Snappy and Shortcut Recipes for Motor Boating and Sailing

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Galley Recipe
of the Week
One-Pot
Casbah Stew
     This is a fruity, exotic, North African adventure, not the “same old stew.”  Make it in a pot atop the galley stove, in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Taste and season just before serving. Salt may not be needed. For a thinner sauce add water,  broth or dry wine.

1 pound lean cubes of lamb or beef
2 tablespoons canola oil (except for slow cooker)
1 cup pitted, dried plums
1 cup dried apricots
Large onion, diced
1 cup water
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon cinnamon or apple pie spice blend
2 cans, 14 to 16 ounces each, garbanzo beans with juice
Salt, pepper

    Slow cooker method: pile everything in the cooker, stir and cook on High for 4 hours.       Pressure cooker method: brown meat in  hot oil and add remaining ingredients except garnishes.  Bring to full pressure and cook 20 minutes. Set the cooker aside until pressure normalizes. 
    Stove-top method: brown meat in hot oil in a roomy pot. Add remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat, adding more water if necessary, 1 hour or until meat is very tender.


Tips for the Galley Chef

    * Same old tuna one-dish? Give it a Tex-Mex spin. Cook a little chopped red and green pepper with the noodles. Then add suitable spices, maybe a little chili powder and cumin. For a wow factor, fold in a hefty handful of Fritos just before serving. 

    * There is no compact way to stow water. That’s why I like this set of containers in all sizes, rigid and flat, to take along as needed. For fly-in bareboating, the flat bags are ideal. 


    * Canvas totes turn to concrete if machine washed. Spot clean as long as possible. Rust stains on totes usually yield to vinegar or lemon juice. Or brush in a paste made from white vinegar and salt, then rinse in cold water. Sunlight is a natural bleach. When a total wash is needed, soak, scrub,  rinse well, then block to shape as they dry. 

    * To grill whole onion slices for burgers, make fat slices and leave them flat on the cutting board. Carefully push a toothpick through them and they’ll stay together on the grill. Put back on cutting board and press down with a spatula while removing the toothpick.


 

Pantry Recipe of the Week

    No fresh foods are needed in this hearty main dish. Serve it on lazy days or during food emergencies when you rely on stowed food.  

Read Survival Food Handbook for ways to stock your emergency food larder with affordable, familiar foods from the supermarket. Cruise-tested information tells how much of what to take, what to do if the fridge fails, backup cookers, and much more.
Pasta Salad Aloha
    This is a hearty main dish. When on short water rations, which is almost always, I cook pasta in much less water than specified on the package. Just keep it boiling and keep pasta submerged.

20-ounce can pineapple tidbits in their own juice
10-ounce can mandarin oranges
10- or 12-ounce can mango or peach chunks
1 or 2 cans chunk chicken, tuna, ham or turkey
16-ounce package penne, cooked
1 cups bottled citrus salad dressing (or most to taste)
1 cup whole cashews
Shredded coconut (optional)
More cashews (optional)

    Drain  fruit well and save juices to make fruit punch.  Leave meat or fish in the open can(s) and twist a fork in it to break it up. Drain pasta and put everything into a big plastic bag. Zip shut and “work” gently to mix well. Serve now or chill. Sprinkle with coconut and/or nuts if you wish. Serves 8 to 12.

Skillet Meal of the Week

Souper Skillet
    Noodle soup mix is deliciously seasoned, so don’t use sausage or other seasoned meat here. 

2 pounds lean ground meat
Large onion, diced
Medium green pepper, diced
1 to 2 cups fresh or canned mushrooms
2 cups diced celery
9 cups water
3 packets noodle soup mix such as Mrs. Grass
2 cups long grain rice
8-ounce can mushroom slices, drained
Halved cherry tomatoes (optional)

    In a large skillet or kettle, brown  ground meat and break it up into crumbles. Spoon  off any excess fat and keep stir-frying over high heat while adding the onion, pepper, mushrooms and celery. 
        Add water, bring to a boil and add soup mix and rice. Reduce heat, cover and cook without stirring 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Fold in tomatoes if using.  Serves 6 to 8. 


See more of Janet Groene's shortcut recipes at https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com. For 10 years she lived full-time on the go by boat and RV. On assignment as a boating writer, she cruises worldwide in bareboats, power and sail,  with various galley equipment. Her own boat galley had a two-burner Primus stove and no fridge. Her RV had a propane stove with small oven and a gas-electric fridge.

Sailing, Cruising, Boating Meals Made Easy

blog copyright janet groene, all rights reserved.

 
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Galley Recipe of the Week
Ravigote Sauce
 
    When you have a few, great sauce recipes up your sleeve you can turn any plain-jane galley food into something festive. This  recipe raids your spice rack to make ordinary dishes sing. Try it on hard-cooked eggs, chops, steak, chicken, vegetables, rice.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon each dried, crumbled chervil, tarragon, chives and sugar
1 cup milk plus more if needed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon butter

    In a small saucepan, mix dry ingredients and stir in cold milk. Stirring constantly over low/medium heat, cook until sauce thickens. Stir in lemon juice and vinegar.  Add a little more milk if needed. Remove from heat, stir in butter until it melts and serve. Makes 1 1/4 cups sauce. Use it sparingly. A little goes a long way.

Pantry Recipe of the Week
    Note that this recipe calls for no fresh foods at all.  Use it to help rotate stowed food supplies or in emergencies or when you’re just too rushed to cook from scratch.

Beefy Cincinnati Chili
 
2 cans roast beef in gravy
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour or cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon cloves or ground ginger
12-ounce can or jar small onions (aka Holland onions)
10-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
15-ounce can kidney beans, undrained
Cooked spaghetti

    Open the canned beef and use clean scissors to snip through it, breaking it up while it’s still in the can. Drain onions, cut them in half and drain cut side down. In a one-cup measure mix cinnamon, flour or cornstarch and cloves or ginger. Add cold water to make a paste, stir in some of the beef gravy and add water until cup is full. 
    Over medium heat, stir liquid until it begins to thicken. Empty cans of beef into the pot. Stir in, onions, kidney beans and mushrooms.  Serves 6.
    Cook’s note: Cincinnati “chili” is served over spaghetti but any starch base would be good here: rice, potatoes, barley, quinoa, noodles, grits or any pasta. 

How do you provision a boat for a week? A month? A season? How to be ready for food emergencies when you lose your refrigeration or stove or money?  How to clean up after a flooded bilge or fire? What to do when the reefer breaks down? See Survival Food Handbook, a guide to stocking your boat with affordable, familiar food staples from the supermarket.

See more of Janet Groene’s galley-smart, time saving recipes at https://campandrvcook.blogdpot.com
 



Skillet Meal of the Week
Eggplant and Sausage Fry-Up
 

1 pound sweet Italian bulk sausage
Medium onion, diced
1 teaspoon each oregano, basil and  minced garlic
Medium green pepper, seeded and diced

3 to 4 cups diced eggplant
8-ounce can tomato sauce
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
Grated cheese (optional)
Italian-flavor croutons (optional)

    Fry out the sausage, breaking it up and gradually stirring in oregano, basil and garlic. Stir in eggplant to brown it. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Cover and cook over reduced heat until vegetables are tender. Serve in shallow soup bowls. Pass the cheese shaker and croutons. Serves 4.

Boating Recipes Quick and Festive

Thank you for donating $5 a year in support of this weekly blog. Send to janetgroene at yahoo.com via your Paypal account

 Help with provisioning? See Janet Groene's Survival Food Handbook, a guide to stowing ordinary, affordable supermarket foods for cruising and emergencies. Order from http://amzn.to/1WdYqbe

Galley Recipe of the Week
Creamy Celery Casserole

My favorite celebration bird for the small galley is the Cornish Game Hen, one per person

Try my creamy celery vegetable side dish

    My favorite bird for the galley isn't turkey, which is too big. It's the Cornish game hen. Cook one per person to save space, have no leftovers, make things easy on the cook. I whip up a stove-top stuffing and serve it in orange skin halves after removing the orange segments to make a fruit salad.
    Here’s an easy, colorful, vegetable side dish. To make it a vegetarian main dish, add cheese and more almonds.


1 bunch celery, trimmed and sliced
1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained and rinsed
Small jar sliced pimentos, drained
½ stick butter, melted
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup grated cheese (optional)
Slivered or sliced almonds to taste

    In a saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water and the bouillon to a boil and add celery. Cover, reduce heat and cook until celery is tender. Drain, saving the water.
    Whisk melted butter, soup and soy sauce and fold into celery Add some cooking water if mixture is too thick. Cover and heat over low flame. Fold in cheese is using. Sprinkle with almonds. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Tips for the Galley Chef

Twist 'em, bend"em, coil or shape 'em

     * Rubberized twist ties are reusable and washable. Use them in the galley for everything from twist ties to a cookbook holder.  Form one into stand for your phone. Bend them to fill gaps in the cupboard to secure items in rough seas. Get two each 3, 6, 12 and 18 inches for under $12.

* Silicone oven mitts are better than fabric. If hot juices spill, they soak into fabric and cause burns. When buying silicone oven mitts, note their length (for wrist and arm protection) and their heat tolerance. Some brands are said to be good for up to 450 degrees; others to 500 degrees.

* Not just for clothespins.  This top quality canvas clothespin bag can be hung anywhere down below or on deck to hold extra towels or gear. It's pretty much spillproof underway and provides a soft ride in heavy seas. Move, wash, stow with ease

* This heavy duty corer bores fruits and vegetableswith ease, then opens to eject the core. You’ll use it  on apples, pears and other fruit. Core cucumbers and stuff with tuna salad. Core zucchini, stuff with ground meat and roast.  Core a potato, put a hot dog in the hole and bake.  







Pantry Recipe of the Week
    No fresh foods on hand? Stuff happens when you’re cruising. Keep a good variety of pantry foods on hand for emergency dishes like this one. 

Turkey Noodle OneDish

2 cups noodles
1 ½ cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon diced onion bits
1 or 2 cans chunk turkey
Small can mushrooms, drained
Small can peas and diced carrots, drained (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons sliced pimento, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup dry bread crumbs (or more to taste)
1/4 teaspoon powdered sage

    Drain canned turkey into the water measurement. Bring water and bouillon to a boil and cook noodles with dried onions. Drain, saving water. Fold in turkey, mushrooms, peas and carrots and pimento. Add some of the cooking water if desired. Cover and heat over very low heat.
     In a small, nonstick skillet, heat oil and toast bread crumbs until crisp. Stir in sage. Serve dish sprinkled with crumbs.
    Cook’s note: If you don’t have pimentos, add some sliced salad olives for a glimpse of festive red and green. 

Skillet Meal of the Week
Ham, Stuffing and Brussels Sprouts
2 cups Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 to 2 cans chunk ham OR
1 to 2 cups diced, cooked ham
2 to 3 cups seasoned stuffing mix
Hot water or broth

    Heat oil in a large skillet and place sprouts cut side down. Cover and cook over low heat until tender and nicely browned. Sprinkle sprouts with balsamic vinegar and shake skillet to mix. Cover with bits of ham.
    In a bowl or plastic bag add hot water to stuffing mix to rehydrate. When stuffing is the desired moistness, spoon over skillet. Cover skillet and cook a few minutes over  very low heat to warm through. Serves 4.

Easy Recipes for Boating, Camping, Sailing, Cruising

blog copyright Janet Groene. All rights reserved.
To ask about rates to place your ad on all six Groene sites for one low fee for one year contact janetgroene at yahoo.com

    Whether you’re cruising  now or just rehearsing galley skills for next season, these recipes are quick, clean and green. Shortcuts save time, space, money and stove fuel . We work hard at making things look and taste good too when they come out of your small boat galley.

Galley Recipe of the Week
Sweet Beef Roll-ups
6 6-inch wheat tortillas
1 cup apricot preserves, divided
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
12-to-16-ounce package ground beef
Medium onion, chopped
Half of an 8-inch brick of cream cheese, cubed
½ cup ketchup

Roll up, then add sweet sauce

     In a small bowl mix 1/2 cup of the preserves with the cinnamon. Fry out ground beef with onion until beef is done and onion tender. Over low heat stir in cream cheese and apricot preserves with cinnamon. Cover and heat gently.
    In the same bowl mix ½ cup ketchup with ½ cup apricot preserves. Divide beef among tortillas. Roll up tortillas and place on plates seam side down. Sauce with the preserves-ketchup mixture. Serves 6

   
Tips for the Boat Chef
 

    * Core and dice six apples and 6 two-ounce candy bars such as Heath, Payday or Butterfinger. Fold in enough whipped cream or whipped topping to bind the mixture and serve in clear plastic disposable glasses.

    * Fold 2/3 cup sugar into 1/3 cup liquid egg white (pasteurized whites from a carton or reconstituted from powder. Do not use raw egg.) Wash and completely dry a package of cranberries. Fold with egg white mixture and spread on waxed paper to dry completely.Serve as a snack or use as a garnish. This works best on a low-humidity day. 

     * You can't have too many galley cookbooks. Order The Boat Galley Cookbook here here.  Gift idea for all the yachties on your list. 
Order an international seafood cookbook here.
Order a cookbook for seafood catches of the Pacific Northwest here. 

 
   
    * Have an extra table any time in your galley, cockpit, flybridge. This table has a threadlock stanchion that lets you mount it on multiple bases or put it away when it's not needed.

    * Trying to avoid red meats? Cut up chicken bologna and chop it in a food professor until it resembles crumbled hamburger. Stir into bottled spaghetti sauce and serve over pasta.

    * Make s’mores nachos for dessert. Fill a pan or platter with square graham cereal. Scatter with marshmallows and chocolate chips. Heat until melty. Eat with spoons.  
 
Pantry Recipe of the Week

    Add this weekly recipe to your collection of emergency meals. No fresh ingredients are called for. All ingredients can be bought at an ordinary supermarket. No survival rations needed. Read Survival Food Handbook, a complete guide to provisioning your boat with pantry foods for the long haul or emergencies.

Whole Wheat Chow Mein
    This recipe can be varied greatly. You may prefer soba noodles and more or different vegetables. Of course, Asian cooking cries out for fresh vegetables,  so add a garnish of minced cilantro or sliced scallions if you have some. If you’re very short of water (and only then) use juice from drained vegetables as part of the water measure for cooking the spaghetti.. It’s salty, so reduce bouillon cubes to one or two. 

6 servings whole wheat spaghetti
2 3/4 cups water
3 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 or 2 cans, 12 to 14 ounces each, roast beef in gravy
1 or 2 cans mixed Chinese vegetables
1 can sliced water chestnuts
1 can baby corn

    Bring water and bouillon to a boil and cook spaghetti. This is not as much water as called for on the package, so push pasta down at first to keep it submerged. Do not drain.
    Drain canned vegetables and discard juices. If baby corn pieces are large, cut in bite size.  Drain roast beef into a small cup and add the 1/4 cup water, cornstarch and hoisin sauce. Stir  until smooth.
    Stir cornstarch mixture into cooked spaghetti and heat, stirring, until it thickens. Fold in vegetables and beef. Heat through. Serves 6.

Skillet Meal of the Week
Swiss Chard and Eggs
    This is delicious and can be different each time  depending on your choice of sausage, from venison sauce to Italian sausage.

12- to 16-ounce package bulk sausage
12-ounce package sliced mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 cups chopped Swiss chard
1/4 cup dry white wine
9 or 10 eggs
1 cup milk or half and half
½ teaspoon each salt, pepper
Grated cheese (optional)

    Fry out sausage, breaking it up as you go. Keep stir-frying as you add mushrooms and garlic. Finally add chard and white wine. Cover and simmer.
    Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over sausage mixture, cover and cook over low heat until eggs set. Pass the grated cheese. Serves 4 to 6.
 

Easy Meals for Sailing, Cruising, Boating

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Galley Recipe 
of the Week
Nutty Navy 
Mac ‘n Cheese
 
    Canned mac ‘n cheese is a  time saver in the small boat galley and it’s revived by the addition of crisp-tender vegetables.  Matchstick vegetables are available packaged in the supermarket, or cut your own. The more variety, the better.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 to 3 cups matchstick vegetables (zucchini, sweet onion, bell pepper, carrot, yellow squash. broccoli, etc.)
1 cup whole cashews (or more to taste)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or more to taste)
2 to 3 cans macaroni and cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Small can evaporated milk

    Stir-fry vegetables in hot oil in a roomy skillet or wok. When they are crisp-tender, stir in the cashews to toast them.  Reduce heat to  low and stir in Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and milk to make a creamy sauce. Stir in mac ‘n cheese and more Parmesan as desired. Garnish with more cashews if you wish. Serves 4 to 6  as a vegetarian main dish, more as a side dish.

Tips for the Galley Cook

    * To start stubborn ketchup that won’t come out of the bottle, push a straw through to the bottom, then remove. This should add enough air to break the logjam.

    * To clean stubborn stains in a sink or cutting board, line it with paper towels and saturate with bleach or peroxide. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse.

    * To loosen a stubborn knot, work in some cornstarch or baby powder.

    *To make homemade cheese spread, cut up a pound of American cheese and heat it with a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk. Stir in 1 tablespoon each vinegar and mustard with a dash of cayenne pepper. Stir and heat until smooth, cool to lukewarm, stir and pour into a crock or jar.  Keep in the reefer  up to three weeks.

    *Shred cabbage for slaw using just a knife and cutting board. Remove leaves individually, roll tightly and slice as thin as possible. 

    * When adding yogurt to a recipe, fold it in carefully. Vigorous mixing breaks it down and makes it runny. 


Pantry Recipe of the Week

    Fresh foods all gone? Dig into your reserve food supply (prepared with the help of Survival Food Handbook) to make a meal with shelf-stable foods from the supermarket. The eggs can be reconstituted powdered eggs or your favorite egg substitute.

Vegetable Bread
    Grab a chunk of this nourishing bread at the helm to eat on the go. It’s more than a bread, not quite an omelet, almost a casserole, virtually a meal.
2 cans mixed vegetables
2 tablespoons diced dried onion bits
4 eggs or equivalent
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1 cup biscuit mix
½ each garlic powder and teaspoon dried, crumbled thyme
½ cup grated dry cheese such as Parmesan

    Drain canned vegetables into a small container and soak dried onions. Put drained vegetables in a bowl and stir in eggs. Fold in parsley, biscuit mix, seasonings, cheese and well-drained onion bits.
    Bake in a well greased  9 X 13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until firm. Cut in squares.
    Stove-top method: Grease a heavy skillet, add batter, cover tightly and bake over low-medium heat. Use a flame spread if necessary to keep heat low or it will burn on the bottom. Check after 20 minutes, then every 5 minutes until it’s  firm and springy to the touch. Cut in wedges.
   

Nautical Recipes for Boating, Sailing

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Galley Recipe of the Week
 Mariners Marinade
    Throw bite-size portions of meat, chicken or vegetables in a plastic bag with this marinade and you’re good to go.

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 pounds cubed meat, shrimp, poultry or vegetables

    In a large, zip-top bag, mix all ingredients well. Zip to close.  Refrigerate, changing positions occasionally, 8 to 48 hours. Using tongs, lift out as many pieces as needed each time. Thread pieces on skewers and grill. Discard remaining marinade or bring it to a full boil for 5 minutes to use it as a sauce. 

    Food safety note: when cooking pork or poultry,  test it with an instant-read thermometer. Even though it’s marinated, it should not be under-cooked.





Tips for the Galley Chef

    * My favorite “trays” for heavy weather serving are aluminum 9 X 13 X 2-inch cake pans. They stack for easy stowage. Each is large enough to hold a bowl of food, roll, coffee cup, side dish or two, silverware and napkin. Desert might be a packaged candy bar or Twinkie. From the galley I can hand them around to crew wherever they are wedged in. 

* The best spoon rest is a folded, wet paper towel. It catches drips, wipes up the counter when all is done. 
 

    * Leftover coffee never goes to waste. It makes redeye gravy, flavors doughs and batters, makes iced coffee. Boil 1 cup coffee with 2 cups water and 3 cups sugar plus 2 teaspoons Mapleine to make pancake syrup with a caffeine kick.    

    * If you’ve opted for one of the new natural stove countertop materials in your galley, read maintenance directions. Periodic re-coating may be required. (Give me stainless steel counters any day.)

Pantry Recipe of the Week

    This is this week’s recipe for emergencies when you’re out of fresh food. For a whole prepper cookbook of recipes and how-to’s for using shelf-stable foods, see Survival Food Handbook. This book uses only ordinary supermarket staples, not high-priced survival packs. 

 Risi E Bisi
2 tablespoons olive oil
16-ounce canned ham, drained and diced
2 tablespoons diced dried onion bits
2 cups rice
4 cups water
4 teaspoons low-sodium powdered chicken broth

½ cup Parmesan cheese
1 can small sweet peas, drained

    Sizzle ham in hot oil to brown it. Stir in rice and onion bits to coat. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in peas and Parmesan. Serves 6. 
    Cook’s note: If you’re on short water rations, use liquid from canned ham and canned peas as part of the water measure to cook rice. They contains salt, so be sure to use  low-sodium chicken bouillon.
    Pressure cooker method: Bring to full pressure for one minute, remove from heat. Let pressure return to normal.  Stir in peas and Parm. Serve at once. 

Skillet Meal of the Week

Whole Meal Potato Salad
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon, cut up
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and sliced
Medium onion, diced
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 to 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut up
1 bunch scallions, sliced
Grated Cheddar cheese

    Cook bacon until it’s crispy, then stir in potatoes and onion to brown them. Cover and cook over low heat until potatoes are tender. Stir in eggs. In a bowl whisk sour cream and mustard. Stir into potatoes.  Heat through, put on plates, sprinkle with sliced scallions and grated cheese. Serves 4. 

    Optional: If you cook this in an oven-proof skillet, sprinkle with cheese and put under the broiler to brown. Then sprinkle with scallions.

Meals for Sailing, Yachting, Living Aboard a Boat

Janet Groene's Living Aboard column,  written for all liveaboards power and sail,  cruising or docked, appears in each issue of HOUSEBOAT magazine. Makes a great gift because it keeps coming all year. Subscribe here. 

Blog copyright Janet Groene, all rights reserved. To volunteer $5 a year in support of this blog send via your Paypal account to janetgroene at yahoo.com.  

Left: Janet and Gordon living on board their 29-foot sloop Sans Souci. Right, the Groenes at their galley table. Janet jokes that she can cook a five-course meal in a telephone booth. 


Pantry Recipe of the Week
    While cruising the remote islands of the Bahamas without refrigeration, I cooked for weeks with stored food. Each issue here presents a recipe that calls for no fresh ingredients. Stuff happens, and an ample pantry is good insurance.

Because this recipe can be served with or without heating, it's a double header in an emergency when you're short of time, supplies and resources. 

Peppy Bean Spread

 
15- to 16-ounce can refried beans
Small jar or can salsa (8 to 12 ounces)
Small jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
Small can diced chilies, drained
2 tablespoons chopped chipotle peppers in adobe

    In a bowl, mash beans coarsely. Work in remaining ingredients. Serve on crackers, biscuits, bread, tortillas, what have you. It’s also good served warm over instant mashed potato or biscuits.

Bonus Recipe of the Week
    Turn anything, even plain breakfast cereal,  into a razzle-dazzle treat with a sprinkle of this topping.

Crunch Topping

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ sticks butter
1/3 cup heavy cream or evaporated milk
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 cup dried cranberries or golden raisins

    Bring sugar, butter, milk and salt to a boil until it’s thick, about 3-4 minutes. Spread thinly on a sheet of waxed paper. When it cools and hardens, break it up and chop coarsely. Keep cool and dry. Sprinkle on hot or cold cereal, desserts, pumpkin pie, fruit salad, etc. 

Every recipe in SURVIVAL FOOD HANDBOOK is made with shelf-stable ingredients. Throughout the book find ways to manage in emergencies such as power outage, no refrigeration, flodded bilge,  stove failure when cruising. Puzzled about provisioning? Book has advice, lists, tips, work-arounds. Published by International Marine, it's a great gift for your favorite yachtie. 

Unlike cookbooks for costly survival rations, this book calls only for affordable, familiar supermarket staples. 

                                       
 
Galley Tip of the Week: Make fruit salad from fresh, canned or dried fruits and stir in 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar for each 2 cups fruit. Serve with a sprinkling of coarse sugar. 

Galley Recipe of the Week
Skillet Sausage Stew
    One burner, one skillet, one hearty crew meal.  
 
1 pound of your favorite lean,  bulk sausage
1 teaspoon dried, crumbled rosemary
Large onion, diced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
15-ounce can diced carrots, drained
15-ounce can sliced or diced potatoes, drained
15-ounce can undrained kidney beans

    Fry out sausage In a large skillet, breaking it up as you go. Gradually add onion until it’s limp. Stir cornstarch into cold water. Add mustard and stir cornstarch mixture into the sausage over low heat until it thickens. Stir in vegetables.  Cover, reduce heat and cook to heat through. Serves 4 to 6.
    Alternate method: If you’re using fresh diced potatoes and carrots, brown sausage with onion and rosemary as above.  Add vegetables to brown them too, scraping up brown bits. Add 2/3 cup water, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir cornstarch into remaining 1/3 cup water and add with kidney beans. Heat gently until it thickens.