Sustenance is paramount when it comes to outdoor adventuring. Depending on your lifestyle, you may expend significantly more energy throughout the day or weekend than you do at home. If you want to keep your energy up for a long hike or day of canoeing, the fuel you put into your body will be crucial.
These savory camping recipes are just the thing to give you long-lasting energy throughout whatever the day holds in the great outdoors! For efficiency, prepare as much as you can at home so you can make quick work of cooking at the campsite. Chop vegetables and meat into preferred sizes, marinate meats in reusable containers, and pre-season wherever possible.
Campfire Chili
Serves 4
- 1 can of black beans
- 1 can of red kidney beans
- 1 can of pinto beans
- 1 can of chopped stewed tomatoes
- 1 can of tomato sauce
- 1 lb of ground meat or vegetarian protein (tofu chorizo works best!)
- 1 small diced onion
- 1 diced green pepper
- 3 diced serrano peppers (can be adjusted for heat sensitivity)
- 5 tbsp salt
- 3 tbsp cumin
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 cups of water
Heat a dutch oven or deep pot over a bed of coals with minimal flames (or a camp stove if you prefer). Pour in the cooking oil and chopped onion, stirring intermittently until translucent. Stir in the peppers and let cook for a minute or two. Add the ground meat or vegetable protein and stir until pieces are mostly evenly sized, allow to cook all the way through (vegetable protein cooking times will be shorter than meat) until no longer pink. Season thoroughly (amounts can be adjusted for personal preference), then add the beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and bay leaf. Mix well, and be sure to taste to make sure your seasoning is right. Cook for 30 minutes, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving (don’t forget to remove the bay leaf). Serve alone or with chips or crackers.
Salmon, Potato, and Asparagus Packet
Serves 4
- 4 salmon fillets with skin (6 oz each)
- 1 bunch of trimmed asparagus
- 2 medium diced red potatoes
- 8 peeled cloves of garlic
- 2 sliced lemons
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper to season
- aluminum foil
Cut a large piece of aluminum foil (approx. 8×8 inches) for each fillet, and evenly disperse asparagus spears on the center of each piece. Add a salmon fillet and one tbsp of butter to each, and cover with lemon slices. Divide equal portions of diced potatoes and two cloves of garlic between each fillet. Bring the sides of the foil up around the ingredients and fold the ends together to form a packet. Gently place each packet right side up into your campfire coals with tongs, and allow to cook, untouched, for 10 minutes. Remove packets from the fire with tongs and let cool 5 minutes before opening carefully to avoid a steam burn. Once it’s cool enough to touch, grab a fork and dig in! Cleanup is as easy as rinsing your fork if you prepare the ingredients for this savory camping recipe ahead of time.
Featured Image from PJ Gal-Szabo/Unsplash
