Beef & Broccoli

A tasty meal for a special occasion, preparation before leaving home is key.  

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

50g unsalted cashew nuts

400g frying beef steak, cut in thin strips

1  head broccoli cut into florets

4 sticks celery sliced thinly

150ml beef stock made from a cube

2 tbsp horseradish sauce

2 tbsp low-fat fromage frais

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the nuts and toss for a few secs until lightly toasted. Set aside.

Season the thinly cut steak strips with salt & pepper and fry over a high until brown. Set aside with the nuts. 

Tip the broccoli and celery into the pan and stir-fry for 2 mins, then add the stock, cover and simmer for 2 mins. Meanwhile, mix the horseradish and fromage frais together.

Return the steak to the pan and toss with the veg, then sprinkle over the nuts and serve with the creamy horseradish. Great with mashed potatoes.

Adapted from a Recipe published in the BBC Good Food Magazine

Salmon Casserole

Ingredients

2 pers.
4-5 new potatoes
1/2 onion
1/2 dl creme fraiche
100 g smoked salmon in thin slices
2 tsbp dried or fresh dill
1 tbsp butter salt and pepper

Method

Cut the potatoes in small cubes. Peel the onion and cut it in thin slices. Fry the potatoes and onion in half of the butter in your Trangia frying pan. When the potatoes are soft add the creme fraiche and stir. Finally add the salmon slices and make sure every thing is hot. Let the rest of the butter melt in the casserole with the dish and add the dried dill. Salt and pepper to your taste. Ready to serve!

This sounds mouth watering, ideal for a special meal when camping out of the car, not for going light.

This recipe is taken from the Trangia Handbook that came with my Trangia kit.

Bangers (Pork Sausages)

After fish & chips, bangers and mash are favorites with us Brits.  There is nothing like a well cooked pork sausage and freshly made mashed potatoes.  Perhaps served with baked beans, HP Sauce or Tomato Ketchup.

Ingredients

Organic pork sausages from a butchers are the best, the thinner variety of sausages cook quicker so are the wisest choice.
Optional mustard or tomato ketchup

Method

Cooking bangers is simply a matter of frying them slowly, as slowly as possible.
Fry in the frying pan (the skillet for my colonial brethren) with a little oil, butter or fat.  I use the simmer ring exposing just a third of the flame.  Turn the sausages often to ensure they do not stick or burn, but cook and brown evenly.  This will take about 15 minutes.  (Enough time for potatoes to cook in the cosy or thermos flask, using just one fill of stove).

I love bangers & mash, but this enjoyable meal is best for camping out of the car, where the sausages can be stored safely in a cool box.  Fresh meat products are best not carried about in a rucksack whilst trekking. 

Mashed Potato

After fish & chips, bangers and mash are favorites with us Brits.  There is nothing like a well cooked pork sausage and freshly made mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

200 grams of potato per person
Optional, butter, salt, cream, chives or spring onions.

Method

The main trick with cooking root vegetables on a alcohol stove is cut the potatoes small.
Cut potatoes into 1cm cubes.  Add about 300 mltrs of water and bring to a rolling boil for about 15 minutes. Once the potato is soft, drain and mash.
But you can save fuel if you bring the potatoes to a rolling boil for just one minute only then put the pan into a pot cozy, or transfer the potato and boiling water into thermos food flask for 15 to 20 minutes (they will continue to cook) drain and mash.  You can add salt and or butter to taste.

Going light

Potatoes are heavy and do not lend themselves to going light.  You can use dehydrated potatoes which are convenient and indeed light, but they are ghastly compared to real potatoes.

Variations

Add cream, some chopped chives or the chopped green leaves of spring onions.

Freeze Dried Meals

 I do not like processed foods.

I like raw food preferably organic.
Freeze Dried Meals are part of my nightmare, but there are times Freeze Dried Meals are the way to go.  e.g. on the International Space Station, antarctic expeditions etc.



I thought I would dislike Freeze Dried Meals produced for campers etc.  So I was very surprised when I tried one.  It was tasty, filling easy.

The zip lock packet can be reused, perhaps to store your refuse so can leave no trace.

I have got to recommend them for the Trangia, but for emergency use only.  They are expensive, highly processed and I am not convinced they are good for you.

I am inclined to purchase Freeze Dried Meals in the convenience food section in the local super market were the equivalent meals are 20% the price, rather than the camping store.

All you have to do is follow the instructions on the packet and you have something to eat.

Coffee (Cowboy Coffee)

Why Cowboy Coffee? 

Clearly freeze dried coffee in jars, sachets or repacked is the norm, but for some this is not enough.  Being a Limey Brit tea is my beverage of preference, but I can see the need for some to be able to make real coffee whilst out with a Trangia.  I had a boss who was like a bear with a sore head until she had two espressos in the morning.  So for some it is essential.



If you have a Trangia Pan Stand (part 612527) you would be able to use an espresso machine or percolator, but you can use less fuel and carry less kit if you make cowboy coffee.
I admit, coffee snobs may turn there noses up at this method, but you can make a strong cup of real coffee with this method without specialist kit.

Ingredients

25 grams Ground Coffee (finely ground preferably) per 250ml of water.
Optional, milk, sugar, cream, whiskey.

Method

Bring 500ml of water to a rolling boil.
Remember to use the fry pan as a lid it will be faster and use less fuel. 
When at a rolling boil add 50 grams of ground coffee to the water, keep boiling for 1 to 2 minutes.
Take off the heat. Extinguish the flames. Stir vigorously for a fews seconds. Add a splash of cold water to the center of the pan, and a splash on the side where you might pour from.  Now let it stand for a minute for the grounds to settle to the bottom of the pan.  Pour very slowly into your cups, taking care not to disturb the grounds which ought to have settled.

Going light

Freeze dried coffee is convenient and light, but if you want real coffee, this is fairly light.

Variations

Adding more, or less coffee to taste.
Milk, sugar, Cream to taste.

Not boiling the coffee once the ground coffee is added to the water. Just stirring the brew after the coffee is added, leaving it stand for two or three minutes, then stirring and then leaving to stand for a further minute before serving.  But some of the grounds will not settle if you do not boil.  Also the drink may not be as hot.

Porridge

Ingredients

Per Person

60 grms Porridge Oats

250 mls Milk

Salt

Sugar

Sultanas

Method

Pour milk into pan and bring to the boil.  Remove pan, place on simmer ring and add oats to the milk.  Return pan to the heat with the simmer the ring fitted and stir continuously until oats swell and cook through. (about 3 or 4 minutes).

Add sugar, sultanas or salt to taste

Going light

When going light you may want to use 50 grms of milk powder & 250m mlts of water.

Variations

Some people (often from Scotland) make porridge just with water and salt.

Options are to add some chocolate powder or fresh or dried fruit, like raspberries.