Camping Recipes With a Healthful Bent

Judging by the search engine results when I Googled up camping recipes, people love comfort food when they are out under the stars !

Is it the combination of clean fresh air and exercise that drives an insatiable hunger for sausage coils and pan-fried spuds chased with buttered rum bananas with chocolate and marshmallow?

Or is your will to stick to your New Year’s resolutions being drained by digging holes to take care of – let’s say ‘personal business’ – and batting away mosquitoes while crickets chorus in your ears as you vainly attempt something resembling sleep?  I guess it depends on how much you love camping!

I’m all for balance so here are a couple of recipes that feel satisfying without leaving too hefty a damage bill.  And you can try them on the barbie, too.

Sweet Potato and Tuna Cake Burgers

Adapted from taste.com.au

• 350g orange sweet potato, peeled, roughly chopped
• 185g can sustainable tuna in springwater, drained
• 1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon rind or a few drops of genuinely pure lemon essential oil (Caution: only ever use essential oils this way when they clearly state on the label they are suitable for ingesting)
• 1 ½ tablespoons dried chives or mixed herbs
• 1 organic free range egg, lightly beaten
• breadcrumbs or just-stale bread rubbed to form crumbs
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive or rice bran oil for frying
• ¼ cup organic Greek yoghurt with a good slug of Worcestershire sauce blended through
• 4 organic bread rolls, split, or substitutes of your choice (warmed quinoa wraps are great!)
• 1 cup (40g) firmly packed rocket (this leafy green adds a mild peppery flavour and lasts well)

Place potato in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan over low heat. Toss for around a minute until the sweet potato is dry. Transfer to a large bowl. Roughly mash. Cool for 5 minutes.

Add tuna, lemon rind or oil, herbs, egg, and a very small handful of the breadcrumbs. Stir to combine. Using damp hands, shape into patties and lightly coat in remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook patties for 3 to 4 minutes each side or until golden and heated through.

Spread the rolls or wraps with the yoghurt mixture. Encase the rocket and patties and you’re good to go.

TIP: These defrost pretty well so you can really make your camping meal easy ! Make and cook the patties before you go then freeze them. To serve, defrost then warm the patties in a lightly oiled pan and assemble as above.

BBQ Apple Crisp

Adapted from Cooking with Jax

• ½ cup organic rolled oats
• 6 tbsp flour
• 4 tbsp packed organic coconut sugar
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg or a drop of genuinely pure nutmeg essential oil (Caution: only ever use essential oils this way when they clearly state on the label they are suitable for ingesting)
• 2 tbsp butter, plus more for foil
• 3 apples
• squeeze of lemon juice or a few drops of genuinely pure lemon essential oil (Caution: only ever use essential oils this way when they clearly state on the label they are suitable for ingesting)

Make camp life easier and prep the crumble before your trip: Combine oats, flour, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg. If using the nutmeg oil, dip a toothpick in the oil and stir through the crumble, repeating until the mix smells nicely spicy. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Put into an air-tight container or zip-lock bag and keep with your cold food items to take on the trip.

Core and slice washed and dried apples, then toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice or a few drops of lemon oil (see caution above).

Cut two 30cm/1 foot squares of foil and lightly butter where the apple mixture will go.

Place the apples onto of one of the foil pieces and then sprinkle with the crumble mixture.

Place the top piece of foil (butter side down) on the package and crimp the edges a few times along each side until the package is snug and well sealed. Wrap the entire package in another layer of tinfoil for extra protection against burning around the edges.

Place the foil pack on a moderately hot BBQ/campfire grill for about 20 minutes.

Leave to cool a couple of minutes before opening. Be careful: the contents will be very hot.

Serve with pouring cream for extra luxury, or a dollop of organic Greek yoghurt.

Have a great weekend, and enjoy the good oil daily.

The information on this site does not constitute advice. Please consult with your health practitioner. When using any of the products mentioned throughout this site, please be sure to read the labels and follow their suggestions for safe use. We make commissions from sales via many of the products we recommend but we only suggest products we genuinely enjoy and want you to benefit from.