A Collection of Vegetable Recipes
Vegetables cooked over a campfire are the bestest vegetables but it took me a while to get good at making these vegetable recipes. This collection is the results of years making vegetables a favorite with my whole family. Whether wrapped in foil, laid directly on a grill, or tossed into a pot or skillet, even the pickiest eater should find a vegetable recipe in this collection they want again.
Camp Potatoes (from Family Camping Magazine)
serves 4
4 potatoes, sliced
4 slices of onions
4 Tbsp butter or margarine
Heavy Duty Foil
10 oz cheddar cheese, shredded or thin sliced (option)
Grease a large square of heavy foil. Arrange sliced potatoes on foil and sprinkle with salt and pepper or seasonings of choice. Cover with sliced onions and dot with chunks of butter or margarine (spray margarine works, too). Fold up foil and seal securely. Cook over hot coals on a grill until done (about 30 or 40 minutes, test by poking directly through foil). Open foil (careful, it’s HOT!) and add cheddar cheese, if desired. Rewrap and return to heat for a couple of minutes, until cheddar melts.
Grilled Potatoes
Serves 1
Scrub a nice size baking potato. Cut slits every 1/2″ about 3/4 the way through the potato. Tuck a thin pad of butter or margarine into each slit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (option). Wrap the potato in a large piece of aluminum foil and put over hot coals (you can put directly into hot ash but will want to turn more often) and bake until done, about 30 to 40 minutes. To test if cooked through, squeeze the cooked potato gently with towel covered hand or with cooking tongs. Turn occasionally so butter covers the whole potato. Don’t pierce as that will cause melted butter to leak out.
A personal favorite for its versatility and flavor. Measurements and quantity are whatever you have on hand or personal preferences.
Heat enough fat, either butter, oil or a combination, to cover the bottom of a heavy skillet. Heat skillet until water sprinkled in the skillet dances. Careful as the water may pop hot oil back at you. Slip thin sliced potatoes (cooked preferred but not necessary) into the skillet and leave alone until the potatoes’ edges start to brown. While waiting, prepare all the vegetables you want to use. These vegetables can be fresh, frozen, cooked or a combination, just adjust their sizes so they are all done about the same time. Turn potatoes over, either in sections or flipping as a whole. Toss the vegetables on top and cover. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp. Sprinkle with any grated cheese on hand, or none, and cover again. Give it a few minutes or until cheese is melted then serve. Chopped meat can be added with vegetables or sauteed and serve on the side.
Potatoes ‘n peas
For the boiled version – Peel one fist size boiling potato per person. Cut into, what else, pea-size chunks. Place in a pot, cover with water, put on a high flame, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to middle and continue to cook at a simmer for about 10 minutes or until almost fork tender. Drop in a handful of frozen peas per person and return to simmer. Continue to cook until peas are done. Drain off most of the water, drop in pad of butter, and let sit a few minutes for the butter to melt. Toss gently to coat everything, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and eat up.
For the quickie version – Open a can of potatoes and a can of peas. Drain each and rinse with fresh water at least two times. Over medium heat, dump rinsed potatoes and peas and a couple of pads of butter, if desired, into a pot. Swirl the pot around, melting butter and heating the vegetables through. Serve hot.
For mashed potato version – This one is super easy. Follow directions on a package of instant mashed potatoes but add frozen peas into the water mixture before you put it on the flame to boil.
Grilled Vegetables
Take an assortment of vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, mushrooms, plum tomatoes and cut each vegetable so all cook in about the same time. (For this array, I would cut zucchini and squash into quarters, cut a 9-inch carrot into thirds, and leave the rest whole.) Put the whole assortment in a ziplock bag with 1 cup of favorite bottled vinaigrette dressing and toss gentle to cover. Veggies maybe left to marinate for an hour or cooked immediately. Remove vegetables from bag and place directly on grate over campfire. Turn once. Cook time is 7 to 10 minutes.
Cumin Grilled Vegetables Serves 4
4 Tbsp butter, melted
juice of one lime
1/8 tsp cumin
1 zucchini, cut in half
1 yellow squash, cut in half
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch slices
Mix butter, lime juice, and cumin together in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over vegetables. Place vegetables, cut side down, on grate over hot campfire. Grill 5 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook second side 4 to 5 minutes or until tender. Baste with butter mixture if necessary.
Grilled Veggie Sandwich
serves 1
Cut a crusty hamburger bun or sub-roll through the middle. Open wide and pull out a little of the soft center. This makes a nice nest for the veggies. Place leftover or freshly grilled veggies in the nest. If desired and available, top with your favorite cheese. Sprinkle with some vinegar and oil, favorite salad dressing, or leftover cumin butter (see Cumin Grilled Vegetables). Close sandwich with top section and eat. Or, if the campfire is glowing, but not flaming, place sandwich on grill for a few minutes then turn and toast the second side. For a panini-style sandwich just weight down with your skillet or a pot filled with a few stones.
Carrot Salad Serves 4
2 cups finely shredded carrots
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp white sugar
Mix everything together, adding things like raisins or well-drained crushed pineapple according to your taste. Chill and serve
An alternative to mayonnaise: Mix 2 Tbsp white sugar and 2 Tbsp lemon juice together and use in place of mayonnaise. More sugar may be needed so taste before serving.
Wilted Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
Make at camp for best results
Serves 4 to 6
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
8 cup (6 oz) clean baby spinach
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar, white or brown
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
pinch of salt (optional)
4 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 ” pieces
1/2 cup (about 1/2 medium) red onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Cook bacon to crispy, remove and cool grease in skillet. Off the heat, add vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, and salt to skillet. Return to flame and heat slowly to simmer while stirring. Place spinach in large bowl. Pour hot dressing over spinach, add bacon, and toss gently until spinach is slightly wilted. Divide among individual plates, arrange egg quarters over individual mounds and serve immediately.
(Original recipe called for 6 cups of young, tender dandelion leaves. Did you know dandelions were brought to USA by European settles to “prut” fodder for their livestock or is considered the favorite food of bears right out of their winter hibernation?)
Broccoli Salad
Yield: 4 servings
(Not sure where this recipe came from but it is a favorite. Other salty nuts can be used in place of sunflower seed kernels but always add just before eating. Otherwise the nuts get soft and mushy.)
4 cups small broccoli florets (1.5 lbs)
1-1/2 cups seedless grapes, halved
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup raisins
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup salted sunflower seed kernels
Combine the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Pour dressing over broccoli mixture and toss well. Chill at least one hour before serving. Sprinkle sunflower seed kernel on top just before serving.
