August | 2013 | Mommy. Foodie. Athlete.
I may have found a camping dessert that is actually better than s’mores. I would have never thought that fruit for dessert would beat ooey gooey s’mores, but wow, this is incredible! This recipe serves two, but you probably want to at least double it! Not here for paleo, top the finished product with vanilla Greek yogurt!
I used white peaches, but this recipe could be used on yellow peaches, apricots, or nectarines.
1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Place peaches on a piece of aluminum foil, and create a packet.
3. Build your campfire and allow to form embers. Place packet dirty in embers for 5 minutes.
After a long day of hiking, the last thing I want to do is attempt to prepare dinner in the woods. I was able to prepare this the day before, and then just make a fire to cook it up! I used frozen shrimp, which thawed overnight in the cooler, but ensured freshness.
1. Before leaving on your camping trip, combine all ingredients in a ziplock bag. Keep shrimp frozen if you plan on using the next day, or defrost if you are going to use that night.
2. When ready to cook, build a hot fire to produce embers. Make a flat pile of them and place a flame resistant pot directly on them.
3. Add shrimp, stirring frequently. Depending on temperature, cook time may vary. Cook until shrimp curl and are pink, approximately 10 minutes.
It is hard to cook paleo while camping… kind of ironic since that’s all the cavemen did! Who doesn’t want hotdogs and s’mores?!? This foil packet salmon is so satisfying and easy that I bet any caveman would turn in those calorie laden meals for this one!
I made the packets before heading out to camp. As soon as we got there, I got a fire going nice and hot to create embers and then used them to cook the packet.
1. Before heading out on your trip, assemble the packet. Drizzle olive oil on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Lay out half the lemon slices and top with half the parsley. Place the salmon on the parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remainder of the parsley and lemons, pour wine over, and form a tightly sealed packet. Keep it in the cooler until ready to cook.
2. Upon getting to your campsite, make a hot fire to create embers. Place packet directly on embers and cook for 8 minutes on each side.
3. Carefully remove the packet and let cool for a minute until opening. Be careful of the steam!
We have a little Mediterranean seafood restaurant in town where we have always enjoyed grilled bronzini (sometimes also referred to as branzini or Mediterranean sea bass). The waiter always looks at us a bit funny when we stop him from filleting it for us at the table. Why order the whole fish if you don’t enjoy all of the perks of it?! The little morsels of meat that get stuck to the bone are scrumptious, and the itty bitty “cheek” is the best part of the whole meal!
Luckily, we were able to sample some bronzini while on our Mediterranean honeymoon of a lifetime, which makes it a romantic dish for us. I was thrilled to see it at the Portuguese supermarket today (on the way back from Social Security Administration… Changing your name is NO fun) and immediately knew I wanted to surprise my hubby with it tonight! I am adding a Portuguese twist by creating a piri piri molho (directly translated means “gravy” but could also mean “sauce” or “juice”) to drizzle on top of the fish and serving with a fresh crispy salad.
1. Rinse fish, pat dry, drizzle with olive oil, and rub with kosher salt.
2. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill for 5-7 minutes per side.
3. While fish is grilling, heat olive oil and onions over medium high heat in a small saucepan until fragrant. Add remaining ingredients except for parsley and simmer until fish is cooked.
4. When fish is done, remove from grill, and plate. Stir parsley into molho and pour over each fish.
In the cold winter months, I love a super thick and slow cooked chili, but it would be a shame to waste the freshness of my garden veggies on that. This chicken chili recipe is much quicker to cook and keeps the freshness of all the ingredients.
1. Over high heat in a non stick skillet, brown chicken and then drain any liquid.
2. Whole the chicken is browning, heat olive oil over medium high heat in a big pot. Add onions and garlic and sauté until fragrant.
3. Add chili powder, paprika, salt, all peppers, and tomatoes to the pot, and heat until bubbling. Add chicken, stir and cover. Lower heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for 45 minutes while stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in beans and corn and cook for 5 more minutes.
I am running out of ways to use the bazillions (ok, maybe not that many) of tomatoes that our garden is producing! If you have any suggestions for me, please comment!
Tonight, I was craving clams. You all know that I love the spiced up dishes, so spiced up clams with tomatoes leads to one awesome possibility…Fra Diavolo sauce!
1. In a big pot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, peppers, and garlic and cook for several minutes until fragrant.
2. Add wine and stir to deglaze the pot. Bring to a boil.
3. Add tomatoes and red pepper flakes, stir, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add clams and basil, stir and cover. Cook until all clams are opened while stirring occasionally.
5. Serve immediately. Over zucchini noodles would be awesome!
This sauce was SO good! I made the recipe with fluke that I caught fresh that day, but any whole fish would be delicious with this sauce!
1. Drizzle olive oil on fish and rub with kosher salt.
2. Preheat grill to medium high and grill fish for 8 minutes per side or until cooked through.
3. While fish is grilling, heat oil in a saucepan over medium high heat, and sauté garlic until fragrant. Add white wine and lemon juice, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add capers and oregano, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Remove fish from grill, remove skin if desired, and pour sauce over.
I don’t know why I don’t make pork more often. It is delicious and healthy! I think that as I grew up, trichinosis fears lead to overcooked and very chewy pork chops. When cooked right, it is juicier and more flavorful than chicken.
1. Preheat grill to medium high. Grill peppers until cooked through – about 5 minutes per side.
2. Grill pork chops, eggplant, and tomatoes for 5 minutes per side.
3. While pork and veggies are grilling, in a food processor, purée red peppers, Serrano peppers, olive oil, walnuts, sundried tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper.
4. Plate pork chop, top with grilled eggplant and tomatoes, and top with pepper purée.
In an attempt to keep up with the garden, I was trying to think of a dish that uses peppers. I wrote the recipe for two bell peppers, but don’t be afraid to try different combinations of smaller ones! My version actually had 2 Italian roasters, an Anaheim, a Serrano, and a habanero.
1. Preheat grill to medium high heat. Grill peppers and corn until browned on all sides.
2. In a small bowl, mix dry spices. Use about half to rub the buffalo steaks. Grill for about 7 minutes per side.
3. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Cook until browned.
4. Cut the peppers open and remove the stems and seeds. Cut the corn off the cob. Add peppers and corn to the onions and add the remainder of the dry spices. Allow to cook for one minute to blend flavors.
5. Pile peppers, onions, and corn on top of the buffalo steaks and enjoy!
This is a first! A dessert blog from me! I have married a man who makes incredible desserts, so why even bother trying on my own?? On our honeymoon, we were served grilled nectarines and figs topped with Greek yogurt and a simple syrup. This is my take on it! The fact that we went peach picking today probably made it taste even better!!
1. Heat your grill to medium heat. Cut the stems off the figs and half and pit the peach.
2. Grill fruit while turning frequently for 15 minutes.
3. Plate peach and top with dig and spoonful of yogurt. Drizzle with honey, and enjoy!