not to long ago, and that, aside from rice and beans was the primary food of choice. All you need to do is cut the ends off the sweet potatoes, then wrap them in tin foil and throw them in the medium bit of the fire, and you're away. This with some beans on the side is the best thing in the world after a long day of riding! Another thing that I really like to do is forage for food whilst I'm on my way to the campsite, we have this herb here in England called wild garlic, I don't know if they have it where you are, but it's the best thing to just trow into pasta or soup, beans, rice etc, you could even use it to marinate meat if that's your kind of thing!
I always find that fresh, wild produce tastes so much better!

 

[sidevalve]

One of my favorites has to be campfire baked potatoes and sweet potatoes. Me and my partner went for a month long cycle tour around England not to long ago, and that, aside from rice and beans was the primary food of choice. All you need to do is cut the ends off the sweet potatoes, then wrap them in tin foil and throw them in the medium bit of the fire, and you're away. This with some beans on the side is the best thing in the world after a long day of riding! Another thing that I really like to do is forage for food whilst I'm on my way to the campsite, we have this herb here in England called wild garlic, I don't know if they have it where you are, but it's the best thing to just trow into pasta or soup, beans, rice etc, you could even use it to marinate meat if that's your kind of thing!
I always find that fresh, wild produce tastes so much better!

Which bit of England were you touring ?

 

[Morning Glory]

If you have a fire [lucky you] the list is huge - from the simple ham and eggs cooked in an orange skin in the ashes to a nice steak cooked as you like it over the hot embers.

I just caught up on this, which was posted, I think, before I joined the forum. Was struck by the reference to cooking ham and eggs in an orange skin (just the eggs -or both?) I'm struggling to imagine this, but it sounds exciting! Can you explain please?

 

[sidevalve]

No problem - basically you just cut the top off the orange - hollow it out [then eat it - good at breakfast] crack an egg or two into it then some cut up some thin ham or bacon. Refit the top of the orange [use a skewer] and set it in the hot ash to cook. If you like your like your bacon well done give it a head start by a quick 'grilling' on a stick over the fire first before you cut it up but it's up to you.
When done eat out of the orange with a fork. It's a very old idea - and there is nothing to wash up [I found it in a cookbook from the 30s but there are lots of similar ideas - ie eat a banana save the skin [only make one cut in it to get the banana out] then put a sausage inside and do the same - never tried that one though.

 

[Morning Glory]

No problem - basically you just cut the top off the orange - hollow it out [then eat it - good at breakfast] crack an egg or two into it then some cut up some thin ham or bacon. Refit the top of the orange [use a skewer] and set it in the hot ash to cook. If you like your like your bacon well done give it a head start by a quick 'grilling' on a stick over the fire first before you cut it up but it's up to you.
When done eat out of the orange with a fork. It's a very old idea - and there is nothing to wash up [I found it in a cookbook from the 30s but there are lots of similar ideas - ie eat a banana save the skin [only make one cut in it to get the banana out] then put a sausage inside and do the same - never tried that one though.

I love it! Does it make the egg taste orangey? There is something rather amusing about the sausage in the banana skin, I'm not sure why...

 

[sidevalve]

Not sure about the taste, can't really remember TBH - when your outdoors everything tastes great anyhow

 

[Morning Glory]

Not sure about the taste, can't really remember TBH - when your outdoors everything tastes great anyhow

I remember when I toured in my Dad's sidecar (Mum on pillion). We'd stop by the roadside and eat sandwiches and drink tea from a thermos. I can still taste that tea...

 

[classic33]

What are 'brats' ? Here in the UK brats is a slang term for unruly children - fine by me but how do you cook them ?

Roasted on the spit!

I have one that'll take a four foot six scratter/brat. Used when campsite warden at the local scout campsite.

 

[sidevalve]

I remember when I toured in my Dad's sidecar (Mum on pillion). We'd stop by the roadside and eat sandwiches and drink tea from a thermos. I can still taste that tea...

Now that must have been a few years ago - wonderful times though. We used to go the local 'big' park in my dad's old Reliant [yep the three wheeler]. I know J Clarkson finds them funny and most people these days think they are just a joke but way back then they made sound financial sense [a few pounds off the road tax was a LOT of money] and traffic moved slower then. The tea and sandwiches might have been a bit iffy but they always tasted magic.

 

[Morning Glory]

Now that must have been a few years ago - wonderful times though. We used to go the local 'big' park in my dad's old Reliant [yep the three wheeler]. I know J Clarkson finds them funny and most people these days think they are just a joke but way back then they made sound financial sense [a few pounds off the road tax was a LOT of money] and traffic moved slower then. The tea and sandwiches might have been a bit iffy but they always tasted magic.

Yes, al right, don't rub it in - it was a few years ago. I used to love those old Robin Reliants. They ought to bring them back (though I think perhaps they might have been a bit unsafe)