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Camping and RV Recipe of the Week
Mexican Fried Rice
Unlike “Spanish” rice, this skillet recipe from Mexico City has no tomatoes. It’s a side dish with meat from the grill or a light meal. The recipe is easy to multiply.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup raw rice
Medium onion, diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup water
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup hot water or broth
2 medium green peppers, diced
1 cup (or more to taste) corn kernels
Optional for serving:
Sour Cream
Shredded cheese
Heat oil and sizzle rice, gradually stirring in onion and garlic until they are limp. Add the half cup water and keep stirring until it’s absorbed. Then add the hot water or broth, peppers and corn. Cover and cook over low heat 20 minutes until rice is tender. Serve with sour cream and shreadded cheese. Makes 4 portions.
Campground Potluck recipe of the Week
Spaghetti Garlic Bread
This wacky recipe, akin to French bread pizza, will be the talk of the town and kids will love it. Be sure to put the cheese on first and last to help it stick together, and don’t over-do with the spaghetti and sauce.
2 loaves un-sliced Italian bread
Soft butter
Italian seasoning blend
16-ounce package of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans spaghetti in sauce (you may not need it all)
Slice the bread in half lengthwise. Butter cut sides lightly and arrange bread cut side up on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with the seasonings. Sprinkle an even layer of shredded mozzarella cheese. Using two spoons, dot the bread with bits of spaghetti in sauce. Don’t overload them. Top with more shredded cheese.
At this point, bread can be set aside or covered and chilled for later. Just before serving, heat the breads in a 425-degree oven just enough to heat through. Use a sharp knife to cut in thick slices.
Tips for the Camp Chef
* Sloppy Joe for a crowd? To make 100 portions you need 16 pounds of ground beef, 16 cups each of chopped onion and celery, 16 cans tomato soup and 16 cans, 8 ounces each, tomato sauce. Season to taste. Smaller crowd? Do the easy math.
* Hanging pockets can be handy but some have only small pockets and the plastic ones get grotty and stiff. This strong mesh bag hangs anywhere, indoors and out. It’s ideal for taking cooking gear outside. It dunks clean in a jiffy and has pockets in several different sizes. Hang it from any handy hook or tree. Handy for shower gear too. http://amzn.to/2E0153E
* If you don’t have a spatter screen, use a sharp point to poke many small holes in a sheet of heavy duty foil. Float over the spattering pan.
* To make burgers cook faster, poke your finger through the middle to make a hole. It will fill in during cooking.
* To make “funnel” cakes, put the batter in a squeeze bottle left over from, say, pancake syrup.
Lights Out Camp Reading for Kindle
Janet Groene’s alter ago, Farley Halladay, solves mysteries, loves travel, walks her dog, copes with being a young widow in January Justice, a Yacht Yenta Mystery.
Freeze-Ahead Recipe of the Week
Condensed Chicken Gumbo Soup
2 thick slices bacon, cut up
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, diced
2 large onions, diced
2 tablespoon minced garlic
2 large green peppers, seeded and diced
32-ounce carton chicken broth
10-ounce can tomato paste
2 tablespoon powdered chicken bouillon
2 to 4 cups trimmed, sliced okra
2 tablespoons powdered chicken bouillon such as Knorr’s Caldo de Pollo
4 cups cooked rice
In a large pot, fry out the bacon and gradually stir in the chicken pieces to brown them in the bacon fat. Keep stir-frying while adding onion, garlic and peppers. In a bowl whisk broth and tomato paste, then add to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in okra and cook 5 minutes. Stir in bouillon and rice, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cool and package, allowing one cupful concentrate per two-cup serving. To serve, thaw and heat with one cup water per cup of concentrate.
Cook’s note: chicken will dice easier if you freeze it for about 10-20 minutes, depend on size of the pieces. this concentrate is thick and salty. Dilute with water as noted. #CampCooksPlayCornhole
