Let's Have a Thanksgiving Potluck

photo courtesy KOA




Keep scrolling down to find a moist, delicious pumpkin cake that feeds 12 to 15 at a campground potluck, or home or wherever the day finds you and your loved ones. It's lovely with cream cheese frosting, vanilla or butterscotch sauce or just sauce it with organic applesauce for a healthful dessert.


Your Own Instant Breakfast
Love instant oatmeal but not its wimpy texture? Here is a way to have your own instant cereal using toothsome, one-minute oats. It costs far less than the packaged version and it provides a chewier breakfast. It’s salt-free and you can also vary other ingredients such as using brown or white sugar, sugar substitute or different dried fruits.

18-ounce box of one-minute oats
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
1 cup raisins
½ cup packed brown sugar or equivalent
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Toss everything together in a zip-top freezer bag to mix well. Zip shut and keep cool and dry. To make hot oatmeal put ½ cup of the mixture in a bowl with ½ cup water. Cover loosely and nuke on High. Let stand, covered, another minute and it’s now ready to serve with milk and sugar.
Serving suggestions: sprinkle with a different goody each day such as chopped pecans, candied cherries, yogurt raisins, mini marshmallows or chocolate chips.

Campground Potluck
Recipe of the Week
Pumpkin QuickCake
Serves 12 to 16, depending on how you cut the 9 X 13-inch cake. I use canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling). Leftover pumpkin can be mixed into pancake batter or stir it into a big batch of chili, soup or stew.

1 spice cake mix
4-serving packet instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup mashed pumpkin or sweet potato
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup water
3 eggs
If you have an electric mixer, dump everything in a bowl and beat it smooth. If you’re mixing by hand, put all dry ingredients in a bag, zip shut and mix to combine. In a large bowl, whisk all wet ingredients together. Then use a wooden spoon to mix dry ingredients with wet, creating a smooth batter. Put batter in a greased 9 X 13-inch pan and bake 30 to 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool, frost and cut.
Cook’s note: If your camp or RV oven won’t hold a 9 X 13-inch pan, divide batter into two 8-inch pans and bake 20-25 minutes or until springy to the touch. Portions won't be as high.

RV Cooks Rock

RV Cooks rock unless, of course, one uses jacks properly.

Here are recipes from one of my favorite live-aboards, Margaret Zuber. The Zubers not only enjoy the RV travel life they are avid volunteers in some of our nation's most beautiful nature refuges and parks. These recipes are just as Margaret wrote them.

Margaret Zuber’s
Cheeseburger Soup

½ pound ground chuck
¾ cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced or chopped
¾ cup shredded carrots (Buy matchstick carrots and chop gently so they are not too long.)
¾ cup diced or chopped celery
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 and 3/4 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced peeled potatoes (Yukon Golds are good)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups milk
1 8-ounce package shredded sharp cheddar cheese (if doubling
the recipe, use a 12 oz. pkg. )
¼ teaspoon black or 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (or to taste)
¼ cup sour cream

In a 3-quart saucepan, brown beef. Drain & set aside. In the same saucepan, saute onion, garlic, carrots, celery, basil & parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until veggies are tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer 20 min., or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook & stir for 3-5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil. Cook & stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, pepper, & Worcestershire sauce; cook & stir until cheese melts. Remove from heat; blend in sour cream. Yield: 8 servings (2-1q/4 quarts) You can double or triple the recipe, Margaret says, and freeze some.

Margaret Zuber’s
Marble-Chocolate
Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon (generous) vanilla
1 -1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (3 bananas – be sure they’re very ripe!)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.) Butter & flour 2 3”x7” pans.
3.) Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
4.) Cream butter & sugar in a large bowl with mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 1 min. Add banana, eggs, yogurt (or sour cream), and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moistablespoon Do not overbeatablespoon
5.) Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly. Add 1 c. batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined. Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into pans (or you can use one 8-1/2x4-1/2 pan. I never have.) Swirl batters together, using a table knife. Bake at 350o for 45-50 min. (1 hr. & 10 min. for the large pan), or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Margaret adds: This is from an issue of Cooking Light magazine. I’ve used both the yogurt and the sour cream, with equally good results. I added the vanilla; took out the egg substitute, in favor of real eggs and I use regular instead of low-fat yogurt.

Solar Oven Success

Today's experiment: cold this morning in the 50s with a sharp wind blowing. Sun bright so I aimed oven and it soon started climbing above the 100 degree mark. Put peeled, cut up butternut squash and potatoes in the pot with a little water (instructions say none is needed for vegetables) and they were tender in 3 hours. Temps hovered 180 to 200. It's like having a crock pot that runs on sunbeams! Go to www.SolarOvenSociety.com

Camping Cooks Love Casseroles

Where have your camper wheels taken you this week? Tell me about your travels, travails and recipes at janetgroene@yahoo.com.

Cauliflower Curry Can-Can
Calling all vegetarians and all those who love curry! Add a couple of canned ingredients to a fresh cauliflower and your campground casserole is hot to go.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pat butter
Medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder
15-ounce can diced carrots, drained
16-ounce can vegetable broth
Medium head cauliflower, in bite size
2 cans, 15 ounces each, chickpeas, drained and rinsed
½ cup freshly snipped cilantro leaves
Yogurt
Heat oil and butter in a roomy skillet or saucepan and swizzle onion, gradually stirring in ginger, curry, carrots and cauliflower to coat. Add broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are done. Stir in chickpeas to heat through, then fold in cilantro and a heaping tablespoon of the yogurt.
Serve as is or spoon over rice. (Instant brown rice is quick and good.) Top each serving with a dollop of yogurt. Makes about 8 one-cup servings of curry. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers.

Campground Potluck
Recipe of the Week
Shrimp Boat Gumbo
Splurge on shrimp and stretch it to make 10 to 12 generous servings when you add chicken, sausage and rice. Cook it in a skillet or pot that goes from stove to table.
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
Medium green pepper, diced
Medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, cut up
2 teaspoon minced garlic
15-ounce can chicken broth
10-ounce can chunk chicken with juice
15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 cup water
1 ½ cups rice
½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
20-ounce package shelled, de-veined, cooked shrimp, thawed
Sizzle the sausage in a large pot, breaking it up to release fat. Stir in onion, pepper, celery and garlic. When vegetables are soft, add broth, chicken, tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil and add rice and seasoning. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. Fold in shrimp until it’s heated through. Bring a bottle of Tabasco to the table for guests who like gumbo on the spicy side. .

For more of Janet’s potluck recipes go to
http://www.ChurchSupper.blogspot.com
For more of her easy galley recipes go to
http://www.BoatCook.blogspot.com

Let's Go Camping

I'm still learning to use my new SOS SPORT solar oven at this latitude. Stay tuned.
Creamy Tomato Pasta
Save time by frying up the sausage, onion, celery and carrot at home until sausage is done and vegetables tender. Refrigerate up to three days or freeze up to 4 weeks.
2 pounds lean pork (or turkey) sausage
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 peeled carrot, finely diced
6-ounce can tomato sauce
2 cups water, divided
1 tablespoon instant blend flour (e.g. Wondra)
13-ounce can milk
Water
1 pound pasta, cooked
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Over high heat in a large skillet, fry out sausage, breaking it up and gradually stirring in onion, celery and carrot. Spoon off any excess fat. Stir in tomato paste to coat meat, then stir in 1 1/2 cups water.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer over low heat until vegetables are tender and sausage thoroughly cooked. Stir instant flour into remaining 1/2 cup water and stir in hot sausage mixture until it bubbles and thickens. Turn off stove and stir in canned milk just to heat through. Ladle over cooked pasta and top with shaved Parmesan. Serves 8.
Cook’s note: To bring past from home, cook a pound of pasta according to package directions. Drain it quickly so it isn’t too dry and, while it’s hot and wet, stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cool and pile loosely in a plastic bag. Refrigerate or freeze. In camp, thaw pasta and stir into hot sausage sauce until everything is hot and well mixed.
Campground Potluck
Recipe of the Week
Potato-Crusted Quiche
Many elements come together quickly to create a flavorful quiche. Provide a non-metal spatula for portioning and serving. The goal is to get a nice wedge of potato-crusted quiche without gouging the skillet’s nonstick surface.

2 cans, 15 ounces each, diced potatoes
10-ounce package spinach, thawed and drained
5 strips bacon, cut up
Medium onion, finely diced
12 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup grated dry cheese such as Parmesan
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Drain potatoes very well. Put spinach in a sieve to drain, then press out excess moisture with paper toweling. In a 12-inch, nonstick skillet, fry out bacon. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside Stir-fry potato and onion in bacon fat, smooth to an even layer, cover and cook over low heat so a solid potato crust forms on the bottom. Do not stir.
Whisk eggs until foamy, then stir in cheeses. Sprinkle bacon and clumps of spinach evenly over potato crust and pour in egg mixture. Cover and cook over low heat until eggs set. Let stand 5 minutes.
Cut into 12 wedges for potluck portions. To serve as a main dish, cut into 6 portions.

To see more of Janet's galley-tested recipes go to
http://www.CampAndRVCook.blogspot.com
and, for more potluck ideas go to
http://www.ChurchSupper.blogspot.com

Going Solar

So far my SOS SPORT Solar Oven (www.SolarOvens.org) is a hands-down winner but this is just the beginning of my work with this unit

What it is: An insulated black box with a clear plastic cover. Inside is room for two dark, spackleware (enameled steel) pots with covers. Each holds about two quarts, ideal for anything from cakes and breads to casseroles and soups. Use one or both. Also included is an oven thermometer. Optional reflector “wings” are recommended for locations where the angle of the sun is low. The unit does not heat in the shade or on a cloudy day.

Without using any fuel or creating any pollution, this oven quickly comes up to cooking temperature. It’s then just a matter of cooking food or heating water, and here’s where the learning curve comes in.

What I’ve learned so far:
*At under 10 pounds the oven is a snap to shuffle in an out of a storage space and it doesn’t add much to the weight the RV has to transport. However it’s bulky, requiring a space about 30 X 12 X 20 inches. In most RV’s this means dedicating a slot in one of the basement compartments. Because I expect to use the solar oven almost every day it has to be stowed in a spot that’s easy-in, easy out.
* It’s not flimsy but it does require moderate care. I found that a standard size pillow slip just fits over the plastic cover. Before stowing the unit I slip on the cover to keep the clear plastic from scratching. Scratches would surely reduce its ability to transmit the sun’s rays.
* It gets hot quickly. I always wear oven mitts when working with this solar oven.

I’m in North Florida, where the sun has dipped deep to the south. In a shaded lot I’m still looking for a spot where I can leave the unit untended for several hours at a time. My first experiment was a New England boiled dinner (cooked ham, potatoes, carrots and cabbage) and I had to finish it on the stove when long shadows stole my sun spot.

On the beach or any open spot, it would probably have meant only turning the oven every few hours to keep the sun shining in. Nevertheless, half the cooking was done with only the sun for fuel and I’m wowed at how easy it was. Stay tuned.

So I'm Going Solar Solo Soon

Today I received my solar cooker from the Solar Oven Society, http://www.solarovens.org and I'll start field testing it next week. Stay tuned.