Ingredients (serves 4):

• 1 pack of cherry tomatoes – cut in half
• 12 garlic cloves – squashed and cut in half
• 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• Enough pasta for 4 people
• A handful of chopped fresh parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese to serve
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to around 200 degrees C.  Get a large bowl and mix together the tomatoes, garlic, oil, basil, chilli flakes and season with salt and pepper.  Pour the mixture onto an oven tray and place into the oven for around 30 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes are nicely shrivelled, but not burnt!

While the tomatoes are baking, cook the pasta to al dente.  Once cooked, drain off the water and return the pasta to the pan.  Once cooked, pour the tomato mixture (removing any charred bits of garlic) into the pasta along with the parsley and toss until distributed evenly.  Serve into dishes and grate some parmesan over the top.  Enjoy!

You can also add some lightly fried chorizo to finish off the dish.

Ingredients (makes a 2 layered 8 inch cake):

Cake

• 150g caster sugar
• 150g butter
• 3 eggs
• 150g self raising flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1 tablespoon of hot water
• 1 tablespoon of instant coffee (add more if you like it strong)

Icing

• 225g icing sugar
• 100g butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of instant coffee
• 1 tablespoon of hot water

Start by pre-heating the oven to 160 degrees C.

Grease two 8 inch cake tins with a little butter.  Whisk the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.

Whisk the eggs in a mug and gradually add them to the butter and sugar mix with a tablespoon of the flour at a time.  Once you’ve used all of the egg up you should add the rest of the flour along with the baking powder to the mix and fold it in gently.

Dissolve the coffee in the water and fold it into the mixture.  Once the mixture is smooth and consistent, divide it between the two cake tins and bake them in the oven for 30 minutes or so until golden brown.

While the two halves of the cake are baking you should cream together the butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.  Dissolve the coffee in the hot water and beat it into the creamed mixture.  Don’t add to much water or the icing will be too runny.  Whisk and leave until the cakes are baked.

Remove the cakes from the oven once cooked and allow them to cool for a few minutes before removing them from the tins.  Place one half of the cake on the plate that you wish to serve the cake from and smother it with half of the icing mixture.  Place the other cake on top and press it down gently, being careful not to break it.  Cover the top of the cake with the rest of the icing; if you have enough left over you can cover the sides of the cake also.

Top with strawberries if you like!  Enjoy! 🙂

Ingredients (makes a 8-10″ quiche):

• 160g of shortcrust pastry
• 225g of medium-fat curd cheese
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• 150 ml of single cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 large red pepper – chopped into cubes
• 1 courgette – sliced
• 1 red onion – thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves – crushed and sliced
• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons of dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste

Roll out the pastry to around 3-5mm thick and line a flan dish.  Prick the base and put it into the fridge for around 10-15 minutes.  While the pastry is in the fridge heat up a little olive oil in a pan and add the onion, red pepper, courgette and garlic and fry until soft.  Remove from the heat once ready.

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees C.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, curd cheese and cream along with the herbs and some salt and pepper.  Pour the fried vegetables into the bowl and stir around.

Take the pastry lined dish from the fridge and pour the whole mixture into it.  Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top to create a nice even coating.

Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Leave to cool for a few minutes and then cut into slices and serve with some salad and fresh crusty bread.  Yum!

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 3 pork chops
• 3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves – finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons of dried parsley
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

Mix the orange juice, vinegar and 2 cloves of the garlic together in a shallow glass bowl.  Season with a little salt and pepper.  Add the pork and turn to coat well.  Cover with clingfilm and put the bowl into the fridge for up to 3 hours.

To make the gremolata, mix together the parsley, lemon zest and the other garlic clove.  Again, cover with clingfilm and place into the fridge until you’re ready to cook.

Heat a frying pan up over a medium heat with a little olive oil in.  Remove the pork steaks from the marinade and place them into the pan.  Cook on both sides for five minutes or so.  While the pork is cooking pour the marinade into a saucepan and simmer for around five minutes to thicken slightly.

Serve up by placing the pork steak onto a plate, pour a little of the orange sauce over it and then sprinkle some of the gremolata over it.  You could do this with new potatoes, salad or veg, but I went for chips!  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 450g of chicken breasts – chopped into cubes
• 300ml of chicken stock
• 100g of button mushrooms – whole if small enough or cut in half if a little bigger
• 1 tablespoon of cornflour
• 150ml of milk
• 200g of carrots – sliced
• 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary
• 900g of potatoes – chopped, cooked and mashed
• 1 onion – grated
• 100g of cheese – grated
• Salt and pepper

Start by making the filling.  Pour the stock into a large pan and bring to the boil.  Add the chicken and mushrooms and lower to heat to a gentle simmer for 20-30 minutes.  Heat up the oven to 200 degrees C.  Remove the chicken and mushrooms from the pan and transfer them to a large oven dish.

In a bowl, mix together the cornflour and milk and add this to the stock along with the carrots and rosemary.  Season generously to taste.  Pour this mixture over the chicken and mushrooms.  Mix half of the cheese and the onion in with the mashed potato.  Spoon the mashed potato over the chicken, mushroom and carrot etc. mixture, making sure it’s smooth and even.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes or until the potato topping is nice and golden.  Serve up straight away!  Enjoy.

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 1/2 loop of chorizo – cut into 5mm discs
• 1 onion – chopped roughly
• 1 red pepper – chopped into cubes
• 1 yellow pepper – chopped into cubes
• Enough penne pasta for everyone – I chose some giant pasta
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
• A squeeze of tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 2 teaspoons of dried parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry off the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft.  Add the chorizo and briefly fry until the juices run red.  Add the peppers and chopped tomatoes along with the puree and paprika.  Give it a good stir and bring it to the boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.  Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper, give it another stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the sauce is simmering, bring a pan of lightly salted water to the boil and cook the pasta to your liking.  Once it’s cooked, drain off and serve up with the chorizo and sauce.  You can serve the sauce on a bed of the pasta or mix the sauce in with the pasta once you’ve drained it and returned it to its pan.

Enjoy with a glass of red!

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 1 pack of small sausages
• 1 tin of baked beans
• 1 glass of red wine
• 1 pack of bacon – sliced into strips
• 1 onion – chopped
• 1 carrot – sliced
• A handful of mushrooms – sliced
• Mixed herbs
• Salt and pepper

Yet another camping meal!  This is the remnants of everyones food! 🙂

Heat a little oil up in a pan and fry off the onions, bacon and sausages until the meat is browned off.  Add the carrots and mushrooms along with the red wine.  Bring to a gentle simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the baked beans and mixed herbs and stir in.  Season with salt and pepper and continue to simmer for a further ten minutes.  Season once more before serving up with some bread.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

• 6-8 chicken drumsticks
• 3-4 cloves of garlic – crushed and sliced
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper

Another night of camping, another meal!

Combine the marinade ingredients and turn the chicken drumsticks in the mixture well.  Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.  Turn on the oven to 200 degrees C.  Place the drumsticks along with the excess marinade into an oven tray and place in the oven for 15-25 minutes or until the skin is nice and crispy.  Serve up with fries or salad.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves… 12+ ?):

• 1.2 kg of beef – sliced into chunks
• 1 pack of bacon – sliced into strips
• 2 onions – sliced
• 800g of mushrooms – sliced
• 3-4 large carrots – sliced
• 2/3 of a bottle of red wine
• 2-3 large potatoes – cut into cubes
• Olive oil
• 2 vegetable stock cubes (dissolved in about 1 litre of water)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon of thyme
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 4 cloves of garlic – crushed and sliced

This was another recipe I managed to do whilst camping.  It went down very well with all that tried it as it was a bit miserable weather wise and it helped to warm everyones’ cockles!

Start by browning off the meat in a very large pan with some olive oil.  Add the thyme, parsley, garlic and onions and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.  Add in the potatoes, carrots, wine and vegetable stock.  Bring to the boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce to a simmer.  Continue simmering the stew for 40 minutes to an hour to allow all the flavours to infuse together and make the meat tender.  Season and taste regularly whilst it is simmering away.  Add in the mushrooms 20 minutes before you plan on serving up the stew.  If it reduces down too much, add some more water or wine.  You can also add some chilli to this dish to give it a spicy twist.

Serve up once you’re happy with it and enjoy!  It can be eaten on it’s own, with some extra potatoes or veg on the side of simply with some crusty bread to dip in.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

• 1 pack of pork mince
• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of coriander
• 1 teaspoon of dill
• Salt and pepper
• Burger buns

Combine the mince, onion, egg, herbs and salt and pepper in a bowl.  Use your hands to mix the mixture together until consistent.  Take handfuls of it and form into burger shapes, as big or as small as you like.  You can then either fry, grill, bbq or oven cook them!  Throw on some cheese, salad, bacon etc. to finish them off.

I was making these when I was away camping, hence the rather simple nature of them! 🙂

You can’t beat homemade burgers!  Enjoy!