Kielbasa Soup

     This recipe for Kielbasa Soup from The Heart of Pittsburgh, a cookbook benefiting Sacred Heart Elementary School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania can be thrown together in a jiffy but tastes like it has been simmering on the stove all day.  You don't even have to saute the vegetables and Kielbasa, just add the water and broth and when it comes to a boil, stir in the noodles.  As soon as the noodles are tender you're ready to enjoy this full bodied, peppery, smokey soup.  You will need to light a generous amount of coals, I made this in my 12 inch oven with a full compliment of briquettes on the bottom and the lid completely covered with 28-30 coals.  A great recipe for a novice dutch oven cook and a real belly warmer for a cold day around the campfire.

Kielbasa Soup
3 14.5 oz. cans chicken broth
4 cups water
12 to 16 oz. cooked Kielbasa or Polish sausage, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
3 cups wide egg noodles, uncooked

     In a 12 inch or larger dutch oven , combine all ingredients, except noodles.
     Cover and cook for 20 minutes with as many coals as you'll need to keep soup at a steady simmer.
     Add egg noodles.
     Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until noodles and vegetables are tender.
     Discard bay leaves.

Add broth and water to Kielbasa, vegetables and bay leaves

Bring liquid to a bubble then stir in the noodles

Cover and cook for 20 minutes more or until noodles and veggies are tender

An easy, inexpensive and flavorful outdoor dinner 

Butterscotch Drop Scones

      Since I've started dutch oven cooking I guess you could say I've become mad about scones.  They're just so easy to make and since they usually cook in 15 to 20 minutes they're the next best thing to immediate gratification.  Plus I can light the coals then quickly mix the ingredients together and spoon them into my oven.  These Butterscotch Drop Scones from a 2004 edition of Bon Appetit are your basic, buttery scone with the addition of sweet butterscotch chips.  In my 10 inch oven they baked for 20 minutes with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and roughly 22 briquettes on the lid.  If you can stand the wait, let them sit for a good 15 minutes in your oven to cool, they are quite crumbly when hot.  Give yourself a sweet treat with these moist and crispy butterscotch scones.

Butterscotch Drop Scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 Tblsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled, unsalted butter, diced
1 cup butterscotch chips (about 6 oz.)
1/2 cup (or more) whipping cream
1 large egg

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into medium bowl.
     Cut in chilled butter with pastry blender or rub in with your fingertips until coarse meal forms.
     Mix in chips.
     Whisk 1/2 cup cream and egg in small bowl to blend.
     Gradually add cream mixture to dry ingredients, tossing with fork until dough comes together in moist clumps.
     Add more cream by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry.
     Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls into prepared dutch oven.
     Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Add chips to flour mixture

Drop batter into your dutch oven

Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees

Moist scones with soft chunks of butterscotch in every bite

Roast Chestnuts

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

     Hearing Nat King Cole's version of 'The Christmas Song' on the radio today got me to thinking about roasting chestnuts in my dutch oven.  Many years ago I used to roast them in the fireplace using a special pan with holes in the bottom.  Your heavy cast iron dutch oven is another excellent way to prepare them and couldn't be easier.  When picking chestnuts, look for smooth, hard skins, any soft spots indicate rot.  The hardest part is cutting an X in the outer shell of the chestnut.  Be sure to follow this step, otherwise they will be much harder to peel and may even explode while cooking.  I roasted a half pound in my 8 inch oven with 8-9 coals on the bottom and the lid completely covered with briquettes.  You need a good, hot oven to cook them properly and they are much easier to peel while they are still warm.  Their flavor is incomparable, soft, sweet and loaded with vitamin C, celebrate the season with this timeless tradition.

Roast Chestnuts
1/2 to 1 pound of good quality chestnuts

     With a sturdy knife, carefully cut an X in the flat side of each chestnut.
     Place in an even layer in the bottom of your dutch oven.
     Roast at 425 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until skins have peeled back and chestnuts are tender when pierced with a knife.
     Shake your dutch oven halfway through cooking time to turn chestnuts.
     Remove from heat and cool slightly before peeling.
     Peel while still warm.
     Can be dipped in melted butter and cinnamon if so desired.

Cut an X in the flat side of each chestnut before roasting

Roast for 20-30 minutes at 425 degrees or until tender when pierced with knife

Nacho Chicken Casserole

     This recipe from Betty Crocker caught my eye because not only did I want to use up the remnants of a rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge but I thought this was a good camping recipe that would appeal to appetites of all ages.  Except for the cheese, if you use canned chicken you don't even have to refrigerate the ingredients, better yet, if you're a vegetarian leave out the chicken and substitute a can of drained black beans.  Mix the filling right in your dutch oven if you want to make clean up that much easier.  I baked this in my 10 inch dutch oven with 10 coals in a ring around the bottom and 18-20 on the lid.  After 35 minutes the casserole was bubbling away, the rice was tender and ready for the nacho topping.  To give it even more of a bite, sprinkle some pickled jalapenos over the top.  A cross between crunchy, cheesy nachos and a comforting chicken casserole, it's bound to be a hit at home or at your next dutch oven gathering.

Nacho Chicken Casserole
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup uncooked instant (Minute) white rice
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 10 3/4 oz. condensed cream of chicken soup
1 11 oz. can Mexican whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
1 4.5 oz. can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 tsp taco seasoning mix OR chili powder
2 cups broken tortilla chips
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     In large bowl or dutch oven stir chicken, rice, tomatoes, soup, corn, chilies, taco seasoning and 1 cup of cheese until well mixed.
     Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and rice is tender.
     Top with tortilla chips; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
     Cover and bake about 10 minutes longer or until cheese has melted.
     Makes 4-5 servings.

Mix ingredients in dutch oven

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees or until rice is tender

Top with crumbled tortilla chips

Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until melted

Crunchy, cheesy, filling and good

French Lentil Soup

     The finest lentils in the world come from the Auvergne Region of France.  Grown without fertilizers, the dark green pearls are nourished by the local volcanic soil and picked at the peak of ripeness.  Highly prized by French housewives and dubbed  'poorman's caviar', the government only allows 88 areas to name their lentils, 'Lentilles Verte du Puy AOC'.  When you are buying authentic Du Puy lentils be sure to look for this label on the package.  French lentils are also grown in Italy and North America.  Compared to the larger brown and red lentils they are tiny, nuttier and require a longer cooking time.  If you can't find them where you live, substitute regular lentils, just shorten the cooking time by 20 minutes.  From a Dec. 2006 issue of Bon Appetit, this recipe for French Lentil Soup has all the basic flavors of a hearty, farmhouse soup.  For a more substantial meal, add some sliced, cooked, smoked sausage during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.  In my 10 inch dutch oven I sauteed the vegetables over a full compliment of coals then once I added the rest of the ingredients, moved the bottom coals to a ring around the outside and completely covered the lid with briquettes.  They took a good hour to cook but the end result was an elegant soup fragrant with bay, cumin and aromatic vegetables.  The best thing about the French lentils is that they hold their shape and won't turn to mush while cooking.  I am going to make a pot of this soup once a week throughout the winter, and don't forget to add that splash of vinegar, it really sharpens the flavor and gives this simple but earthy soup a lift.

French Lentil Soup
3 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth
1 12 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/4 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin
Balsamic vinegar

     Lightly oil or spray dutch oven.
     Saute onions, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil over a full spread of coals until vegetables begin to brown and soften.
     Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes with their juices, lentils, bay leaf and cumin; stir well.
     Move bottom coals to a ring around the base of the oven. 
     Cover with as many coals as needed to keep the soup at a steady simmer.
     Cook for one hour or until lentils are tender.
     Add a splash of Balsamic vinegar, if desired, and season with salt and pepper.

Saute vegetables and garlic in olive oil

Stir in remaining ingredients

Simmer for one hour if using French lentils

High in protein, this delicious soup is good for you too

Cranberry Orange Holiday Wreath

I was feeling somewhat adventurous today, this Cranberry Orange Holiday Wreath from Fleischhmann's was more of an experiment to hone my baking skills.  I have never even attempted to make a rolled yeast coffee cake in my kitchen oven let alone in my camp oven.  At first this may seem like a complicated recipe but when you break it down the steps are actually quite easy.  You can make the dough ahead of time and continue with the assembly the next day.  The cake has a light texture with just a hint of sweetness from the filling and glaze, the perfect accompaniment to a steaming cup of coffee.  I made this in my 12 inch dutch oven, it took a lot longer to bake than the 20 minutes posted with the recipe, in reality it took about 30-35 minutes.  I started with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom with 24-26 coals on top.  After the first 20 minutes I moved all the coals on the lid to the outside as the center was starting to darken.  Roll out the dough on a large piece of parchment paper, it gives you a non-stick surface, makes it easier to roll and you can transfer the dough and paper right into your oven.  It may take a little extra time and planning but your sense of accomplishment will more than make up for it when this festive cake graces your holiday table. 

Cranberry Orange Holiday Wreath
4-1 / 2 cups all-purpose flour
1 / 2 cup sugar
1 envelope Fleischmann's® Rapid Rise Yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp grated orange peel
1 cup milk
1 / 4 cup water
1 / 2 cup butter or margarine
1 large egg
1 egg white, beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Cranberry Orange Filling
1 cup cranberries
2 tablespoons orange juice
3 / 4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Orange Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

     In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, salt and orange peel.
     Heat milk, water and butter until very warm (120 to 130 degrees F); gradually add to flour mixture.
     Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally. 
     Add 1 egg and 1 cup flour; beat 2 minutes at high speed.
     Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter.
     Cover tightly with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 24 hours.
     Remove dough from refrigerator; on parchment paper, roll to 18 by 10-inch rectangle.
     Spread evenly with Cranberry Orange Filling.
     Beginning at long end, roll up tightly as for jelly roll; pinch seam to seal.
     Join ends together to form ring; pinch to seal.
     Using parchment paper, transfer to prepared dutch oven.
     Trim parchment paper to fit oven.
     With sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut slits two thirds through ring at 1-inch intervals.
     Turn each section on its side to show filling.
     Cover; let rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
     Brush dough with egg white mixture.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until done.
     Remove from sheet; cool on wire rack.
     Drizzle with Orange Glaze.

     Cranberry Orange Filling
     In a saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice and brown sugar.
     Over medium high heat, bring to a boil, stirring constantly to crush cranberries.
     Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes or until thick. 
     Stir in nuts.  Let cool.

     Orange Glaze
     In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and orange juice.
     Stir until smooth.

Roll out chilled dough and spread with filling

Roll up tightly the long way

Form into a ring, make cuts in dough then let rise until doubled in bulk

Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through

Cool completely before drizzling with glaze

Tart and nutty with a hint of orange

Easy Raspberry Bars

      It's that time of year when I start baking in earnest, making cookies by the dozen and filling my freezer with sugary treats to give to friends and family over the holidays.  I know you can easily bake cookies in your dutch oven, seeing as I am a little on the impatient side and prefer to bake them in large batches, I'll save cookie baking for the campsite with store bought cookie dough.  In the meantime, a good way to utilize your dutch oven is to make bar cookies, you can bake a batch in one fell swoop and I can honestly say they bake as well as they would in your conventional oven.  I have several raspberry bar recipes in my cookie arsenal but this one is so incredibly simple and easy I couldn't pass it up.  It's as good, if not better, than the buttery versions I make from scratch.  Unless you plan on serving them directly from your camp oven, line it with parchment paper, press in the bottom layer, cover with raspberry or whatever flavor jam you like, sprinkle on the topping and bake.  In my 12 inch oven these baked for 25 minutes with 12 coals in a ring around the bottom and 24-26 briquettes on the lid.  Let them cool for a good half hour before removing from your oven and allow them to cool completely before slicing as they're quite crumbly when warm.   Like the elves in Santa's kitchen, fire up your dutch oven and start your holiday baking with these sweet and buttery Easy Raspberry Bars.

Easy Raspberry Bars
1 package (18 oz.) yellow cake mix
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cups (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
1 12 oz. jar raspberry jam
1 Tblsp water

     Lightly oil or spray 12 inch dutch oven; line with parchment paper.
     In large bowl, combine cake mix and oats. 
     Stir in melted butter until mixture is crumbly and well combined.
     Press about two thirds of oat mixture into bottom of dutch oven until evenly covered. 
     Combine jam and water; spoon over crumb mixture, spreading evenly.
     Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over raspberry filling.
     Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until topping is lightly browned and jam is bubbling.
     Cool for 30 minutes before lifting from oven.
     Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Press two thirds of oat mixture evenly in bottom of dutch oven

Spread with raspberry jam then sprinkle with remainder of dough

Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown

Cool completely before cutting into bars