Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Cruising Cooks on a Budget Go "Native"

Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. Do you sell an outdoor recreation/travel-related product or service? To ask about placing one ad, one link for one year on all six Groene sites for one low rate, email janetgroene@yahoo.com


 


Galley Recipe of the Week
Dirty Rice

 

    In the old South, the help were given the gizzards, heart,  livers and other scraps from chickens  while the best parts stayed in the big house. These flavorful scraps were chopped fine, browned,  highly seasoned, bulked up with rice and called Dirty Rice.
    Local ground meat or sausage is your budget shortcut to this easy, delicious, one-pot soul food.


1 pound lean bulk sausage
Large onion, diced
Small green pepper, seeded and diced
2 to 3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup long-grain rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon (such as Knorr Pollo)
Died parsley flakes (or fresh if you have it)
Tabasco sauce or other local hot sauce

    Fry out the sausage, breaking it up fine. Gradually stir in vegetables over high heat. Stir in rice to coat while scraping up pan drippings.  Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and cook over low-medium heat 20-3 minutes  until rice is plump and tender.
    Fold in parsley or sprinkle it on top. Pass the Tabasco. Serves 4 to 6. Leftovers freeze well.


Read more about the world of boating, cruising and living aboard at https://farleyhalladay.blogspot.com 



Pantry Recipe of the Week

 

 
    Canned and packaged foods are good boating insurance. Even a day sail can turn into a longer-than-planned, hungry and even life-threatening adventure. For a book on provisioning a boat with familiar, affordable pantry foods from the supermarket see Survival Food Handbook, published by International Marine division of McGraw-Hill.   http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

 

“Pork”and Sauerkraut

    Canned pork lunch meat such as Spam is affordable, easily available and quick to prepare as a one-pot meal. Tweak these amounts according to the size and tastes of your crew.  


Add a grated carrot for color

1 can sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

 teaspoon sugar
1 can pork luncheon meat such as Spam
1 cup dark beer or ale
1 tablespoon caraway seeds (optional)
1 or 2 cans small whole potatoes, drained, rinsed and cut up

    Put drained, rinsed sauerkraut in a pan and sprinkle with sugar. Let stand 10 minutes or so to dissolve sugar. Dice Spam or shred on the large holes of a grater. Add to the pot with the  beer or ale, caraway seeds and potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir, cover, reduce heat and simmer to blend flavors. Serves 4.

Cook’s note: Spam shreds easier if chilled first. Shredded, it’s also a good cold when mixed with mayonnaise and celery as a substitute for ham salad. 

 

LAUGH AND CRY WITH WIDOW

 FARLEY HALLADAY, THE YACHT YENTA 

 


After her husband died in a fall from the mainmast of their ketch, Farley moved to Florida where she grieves,  has an online charterboat business, is caregiver to an elderly U.S. Navy SEAL and solves crimes. The Yacht Yenta "cozy" ebook series for Kindle, Nook, Google Play and other ebook formats, is now six, ranging from January Justice to June Jeopardy. Start anywhere in the series. You'll want to read them all. Here's February FELONY

https://amzn.to/3bB5XPh




Stovetop “Butternut” Bake
    This vegetarian recipe works best with regular bread stuffing,  not the cornbread variety. Instead of canned pumpkin, it can also be made with two cups cooked, mashed native “pumpkin” (local squash have many names). They are found around the world in many sizes, shapes and colors.



1 stick butter
2 eggs
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup (8-ounce tub) sour cream
1 cup water or broth
½ teaspoon each salt, pepper
Small onion, grated or chopped very fine chopped
1 box seasoned  stuffing mix


Generously butter a large, heavy skillet or Dutch oven. Melt the rest of the stick. In a bowl whisk eggs,  pumpkin, soup, sour cream,  water or broth, onion and seasonings including the flavor packet, if any, from the stuffing mix.  Fold in stuffing mix and spread in the skillet.  Drizzle with melted butter. Cover and cook over low-medium heat until it’s puffy, set and crusty on bottom and sides. Serve out of the skillet or turn out on a cutting board , crusty side up, and serve in wedges.  

Skillet Recipe of the Week
Lemony Beef ‘n Beans

 
1 lemon, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup sugar
    
3-pound boneless pot roast
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup water
2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Minced parsley or dried parsley flakes


    Remove any seeds from lemon slices and sprinkle with sugar. Set aside.  A juicy glaze will form.
    In a large skillet, brown the pot roast. Sprinkle with onion soup mix. Add water, cover and cook 30 minutes, adding more water if needed. Cover roast with beans and arrange lemons over the beans. Cover and simmer another 15 minutes or until roast is tender.
    Spread beans and lemons on plates. Cover with sliced meat and pan juices. Shower with minced parsley. Serves 6. 

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Are you a boater who camps or a camper with a boat? See Janet Groene's online reads at RV travel covering a ton of different grips and gripes on travel and camping. 

https://www.rvtravel.com/author/janet


Sunday, February 18, 2024

The Well-SEAsoned Cruise Cook

 Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved.  To get a voluntary subscripton in support of this work, send $10 per year via Paypal to janetgroene@yahoo.com 

When you sail, the world is your oyster



 

 

  


Galley Recipe of the Week
Limey Cake

 

       The batter is easily made with just a balloon whisk. No electric mixer required. Make one now and save the recipe for St. Patrick’s Day next month.

1 ½ cups canola  oil
5 eggs
3/4 cup water or milk
1 box lemon flavor cake mix
1 box lime flavor gelatin dessert mix


    In a bowl whisk oil, eggs and water or milk until well mixed. Mix in cake mix and dry gelatin mix. Bake in a greased 9 X 13-inch pan in a moderate oven (350 degrees F.)  about 25-30 minutes or until cake is springy to the touch.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cover with frosting or serve with whipped cream.

Stove-top method: Grease a heavy, deep 12-inch skillet (preferably cast aluminum) and add batter. Bake over low-medium flame about 25 minutes or until cake is puffy and springy to the touch.

 


 

For 10 happily homeless years, Janet Groene wintered in the tropics on board a 29-foot sailboat with a two-burner kerosene Primus stove and no refrigeration. After storing the sloop during hurricane season, Janet and Gordon summered in a 21-foot diesel camper with propane stove and small propane-electric refrigerator.  See her collection of shortcuts, recipes suitable for small galleys ashore and afloat in her book Cooking Aboard Your RV  

https://amzn.to/1NdWI4o

 


One Burner, One Skillet Recipe of the Week
Bistro Chicken


2 tablespoons butter
16-ounce package ground chicken
2 tart apples, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon curry powder
8-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/3 cup apple brandy or apple schnapps
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
Small can sliced black olives, well drained
2 cups seasoned croutons


    Melt butter in the skillet and cook chicken until it’s broken up and firm, gradually stirring in apple, mushrooms and curry powder. Whisk soup and brandy until smooth. Pour over skillet, scatter with black olives, cover and cook 10 minutes over low heat. Top with croutons and spoon onto plates while croutons are still crisp.  Serves 4. 

See news, views and cues for liveaboards, cruising sailors and fans of the Farley Halladay cozy mysteries at https://farleyhalladay.blogspot.com 

 

 Tips for the Galley Cook

    *If you have room to carry only one bread, buy sub rolls. Cut them in half make hot dog buns. Make sandwiches, individual pizzas, lobster rolls, garlic bread and hot and cold subs. They also make great cinnamon toast in the frypan. Slice, butter cut sides, fry and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 


    * Easy dessert. Make crumbs out of frosted cornflakes. Dip washed, dried strawberries in whipped topping, whipped cream, sweetened evaporated milk or sour cream. Roll in crumbs, eat at once. 


    * When you are wrangling plastic wrap that you want to stay put, put a little dab of butter here and there to keep the plastic in place.

 
    * To make quick beignets, unroll a tube of crescent rolls and press seams to make a large square. Cut in small squares, deep fry in hot vegetable oil until golden and smother with powdered sugar.

Pantry Recipe of the Week

 

 
    How to make a meal when you’re out of fresh food? How to provision the pantry with shelf-stable foods for extended cruising, convenience or emergencies? See Survival Food Handbook (International Marine Publishing) , a guide to stocking a boat or camper with familiar, affordable supermarket staples.  https://amzn.to/1WdYqbe



 

 

Boston Brown Bread Scramble
 This makes a good hot breakfast or dessert. Canned Boston Brown Bread is one of my favorite pantry staples. No fresh ingredients are needed.

 

1 can apple pie filling
1 can pie-sliced apples
5-ounce jar Old English cheese spread
1 can Boston brown bread with raisins

    Mix apple pie filling and un-drained apples in a greased skillet. Dot with bits of cheese spread. Slice and dice Boston brown bread and scatter over apples.
     Cover and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Turn over to mix well and spoon onto plates. Serves 4 to 6. 
    Oven method: Assemble as above and drizzle with  melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees until bread is toasty.
Cook's note: Serve plain or with maple syrup, vanilla yogurt or light cream.    




       



    

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

SEA-sonal Cuisine for Sailing Cooks

Blog copyright Janet Groene. Support this free blog with a voluntary subscription. Send $10 a year via  PayPal  to janetgroene@yahoo.com

 



Galley Recipe of the Week
Hungarian Bean Soup

 

   This steamy soup will warm up you liveaboards who are wintering in cold climates. Many of the ingredients contain salt, so don’t add more. Pass salt and pepper at the table.



1 can kidney beans
1 can diced tomatoes
32-ounce carton chicken broth
12-ounce package kielbasa, chopped fine
2 carrots, peeled and cut in small dice
Medium turnip, peeled and cut in small dice
Medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup flour
1 cup water
Sour cream


    Rinse and drain beans. Put tomatoes, 3 cups of the broth, kielbasa, carrots, turnip, green pepper and garlic in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in beans. In a bowl mix remaining cup of broth and a cup of cold water and whisk in flour. Quickly stir into simmering  soup until it thickens. If it's too thick, thin with water, white wine or broth.
    Stir in sour cream to taste or ladle into bowls and top with a mound of sour cream. Good with caraway rye rolls.  Serves 6.


Pantry Recipe of the Week
    Pantry recipes that call for no fresh ingredients at all are meant for convenience and sometimes for emergencies.  In heavy weather this comfort food throws together in minutes. There is no substitute for the chicken gumbo soup. I keep a few cans on hand just for this recipe. 

 

Souper Chicken and Rice

1 can condensed chicken and rice soup
1 can condensed chicken gumbo soup
2 to 3 soup cans water
10-ounce can chunk chicken, broken up
Small can mushroom pieces, drained
1 1/2 cups instant rice

    Bring soup, chicken with any juices, mushrooms and 2 cups water to a boil. Stir in instant rice. Cover and let stand 7 to 10 minutes until rice is soft.  Add water if soup is too thick. Heat. Stir and serve. Serves 6. 

 


 

SURVIVAL FOOD HANDBOOK SAVES THE DAY when you're out of fresh food. Whether it's fridge failure or you're broke or quarantined, it's a guide to provisioning information, lists, tips and recipes made solely with stowed foods available from supermarkets.  Create a standby pantry with familiar, affordable staples. Even on a day cruise in a small boat, extra rations are a lifesaving must.

Kindle or paperback, it's a great gift idea for a future passagemaker. https://amzn.to/3mIfryC


Skillet Recipe of the Week
Spicy Skillet Winter Stew



1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups diced hard squash such as butternut
1 can of whole kernel corn, drained
Large onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped fine
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can Great Northern or other large while beans, drained and rinsed
Salt, pepper to taste


    Heat oil in a large skillet and brown squash and corn, gradually stirring in onion, garlic and peppers over high heat. Stir in chili powder, then diced tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until squash and peppers are tender.
    Stir in beans and heat through.  Adjust seasonings and serve in soup plates.


Tips for the Boat Cook
  

    * Boil a big pot of sweet potatoes or heat up a can of sweet potatoes in juice. Mash coarsely, adding powdered orange gelatin dessert mix to taste. Cover and let steep for a few minutes.

* Don’t toss leftover egg yolks. Cover with vegetable oil and keep cold up to three days. Enrich cookie dough, pancake batter, pound cake with an extra yoke or two.

* An old Navy cook makes hash with meat, potatoes and beaten eggs. When eggs are set, he folds in a generous handful of crushed soda crackers. Serve at once while crackers are crispy.

    * Make stuffed tomatoes as a side dish or a vegetarian main dish. Fill with sauteed mushrooms, buttered bread crumbs and beaten egg. Bake or poach until egg sets. 

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Friday, December 15, 2023

SEA-Smart Recipes for Boating & Cruising

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023.  

 


 


 Wherever your flag is flying, these recipes from my 29-foot,  liveaboard sloop will save your budget, water and fuel supply and space. 



GALLEY RECIPE OF THE WEEK
Blushing Crab Cheese Sauce


Imitation crabmeat makes this seafood sauce affordable, tasty and nourishing.

 

 20 ounces imitation crab, cut up or shredded
Large sweet onion (e.g. Vidalia) finely diced
8-ounce package grated Cheddar cheese
1 stick butter, divided
1/4 cup cooking sherry
2 tablespoons flour
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 cup sour cream


    Prepare crab and set aside.  Melt butter in a pan and whisk with the flour, sherry,  soup and sour cream. Cook over low medium heat, stirring often until it’s smooth and thick. Fold in surimi and cheese. Heat through. Spoon over toast, mashed potato, pasta, noodles, rice, biscuits or a green vegetable such as steamed, shredded cabbage, wilted spinach or boiled carrots. Serves 6. 

Cook's note: You might add part of the sour cream to the sauce and save part to use as a garnish.  


SURVIVAL FOOD HANDBOOK 

GOES TO SEA
 Gift Idea for any boater or camper: 

 Unlike other prepper books, Suvival Food Handbook is written just for sailors and campers who have limited storage space. Make the most of every inch, dollar and ounce of emergency food supplies.  It’s about supermarket staples to keep on hand, use and replace regularly. Eat them first in an emergency before delving into those awful doomsday rations you keep deep in the bilge.  https://amzn.to/3mIfryC

Pantry Recipe of the Week

These recipes promise a great meal from your pantry in a pinch. Substitute fresh ingredients when you have them.

Lucky New Year Black-Eye Peas
    In the Dixie states,  eating  hog jowls (rhymes with bowls) and black-eye peas on New York’s Eve or New Year’s Day is considered to bring good luck in the new year. Black-eye peas are available canned or dried. For the cruiser’s pantry, dried peas are more economical but they require soaking and a longer cook time. 

 
2 cups dried black-eye peas OR
2 cans black-eye peas, drained and rinsed
10-ounce can chunk ham
4 tablespoons dried onion bits
1 teaspoon dried granular garlic
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 bay leaf
1 or 2 drops smoke flavoring (optional)
Tabasco


    Wash and pick over dried peas, cover with water and soak overnight.  Add remaining ingredients except Tabasco. Add more water if necessary to cover peas. Cook until tender. If using canned peas, just heat heat gently until onions are soft and serve. Discard the bay leaf and serve in shallow soup plates. Pass the Tabasco. Makes 4 hearty servings. 



ARMCHAIR TRAVEL AND A GOOD COZY MYSTERY


https://amzn.to/3BH4AZK


    For your Kindle, Nook, Google Play and other e-readers, salty widow Farley Halladay tells her story about life at sea, losing her husband and her new life as a caregiver, cook, online vacation specialist and crime solver. 

The kicky, sassy Yacht Yenta series of cozy mysteries features Farley and a crazy cast of characters you'll want to follow from book to book.  https://amzn.to/3BH4AZK

 

 

 

 

 TIPS FOR THE GALLEY COOK

* Egg nog, served hot or cold, is a year-round nutrition boost. Make it any time using egg  substitute or other pasteurized eggs. Add cream, sugar, a little vanilla and nutmeg and maybe a shot of rum.  

      * Make play dough for the kids. Cook 1 1/4 cups biscuit mix, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, 1/4 cup salt with 1 cup water. Stir over medium heat until it forms a ball. Cool, knead until smooth and roll between sheets of parchment paper and cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and paint or shape to make jewelry or hang-up ornaments. Bake 1 to ½ hours at 225 degrees until they are hard.

    * Use a silicone baking mat to chop nuts. Lift, form a funnel, pour.

    * Store-bought shortcake cakes make great last-minute desserts. How about filling with  mandarin oranges sauced with orange flavored yogurt,  or instant chocolate pudding and whipped topping, or chunky applesauce drizzled with hazelnut coffee creamer?



Galley Recipe of the Week
Salmon with Egg Sauce

    When you need to stretch a small catch, add this creamy sauce to any baked, broiled or grilled fish.  



4 portions salmon fillet or other fish, cooked to your liking
½ stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped fine
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
Fresh minced parsley or dried parsley, cilantro, chives or tarragon

    Melt the butter in a medium skillet and stir in flour. When it’s well blended, continue stirring over low heat while gradually stirring in milk. When it’s thick and bubbly, stir in seasoned salt and chopped eggs. Spoon over cooked fish and sprinkle with  parsley .

See nautical news, views and cues from Farley Halladay, the Yacht Yenta, at https://farleyhalladay.blogspot.com  

 

 PRODUCT REVIEW
Janet Groene has no connection with this company nor its sales. 

 


 

    Everyone is advised to carry a first aid kit. How? What? Where? Most important of all, What’s Inside? The family that founded Keep Going has re-invented the first aid kit and I’m wowed.  First, the kits are complete, right down to a tick remover, finger splint and instant cold pack. Second, kits are designed to be packable, compact, good looking, durable and easily grabbed.  


    One model comes with 106 first aid products. Zippered, durable cases come in a variety of colors and patterns. A Super Kit comes with 270 pieces and the mini kit has 60 pieces. There’s even a Kids Kit with 44 pieces. Best of all, refill bundles are available to make it easy to keep supplies fresh and complete. 

    The secret to carrying a mini-ER  in these cases is to provide only small amounts of each essential. Every item is neatly filed in see-through sleeves arranged in “pages” for quick access.

 
    Keep Going is a small family-owned, Florida business that knows travel, knows first aid and knows about the kinds of emergencies travelers might face on the go.  I  recommend Keep Going for yourself, for gifts and for  everyone who needs a first aid kit for the boat,  dinghy, backpack, car, cabin or office.  See  (www.) KeepGoingFirstAid.com/




 

                                   

             

   BE PREPARED FOR FOOD SHORTAGES, EMERGENCIES, HARD TIMES and  MORE INFLATION AT HOME and AT SEA

    RISING FOOD COSTS? Supply chain broken? Quarantined in a foreign port? Riots and looting? Power outages?  Money crisis?  Survival Food Handbook is an easy guide to food preparedness, NOT about tasteless, high-priced lifeboat rations that sailors put away and forget.

  Written for sailors and campers who have limited storage space, the book shops the supermarket for familiar,  affordable, everyday food staples with a long shelf life. Read how to evaluate, plan, rotate, stow and prepare foods without refrigeration or with limited stove fuel or minimum water. You'll use it at home and away, indoors and outdoors and in emergencies of all kinds.  Kindle or paperback,  https://amzn.to/2PvOBbx

 

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Saturday, November 11, 2023

Easy Cooking for Sailing and Cruising

Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. To support this blog with your voluntary subscription, send $10 once a year via PayPal to janetgroene@yahoo.com

 




Galley Recipe of the Week
Low Country Seafood Soup

 

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
Medium onion, diced
2 cups bottled clam broth OR

2 cups water + 1 fish flavor bouillon cube


½ cup instant rice
32-ounce carton of chicken broth
Small bag of baby spinach, cut in ribbons
16-ounce tub of oysters or crabmeat
15-ounce can of black-eye peas, rinsed and drained


    In a roomy saucepan, sizzle garlic and onion in hot oil until onion is translucent. Add  broth. Bring to a boil and stir in rice. Cover and cook over reduced heat 10 minutes. Cut up oysters and lump crab if  large,.  Stir in spinach, seafood and black-eye peas. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.  Salt may not be needed but pass the pepper mill and hot sauce. 

 

 

YOUR PREPPER "LITE"  

PROGRAM FOR TRAVEL


 

 

  

"Be Prepared" means readiness for many emergencies when you're far from home. You might run out of food or water or money, or be hit with a  "shelter in place" or "mandatory evacuation" order. Survival Food Handbook is written just for CAMPERS, BOATERS AND OTHERS  who have limited storage space.

This book is about familiar, affordable supermarket staples, not those high-priced doomsday dehydrates. It's about making every ounce, dollar and cubic inch count. Kindle or paperback   https://amzn.to/3mIfryC   

 Boat Cook Tips


    * This pocket-size, 300-watt coil heater makes a cup of hot water in a wink. It’s quick, immensely useful, and  takes up almost no space at all.  http://amzn.to/2zqyjd2


    *I love my French press coffee maker because it works with whatever I have to heat water. I may have shore power, propane or a thermos.  http://amzn.to/2hPubtC  


    * It’s easy to make yogurt by inoculating warm milk with a bit of the existing yogurt culture. However this is trickier on a boat underway because yogurt doesn’t like to be disturbed while it’s “yogging”. The same is true for Junket. Wait for calm waters.


    * Rule of thumb. One part water to one cup instant rice. Two cups water to one cup raw rice. To make milk, use 1/3 cup powdered milk to one cup of water. To make “evaporated” milk, 2/3 cup powdered milk to a cup of water.
Allow 2-3 hours to combine thoroughly. 

 


Pantry Recipe of the Week
Fake Grapes

    When you’re passagemaking and the fresh fruit is gone, this fruity  dessert is a good substitute. It takes on the color of the canned fruit you add.



1/3 cup large pearl tapioca
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
2 cups water (include juice from canned  fruit)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
14.5-ounce can white grapes or gooseberries, drained
Small can pineapple tidbits, drained
Tinned cream (optional)
    Drain fruit and add water to make two cups. Stir liquid, sugar and tapioca in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat about 30 minutes or until tapioca is plump and translucent. Fold in fruit and serve warm or cold,  as is or with cream,  as a fruit salad or dessert. Serves 6. 

 



Skillet Recipe of the Week
Skillet Garlic Cheese Bread

    This from-scratch garlic bread is a homemade quick bread with all the flavor of garlic in a recipe you can throw together any time, no matter how far you are from shore.


2 eggs
1 cup milk or water
3 cups biscuit mix
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup grated Parmesan  or other dry cheese


    Thoroughly grease a heavy, deep, 10-inch skillet or Dutch oven, preferably cast aluminum. Whisk eggs and milk or water. Stir in biscuit mix and garlic powder until evenly moist. Do not over-beat. Fold in grated cheese.


    Put dough in the pan, cover tightly and cook over medium heat until it’s firm, springy to the touch and golden brown on edges and bottom. The top will not brown.Some cooks flip the loaf and brown it on the bottom but I just turn it out on a cutting board, white side down.
  Serve warm with butter. 

 


SURVIVAL FOOD HANDBOOK is written for sailors and campers who have limited storage space, yet a need for short-term emergency rations. Shop the supermarket for familiar affordable staples to create a back-up pantry that you will constantly use and refresh.  See lists, recipes using staples, tips on saving water, back-up foods, fridge failure and much more.   https://amzn.to/3mIfryC

 

 

 

See nautical news, view, cues and more galley recipes at https://farleyhalladay.blogspot.com  

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

Cruising Cooks and Nautical Notes

Blog copyright Janet Groene 2023 To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

These recipes are for cruising sailors with a small boat, small galley and small wallet. For ten years I lived on board a 29-foot sloop with a two-burner Primus stove  and a tiny, 110-V reefer for the rare times we were on shore power.  In summer I lived and traveled in a 21-foot RV that had a small fridge, propane stove and small oven. My recipes save space, water, cleanup time and cooking fuel.

 


 

Galley Recipe of the Week
Peachy Baked Oatmeal

    Serve it for breakfast or as a high-fiber dinner dessert that sticks to the ribs well into the night watch.


2 cups rolled oats (not instant, not steel cut)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch salt
About 3 cups sliced peaches, drained
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Pancake syrup (optional)


    Set the oven to 375 F. Combine dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix well. Grease a 9 X 13-inch baking dish and arrange half the peaches. Sprinkle with half the dry mixture. Add remaining peaches and remaining dry mixture.
    In the same bowl whisk milk, eggs, oil and vanilla and pour slowly and evenly over the oat mixture. Give it a few minutes for liquids to sink in. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees. It should be golden on top and chewy in the center. Serve warm, at “room” temperature or chilled. Serve plain or with pancake syrup. 

See Janet Groene's bio and a list of her books including  Survival Food Handbook, Creating Comfort Afloat and How to Live Board a Boat at https://janetgroene.blogspot.com
   
 Pantry Recipe of the Week
Pronto Paella

 

     To the cruising sailor, freedom means food independence at all times in all situations. Freezers fail. Island supply boats are delayed. Ice melts. Winds die or blow too hard. Funds run out. 

 Here is this week’s recipe using stowed foods from your stand-by locker before you have to delve into those awful  survival rations.

Small can hot and spicy Vienna sausages
2-3 tablespoons diced dried onions

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup rice
10-ounce can chunk chicken
1 or 2 cans shrimp, drained
Small can whole clams with juice
2 cups liquid
Canned mussels in shells (optional)
Dried parsley or chives


    Empty juice from sausages into a small cup and soak dried onions. Slice sausages and sizzle in hot oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Gradually stir in rice to coat. Drain any juice from the chicken and add water to make 2 cups. (If you also use juice from the seafood, strain it to remove bits of shell or cartilage).  Add liquid to the skillet and bring to a boil.
    Cover pan and cook over low heat without stirring until rice is tender. Stir in seafood heat through.
    If you have a can of  mussels in the shell, they make a nice garnish. Arrange them on top, cover and heat. Sprinkle with dried parsley or chives. Serves 4. 

  


 

 

Survival Food Handbook (International Marine Publishing)  is written for sailors and campers who have limited storage space. Using affordable, familiar supermarket staples, you can have an ample pantry of stand-by foods for brief emergencies.  See lists, nutritional information, recipes, storage tips.   Kindle or paperback. http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

 

ONE POT RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Rainbow Spanish Rice
    This colorful, one-burner dish combines ethnic ingredients from America’s melting pot to make a main dish for a mixed crowd.  You might also throw in some black or red beans in addition to, or instead of the meat.  Serve it right out of the pot and pass a choice of ethnic hot sauces.  

 

 
24-ounce package Polish kielbasa or other cooked ethnic sausage
2 tablespoons canola oil
12-ounce package frozen onion and pepper mix, thawed and drained
3 cups diced vegetables (carrot, zucchini, jicama, turnip, rutabaga, plantain, what have you)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
5 cups water
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 ½ cups long-grain white rice
1 tablespoon sweet or smoked paprika
Small can sliced ripe olives, drained
Canned red or black beans (optional) 

Salt, pepper to taste

Hot sauce

1. Start with a big pot or Dutch oven. Cut kielbasa into small bites and stir-fry it in hot oil over high heat, gradually stirring in vegetables,  garlic and rice to coat.
2. Add water and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Stir in paprika, cover, reduce heat and cook over very low flame 25 to 30 minutes. Do not peek or stir during cooking. . Rice will be tender and liquids absorbed.  
3. Stir in olives (and beans if using). Serve warm. Serves 8 to 12. 


BONUS RECIPE

Corny Crab
    Serve this saucy concoction over cooked rice, pasta or noodles, crisp Asian noodles,  steamed carrot sticks or cabbage wedges,  toaster waffles,  pancakes or corn muffins. 

 
3-4 slices bacon, cut up
Medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
16-ounce tub of fresh lump crabmeat, picked over
15-ounce can whole kernel corn*, drained
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2-ounce jar diced pimentos, drained


    Fry out bacon and spoon off excess fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons fat in the pan. Continue stirring over medium-high heat while adding parsley, thyme, crab and corn. Cover and cook over low heat while adding cornstarch to 2/3 cup liquid*. Stir into crab mixture over medium heat until it thickens. Stir in pimentos. Spoon over base of your choice. Serves 4 to 6.

* Water plus juice drained from corn
 

See nautical news, views and cues from Farley Halladay, author of the Yacht Yenta mysteries, at https://farleyhalladay.blogspot.com
 

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Monday, April 10, 2023

Boating and Sailing Galley Tips

Blog copyright Janet groene 2023. To ask about placing your ad on all six Groene traveler-related sites for one year, one low rate, email janetgroene at yahoo.com

 


Where is your flag flying? Everyone eats, so let’s make it easy on the galley cook with these shortcut recipes. Like what you see?  Please forward to your friends.


Galley Recipe of the Week
 South in Yo' Mouth Okra

    Do you hate okra? I thought I did too,  but this recipe changed my mind about a reviled  vegetable. It's  found in the southern US and in some ports when world cruising.  


1 pound okra
1 teaspoon each sugar, pepper, salt
1/4 cup egg white
1 cup biscuit mix
1 cup broken pecans
Oil for frying


    Trim fresh okra pods and slice ½ inch thick. Toss with salt, pepper and sugar and let stand about 15 minutes. Stir okra into beaten egg white and biscuit mix . Fold in pecans. Heat an inch of oil to very hot, about 375 degrees and fry okra mixture by the small scoop (in batches) until crisp and golden. Remove to paper toweling. Serve hot. Makes 3-4 main dish vegetarian portions,  4-6 side dish portions and is also a good cocktail finger food when made in small popper size balls..

 Pantry Recipe of the Week


 

    An ample pantry is the best insurance at sea and at the dock. Each week we present a recipe that is made entirely from pantry ingredients. See my book devoted to emergency galley needs and deeds. Survival Food Handbook, (International Marine Publishing), is a guide to shopping the supermarket for shelf-stable foods you can stow on board for every day or emergencies.  http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

 

Casbah Chickpea Stew

 

½ - 1 cup chopped, dried fruit e.g. apricots, apples or plums
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, sweet paprika
½ teaspoon each ground coriander and cumin
2 tablespoons dried, diced onion bits
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
6 cups water
4 chicken, beef or vegetable bouillon cubes
2 cans, 15 ounces each, undrained chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
15-ounce can mixed vegetables, drained (optional)
15-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
Hot sauce (optional) 

For a thicker stew, stir in dried potato flakes, one tablespoon at a time, 2-3 minutes apart, until stew is to taste. 


    Put everything in a pot, bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat.  Simmer 20 to 30 minutes while flavors blend and dried fruit gets plump. Ladle into soup plates. Pass the hot sauce. Serves 6.

See more of Janet Groene’s shortcut recipes at http://www.campandrvcook.blogspot.com

Tips for the Boat Cook


    * Use a fork to mix equal parts peanut (or other nut) butter and cream cheese to spread on toast, French toast, biscuits, pancakes.
    * Stack tortillas, cut in wedges with scissors and fry in hot vegetable oil until crisp. 
    * For heavy weather serving, use deep 9 X 13-inch aluminum baking pans as serving trays. Each will hold a bowl, mug, silverware, napkin, roll or bread and a piece of fruit. They stack for easy storage. 

 

     * http://amzn.to/2oMUVN4   Make your own herb and spice mixes in these large gelatin capsules and simply drop  into the hot pot.The capsule melts as you stir, releasing the spices into your dish. How handy is that to have a good supply of homemade spice blends on hand? Capsules keep herbs and spices fresh longer in damp sea air. Caution! Do not swallow.


    * Fancy nut butters cost a fortune. Instead, finely chop high-priced cashews, pecans, macadamias,  hazel nuts or pistachio nuts and fold into peanut butter.


Bonus Recipes
Reuben Flatbread 


2 cups biscuit mix, regular or gluten free
Milk or water
12-ounce can corned beef
12-ounce package Swiss cheese, shredded
15-ounce can chopped sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing


    Set the oven for 425 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking pan. casserole.  In a bowl, stir milk or water into biscuit mix to make very stiff dough. Use the back of wet spatula or spoon to spread press dough into the pan to make an even layer.
    Scrape excess fat off corned beef and cut or shred it up into small pieces. Scatter evenly over dough and press in lightly. Arrange kraut over corned beef and sprinkle evenly with cheese. Drizzle with dressing.
    Bake 25 minutes or until edges and bottom of  of dough are golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut in 20 portions.

Alabammy Breakfast Casserole
 

    Put a little South in your mouth by adding grits to the same ‘ol  breakfast strata. Unlike  many other breakfast casseroles, this one does not need to linger overnight.
    Like most breakfast casseroles, variations can spread from here to Sunday. The basics of bread, eggs, milk and cheese remain the same. For this one, be sure to use  instant grits. Regular grits won't cook this way.  

 

 

 
8- to 10-ounce package fully cooked sausage patties or links
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Green pepper, trimmed and diced
Small onion, finely diced
4 slices bread, buttered and diced

6 eggs
½ teaspoon each salt, pepper
2 cups milk
1 cup  instant grits
1 cup grated cheese

    Finely chop sausage and stir-fry in hot oil with pepper and onion. Spoon away excess fat. Butter a 9 X 13-inch baking dish and cover bottom with diced bread. Add sausage. In a bowl whisk eggs with milk and grits. Pour over casserole and bake  at 350 degrees
45 minutes  or until set as for custard. Sprinkle with cheese. When cheese melts, serve with a spoon or cool it until it's firm enough to cut in squares. . Serves 4 to 6.