Caravan, camping and holiday cookery

meritaten

tbh - in the UK you are never THAT far from a supermarket! but, saying that, you don't want to spend your holiday making meals!
OH and I have lots of caravan holidays and for that week or two - I relax the 'no ready meal' rule! I also buy a lot of salad etc if there are local farm shops. take foil trays to cook meals in - cuts down on washing up!
use Jar Sauces, like the Pasta or Potato Bakes, Curry sauces and microwave rice or easy cook pasta packets. its 'short cut' cookery and for a week or two it isn't going to damage your health.
oh and desserts can be dead simple - a few meringue nests bashed up, some strawberries or raspberrys and a can of squirty cream........Eton Mess!
some bananas and some brown sugar fried - caramelised bananas! and a squirt of the cream is lovely!


forgot to say - have a great holiday! oh, and take packs of playing cards and colouring books and pens for the um, 'rainy days'!

Steve059

Try this ...

THREE TIN BEEF STEW

Makes 4 x 250ml bowls

INGREDIENTS

1 tin of stewed steak in gravy
1 tin of new potatoes in water
1 tin of sliced carrots or garden peas in water

METHOD

Open the tin of steak. Put the steak and gravy into a saucepan.

Open the tin of potatoes. Drain the water into the saucepan. Cut the potatoes into 2cm (1 inch) pieces. Add the potatoes to the saucepan.

Open the tin of carrots or peas. Add them and the water to the saucepan.

Stir thoroughly.

Put the saucepan on a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling. Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook for 5 minutes until the potatoes are cooked.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Add a beef stock cube.

Add a teaspoon of dried parsley.

Use both carrots and peas.

TIPS

If any of the potatoes are damaged, mash them up and add them to the saucepan. They will help to thicken the stew.

System

Well ive just done 10 days in Devon and only ate out twice. Once on the way there and one night where we just had kebab meat and chips (and felt bloated afterwards).

I ordered my shopping online on the evening we got there and the shopping was delivered the next day straight to our caravan. Obviously I had to be careful with what I bought because the fridge isn't as big as the one I have at home and the freezer is tiny.

I bought 5 bags of small salad type potatoes which I kept in the coolest place in the caravan (in the cupboard under the bathroom sink).

Tinned veg of various kinds and mixed salad.

Oven ready chicken portions (already in foil), cod in butter sauce (microwaveable or boil in the bag), lamb shanks (microwavable in the bag not sure if you can boil it), birds eye beef slices, pork chops (damn I had to cook them properly), Fray Bentos pies (shoved in the oven) and left to cook, oven ready gammon (already in foil).

Gravy granules.

Breakfasts consisted of full English for his master and I just had muesli.

We didn't eat dinner or if we did it was a chocolate bar to keep us going.... oh yeah and the endless supply of cream cakes hubby kept buying as we passed a shop which I wouldn't recommend if your trying to keep control of your waistline.

Milk I bought in cartons to save having to store them in the fridge.

sheba

We camp in our vw camper a lot and I've found a few staples that might help you out. I always roast a chicken to take with us and then you have many options-chicken with pots/veg or (if warm enough) salad or throw into pasta with sauce not to mention lunch options of chicken sandwiches, chopped chicken/sweet corn/Mayo (yum) sure you get the idea. Likewise I bake a ham and take that with us too, giving many similar options and should take you through at least three days. Having them cooked and ready to go is a real godsend and minimal fuss beforehand- gives you breathing time to access your options and grocery shop there. Another tip, if you think you like this idea and may take ham /chicken away with you in future, invest in suitably sized Tupperware to put them in and save yourself a fortune in foil and be sure no wee beasties can get in/juices dribble out. HTH and hope you have oodles of fun with your family

Anne_Marie_2

A big cool box to transport your essential chilled and frozen items. If you don't have one or can't borrow, wrap your chilled and frozen foodstuffs in newspapers/magazines. Will keep them chilled/frozen for that bit longer. I'd tend to do spag bol/chilli/veg quiche.

Think about buying long life milk to last you at least until the next day, or as a stand by in the cupboard. Doesn't need chilling unless opened, and doubt anyone would notice the difference in taste unless drinking it straight. I've had it with cereal, and it's been fine. Good for making white sauce/custard, really anything that you need milk for cooking, and obviously for tea and coffee.

As to what easy ready packet, chilled and frozen food to take, really, it's what you and your family will eat. I've tried the Lidl's mashed packet potatoes, and found them really not bad at all, despite hating instant packet mash. Get some canned food, meat, fruit and veg that you know that your family will eat. May not be what you will normally eat, but some hot dogs with beans and instant mash, or in a burger bun with beans, might just be a right wee treat for the little ones. Tin of tuna, tin of sweetcorn, mixed up with mayo for sandwiches or/and as filling for baked potatoes, or with heated tinned potatoes.

Spanish omelette, using tinned potatoes chopped up, peppers, onions and eggs, maybe bit of grated cheese. (Use any veg whether fresh or canned that you have). Serve with bread and butter.

Caravan cooking is always a bit of an adventure, especially if you are hiring one, and have no idea of the cookware and utensils available. No matter what, I used to take a pair of scissors, an all purpose kitchen knife, a wooden spoon, a can opener, and the most important of all, a corkscrew that I could use for the wine when we had got the wee one down to bed.

mum2one

tin of mince beef and onion, stock cube, pototoes = shepherds pie

bacon - use as part of breakfast (fry up), and also add pasta sauce, pasta - carbonara, - pasta bake

spanish omellette - use the odd bits of items up.

hope you have a good holiday xx

MallyGirl

Not meals as such but I always take a small set of basic condiments for cooking - it is a pain to have to go and buy salt, pepper, garlic, chilli, whatever in local shops at big markups when you have it in stock at home.

carriebradshaw

take some quick cook or microwave pasta and when it's cooked drained & hot,stir in some cheese spread/philly cheese or store brand cream cheese for a no fuss but tasty macaroni cheese type dinner, it's lovely

Tink_04

Thanks everyone I'm going to make some stuff tomorrow to pop in the freezer then can defrost on the way and live in the fridge till ready. We are only going for a week so shouldn't be so bad. Thinking Spaghetti bolognase - hot dogs and buns - make a mince pie - cold meats and salad stuff - pizzas. Going to write my full list tonight and have little sandwich bags to put tea/coffee ext in - just thinking of kids snacks and kitchen stuff now

meritaten

most if not all caravans have microwaves - so microwave popcorn is dead simple.
I take a bag of mixed choc bars and sweets - they get dumped in whatever bowl is available and punnets of grapes too. tbh - I do that at home as well when the grandkids stay!you could also take some Nutellsa, and some rice cakes or crostini - quite a substantial 'snack'.
my kids loved Rittz with a smear of philly and topped with a slice of cucumber or tomato.


try this 'caravan' recipe. the only fresh ingredient is onion - but, a bunch of spring onions could do the job too.
Tin of New potatoes or a packet of instant mash.
tin of corned beef
tin of carrots
(you can add tinned sweetcorn too if you like it).
drain potatoes and carrots and put a large pan on to heat, roughly chop the potatoes or make up the mash, and carrots (or crush them a bit). add some oil to pan and put in chopped onions, then add the potatoes and carrots and the sweetcorn if using it. allow to heat through while you open the corned beef and roughly chop it.
stir the corned beef into the veg and mix it up. now flatten it down a bit and allow to brown underneath. you can flip it over and brown both sides but I don't bother. serve with brown or red sauce (OH likes a fried egg on his).