Small Boat, Small Galley Food Afloat

Copyright Janet Groene 2026. 

Janet Groene, a 10-year liveaboard and author of books including How to Live Aboard a Boat, Survival Food Handbook and Dressing Ship (Hearst) specializes in shortcut recipe for the small galley, small boat, small budget.

Good Grains Casserole

Start with any cooked, canned or thawed cooked chicken. What is your  grain of choice? Bulgur? Quinoa, brown rice, wheat berries? Couscous? Oat groats? Wild  rice?  Some require long cooking. Some need just a brief soak.  Some come in pouches ready to heat.  Make this dish different each time. 

3 cups cooked  grain

2 ½ to 3 cups cooked chicken bites

1 ½ cups broccoli florets or frozen peas, thawed  

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

2 cans condensed cream of something  soup

½ cup milk

½ cup grated  cheese 

1 cup cracker crumbs made from buttery crackers 

Melted butter 

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray a 9 X 13-inch casserole. Spread grain, chicken, tomatoes and peas in the casserole in an even layer. 

Sprinkle with cheese. Whisk soup and milk and pour over casserole. Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes . Remove foil, sprinkle with cracker crumbs and drizzle with melted butter. Return to the oven until topping is toasty. Serves 6. 

See Janet Groene’s Potluck Recipe of the Week at https://CampAndRVCook.blogspot

Pantry Recipe of the Week

In this regular feature, we  present a recipe that can be made 100% from stored provisions. Gourmet, no,  but these recipes are  lifesavers in food emergencies. Before delving into those awful doomsday rations in the bilge, create a standby pantry of canned and packaged supplies that can be made into balanced meals. Save recipes like this one to help plan your provisioning list.

Stow-Away Shepherd’s Pie

12-ounce can roast beef in gravy

15-ounce can cut green beans or mixed vegetables, drained

10-ounce can corn with red and green peppers (e.g. MexiCorn)

Small can evaporated milk

1 egg or equivalent

2 cups instant mashed potatoes prepared according to package directions

Dried parsley flakes. 

Open the can of roast beef and chop coarsely while it’s still in the can. Put vegetables and corn in a pan or casserole and top with the beef. Whisk canned milk and egg and pour over casserole. Spread mashed potatoes on top. Spritz with coconut oil (for the quickest browning; melted butter is good too)  and bake at 350 F. until internal temperature is at least 160F.  Serves 3 to 4. 

Stovetop method: Cover and cook over low heat until it’s heated through and egg mixture is “set". Potatoes won’t brown when cooked this way. Sprinkle with browned, buttered bread crumbs or packaged French fried onions.  

Solar method: Proceed as above, preparing instant potatoes with cold water if necessary. Extra steeping time improves their taste and texture. Put the casserole in a solar cooker until it’s heated through and egg mixture is “set”. 

    See tips on getting the most nutrition into your standby food locker. (That's a supply of ordinary canned and packaged supplies you can rely on for a few days before you have to dig for those dreaded doomsday dehydrates.)

My Survival Food Handbook is a guide to provisioning a small boat with the most nutrition per inch, per ounce and per dollar using familiar, affordable supermarket staples.   http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

Taffrail Log Cookies

The log can be prepared ahead and frozen for weeks. Thaw, slice and bake as needed. Toaster ovens aren't for every galley but they are cheap and light weight, ideal for heating TV meals and each day's biscuits or cookies. On a sunny day these cookies will also bake in a solar oven. 

1 stick butter 

1 1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup finely chopped nuts

Scant tablespoon water

1 teaspoon butter-rum flavoring

Powdered sugar

Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into flour and brown sugar until mealy. Fold in nuts, water and flavoring. Sprinkle pastry cloth or paper toweling lightly with powdered sugar and form dough into a log about 14 inches long, Chill or freeze. Thaw, slice and bake at 325F until lightly browned. Smother in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar

One Burner Recipe of the Week

Out of Africa Stew

20-ounce package coarse-grind beef (sometimes called chili grind)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Large onion, diced

Large carrot, diced 

2 cups water

1 beef bouillon cube

8 to 10 small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved

½ cup smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

Fry out ground meat in hot oil gradually adding onion. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil to dissolve bouillon, then add potatoes. Lower heat and cook, covered, until potatoes are fork tender.

Drain tomatoes, saving juice.  In a small bowl whisk juice, cornstarch, peanut butter and cayenne. Add to the stew over medium high heat and stir to thicken.  Add drained tomatoes and salt to taste. Serves 6. 

VEGETARIAN DISH OF THE WEEK

This meal-size salad is easy to make in a small galley, or whip it up at home to bring out at a pontoon boat picnic. 

Sourdough Salad

4 cups bite-size pieces of  sourdough bread

2 cans, 15 ounces each, red beans, rinsed and drained

3 large tomatoes, chopped and drained

Medium green sweet pepper, seeded and diced

Small sweet onion, peeled and diced

6-ounce package smoked provolone cheese

15-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained

1 packet ranch dressing mix

8-ounce container plain yogurt

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise

Tear up bread and set aside in a large mixing bowl to dry. Cut provolone in small strips and set aside.  To continue, add beans, tomatoes, sweet pepper, onion, corn and half of the cheese. In a small bowl whisk dressing mix with yogurt and mayonnaise and fold into the bread mixture. Top with remaining cheese strips. Chill.  Serve as is or in lettuce cups. Serves 6 to 8. 

Favor whole grains, non GMO, low sugar

Never be without pocket fuel when you're exploring ashore or are on night watch. See sweet and savory trail mix recipes to make by the gallon, then package for the pocket. Save money, reduce waste, customize recipes to your own diet needs.

 https://https://createagorp.blogspot.com

The latest in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-books brings sailboat widow Farley Halladay closer to the answer of her husband's death. 

Read the six cozies in any order as Farley copes, cooks and solves crimes with the help of her wacky cast of characters. You'll laugh at her frailties; cry with her as she grieves. Find it on Google Play and other ebook formats and also on  Kindle,   https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao

Tex-Mex One Pot Pasta

2.2-pound package Queso Fresco (a non-melting cheese) 

Put the round of cheese in a plastic bag. Seal bag. Press and work with fingers until the cheese is in crumbles. Refrigerate. Use as needed.

One or two chorizo sausages

14- to 16-ounce link smoked sausage such as kielbasa

2 tablespoons lard, vegetable oil or butter

3 cups water

12-ounce box of regular or veggie pasta spirals

2 cans, 14.5 ounces each, diced tomatoes with onion and green pepper

10-ounce can of Mexicorn (corn with green and red peppers)

Small can diced chilies, drained

Crumbled queso 

Optional: hot sauce

Take casing off choriso and slice it. Cut kielbasa lengthwise, then in slices. Brown in hot fat to release flavors. Add water, bring to a boil and cook pasta until it’s al dente. Stir in tomatoes, corn and chilies. and meat or meat substitute. Cover and heat over low burner until well heated through.

Top with crumble queso ad lib. Pass the hot sauce.  Serves 6.

Rule of thumb. Regular rice: one cup rice + two cups water. Instant rice: one cup rice + one cup water. 

Big Batch Butterscotch Rice Pudding

If you don’t have a freezer, keep frozen whipped topping in a well-chilled ice chest.  After thawing it’s still good for several days if kept cold. This shortcut recipe serves 12 to 15, so it’s ideal for a large crew or a marina potluck. 

5 cups water

½ cup brown sugar

½ stick butter, cut up

5 cups instant rice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup golden raisins (optonal)

8-ounce carton caramel-flavor yogurt

1 quart frozen whipped topping

Optional: Butterscotch ice cream syrup

In a large pot bring water, butter and sugar to a boil. Stir in instant rice and salt, cover and let stand 7 to 10 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fold in remaining ingredients, ending with the whipped topping. Serve a once or chill. Serve as is or drizzle each portion with a little butterscotch syrup. 

Cook’s note: small paper cups are just the right size for serving small portions of rice pudding

HAPPY HOUR SNACK.

Prosciutto Puff Poppers

These tasty poppers are really just tiny, un-filled cream puffs with spicy prosciutto mixed in the dough. Serve as finger food.

1 cup minced prosciutto

About 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

Mix and set aside. 

1 stick butter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Melt butter in hot water and dump in flour all at once. Stir vigorously, gradually adding eggs one at a time. Fold in prosciutto and parsley. One heaping teaspoon at a time, place dough on a greased baking sheet.  Bake until puffs are plump, then reduce heat to 325F and bake until a test puff will hold its shape without collapsing. Serve warm. 

Rice Pancakes

These versatile pancakes can be served savory as a starch side dish or sweet with syrup as a as a breakfasta hearty breakfast.aInstead of powdered milk us two cups fresh milk or add water to a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk to make two cups liquid.

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup powdered milk

2 cups water

2 eggs

2 cups cooked rice

Butter or oil for cooking

Mi flour, baking powder, salt and milk powder. Mix in water and eggs, then fold in rice. Cook like pancakes on a hot, greased griddle. Serve as a savory starch side dish with supper or with butter and syrup for breakfast. 

Easy Galley Meals for Small Boats

 Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about reprinting Groene content, email janetgroene@yahoo.com

For 10 years the Groenes were happily houseless. Always on the go as a travelwriter and photographer team, they wintered under sail in a 29-foot sloop and traveled summers in a 21-foot diesel camper. Janet specializes in easy, nutritious, everyday recipes that save space, mess, resources and money.

Groene  OP books, found on Amazon include How to Live Aboard a Boat, Cooking on the Go and Dressing Ship

 Galley Recipe of the Week

Carolina Chicken Bog

This flavorful, easy, affordable one-dish recipe is a Low Country icon, celebrated each October in South Carolina with the Loris Bog-Off Festival.

A traditional bog begins with a whole chicken that is cooked, cooled, skinned and then cut up. Spices vary, depending on the chef. The festival began in 1980 as a contest for the best bog and is now a community feast where all chefs have their own secret seasonings.  

  Here’s my simplified version for the small galley.   

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

6 cups water

Large onion, diced

1 ½ cups long-grain rice

8 ounces smoked sausage cut in bits

2 tablespoons Italian-blend herbs

2 teaspoons powdered chicken bouillon

Salt, pepper to taste

Hot sauce

Cut chicken in bite size. Put water, salt and onion in a big pot, bring to a boil and cook chicken 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients to the pot, keeping it at low boil. 

Reduce heat, cover and cook 20-30  minutes, stirring often,  until rice is plump. Taste before adding salt. (Sausage and bouillon are salty). 

Bog is a soupy, stewy sort of thing, easy to spoon into shallow soup plates and eat with a spoon even if you're wedged into a seat in heavy weather. Pass the hot sauce, preferably a southern favorite such as Texas Pete or Tabasco. Serves 6 to 8. 

ONE BURNER SKILLET MEAL

Sausage and Shreds

Cabbage, or some variation of it, is found in most  street markets around the world. It’s usually one of the lowest priced vegetables in the stall, a staple in many local diets. Shredded cabbage is sold as Coleslaw Mix in modern produce centers.  

2 pounds of your favorite bulk sausage

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

14- ounce bag shredded cabbage

 Small red cabbage, cut in coarse shreds

Medium red onion, diced

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons grainy mustard

3 tablespoons thawed apple juice concentrate

In a large skillet or wok heat oil and stir-fry the sausage, breaking it up into crumbles,  until it’s no longer pink. Spoon off any excess fat (but leave some for flavor). Continue stir-frying, adding cabbages and onion until crisp-tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Whisk juice concentrate and mustard together and stir into the sausage mixture.

Refrigerate now to nuke later or serve at once.  Freezing is not recommended. Serves 10 to 12.

Even a day sail can turn into a hungry ordeal when things go wrong. Think of spare food as insurance. This book is not about those awful doomsday rations in the bilge (you may need them later) It's a planning guide for a stand-by cache of shelf-stable foods you use and rotate. 

SURVIVAL FOOD HANDBOOK is a guide to survival when you're Out There and out of fresh provisions.  It's written just for sailors and campers who have limited storage space.

 Whether it's fridge failure, or you're broke,  or quarantined or weathered in, stuff happens. See provisioning information, lists, tips and recipes made solely with stowed foods from supermarkets (not those expensive  doomsday rations) .  Create a three-day standby pantry for your home, boat, cabin or camper with familiar, affordable staples.

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

  

Pantry Recipe of the Week

Wild Rice Burgers

2 cups cooked wild rice  OR

1 box wild rice/white rice mix, cooked according to package directions

½ cup dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup pecan meal

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 eggs or equivalent

Small can mushroom stems and pieces, well drained

Small jar (2 ounces) chopped pimentos, well drained

Oil for frying

While a layer of oil heats in a skillet to shimmering hot, mix everything else and form into patties. Fry on both sides until crispy brown and serve hot.  

Cook’s note: these patties are also good for breakfast. Serve with  applesauce or yogurt.

MAKE AHEAD SALAD

Sweet Broccoli Salad

4 to 6 cups broccoli florets, cut in bite size

1 bunch scallions, sliced

2 cups halved seedless grapes

1 cup lemon flavor yogurt

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4-ounce package real bacon bits

Bottled ranch dressing (optional)

Toss broccoli, grapes and scallions lightly in a bowl. Whisk yogurt, sugar and vinegar, then toss with the broccoli mixture.  If more dressing is needed add ranch dressing ad lib. Sprinkle with bacon bits. Serve now or chill. Serves 4 to 6. 

Discover the Yacht Yenta Cozy Mystery Series....

People are dying in Okecoochie County Florida,  but nobody can guess how the deaths are related. Meet Farley Halladay, a salt-cured sailboat widow who has an online charterboat booking business. She dodges a wayward sister, cares for an old Navy SEAL veteran who was her husband’s mentor and wrangles  a large circle of wacky friends. She cooks, copes and solves crimes in this unusual cozy mystery e-book series. Go to Kindle,   https://amzn.to/3bB5XPh   

Throughout the books, Farley shares shortcut recipes from the days when she was a charterboat cook. 

HOT OR COLD SANDWICHES

Mexican Meltdowns

6 bakery buns

1 stick butter

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound sliced roast chicken deli lunch meat

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

8-ounce package shredded Mexican cheese blend 

Small can diced green chilies, well drained

Slice buns. Soften butter and mash with chili powder. Spread a light film on cut sides of buns. Fold chilies and shredded cheese into mayonnaise. 

Make sandwiches with the buns and layers of lunch meat and smears of the mayo mixture. Wrap individually in foil (to heat in the oven or on the grill) or in wax paper (to nuke). 

Refrigerate. Eat cold or heat gently until the cheese melts. Serves 6. 

GIVE IT THE SLIP

Rubberized waffle weave non-skid material is useful all over the boat. It’s sold in small rolls for shelf lining but a better deal is the large sizes sold  for use under rugs, such as 4 X 6 feet. Cut it to fit lockers, tool and tackle boxes, book shelves, the chart table. It’s not just non-skid, it’s a noise absorber.

Caregiver suppliers sell nonskid mats for sickroom use

 To make table place mats in any size to fit an odd-size galley table or drink holder, simply cut with scissors. Most edges need no binding, but  colorful tape adds a nice touch. Warning: In time the rubbery coating dies and welds itself onto surfaces. Cleanup gets messy. Replace shelf linings every year or so.

SEAFOOD MAKES THE MEAL

Stretch-a-Catch Alfredo

Make a medley of different seafoods-–the more variety the better-- to supplement leftovers or today’s meager catch.  Add  canned tuna, frozen cooked shrimp, grilled salmon, imitation crabmeat, poached scallops and such to make 1 to 2 pounds cooked seafood.

3 to 4 cups bite size bits of cooked seafood

1 pound fettucine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, drained

2 jars, 14 ounces each, Alfredo sauce

Optional: minced parsley 

Cook and drain fettucine, saving some of the pasta water. Toss hot fettucine with olive oil and capers. Fold in seafood and sauce, adding some of the pasta water if needed. Cover and heat gently over low flame until piping hot. Serves  8. 

The latest in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-books brings sailboat widow Farley Halladay closer to the answer of her husband's death. 

Read the six cozies in any order as Farley copes, cooks and solves crimes with the help of her wacky cast of characters. You'll laugh at her frailties; cry with her as she grieves. Find it on Google Play and other ebook formats and also on  Kindle,   https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao

HAPPY HOUR

Prickly Beer And Pretzels

2 bricks cream cheese, 8 ounces each

About ½ cup dark beer such as stout

 .07-ounce packet zesty Italian dressing mix

8-ounce package shredded sharp Cheddar

Warm up cream cheese to “room” temperature and mash in beer,  dressing mix and cheese. Serve with pretzels

. 

A SAUCE SAVES THE DAY

Orange Coconut Rum Sauce

10-ounce jar orange marmalade

1/3 cup coconut rum

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, cut fine

Stir over medium heat until well blended. Spoon warm over grilled pork chops, ham steaks, baked chicken or skewered shrimp. 

                     ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Janet Groene’s

Survival Soup Mix 

copyright Janet Groene.

Make enough individual packets of this nourishing mix to last all summer. Gourmet it isn't but, unlike some commercially packaged 15-bean soups, this one requires no soaking.  It cooks in only 30 to 45 minutes and even less in a pressure cooker.  It’s also ideal for long, slow cooking in a solar cooker or beach fire.  

After you’ve made your first master mix you’ll want to vary the recipe your own way with different rices or seasonings.  Just don’t add dried beans that require hours of soaking.

Why two bags per batch?  Dried peas and lentils need sorting and rinsing  to remove dirt and debris. They are kept separate from the seasonings package, which is ready to use. 

   

Shopping list:

1 bag dried yellow split  peas

1 bag dried green split peas

1 bag brown lentils

1 bag red or yellow lentils 

1 bag brown rice

1 bag pearl barley

2 small bags tiny pasta such as alphabet, orzo or mini-shells

Large bottle of box of  chicken bouillon cubes

Ditto beef bouillon cubes

Ditto Knorr tomato bouillon cubes 

Large bottle dried parsley

Large bottle dried onion bits

To package soup mixes for four servings each: 

Mix all  peas and lentils. Put ½ cup in each snack size bag and zip closed.  

In a separate bag or jar place: 

3 tablespoons each brown rice, pearl barley and tiny pasta 

1 each beef, chicken and tomato bouillon cubes

1 tablespoon each dried onion bits and dried parsley

½ teaspoon garlic granules or powder (not garlic salt) 

½ teaspoon celery seed

Combine the two containers in another bag or jar and add instructions.

Instructions for Making Survival Soup:

1. Inspect and rinse peas and lentils. Drain.  To reduce cook time, soaking optional for 30 minutes or so. 

2. Bring 4 cups water to a boil and stir in pea- lentil mix. Bring back to a low boil. Unwrap bouillon cubes and stir with the  other ingredients into the soup.  

3. Cover, lower heat and simmer 30 to 45 minutes or until tender. If soup is too thick, add water, broth or tomato juice. Stir well, adjust seasonings and ladle into soup bowls. 

Cook’s note: To make a vegan/vegetarian mix, substitute vegetable bouillon cubes for the beef and chicken cubes. 

Optional garnish for the finished soup:

Diced scallion, white and light green only

Small sweet onion, diced

Shredded cheese

Shaved hard cheese

Bits of jerky

Diced fresh tomato

Croutons

     +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

   See more for the small kitchen, boat galley or outdoor campsite at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com. See Janet's timely road trip news at https://janetgroene.blogspot.com and general RV tips plus late-breaking campground intel at https://solowomanrv.blogspot.com/

Easy Meals Float Your Boat

Copyright Janet Groene 2026. To ask about rates to reprint this content email janetgroene@yahoo.com/ Groene books include How to Live Aboard a Boat (Hearst), The Galley Book (McKay) and Cooking on the Go (Sail Books.) 

Do you feed your crew with a galley the size of a telephone booth?  Here's help: 

GALLEY RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Salmon and Black Bean Chili

The hot chili warms a nest of salmon

2 cans salmon, drained

Medium onion, diced

Small green pepper, diced

½ cup diced celery if you have some

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup salsa (hot, medium or mild)

1 cup water

1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon

½ teaspoon each ground cumin and dried thyme

Cooked rice (optional)

Sizzle onion, celery and green pepper in hot oil. Add black beans, tomatoes, salsa, water, bouillon and seasonings. Bring to a boil and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-5 minutes until vegetables are soft. 

Remove skin and bones from salmon and carefully create six portions o 1/3 to 1/2 cup each. Place each in a soup plate. To proceed, ladle piping hot chili over the salmon and top with a scoop of hot rice if you wish. Or, just provide a basket of bread chunks. Pass the pepper mill and hot sauce. 

HAPPY HOUR

Creamy Beer Dip

8-ounce package grated cheddar cheese

2 bricks, 8 ounces each, cream cheese, softened

1 envelope ranch dressing mix

Beer ad lib

Work cheeses and ranch dressing mix together with enough beer to make a creamy dip for pretzels

    See tips on getting the most nutrition into your standby food locker. (That's  a supply of ordinary canned and packaged supplies you can rely on for a few days before you have to dig for those dreaded doomsday dehydrates.)

My Survival Food Handbook is a guide to provisioning a small boat with the most nutrition per inch, per ounce and per dollar using familiar, affordable supermarket staples.   http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

 

PANTRY RECIPE OF THE WEEK

When you’re out of time or money or fresh  food, dip into your standby pantry for canned and packaged goods. Survival Food Handbook (above) contains more recipes made entirely with shelf stable foods.  Gourmet? No, but you may thank me later.

Spam and Tortellini

Spam can be grated on the large holes of a box grater. Chill first if possible. 

14-ounce can low sodium Spam, grated or diced fine

12-ounce package dried cheese and spinach tortellini 

14-ounce can or jar Alfredo sauce

Small jar diced pimentos, drained

Prepare Spam. Dice or grate it and sizzle in butter or oil until it's browned and flavorful. Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain. Fold in Alfredo sauce, pimentos and Spam. Heat through.  Serves 6. 

ONE BURNER MEAL OF THE WEEK

Chicken & Artichokes

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika

2 tablespoons each butter and vegetable oil

1 can mushrooms slices, drained

1 can whole artichoke hearts, drained and cut in half

1 cup water +more as needed

1 teaspoon powdered chicken bouillon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup sweet sherry

Optional: hot  rice, noodles or mashed potatoes

Pat chicken dry. Mix flour and seasonings, Dredge chicken to coat. Brown chicken in hot oil and butter. Add mushrooms and artichokes and nestle them into pan drippings.  Turn several times to distribute flavors.  Cover pan and braise over reduced heat until chicken tests done at 170F. Whisk 1 cup water with powdered bouillon,, cornstarch and sherry. Stir into skillet, adding more water if needed. Serve as is or with a starch such as rice.  

Discover the Yacht Yenta Cozy Mystery Series....

People are dying in Okecoochie County Florida,  but nobody can guess how the deaths are related. Meet Farley Halladay, a salt-cured sailboat widow who has an online charterboat booking business.. She, dodges a wayward sister, cares for an old Navy SEAL veteran who was her husband’s mentor and wrangles  a large circle of wacky friends. She cooks, copes and solves crimes in this unusual cozy mystery series.  Go to  https://amzn.to/3bB5XPh   

BONUS Throughout the books, Farley shares shortcut recipes from the days when she was a charterboat cook. 

STOVE-TOP DESSERT OF THE WEEK

Fruit and Dumplings

1 pint fresh blackberries, cut up strawberries, blueberries or raspberries

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

Juice of half a lemon

Dumplings:

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Milk or water

Bring fruit, water, ½ cup sugar and lemon juice to an active simmer for a few minutes to soften fruit and release juices. Mix dumpling dry ingredients with enough milk or water to form a thick dough. Using two teaspoons, drop dough into simmering fruit. Cover pan and continue simmering gently for 15 minutes until dumplings are plump. 

Place dumplings in 4-5 dessert dishes. Stir a shot or two of  two of rum or a fruity  liqueur  into the hot fruit sauce and spoon over dumplings. Serve as is or with cream, ice cream or whipped topping. 

LIFESAVER SAUCE OF THE WEEK

A minor mishap in the galley? Save it with a sauce. This is my shameless shortcut version of  classic Marchand de Vin Sauce, which is sieved and served smooth. I want to retain every crumb of those previous shallots, so I skip the sieve.  

Mince shallots very fine

Shallot Wine Sauce

½ cup minced shallots

1 ½ cups dry red wine

2 teaspoons Better Than Beef bouillon

1 tablespoon dry parsley flakes

1 stick butter

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice 

1 tablespoon water

Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring shallots and wine to a hard boil for 3-5 minutes.  Reduce heat and stir in bouillon, parsley flakes and butter. Stir cornstarch into a mixture of lemon juice and water. Stir into simmering sauce until it thickens. If it's too thick, add a teaspoon of water. Adjust seasonings. 

Spoon sparingly over mashed potatoes, poached eggs, meat, fish, rice, vegetables or anywhere an assertive,  savory sauce is called for.

The latest in the Yacht Yenta cozy mystery e-books brings sailboat widow Farley Halladay closer to the answer of her husband's death. 

Read the six cozies in any order as Farley copes, cooks and solves crimes with the help of her zany cast of characters. You'll laugh at her frailties; cry with her as she grieves. https://amzn.to/3wcf6ao

If you could have only one electric appliance in your galley, what would it be? Many boats now come with a built-in microwave. 

MICROWAVE RECIPE OF THE WEEK

Seafood Stew

Here’s a way to use today’s catch, whatever it may be. 

1 pound raw,  bite-size seafood (shrimp, scallops, clams or any cut up boneless, skinless fish)

1/4 stick butter

½ teaspoon garlic powder

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon ketchup

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon mixed Italian seasoning

Prepare seafood and set aside. Put remaining ingredients in a covered microware dish and cook on High 5 to 6 minutes until very hot. Add seafood, cover and cook another 5 to 7 minutes until seafood is firm. Spoon over rice, noodles, ramen, pasta or broken pilot crackers. Serves 4- 6. 

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