Camping Cuisine - S'mores!

No camping trip is complete without making s'mores. They are a huge hit with everyone and the kids love them. My husband is a pro marshmallow roaster so he is always put to work. The key to a good s'more is to place the chocolate on half of a graham cracker near the fire and let it heat up while you roast your marshmallows. Once you combine the marshmallows with the chocolate, it's melted and gooey and makes one excellent dessert.

• Graham crackers
• Hershey's chocolate bar
• Large marshmallows

Place a bit of chocolate on half of a graham cracker and place on a rock near the fire.

Place two marshmallows on a large stick. Roast the marshmallows near a flame turning frequently so you don't burn them. Continue to roast until they are golden brown. Slide the marshmallows onto the chocolate and graham cracker, top with the other half of the cracker. Enjoy!

Patience is key to a perfectly roasted marshmallow

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Camping Cuisine - Pastrami and Swiss on Rye

I wanted to make something healthy yet hearty for lunch so I decided on Pastrami sandwiches on rye bread with Swiss cheese and tomato slices. I served it with hummus, crackers, carrots and left over pasta salad. It was a flavorful lunch and really tasted good. Grilling the sandwiches made them extra tasty and I loved the different textures - soft and gooey inside and crisp outside. Simple, quick and so delicious.

• Rye Bread
• Pastrami
• Tomato slices
• Onions Slices
• Swiss cheese
• Mayonnaise
• Mustard

Spread mayonnaise and mustard on each side of bread. Layer with pastrami, then tomato slices, onions, then cheese, top with additional slice of bread. Place sandwich on a dry skillet over medium flame. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown and the cheese is melting. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Camping Cuisine - Breakfast Sandwiches

One of the best things about camping is drinking your morning coffee around the campfire and eating a tasty breakfast. I always seem to have a huge appetite while camping, maybe it's the fresh air, or all the activities and adventures we do, or maybe I just love food. I made breakfast sandwiches with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, onions and cheese one morning and they were so good. I served them with a hash brown patty (Trader Joe's), turkey sausage and turkey bacon. It was a filling and delicious breakfast that was quick and simple to make.

• 12 eggs, whisked thoroughly
• 6 oz of mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• English muffins
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• Cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add mushrooms and onions and saute for about 5 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Add the egg mixture and slowly cook turning frequently. Once the eggs are cooked, remove from heat and add cheese and season with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Scoop eggs onto an English muffin and serve. Enjoy.

The beautiful outdoors

The Clackamas River

Click here for a printable version of this recipe

Camping Cuisine - Flank Steak with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms alongside Asparagus and Tomatoes

Another great camping meal is flank steak and fresh vegetables. Steak is really easy to prepare ahead of time. I marinate the meat in a gallon size zip lock bag, it's easy to store in the cooler and the clean up is quick. Fresh vegetables are so delicious and easy to prepare while camping too. They don't need much - just a bit of salt and pepper. I served the asparagus and tomatoes alongside rice (topped with crunchy onions) and a flank steak served with sauteed mushrooms and onions. The meal was really good and hearty - perfect after a few games of bocce ball and baseball.

• Flank steak (click here for recipe)
• Button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 sweet yellow onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• Rice, prepared per instructions
• French's crunchy onions

I used my Carne Asada marinade for the flank steak. It's an amazing marinade that is very versatile and full of flavor!

Prepare rice per instructions. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and mushrooms until caramelized and golden brown; add garlic, sea salt and pepper then stir frequently for 45 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, grill flank steak to your liking, then set aside to rest for at least five minutes before slicing against the grain.

While the steak is resting, prepare the asparagus and tomatoes.

• 1 lbs asparagus spears, washed and trimmed of ends and cut into thirds
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, washed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a skillet over a medium flame, saute asparagus and tomatoes for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Season with sea salt and cracked pepper. Enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - For the Love of Cooking.net

Camping Cuisine - Pasta Salad

We headed to the mountains this past weekend and spent four wonderful (rain free) days camping with our friends. I have gone camping my entire life and enjoy it immensely. I love everything about it... coming up with delicious camp food recipes, sleeping in my tent, watching my kids make s'mores and sitting by the fire. I also love camp cooking, yes, I said camp cooking. My wonderful in laws gave us a "camp kitchen" for Christmas two years ago and it is the GREATEST camping gadget - EVER (thank you Bud & Fran). It gives me all the work space I need plus a place to organize my food, spices and dishes.

My little outdoor kitchen

This pasta salad was really tasty! I served it with a chicken teriyaki burger and fresh cherries. It was a delicious dinner that the kids and adults enjoyed - it really hit the spot after a long day of playing outside. The pasta was light, fresh, easy to make and tasted so good. Not bad for camp food.

• Rotini (or pasta of choice), cooked per instructions
• Handful of cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 large cucumber, seeded & diced
• 1/4 sweet yellow onion, diced
• 1 orange bell pepper, diced
• Feta cheese
• Fran's Simple Vinaigrette (click here for recipe)
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Cook pasta per instructions, drain and cool. Once the pasta has cooled, add the cherry tomato halves, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, feta cheese and basil then mix thoroughly. Slowly add the vinaigrette, salt and pepper. Taste and add more dressing as needed.

I served this salad with a Chicken Teriyaki Burger with Grilled Pineapple (click here for recipe) and it was an excellent combination.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe