Beefy Taco Bake

     Sometimes a recipe can really surprise you.  When I saw this Beefy Taco Bake I thought, okay, here's something super simple to try for camping.  The ingredients reminded me of a luncheon special you might find dished up in a school cafeteria.  Boy, was I ever wrong.  This enchilada-chilequiles-tortilla pie casserole, is really good.  Of course I had to add extra cheese but it's rich and creamy and trust me, everyone will love it.  Snip the tortillas with your kitchen shears or even tear them into little pieces.  I baked mine in a 10 inch dutch oven. Once the beef was browned. I moved the bottom coals to a ring of 10 around the base of the oven and completely covered the lid.  Give it a stir after 15 minutes and be sure to let it sit for a while before serving, give the tortillas time to soak up all those flavorful juices.  This is another keeper from the Mr. Food website.

Beefy Taco Bake
1 pound ground beef
1 (10-3/4-ounce) can condensed tomato soup
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup milk
6 (6- to 8-inch) flour or 8 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

     Lightly oil or spray 10 inch dutch oven.
     Brown beef over a full compliment of coals.  Drain.
     Stir in soup, salsa, milk, tortillas, and 1/2 the cheese; mix well.
     Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover and cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.  Let sit for 15 minutes before serving.  Serves 4.

Brown beef and drain

Add rest of ingredients and stir well

Top off with more cheese

Simple, filling and good

Tomatoes Stuffed with Bacon and Corn Bread

     Today I hit the Jackpot.  I found these beautifully ripe and large tomatoes on the reduced produce rack at the grocery store and wondered how I could put them to good use.  I found this fantastic recipe for stuffed tomatoes from Home Plate Cooking by Marvin Woods and Virginia Willis.  It uses all my favorite ingredients, mayonnaise, bacon, cornbread and Parmesan cheese.  I thought the recipe looked delicious but little did I know how amazingly good these would turn out to be.  If you don't have a grapefruit spoon to remove the pulp from the tomatoes use your kitchen shears, it makes the job a lot easier.  I used two big corn muffins for the stuffing and snipped a little fresh thyme from the garden.  They baked in 25 minutes in my 10 inch oven with 12 coals on the bottom and 20-22 on the lid.  Honestly, these tomatoes are out of this world.  A great first course or make a whole meal out of them, they are that rich and filling.  File this recipe away for when you have a bumper crop of tomatoes from your garden or some leftover corn bread in the house, it's a winner! 

Tomatoes Stuffed With Bacon and Corn Bread
4 large ripe tomatoes
2 cups crumbled corn bread
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and crumbled
2 scallions, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, chopped or 1/4 tsp of dried thyme
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grated Parmesan cheese

     Lightly oil or spray a 10 or 12 inch regular dutch oven.
     Halve the tomatoes horizontally with a serrated knife.  Using a spoon, carefully scoop out the pulp; chop, drain and set aside.
     Combine the tomato pulp, corn bread, mayonnaise, bacon, scallions, and thyme in a medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
     Spoon the corn bread mixture into the tomato shells.  Transfer the stuffed tomatoes to a prepared dutch oven.  Top with Parmesan cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until filling is brown and bubbling. Serve warm.

Stuff tomatoes and top with grated Parmesan

After 25 minutes in a hot oven, brown and bubbling

These are definitely addicting

 

Chunky Minestrone

     For those of you who are old enough to remember the 'I Love Lucy' show, this vegetable soup has more nutrients and goodness packed into every serving than a whole bottle of Vitameatavegamin.  It's colorful, filling and you can easily make it at the campground.  If you toss in a handful of fresh spinach in place of the frozen variety the only ingredient requiring refrigeration is the Parmesan cheese.  You could even use the shaker version from the store shelves or leave it out entirely.  If you are a vegan, substitute the chicken broth with the vegetable kind.  In any event, try this 200 calorie a serving, hearty Minestrone.  Even the hard core meat eaters in your family will feel satisfied.  Next time your neighbor knocks on your door with a basketful of zucchini, remember this wonderful soup from Cooking Light Five Star Recipes; The Best of 10 Years.

Chunky Minestrone
2 tsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
2 cups water
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
2 14 1/2 oz. cans whole tomatoes, undrained and roughly chopped
1 10 1/2 oz. can low sodium chicken broth
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced (about 2 cups)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 15 1/2 oz can cannellini beans, drained
1 10 oz. package frozen, chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

     Lightly oil or spray 10 or 12 inch dutch oven.
     Heat oil in a Dutch oven over a full spread of coals. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; saute for 5 minutes or until onion is soft and translucent.
     Add rice, water, Italian seasoning, tomatoes, zucchini and chicken broth.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes with as many coals as will fit on the lid to bring it to a boil. 
     Add salt, pepper, beans and chopped spinach.  Cover and cook an additional 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked and vegetables are tender. 
     Garnish with grated Parmesan.  Serves 4-6.

Saute onion, carrots and garlic

Add rice, tomatoes, water, broth, seasoning and zucchini

Add spinach and beans, cook 15 minutes longer

Colorful, delicious and good for you too

Fabulous Rhubarb Cake

     You have to make this cake from The Rhubarb Compendium if only to smell the amazing aroma of apples and cinnamon that will drift from your camp oven.  This is another throw it all in the mixing bowl and stir type of recipe, chopping the rhubarb is the hardest part of the process.  The thick batter bakes into a moist, sweet coffee type cake with a sugary crust.  Bake it in your 12 inch oven, lined with parchment if you can.  Mine baked in 30 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24 on top.  If you can't find fresh rhubarb I'm sure you could use frozen, either way, this scrumptious cake won't let you down.

 Fabulous Rhubarb Cake
1 1/2 cups raw rhubarb, cut fine
1  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar for topping
1 tsp cinnamon

     Lightly oil or spray a 12 inch dutch oven.  Line with parchment paper.
     In large mixing bowl cream sugars and butter; add egg and salt.  Stir in applesauce, soda, vanilla, and flour.  Carefully stir in rhubarb. 
     Pour in prepared dutch oven and sprinkle with 1/4 cup white sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.  Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from oven.  Serve warm. 

Sprinkle batter with sugar and cinnamon

Serve for breakfast or dessert

Mmmmmm, this is SO good

Chuck Wagon Beef and Pasta Skillet

     If you like barbecue sauce you'll love this quick and easy one pot pasta dish.  Perfect for camping and the kids will scarf it down.  Saute the beef, onion and pepper over a full spread of coals, add the sauce then cover with as many coals on the lid as you'll need to keep it at a steady simmer, maybe 18-20.  As I was waiting for the pasta to cook this hen came sauntering up to my dutch oven, she must have been attracted to the aroma of hickory steaming from the pot. I found this simple and tasty recipe here online.

Chuck Wagon Beef and Pasta Skillet
1 lb. ground beef
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 14 1/2 oz can beef broth
1 1/2 cup uncooked wagon wheel or rotini pasta
1 cup prepared hickory flavored barbecue sauce
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup cheddar or Colby cheese, finely shredded

     Lightly oil or spray a 10 inch dutch oven.
     Brown beef, bell pepper and onion over a full compliment of coals; drain.
     Stir in broth, pasta, barbecue sauce and water.  Cover with as many coals as will bring liquid to a boil.  Simmer for 15 minutes or until pasta is almost tender.  Uncover and continue to cook over bottom coals for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is cooked completely and sauce is thickened, stirring occasionally.  Sprinkle with cheese before serving.  Serves 4.

Brown beef with pepper and onion

Add water, barbecue sauce and broth; cover and cook for 15 minutes

A surprise dinner guest

Uncover and continue to cook until sauce has reduced and thickened

Sprinkle with cheese, good tasty chuck

Blueberry Scones

     What could be better on a dewy summer's morning than lifting the lid on your dutch oven to these shimmering, blueberry scones?  This recipe from the King Arthur site makes light and lemony scones that are just busting with blueberries.  It's simple in that you don't have to roll or knead the dough, just drop it into your well oiled oven with an ice cream scoop or large spoon.  If you substitute plain yogurt like I did for the vanilla flavor, add an extra tablespoon of sugar.  Also, I did not have any almond extract in the cupboard but they were equally delicious without it.  After I plopped them in the oven I brushed them with cream and sprinkled them with sugar.  In my 10 inch camp oven they baked for exactly 20 minutes with 10 coals in a circle around the bottom and with the lid completely covered with coals.  Like biscuits they need that initial blast of heat to help them rise.  The recipe makes 12 scones but 8 larger ones fit perfectly in my 10 inch oven.  You're bound to have a great day if you pour yourself a cup of coffee, curl up with the paper and indulge yourself in a basketful of these warm and tender scones. 

Blueberry Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces
1 cup fresh blueberries
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top

     Lightly oil or spray a 10 or 12 inch dutch oven.
     Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the butter and work it into the dry ingredients till the mixture is unevenly crumbly; use your fingers, a pastry blender, or an electric mixer.  Gently mix the blueberries with the dry ingredients.
     Whisk together the eggs, yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon zest and almond extract.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir very gently, just until combined.  The dough will be quite moist.
     Use a scoop or large spoon to drop the dough into the prepared oven.  Brush each ball of dough with a bit of milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 20-24 minutes or until cake tester inserted into a scone comes out dry.  Remove from oven and serve warm.  Makes 8-12 scones.

Drop scoops of wet batter into well oiled oven

Golden and fluffy in 20 minutes

What a great way to start the day

"Big Easy" Gumbo

     My apologies to those of you who are used to eating real Southern gumbos.  This quick and easy version from The New Woman's Day Cookbook; Simple Recipes for Every Occasion is a far cry from the more authentic roux based gumbos but it is something you can easily throw together at home or at your campsite.  Leave out the kielbasa if you are a vegetarian or even add a handful of peeled, raw shrimp along with the vegetables.  Do not drain the stewed tomatoes, you need that extra liquid to finish off the rice.  I made this in my 10 inch oven, sauteing the green pepper and onion over a full compliment of coals with 18-20 on the lid.  After 10 minutes, when you add the vegetables and sausage, move the bottom coals to the outside bottom edge of the oven so you won't scorch the rice.  This good, filling one dish meal will certainly satisfy your daily requirement of vegetables and keep you warm around the campfire.

"Big Easy" Gumbo
1-2 Tblsp olive oil
2 green peppers, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup long grain white rice
1 tsp dried thyme
1 1/2 cups water
salt to taste
10-oz. box frozen chopped kale, thawed and squeezed dry
2 1/2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed
14-oz can stewed tomatoes, broken up
12 oz kielbasa sausage, thinly sliced

     Lightly oil or spray a 10 or 12 inch dutch oven.
     Saute green pepper and onion in olive oil over a full spread of coals for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.
     Add rice, stir to coat.  Add water, salt and thyme.  Cover and simmer in hot oven with coals on lid for 10 minutes.
     Stir in kale, okra, tomatoes and kielbasa.  Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes longer or until rice is tender.

Saute green pepper and onion

Stir rice to cover with oil then add water and spices

After 10 minutes add sausage and vegetables, cook until rice is tender

Loaded with vegetables and brimming with smokey flavor