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Dinners

Stop right there, Mister! Slowly back away from the hot dogs! This is an order! Don’t make me have to use force! There’s LOTS of choices to make for dinner, and none of them require a can of beans and a stick! Whether you’re alone, with your snuggle bunny or a large group of friends, try out some of these dishes and see how gourmet the great wilderness can be!

Pastas
Can you boil water, boys and girls? I knew you could! Now how about adding a little pasta in there? Good! Now, why not have a little fun with that and round off your meal! At home, grill and cube some chicken or Italian sausage, onions and peppers, then add a jar of your favorite pasta sauce, like Newman's Own Sockarooni. (Remember, there's plenty of vegan alternatives out there! Morningstar makes great burger and Italian-style crumbles as well as "chicken" and "steak" strips, and you can find them at most supermarkets!) Bag it up, freeze it and bring it with you to camp! Add this to freshly cooked and drained pasta while it’s still piping hot and give it a real good stir. Depending on how cold the mix is and how hot you like your food, a little extra heating may be required. Don't forget the topping! Pasta and red sauce always goes good with the parmesan cheese, and vegans out there know the great alternatives available!

Ethnic
So many ethnic dishes can be prepared with little to no thought. After all, it's all about the sauce! Many items can be prepared vegetarian and vegan, and still sticks to your ribs as darn good eatin! One of my new favs is making some easy Indian fare and serving over basmati (or other) rice. Products like Tasty Bite are in non-perishable pouches, making dinner a snap! Just heat and serve, baby! Also, Fantastic brand foods make for easy travelling, too! Their Taco Filling is so good, even our son will eat it, and it's soooo much less work than frying up hamburger, draining the grease (and finding a place for it!), then adding the seasoning! Just add water and a little oil! Plus, there's products from Annie Chung that are also very simple and versatile! (Plus, her containers are 100% biodegradable, made from cornstarch!) Gourmet outdoor cooking has never been healthier or easier (or tastier!)

Home Away from Home
When I make dinner at home, I think of three things: what meat, what veggie and what starch. Since I make dinner straight after I get home from work, I also focus on how much time it’s going to take, and how many pots I’m going to need. If you go this method, you’re guaranteed to make a good and easy meal! Try these combinations, prep everything except the starch and add the remainder, and stir it all together: shells and cheese, prepared with frozen California blend veggies and cubed chicken breasts; egg noodles, prepared with cream of mushroom soup, tuna and frozen peas; cubed and roasted beef brisket and gravy with garden vegetables, boiled garlic potatoes; thin strips of stir-fried pork with soy sauce, frozen stir fry vegetables, rice or ramen noodles.
UPDATE: Having gone veggie, I've found so many more fun things to make that don't require meat in it. Try a veggie fajita, replacing steak for seasoned portabella mushrooms! It's TO LIVE FOR! :)

Meat and Potatoes
One of the simplest meals to make, yet costs a small fortune at any decent restaurant, is a good steak. Portion out a good sized, good quality cut of beef for each person and rub it hard in your favorite seasonings; I prefer powdered garlic, black pepper, seasoned salt, and a touch of A-1 steak sauce. Then take out your frustrations on it and pound it even harder with a kitchen mallet! Then, bag it in your favorite marinate and bring it on down! Wrap some baking potatoes in aluminum foil and, using a fork, poke a few holes into them on every side. Throw them along the sides of the fire (not directly in!), and give them an hour or until soft. If you feel the need to actually eat a vegetable, may I suggest roasting some corn? You’ll need to boil them, in husk, for an hour before roasting them over the fire. I like to add seasoned salt and butter to the water to get extra flavor into the corn!
UPDATE: I make skewered veggies right alongside the NY strips and babyback ribs for my friends, using the same seasonings. YUM! Also, an experiment that worked well on corn is this, with no butter or salt needed:
buy the frozen mini corn cobs and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place them by the potatoes and cook for the same length of time. The smokey flavor seeps into the corn and cooks it just right. It came out sweet, tender and flavorful! My fellow campers had their doubts, thinking it would turn into corn flakes, but nope! Damned good eatin'!

Other Ideas
Give Cooky and his chuck wagon a run for their money! Nothing tastes better than having meats and veggies repeatedly basted and slowly rotated over an open fire, letting all of that smokey flavor reach into every crack and crevice. Sure it takes time to work a spit, but if you’re willing, go for it! Shish kabobs are not only fun to eat, but they’re easy and quite healthy, too! Serve them over some flavored rice and you have a perfect meal! Scratching your head about a side vegetable? Have a pre-made salad, with lots of fresh veggies, and some homemade dressing! Want an idea for a centerpiece? Try this one! It's beautiful and everyone loves it!

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