Camping Food

David and I went camping last weekend, and I wanted to go beyond our standard lazy camping food (heating up a can of stew, for example).  So I asked Google, and here were the things I found and tried - all of which I'd recommend.

Diced Chicken and Veggies Foil Dinner (I got this one here.  We had an extra one of these when we got home, so I just dumped everything in a pan and cooked it that way.  Still fantastic.)

Ingredients: – per meal

1. 1 boneless/skinless chicken breast – diced chunks
2. 2 – 3 thick Red onion slices – per taste *1 lg. Red onion will do about 3 meals
3. 1 cup Red potato chunks – approx. 1″ skin-on, (about 2 “normal” med-size Red potatoes)
4. 1 whole carrot – 1/2″ slices
5. 1 cup assorted sweet peppers, (Red, Green, Yellow), – sliced approx. 1/4″ thick
6. 2 tsp. Campbells Cream of Chicken condensed soup – straight from can (I used a lot more than that)
7. Salt & pepper – generous, but to taste

Cooking marinade Ingredients: *makes enough for 4-6 meals

1. 1/2 cup canola or olive oil
2. 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3. 1 tablespoon garlic powder
4. 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1 teaspoon dried basil
7. 1 teaspoon dried thyme

Mix all marinade ingredients and set aside.

Start with a layer of Red onions, the add the diced chicken. Top the chicken with the potatoes and carrots, then add the sweet peppers. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the cooking marinade over everything, (make sure marinade is well-stirred), then add 2-tbsp. dollop of the cream of chicken soup – top – center.

Wrap carefully with folded closures, (2-layers of foil), and cook in mature coals for 30 – 45 minutes.
Slice open and enjoy!

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops Foil Dinner  (This one is much less prep, and it was David's favorite.  I got it from here.)

• 1 boneless pork chop
• 1/3 cup apricot preserves
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• ½ package frozen stir-fry vegetates
• garlic powder, salt, pepper

Mix together the apricot preserves, the soy sauce, and any seasoning you’d like to add. Place the pork chop in the center of the sheet of foil (I chopped mine up beforehand). Spread half of the apricot sauce on top. Put the veggies on top/around the pork chop. Pour the rest of the sauce over the whole thing. Wrap in foil. Place on hot coals and cook for 20 minutes.

Muffins in an Orange Shell

True confession: we didn't get around to making these while we were camping because we never felt like building a fire in the morning.  But since we went to all the trouble to gather the whole entire two ingredients (one of them from our backyard), we did this one when we went home.  Could we have just baked muffins in a pan, like normal?  Yes, but as they say on the website, this way is infinitely cooler.

• 6 oranges
• 1 package of just add water muffin mix

Mix up the muffin mix as instructed. Cut off the quarter top of the oranges. Carefully scoop out the pulp; do not break the skin. Pour the muffin mix into the oranges. Wrap the oranges in foil, crimping the foil around the hole at top of the shell, but leaving it open.

Place the oranges upright in a stable position on hot coals and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

Makes six servings. Well, if you’re someone who can stop at one muffin.

And finally, a nice snack for while you're out and about:

Gooey Almond and Coconut Chex Mix (from here.)

Ingredients:
1 (14 oz-17 oz) box of Rice OR Corn Chex cereal
1 (7 oz) bag of sweetened coconut
1 (5 oz) bag of almonds (about 1 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) margarine or butter
1 1/4 cups light corn syrup (like Karo syrup)
Dash of salt

Directions:
Spray a LARGE bowl with non-stick cooking spray. Pour in the entire box of Chex cereal, coconut, and almonds. Gently mix together.

Mix together the sugar, butter, light corn syrup, and dash of salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a full boil, turn heat down to medium, and cook for three minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over the cereal mixture in the big bowl and stir evenly.
Spread cereal evenly on wax paper and let cool (even though it’s delicious to eat while warm, too!).

Once it cools, you can store it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag and it lasts for a couple of days.

Happy camping!