Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking Guaranteed to Impress

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Happy Camper Pasta Salad Bar

Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking Guaranteed to Impress is the final installment in Everything You Need to Know About Camping. The series was written to help calm your apprehensions about camping and get you out into the great outdoors. If you’ve never tried camping before, the idea of getting outdoors and next to nature can be a little overwhelming. Questions arise quickly… “Where should I go?” “What should I take?”  and “What will I eat?” are just a few that come to mind. Let’s start from the beginning and break it all down to see if we can get you outdoors and up close and personal to nature. Hopefully after reading a few of these ideas you will be out building a fire, cooking up great meals and leaving all your cares behind in no time flat.

Here is a brief recap of the series so far.

Part – 1 So You Want To Go Camping answered for us a few simple questions: “What is camping?”  “Why should I go?” and “Where should I go?”

Part 2 – 10 Must Haves When Camping helped us to understand 10 of the most important things needed to help prepare for a successful camping trip. 

Part 3 – Let’s Get Cooking took us through the different methods of cooking when camping.

Part 4 – 5 Essential Tools for Camp Cooking served to inform you of the necessary equipment needed to set up a camp kitchen.  At last we come to part 5. My favorite in the series. Cooking!

Simple #WholeFood #Camp Recipes Guaranteed to Impress

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Grilled Salmon in Foil

THREE RULES FOR SUCCESS

If you’ve been following the series and preparing accordingly you now have everything you need to prepare some pretty amazing camp food. No need to stock up on the processed hot dogs, canned beans, chips and cookies. It’s not necessary to leave behind healthy eating when you walk out the door. I’ve gathered together a few of my own tried and true recipes and  a few exceptional ones from around the web to help get your creative juices flowing, but first a few simple rules to make your life easier when cooking in the great outdoors.

  1. A little preparation goes a long way. Take a few extra minutes at home to do a little prep work. Dice veggies, chop meat and put together seasonings ahead of time for that great stew you’re planning.  The stew will be a cinch to make at camp and won’t take any more effort than putting everything in the pan. Another great idea is to put your fabulous pancake dry mix together ahead of time into a heavy duty plastic bag. When it’s time for breakfast simply add the wet ingredients right into the bag, close up the bag and knead to mix. Cut a small corner from one of the corners of the bag and you have a perfect spout with no big mess to clean up afterwards.
  2. Keep it simple. Save the elaborate meals for home and stick to simple whole food ingredients. Appetites are always greatly enhanced when camping in the great outdoors. There is something about that fresh air and the open spaces; everything just tastes better. The simplest  fare is fit for a king. Jumping through a bunch of hoops will only get you tired and cranky. Trust me…I am the voice of experience on this one. No one will notice anyway.
  3. Have Fun. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be boring. Involve everyone in the process by making the meal all about community. Get everyone involved and give them a few choices to make the meal their own. Then sit back and enjoy the fun of whose food tastes the best or whose ideas you want to try next time. Keep in mind that food is a powerful connector. Take advantage of the opportunity and connect!

Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking Guaranteed to Impress With these simple building blocks your Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking can’t help but succeed. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

SIMPLE WHOLE FOOD CAMP COOKING RECIPES GUARANTEED TO IMPRESS

Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking Guaranteed to Impress Campfire Breakfast Potatoes: Dirty Gourmet

Breakfast

Pressed Italian Camp Sandwiches Pressed Italian Sandwiches: Pure Grace Farms

Lunch

Happy Camper Turkey Chili Happy Camper Turkey Chili: Pure Grace Farms

Dinner

Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking Guaranteed to Impress Dutch Oven Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler: Dirty Gourmet

Dessert

Simple Whole Food Camp Cooking shared with:

In The Kitchen with Jenny: Foodie Friends Friday *Momma Lew *2 Crochet Hooks: Snickerdoodle Sunday *Mrs Tee Love Life Laughter: Mommy Monday Blog Hop *The Kolb Corner: Merry Monday Link Party *Creative K Kids: Bloggers Brags  *Plucky’s Second Thoughts *April J. Harris: Hearth and Soul Blog Hop *Create With Joy: Wordless Wednesday *Creative K Kids: Tasty Tuesdays *Recipes for Our Daily Bread: Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop *Hot Mama’s Kitchen: The Yuck Stops Here

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Cooking From The Heart

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“Cooking is at once an act of child’s play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love.” – Craig Claiborne

Dinner time at our home is always an adventure. 

Lime-and-Chili2

Rarely will you pull up your chair, as we gather at the table for a meal, and be served the same thing twice. This is a source of great frustration for my husband, Tim.

Cayenne,-Paprika--and-Thai- peppers You see, when he likes something, I mean really, really likes something, I am hard pressed to make it exactly the same way a second time.

limes

It is not that I don’t have a recipe to follow, or that I haven’t painstakingly written down a recipe when I am creating something new.

Pork Tomatillo Verde with Lime - Tender melt in your mouth Pork loin is roasted over a simple lime sauce and then covered with a deliciously spicy Tomatillo Verde.

No, the problem lies in my being able to follow the recipe. I just can’t do it. There is always a tweak here or an adjustment there that is screaming out to be tried.

In my humble opinion, this is what makes cooking fun.

So, Tim indulges my passion and in return enjoys all the fruits of my labors. A great adventure, indeed. One embarked on in the spirit of a child who is always learning, experimenting, and seeking new avenues of joy.

Pork Tomatillo Verde with Lime - Tender melt in your mouth Pork loin is roasted over a simple lime sauce and then covered with a deliciously spicy Tomatillo Verde.

I strive to cook with complete abandon, considering this my offering of love to those who gather at my table.

Pork Tomatillo Verde with Lime is my latest creation. Tender melt in your mouth Pork Loin is roasted over a simple lime sauce and then covered with a  deliciously spicy Tomatillo Verde. Tim said it was great and asked if I could make it again next week.

 

Tomatillo Pork Verde with Lime
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Ingredients
  1. 2 to 2 1/2 lbs Boneless Pork Loin
  2. 2 tbsp Olive oil
  3. 1/2 - 1 Lime, sliced thinly
  4. 4 Cloves garlic- sliced thinly
  5. 16 Oz Tomatillo Verde Sauce
  6. Cilantro
  7. Cotijo Cheese- crumbled (optional)
Rub
  1. 1 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  2. 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
  3. 1 tsp Chili powder
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  2. Rinse and pat dry pork loin.
  3. Combine sea salt, pepper and chili powder and rub on all surfaces of pork loin.
  4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in dutch oven on medium high heat. Add pork loin, sear on all sides until pork loin is lightly browned.
  5. Remove pork loin from pan and set aside.
  6. Lower heat to dutch oven, add lime slices and garlic. Gently saute for 1 to 2 minutes to release juices from lime slices.
  7. Return pork loin to the dutch oven, fat side up.
  8. Place pork loin in preheated oven, uncovered, Cook at 325 degrees allowing 20 minutes for each pound of pork loin. Approximately 40 to 50 minutes.
  9. After pork loin has cooked 20 minutes for each pound. Remove pork loin from oven, pour tomatillo sauce over the pork and return to the oven to cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until sauce is bubbling.
  10. Allow Pork loin to sit five minutes before slicing.
  11. Serve with cotijo cheese (optional) and cilantro sprinkled on top.
Notes
  1. I first made this recipe using 3 whole limes sliced and oh my goodness was it limey. I then cut back on the limes to only 1 and it was just about right for our families taste. If you are not a big fan of lime, I suggest only using 1/2 a lime. The juice from the lime is just enough to keep your pork loin from drying out and adds an extra layer of flavor. Experiment, or make it exactly as written. Above all else, have fun with it. I would love to hear how you liked it or if you made your own touches, so drop me a line and enlighten me.
Pure Grace Farms http://puregracefarms.com/

Tomatillo Pork Werde with Lime shared with:

*The Paper Craze: Creative Spark * The Cookie Puzzle: Party in Your PJ’s

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”