Do you remember the times you had to cook during your SCA hitch? Are you curious about some of the meals SCA members have cooked while serving? Listed below are some delicious recipes and helpful tips for cooking in the field!
BREAKFAST
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
INGREDIENTS:
11 cups water
5 ½ cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt
2 apples shredded
½ cups raisins
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
DIRECTIONS:
Boil water in a large pot over high heat
Add oatmeal and salt, stir, returning to a boil, reduce heat to low, simmer 2 minutes. Add apples, raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon and cook another 5-10 minutes or until desired consistency. DO NOT BURN!!!
LUNCH
Lentil Stew
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup textured vegetable protein
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, washed and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups lentils
9 cups veggie broth
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
Place the textured vegetable protein (TVP) in water, and soak 10 minutes. Press to drain
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat, and saute TVP, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and carrots until onion is tender and TVP is evenly browned. Add garlic powder, Italian seasoning, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper, cook 1 minute.
Add veggie broth and lentils, bring to a boil. Add potatoes, return to boil and reduce heat to medium-low, add tomatoes and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes and lentils are tender. Serve with cornbread, biscuits, or flat bread.
DINNER
Enchilada Casserole
INGREDIENTS:
24 small corn tortillas
4 cups dry black beans (soak overnight, or all day) or 2 cans black beans
1 onion, diced
garlic, diced (6-8 cloves on this one, use your best judgment)
1 bunch chard, cut into strips about 1”long, ½” wide
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cans stewed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
2 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp, chili powder
1 Tbsp. black pepper
salt to taste
olive oil
shredded cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Cover the black beans with 2-3” of water. Add half of the onion, garlic and cilantro. Cook in pressure cooker for 1 hour, check for softness after releasing pressure, and continue to cook until desired tenderness, if necessary. If not using pressure cooker, bring to a boil and cook for 2-3 hours
While the beans cook, make your enchilada sauce:
Heat the olive oil (about 2 Tbsp.) in a large saucepan. Add the remaining onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat until aromatic. Add the tomatoes, paste and spices. Stir regularly. Bring to a simmer for ~15 minutes, then add remaining cilantro. Cover and put on low heat. Stir occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching.
(Obviously, you can just buy canned sauce, but this is so much better)
Mix the chard and carrots into the black beans for the filling. (For meat eaters, you can make a batch with canned chicken mix into the filling)
Coat 2, 8” square pans with olive oil, or a dutch oven. Layer the bottom of each with corn tortillas. Cover with a layer of beans, then tortillas, beans, tortillas and sauce. If using the cheese, sprinkle it over the top. Cover with foil (or the lid of the dutchie) and bake for ~25 minutes.
DESSERT
Loretta’s Pudding Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons salt
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS:
Stir and spread in cake pan and then sprinkle on the batter:
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
Bring 1 ¾ cup of water to nearly boiling then pour hot water over batter mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. Don’t worry about over cooking or undercooking, it’s great no matter what!
COOKING TIPS
Pressure Cookers are AMAZING! They cut down cooking time, which equals less fuel, which equals more time, money and energy to do what you like.
Trust your Instinct. If you find a recipe that you think sounds pretty good, if only it were slightly different, change it! You’re probably right. Maybe it needs a little more nutmeg, or a little less pepper, you know what you like, so don’t feel confined by a recipe.
Some 20 years ago, this SCA crew in Georgia had the honor of hosting President Jimmy Carter (fourth from right – light blue polo) and First Lady Rosalynn Carter (first from left with back to camera – white polo) for a basecamp supper of jambalaya!
What foods would you choose to cook for a President of the United States if you ran into him or her during a camping trip or hike? What is your favorite meal to serve or cook when spending time outdoors? Share with us using #SCATrailsideTreats.
