October 15 Meal: Camping Cuisine Day 1

Shaun and I went camping to celebrate our 10-year dating anniversary.  We knew that we couldn't take a night off from the cooking challenge, so we planned ahead for some camp-friendly meals.  There was an easy make-ahead salad and a stir-fry that were on the menu the first night.  We pulled into the state park and our campsite around dusk, so as Shaun pitched the tent I got dinner started.

Beef, Shiitake, and Snow Pea Stir-Fry

This recipe was from the Fast easy Fresh section.  In order to make things easy I prepped all the vegetables and the meat ahead of time.  First mushrooms and fresh ginger are sauteed, then the sliced sirloin steak is added to the skillet.  The snow peas, green onions, and cilantro are added.  The small started to remind me of something, then when I added the hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, and Chinese five-spice I realized it... I was back in Vietnam!  We went there this summer for a two-week vacation.  All around Vietnam you smell amazing aromas wafting from the skillets that ladies use on the sidewalk to cook up Vietnamese favorites.  One taste and I was back in a hot and sticky Hanoi restaurant. Even with an unruly skillet and gas burner this recipe was super easy!  I even attempted rice.  The water boiled almost instantly and by some miracle I didn't even burn it.

  

Yumminess: 10 out of 10

Cost: Approx. $13 for 2 very large servings

Time: Bon Appetit said 30 minutes for prep and total and I spent about the same amount of time.

Was it worth it?: Definitely.  This will be a go-to easy recipe. 

Beet and Carrot Salad with Coriander and Sesame Salt

 This salad went really well with the stir-fry because of the Asian ingredients.  It was from the Back to Our Roots section.  Also, this is one of the few recipes in this month's issue that doesn't require any cooking.  There's a lot of flavor in this salad from shallots, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, white miso, fresh ginger, orange peel, coriander, and sesame seeds.  All is combined with grated beets and carrots.  I grated the vegetables ahead of time and stored them separate from the dressing, coriander, and sesame seeds.  Once the dressing is in the salad it becomes one bright red mixture because of the beets, but it still tastes great as leftovers. 

Yumminess: 8 out of 10

Cost: Approx. $6 for 4 servings

Time: Bon Appetit said 30 minutes for prep and 1:10 hour total and I spent about the same amount of time.

Was it worth it?: Yes, this was a pretty cheap and easy side dish. 

Apple Torte with Breadcrumb-Hazelnut Crust

This was the cover recipe this past month and was from the Lidia's Friuli article.  I actually made this the night before we went camping.  The crust is made from fresh bread crumbs that are toasted and chopped in the food processor with toasted hazelnuts.  These are folded in with sugar, lemon peel, salt, and a combination of heated whole milk and butter.  The combination sits for a while to absorb the liquid.  One problem I realized I was having was that I didn't finely chop the breadcrumbs, so I think I didn't quite add enough.  The mixture is pressed into a disk and cooled.  The apple filling is a simple combination of Granny Smith apples, sugar, and hard apple cider.  These are cooked together until the apples are very soft.  Finally, the crust is pressed into a tart pan with a removable bottom, the apples are added, and the other half of the crust is added on top and baked.  A little bit of fresh whipped cream on the side and yum!

Yumminess: 9 out of 10

Cost: Approx. $17.50 for 8 servings

Time: Bon Appetit said 1:15 hours for prep and 5 hour total and I spent about the same amount of time.

Was it worth it?: It was good, but I'd only make this once every other year or so because it took a little extra work for the crust than an average apple pie.