Greek Hobo Pack (Foil Dinners)

Camping season is in full swing and we've just returned from a week-long camping trip with extended family. I didn't do much cooking on this trip (thanks nana ladybug!) so I don't have much to show for my week as far as food goes, but the weather is still really hot here at home and cooking inside is pretty much out of the question, so it was back to BBQ dinners. Here's the absolutely delicious creation I came up with tonight!

Greek Hobo Packs

(per person/pack)

1 Chicken Breast

1/4 cup Zucchini

3 Button Mushrooms, quartered

1/2 cup Red Pepper

3 small Red Potatoes, cubed

1 clove Garlic

3 Tbsp Onion, cubed

3 Tbsp Feta Cheese, cubed

1 slice Lemon

3 Tbsp Greek Salad Dressing

1 Sprig Rosemary

Combine ingredients in aluminum foil and wrap tightly. Cook on fire or BBQ (medium heat) for 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked and potatoes are tender. Let sit for 5 minutes before opening packet (be careful for the steam!). 

Yum Yum Yum. 

I think I might make that again tomorrow!

~Adel~

Cajun Hobo Packets (Foil Dinners)

Some of the most tasty camping meals I've had are Hobo Packets or Foil Dinners - all the ingredients deliciously roasted in foil. Not only is it really good, it's easy to make individual servings and simple to clean up, making it a great meal for camping.

I've been trying to make different combinations and this has to be my favourite so far!

Cajun Hobo Packs (per person)

1 Corn on the Cob

3-4 Baby Red Potatoes, halved

Onion Wedge (about 1/4) 

1-2 cloves Garlic

1-2 Sausages (any savory ones you like), cut in 1/2

Old Bay Seasoning

1 Tbsp Butter

Spray one side of a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray. Add ingredients in the centre and top with seasoning and butter. Fold edges together and seal the packet to keep the steam and juices in. Use a second sheet to wrap tightly over the packet if using open coals. Place on BBQ or coals for 10-20 minutes (depending on the heat of the flame and the size of the packet). Remove from heat. Poke a fork in to let out steam and let the packet sit for 5 minutes before opening. Unwrap and enjoy!

Happy Camping!

~Adel~

Freezer Meals: Big Cook Summer 2014

This summer I'm going to try not to use my stove or oven to make dinner. Lets see if that works, I'm planning to just use my slow cooker and grill, so I guess that means I need to do another big cook.

Today Lady & Bug were spending the day with Nana & Papa Ladybug, so I had some time to get a Big Cook done. A little leisurely grocery shop with a coffee and then it was getting down to work!

I seem to be going with themes lately, and this Big Cook is all about food from hot countries just in time for the hot weather of summer. As many of you know, Daddy Ladybug and I love to travel and my favourite part of travel is the food (of course!). I try all the local specialties I can find (except the bugs - that's Daddy Ladybug's thing) and I'll try to take a cooking class if it's available. One of my favourite activities is to go to the local market and check out what kind of food they sell - looks so different from our supermarkets! Once I'm home I try to recreate the dishes - sometimes successfully, and sometimes I have to go hunt down a neighbour to find out what's really in those dishes! 

At home I check out the local market too. On my shopping trip this morning I discovered another great way to make Big Cooks easier, a jar of peeled garlic! Perfect for this big cook day - I almost used the whole jar.

Mmmm....Garlic!

I started with my beef dishes: Simba Stew (Inspired by South/East Africa), Salsa Verde Beef (Inspired by Mexico), Vietnamese Beef (recipe from a Cooking School in Hoi An), and Grilled Pineapple Ginger Beef (Inspired by China). 

Then it was onto the chicken dishes: Chicken Shawarma (Inspired by a delicious sandwich I had in Cairo), Thai Red Curry (recipe from cooking school in Bangkok), Greek Chicken (Inspired by Greece), Lime Chicken (Inspired by Costa Rica) and Butter Chicken (Inspired by India). 

Meals made in this Big Cook:

• Simba Stew
• Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef Tacos
• Vietnamese Beef
• Grilled Pineapple Ginger Beef
• Slow Cooker Chicken Shawarma & Garlic Sauce
• Slow Cooker Red Thai Curry
• Greek Chicken
• Limey Chicken
• Slow Cooker Butter Chicken

I tripled each of the recipes so if you're counting that's 9 different recipes and 27 meals in about 3 hours. So satisfying! The freezer is full and I have about 2 months of summer oven/stove free meals ready to go. 

Bring on the heat!

~Adel~

If you're looking for more freezer meal ideas, try my Freezer Meals page for Big Cooks and freezer friendly meal ideas.

You might also like: 

Grilled Pineapple Ginger Steak

I love the combination of the sweet tangy pineapple and ginger with beef. Perfect for the BBQ, but also delicious in the slow cooker.

Grilled Pineapple Ginger Steak

2 lbs Beef Steaks

1 can Pineapple & juice

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, minced

Grilling Instructions: Place meat in a marinating dish. Combine Pineapple, juice, soy sauce, oil, garlic and ginger in a bowl and pour over steak. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours (more is better). Grill on medium heat as desired. Serve with rice or chow mein noodles. 

Freezer Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a freezer bag and freeze. To use, defrost in a fridge for at least 24 hours.

Slow Cooker Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 4 hours. Slice meat thin and serve over rice.

Yum. Happy Grilling!

~Adel~

10 Great Meals for Camping with Kids

It's officially the kick off to the camping season this year. The line of campers impatiently waiting to escape the city is growing with each hour, so if you're caught in traffic, here's something for you! 

Camping food seems to get a free pass when it comes to nutrition, it's fun, tasty and easy. In my experience, you can get kids to eat more if they help make it, so this is a great chance for them to be involved. The best part is that there's usually little work involved for the cook! A fire, a stick, a grill, and some tin foil are about all you'll need!

If you're not out camping, your backyard BBQ works just fine.

I've put together some ideas that I remember from my childhood, years of working at summer camp, and things I've tried as an adult (but wish my parents knew about it when I was a kid).

Eggs in a Bag

1 small zipper freezer bag

Boiling water & pot with lid

2 eggs per person

omelette toppings (cheese, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms)

salt & pepper

Add 2 eggs and desired toppings to a zippered freezer bag (not sandwich - too thin). Close baggie and place in boiling water and cover for 8-12 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Season with salt & pepper as desired and pour out of baggie onto a plate or eat right out of the bag.

A quick and easy breakfast.

Pancakes
1 cup Flour
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt

Combine this mix in a plastic zipper bag and take with you.
Add:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup Milk
2 Tbsp Oil

Stir until moist but lumpy. Cook for 2 minutes/side on a hot griddle or skillet.

Serve with Syrup, fresh berries or whip cream for a delicious breakfast!

Piggies in a Bannock Blanket

Make 1 Bannock Recipe (see below) and wrap Bannock around smoked link sausage or hot dog wieners. Using a stick or a grill over fire, cook until meat starts to bubble and dough becomes golden brown (and probably some black) and puffy. Meat should be cooked through.

Serve with Ketchup or Mustard as dipping sauce.

Walking Tacos

 nacho cheese or corn chips (individual bags)

cheese

chili or taco beef or refried beans

tomatoes & lettuce

sour cream, salsa & guacamole

Before opening crush the chips a bit & cut off the top part of the bag. 

Top with meat, cheese and any other toppings you'd like and use a fork or fingers to eat!

Bannock Mix

2 cups Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 cup Powdered Milk
*Add 1 cup Water when making

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a zipper bag and you've got a great bread option when camping. All you have to do is add the water, mix well and fry in a couple Tbsp of oil or fat or roast on a stick over an open flame. Top with Jam, peanut butter, cheese, butter, honey, or your favourite bread topping for a delicious easy camping bread.

Baked Potato  
Poke holes with a fork in a baking potato (russet is great). Wrap in foil and place over hot coals for 30-50 minutes (depending on size).

Let sit for 5 minutes and serve with bacon bits, tomato, green onions, cheese, chili, sour cream, butter, mustard...anything you want!

Hobo Packets

Combine your favourite ingredients in a double layer of aluminum foil (don't forget to use cooking spray) and cook over hot coals for 20-40 minutes (depending on the size and ingredients).

Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Traditional Hobo Packets include meat, potatoes, onion, carrots, butter & salt/pepper.
Be creative and use ingredient like ground beef patties, steak, chicken, sausage, carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, bacon bits, eggs, peas, broccoli, cheese, pineapple, mango, lemons, limes and any seasoning or sauces you'd like!

Campfire Mac & Cheese

1/ 2 cup Partially cooked macaroni
1 tsp butter
1 Tbsp Milk
1/4 cup Cheese, grated

Combine ingredients in an individual foil pie plate and mix well. Cover with a double layer of foil and cook over hot coals for 10 minutes. Stir well and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Pina Colada Banana Boats

Cut a V in the top of a ripe banana and scoop our some of the flesh. Line the V with marshmallows and top with crushed pineapple, coconut flakes and dark chocolate chips.

Wrap in aluminum foil and cook over hot coals for 10-15 minutes until marshmallows are melted.

Eat with a spoon.

Nutella S'mores

Graham Crackers

Jumbo Marshmallows

Nutella

Spread nutella on two graham crackers. Toast marshmallows over fire with a stick until golden and melty. Sandwich melty marshmallow between nutella'd graham crackers and serve warm.

Watch out for the  gooey deliciousness that squeezes out the sides!

So if you're still trying to figure out what to make this long weekend, here's 10 great ideas that my kids love and I'm sure yours will too.

Happy Camping!

~Adel~

Want more camping ideas? Check out my Camping with Kids page!

Easy Grilled Flour Tortillas

When it's hot outside the last thing you want to do is stand over a hot stove or oven!

I've started making much of my summer flatbread on the grill instead of in the oven or on the stove. It gives it a nice grilled flavour and I can enjoy my backyard  for a few seconds while I wait to flip them!

Of course you can still use this recipe and cook them on a pan on the stove if you want.

Easy Grilled Flour Tortillas

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 & 1/2 cup water

1/3 cup Oil (I use Olive)

Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Add water and oil and mix until combined. Turn onto a floured surface and knead about 10 times until dough is soft, add a little more flour or water if needed. I use my mixer to make this process even faster.

Let dough rest for 5-10 minutes and divide into 16 equal portions. Roll each ball out into about 7" circle and place on medium grill for 1 minute per side. Brush with oil before grilling if desired.

Stop buying tortillas & make your own, it only takes a few minutes and tastes way better! Beat the heat and make Slow Cooker Salsa Verde Beef Tacos or Salsa Chicken Tacos for a delicious meal without heating up your kitchen!

Now I'm ready for Taco Tuesday!

~Adel~

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce

It's been hot the past week and the BBQ's been going, so I thought I'd share one of our favourite BBQ sauce recipes!

Honey Garlic BBQ Sauce

1/2 cup Honey

1 cup Ketchup

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

8 cloves Garlic, minced

Mix together and use as a BBQ sauce or pour over chicken or ribs in the slow cooker or oven. 

I use it as part of my Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken recipe.

Quick, easy & delicious!

~Adel~

Easy Sweet & Sticky BBQ Ribs

Ribs can be a lot of work and my life isn't really conducive to work intensive meals, so I've started making ribs the easy way. I'll admit, the slow grilled version is amazing, but when I need a quick meal and want ribs - this is the ticket!

Easy Sweet & Sticky BBQ Ribs

3 sides of ribs (pork or beef)

1 Bottle Beer

1 Onion, quartered

4 clove Garlic

Salt & Pepper (to taste)

1 bottle of your favourite BBQ sauce (Bulls Eye Guinness)

1 & 1/2 cups Apricot Jam

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Hot Sauce 

Cut ribs into smaller pieces (2-3 rib sections). Add to a large stock pot with beer and enough water to cover ribs. Boil for 30-40 minutes until meat is tender and falling off the bone. 

In a separate bowl, combine BBQ sauce, apricot jam, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Spread over cooked ribs, cover, and let marinade for 20 minutes. Pre-heat grill to medium high heat. Grill sauced ribs for about 5 minutes on each side until the sauce is nicely caramelized.

Serve with Grilled Asparagus and Dillytard Potato Salad for a fantastic BBQ meal. 

Camping option: pre-boil the ribs and bring the sauce - a great addition to any camping menu.

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page

Grilled Asparagus

Asparagus is one of our favourite vegetables. I didn't have it as a kid, it was hard to find then, but it's readily available now (although very expensive when not in season!).

My favourite way to have asparagus is to grill it on the BBQ, a perfect side for steak or ribs! 

Grilled Asparagus

1-2 bunches Asparagus

Olive Oil 

Course Sea Salt

Preheat Grill to med-high. Remove the dry ends by snapping off the bottom section of the asparagus (if needed). Toss in Olive Oil and sprinkle with sea salt as desired. Spread asparagus in a single layer on the grill and turn every few minutes. Cook for about 3-5 minutes, until desired tenderness.

I usually grill the asparagus while my meat is resting. An easy healthy side to any grilled dinner.

~Adel~

For more great food ideas check out my Recipes page