Here are 7 of the foodie products that I checked out on my latest wander around Sainsbury’s that I think are really useful for camping. For me, camping food needs to be: quick, easy to store, NOT cause too much washing-up, and of course, be tasty.
Enjoy…
- SHELDON’S BUNS
(No, not the botty cheeks of a weirdo physicist for those of you who watch Big Bang lol). We love these oven-bottom muffins and they make a change from normal rolls or brioche buns but do exactly the same job. Great for a burger. To toast them – cut in half across the middle and place the cut side down on a dry frying pan and toast on medium heat for a few minutes while checking.
2. SWEET CHILLI SAUCE
This is an amazingly versatile sauce that most people forget about. It goes with different types of foods and is great mixed with a little mayonnaise and smeared on the inside of a burger bun or added to a wrap. It’s also great poured over chicken or added to pan-fried prawns. You can let it down into a salad dressing by adding a dash of light vinegar, lemon juice and honey. Also great as a dip for raw veggies or nachos but I prefer it mixed with the mayo for this. You can also add it to cream cheese to add to pasta or just spread your chili cheese on toast.
3. DRIED MANGO WITH LIME
Any sort of dried fruit is great for the van as it is a quick and easy snack. However, this little, mango offering from Sainsbury’s is divine. It’s not cheap so maybe have it as a treat. Another way that you can use dried fruit in the van is to chop up your fruit, add it to a saucepan with a little water or fruit juice and just stew it slowly. Serve it warm with a dollop of natural yogurt and a good sprinkle of cinnamon. You can use fruits such as: figs, dates, sultanas, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, apples or whatever floats your boat. (My partner asked me what I was going to call this dish and I said “Bob”, so it is now known as ‘Fruit Bob’!
4. CLASSIC CROISSANTS
The humble croissant is not just a breakfast favourite plied with butter and jam. It is also great for a savory lunch and there are many fillings you can add to it that are often never mentioned. Try:
- brie, bacon and maple syrup,
- goats cheese and onion marmalade
- shaved ham, gruyere cheese and seedy mustard
- curried egg mayo and cress (just add half a teaspoon of your favourite curry powder to a ready-made tub of egg mayo)
- tuna salad (toss together some canned tuna, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, chopped red onion, celery, capers, lemon juice, parsley and Dijon mustard until combined. Then smear away…)
5. JUICY MEATS IN A TIN
You can now buy lots of pre-cooked meats in cans and they taste pretty good. If you were at home you might put it in a dish and slap a piece of flaky pastry on the top and pop it in the oven, but in the van we like to do a sort of cottage pie. Make up some mashed potato, heat the meat up in a saucepan and then serve the meat in a pasta bowl with the mash on top. Serve with some veg like peas or carrots. They have lots of different types of meats that include: stewed steak, minced beef & onions, beef casserole, beef bolognese, chili con carne, and chicken in white sauce. There is even a range of curries if you fancy a more spicy version.
6. ORZO
Orzo is a type of dried pasta that looks like big grains of rice. It cooks really quickly (8-10 minutes) and there are a lot of recipes that it can be used in:
- Cook like a pasta and serve with a pasta sauce as normal
- Cook and cool and serve it as part of a salad. (love this recipe: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/orzo-halloumi-salad/
- Add it to soups to make them more robust
- Use it in a risotto instead of rice (an orzotto!).
7. HUMBLE OATMEAL
Porridge is a great way to start the day when you are in a campervan as it keeps you feeling full until lunchtime, especially if you are burning calories doing your sport. I prefer oatmeal to actual oats as it cooks more quickly as is often creamier. To make your oatmeal even better, add some water and/or milk (coconut or almond milk are lovely), add a pinch of salt and soak it overnight in the saucepan you are going to cook it in. Then just pop it on the cooker in the morning. Cooks in about 5 minutes. I like to add maple syrup to mine but you could also add sooo much more… https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/new-oatmeal-toppings …
Anyway, I hope this has given you a few more ideas on how to zhuzh up your campervan catering and I hope it makes your camping holidays even better.
Happy Eating!
Photo by Joshua Rawson-Harris on Unsplash