Dear George,
Aside from microwaving Lean Cuisines and tossing salads with iceberg lettuce, I don’t do much cooking at home. When I go camping though, I carefully pick and prepare a menu from the many dozens of camping recipes that I’ve accumulated over the years. As a contribution to the public well-being, I describe a few of my favorites here.
Love,
Dave
BREAKFAST
Breakfast Hash (serves 4)
Ingredients:
3-4 medium potatoes, diced
1 package sausage links, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup diced red, green, yellow pepper
8 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 - 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
How to prepare:
Cook the potatoes in a buttered skillet for about ten minutes. Then add the sausage, Onion, mushroom, and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are cooked through. Pour in the beaten eggs, and cook until the eggs are done. Top with shredded cheese, and let it melt. (Note: the various vegetables are optional. Crumbled fried bacon can be substituted for sausage links.)
Cheeseburger Breakfast (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 Hamburger patties
6 eggs
Shredded cheese
Salt and pepper
How to Prepare:
Fry the hamburger patties, and then set them aside. Scramble the eggs in the hamburger grease. While the eggs are cooking, cut the burger patties into bite sized pieces. When the eggs are done, remove from heat, add the burger pieces and cheese, and let sit for a minute or two till the cheese is melted. Add salt and pepper.
Grilled Breakfast Sandwich (serves two)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 - 4 slices of Black Forest Ham
2 - 4 slices of cheddar or American cheese
4 - 6 slices of white bread
Maple syrup
How to Prepare:
Beat the eggs, pour in milk, and mix together. Dip bread in the mixture and cook both sides until golden. Add one slice of cheese and one slice of ham between two slices of the cooked bread. Serve with maple syrup.
LUNCH OR SUPPER
Ground Beef Stroganoff (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
black pepper, to taste
granulated garlic, to taste
cooked noodles
How to Prepare:
Brown meat in saute pan. Discard fat. Add chopped onions and cook until transparent. Add cream of mushroom soup (but no water), Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and garlic. Simmer. Serve over cooked noodles. (Note: can substitute sliced chicken breasts for ground beef.)
Skillet Scramble (serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef (or ground sausage, ground turkey, etc.)
1 medium bell pepper
1 medium red pepper
1 medium onion
3 medium tomatoes
6 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese (or 4 slices work)
Salsa
Salt, pepper
How to Prepare:
Brown meat, onion, pepper, tomatoes, and seasonings. Drain. Add eggs and scramble all together until eggs are done. Take off heat and add cheese on top to melt. Serve with salsa on the side (optional).
Fried Fish Fillets with Lemon Mustard Butter (serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 medium sized fish fillets (e.g., trout)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons oil
5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 teaspoons French style mustard
1 teaspoon parsley flakes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
How to Prepare:
Mix the salt and milk together. Dip each fillet in the mixture, then roll in flour. Heat the oil and 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet or pan. Fry the fish until they are tender and crispy. Remove fish from the pan and keep warm. Quickly stir the mustard, the remaining butter, and the parsley flakes into the butter in the pan. Add the lemon juice, bring to a boil, and pour the hot lemon-mustard butter over the fish.
Quick & Easy Chicken Stir Fry (serves 2)
Ingredients:
Rice (or noodles, pasta)
Chicken (or sausage, bacon, etc.)
Assorted vegetables (e.g., peppers, onions, mushrooms, beans, carrots, broccoli)
Pasta sauce (or curry sauce, Chinese sauce, etc.)
How to Prepare:
Cut up the meat and put it in a heated pan with a little oil. Once the meat has browned, add the chopped vegetables. Stir fry, then add
a jar of pasta sauce. Serve with rice or noodles.
