I am excited to share our culinary creations with all of you; they should become more and more interesting as we get further and further into our trip! Our propane stove/oven, having not been in production for the last 20 years, has, shall we say, personality. So, temperatures are given in approximates: I have no real control and have to make adjustments throughout cooking to get around about the temp I want. Our burners are either on "High/Burn", so "Low" it would take forever to cook frozen peas or with a "POUFF" off. I often use loose measurements, but think literally: when you squeeze the ketchup bottle it "squirts", shake a soy sauce bottle you get a "splash", pour oil and it "glugs" and a "handful" is as full or empty as you want it to be. Taste it, smell it, use your common sense and whatever you got onboard! If you make an improvement or have a great recipe to share we'd love to hear it, email it to us at yacht_kate@y7mail.com, we'll try it out and put it on the site. Remember that everyone knows how to cook and anyone who eats can "taste the love", so smile and have fun when ever you are in the galley!
Love, H&S
Steve’s Can ‘o’ Soup Gumbo
Lots of recipes are invented underway, the old “Necessity is the Mother of invention” theory. This is one of Steve’s most successful concoctions, created while on passage from Isla Coco to Galapagos, using all the leftover its and bits in the fridge and one of the many cans of soup in the cupboard. At one time I stocked lots of soup that was on sale thinking it would be a warm, quick, hearty meal underway. However, you can imagine the difficulties of trying to eat soup let alone keep it in the pot when heating it up while heeled 25 degrees and sailing in a bit of a sea. I only attempted it once. A creative way to use soup was much appreciated!
1 Can of Tomato based “Ready to Eat” Soup (Garden Veggie, Tomato Basil etc..
2-3 Cooked Sausages, Diced
1 Onion, Diced
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Cup of Leftover Beans
2 Cups Cooked Rice
Dash of your favorite Hot Sauce
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Oil for the Pan
In a large pan sauté onions and garlic in oil until clear and fragrant. Add the diced sausage and sauté until browned. Add a can of soup and rice and beans, enough to make a thick stew that can be picked up with a fork, adjust adding more rice and beans or a little water. Bring to heat, add salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste and Serve!
*If using a plain tomato soup you can add diced peppers and carrots with the onions to add nice colour and flavor.
Steve’s Famous BBQ Fries
This was originally “Heather’s Famous Oven Fries”, a much loved and requested side dish during our cool winter in San Deigo; yet another excuse to turn the oven on! However after reaching tropical climates it was tried and improved by Steve and his superb BBQ skills and is still a very often requested treat onboard.
1-1.5 Fist Sized Potatoes Per Person
A little Oil
First of all let me say, or perhaps warn you, that no matter how many potatoes we use there is never leftovers, even when I try to save a few for breakfast the next morning. Scrub potatoes clean, place in a pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil and simmer until just fork tender, 8-10 minutes depending on the size of your fist. Drain and let cool. This can be done hours or days ahead (put them in the fridge if you are doing this well in advance). When COOL, and this is the trick, cut into wedges (cut in half length wise then each half into quarters, or more, length wise) the thinness of them will dictate crispiness, Thinner=Crispier. If you cut them warm the edges go fuzzy and you will not have nice crisp fries. Also if you try and use fully cooked leftover potatoes you will not get the same “fry like” result. Heat a large cast iron skill or plate on the BBQ (or stove top if it too windy to BBQ) and cover with oil, just barely enough to “float” the wedges. Place wedges in pan so they are evenly spaced and all flat. Cook until golden on first side 5-7 minutes depending on your heat source, then turn and cook 3-4 minutes on the second side until golden. It is very important that you ONLY TURN ONCE. If they are not perfectly browned when you check them Steve suggests having another swig or two of beer and patiently wait until they are done. Serve hot with a sprinkle of salt.
Bacon & Avocado Sandwich Melts
Having arrived at Boca Chica, Panama, we had to wait for the tide to turn to enter the river and avoid running aground. Steve volunteered for lunch duty and put his twist on an Aussie Classic. We have no top element in our oven so he found his own way to melt the cheese, DELISH!
2 Slices of Bread per person, Toasted.
Avocado, Peeled and Thinly Sliced
Bacon, Fried until just crispy then Drained.
Cheese, Thinly Sliced, a good melting one like Pepper Jack
Blow Torch
*Optional Thinly Sliced Tomatoes and Onion
Place toasted bread on a cookie sheet. Top with avocado slices and mash lightly until evenly coated. Arrange a few slices of bacon on top then a few slices of cheese. With your blow torch melt the cheese until bubbly and golden and ENJOY! This could also be done under the broiler if you have one but not quite as fun. It technique also works wonders on pizza cheese.
Broken Chicken Lasagna
I don’t make lasagna very often as neither of us eat much dairy and a lasagna without a layer of ricotta cheese mixed with egg and plenty of parsley just doesn’t seem the same. However Steve is a big pasta fan so I tried a chicken version sans ricotta. The results were delicious but without the cheese holding it all together it just fell apart- broad noodles and sauce rather then a nice neat square of lasagna. Broken Chicken Lasagna was born. I found a trick to get that crispy, melty cheese effect from oven baked lasagna, I hope you like it.
Sauce:
1 Onion, Diced
2-3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1 Carrot, Diced into Half Moons
1 Small Zucchini, Diced into Half Moons
1 Small Can of Tomatoe Paste
1 Can of Tomatoes or enough Fresh Tomatoes to make a sauce
Parsley, Salt & Pepper, Basil and Oregano
Chili Flakes to Taste
1 Breast of Chicken Per Person, Cooked and Thinly Sliced or Shredded
Oil
In a large pan sauté onion and garlic in oil until clear and fragrant. Add carrots and cook until just tender, add zucchini and cook 3-4 minutes more. Next add tomatoes paste and tomatoes and maybe a little water to thin, mashing tomatoes is you use “Whole Canned”. Season with basil and oregano and add chicken, turn down and simmer until flavors come together, maybe half and hour. Add parsley, chili flakes and salt and pepper. This keeps well in the fridge for a couple days and I think even gets better
Next take a packet of lasagna noodles, NOT “Ready to Bake”, and break them into 2 inch pieces, don’t be fussy. Reserve a few noodles and break only in half, one half per person. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook noodles al dente and drain and return to pot. Take the “half noodles” out and place on baking sheet, sprinkle each with grated mozzarella cheese and place under broiler until lightly browned. Pour sauce over noodles and gently toss. To serve pile onto plate and place one crispy melted cheese noodle on top of each serving.
Curried Egg
This is favourite Australian sandwich filling but it also works well served as a spread with crackers or tortillas, garnished with a little cilantro. Hard boil eggs-the amount is dependant on how many people you are serving. Peel and finely dice, place into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of soft butter and blend, add enough mayonnaise to hold together, just as you would a typical egg salad. Now add a little salt, some white pepper and a couple spoons of curry powder, depending on how much you like curry, an possibly a little cayenne. Mix well. Keeps well in the fridge, a good food to have around for underway.
Mango & Pineapple Chutney
I have adapted with recipe from a lovely little collection called “Sailing and Cooking throughout the Caribbean” by Saskia Romeijn Vermeer who, with her husband, ran a charter sail boat out of St.Maarten for several years. It is really easy and keeps well, that is if you can stop eating it!
2 Mangos
1/3- 1/2 of a Pineapple
Water
Handfull of Raisins
A few Spoons fulls of Brown Sugar
6 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks or a Small Spoon of Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbs of Lime Juice
½ tsp of Grated Ginger
Sambal Olick or Sri Racha to taste
Dice mangos and pineapple put in a pot and just cover with water. Add everything but the raisins. The amount of Sri Racha or Sambal Olek is dependant on how hot you like and how hot your Sri Racha/ Sambal Olik is, seems like every bottle varies. Usually 1-2 spoons is enough to make it hot but still ediable. Bring to a boil then turn to low and let it simmer with the lid on until the fruit is soft (will depend on how ripe the fruit was), about 20-30 minutes. Keep and eye on it and add more water if necessary. Add the raisins and cook another 5-10 minutes until soft. If there is too much liquid remove lid and let boil away. Let cool and store in clean jars in the fridge.
Pineapple Cranberry Chutney
Following the recipe above but use all pineapple and instead of raisins dried cranberries, adding a handful in the beginning and another at the end. Tasty and festive!
Frijoles, Refritos, Bean Dip
I make my beans in the pressure cooker after soaking for 4-6 hours to soften the beans. When soaking place dried beans in a bowl and cover with water. I change the water a couple times during the soak and always pour off the used water, don’t use it for cooking the beans. A cup of dried beans will be plenty for two people, I sometimes use half a cup of black beans and half a cup of small red ones. Sauté a diced onion and garlic in oil (use a little extra as it stops the beans from foaming), add some thyme, savoury and oregano, or a combination of the three. Add the beans, a couple of bay leaves and, if you can find them, a whole dried chilli pepper or two (you can remove these or blend them in depending on you desired heat) and 1 ½ cups water or stock. Bring to high pressure and cook 16-20 minutes, depending how patient you were with the soaking. Let it naturally release. Check to see that they are soft, season with salt and pepper to taste.
When they are cooked turn them into a pan and mash with a fork or potato masher. Bring them to heat so that the beans get thick. I am not so fussed about the mashing as we like it a little chunky. Salt and pepper to taste, add some chipotles if you want some more heat and smoky flavour. If you did this with canned beans just cook the onion etc from above in a large frying pan, add beans, and bring to heat and then mash. You may need to add some extra water.
You can all make a nice bean dip by putting beans and or left over refrieds in a food processor with a little water to thin it, blend until mostly smooth. Add a little hot sauce or some lizano or both. Keeps well in the fridge, good for crackers, veggies, bread or on a spoon!!!
Asian Pork Burgers
Here’s something we made up while on anchor at Espiritu Santo, we were craving burgers but had pork thawed. Steve made a quick batch of fresh buns and we grilled some rings of onions (do it on a skewer and they don’t fall apart) and slices fresh pineapple as toppings, it didn’t need anything more
1 lb Ground Pork
½ Lrg Red Onion Diced
Couple Glugs of Sweet Chili Sauce
Few Shakes of Soya
Couple Cloves of Garlic Minced
An Inch or so of Fresh Ginger grated
(Could substitute ground ginger and powdered garlic, a small handful of each)
Handful of Cilantro Chopped
Mix well in a bowl, form into burger patties and grill until crisp and cooked through. I think toasted buns are a must, but it’s up to you.
Steve’s Famous Sunday Pancakes
Wisk Together in a bowl:
1 ½ Cups Flour
2 Tbs Sugar
1 ¾ Tbs Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
Combine in another bowl:
1 ½ Cups Milk
3 Tbs Butter Melted
2 Eggs
(1/2 tsp Vanilla)
Mixed liquid and dry ingredients with a few light stokes. Bring a large skillet to medium heat, add a little butter or oil and rub with a paper towel, keep oily towel for re-oiling pan between pancakes. Pour by ladle full into preheated pan and wait until lots bubbles appear before flipping. Serve hot with PB, Jam, Honey, fruit, syrup and LOVE!
N.B. Hearts and Bunny shapes optional but very impressive!
This is my muffin/cake/loaf category. I try to make them lower fat, usually put half in the freezer for another time as there is only just the two of us and in hotter climates we have had much go moldy before we’ve had a chance to eat them, especially the ones with yogurt in them.
Morning Glory Muffins
350F 20 Minutes
Mix Together:
1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ Cup White Flour
1 Cup Oats
¾ Cup Packed Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Wheat Bran
2 tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt
Make a well in the centre and add:
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
1 Cup Mashed Banana
1 Large Egg
Mix with a few quick strokes then add:
1 Cup Chopped Dates or Raisins
¾ Cup Walnuts
½ Cup Dried Pineapple, Papaya etc...
3 Tbs Ground Flax Seeds
This can be made as 12 muffins, or 6 muffins and a pie plate or in a brownie pan as a cake thingy. Times vary; a knife inserted should come out clean. Freezes well!
Banana Coconut and Lime Bread
350F 1 Hour
Wisk Together:
1 ¼ Cups Flour
¼ Cup Wheat Germ
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
Beat in another large bowl:
2/3 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Canola Oil or 6 Tbsp Butter Softened
Zest of 1 Lrg or 2 Sm Limes
Beat in:
1 or 2 Large Eggs2-3 Mashed Bananas
½ - 1 Cup Grated Unsweetened Coconut
Mix all three in a few stokes.
When fully baked squeeze extra lemon juice on top before removing from tin. You can also sprinkle with sugar for extra sweetness and crunch. Can be made as muffins, bake 15-18 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
Cocoa-Apple Muffins
This one is from my good friend Hannah, a delicious and decadent but healthy treat. I have made it with ¼ cup of butter and 1 ¼ cups of apple sauce and it works out fine. Have also not had raisins around and they turned out tasty just the same.
Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes.
1 ¼ C all purpose flour
1C sugar
½ C wheat germ
1t baking soda
1/3 t cinnamon
1/4t salt
1/3 C cocoa
1 C applesauce
½ C butter
1 egg, beaten
½ C chopped walnuts
½ C raisins
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, wheat germ, baking soda salt and cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, combine butter, cocoa, applesauce and egg. Add all at once to dry ingredients. Stir just until moistened. Divide evenly between 12 muffin cups.
Heather’s Chilli & Corn Bread
Pretty basic, but tasty and filling, good for a crowd or several sittings for two. I love eating it with Corn Bread, you can served grated cheese & rice with it too.
1 Large Onion Diced
Few cloves of Garlic Minced
1 lb of Lean Ground Beef
1 Small Palm Full of Dried Oregano
1-2 Tbsp Chilli Powder (more if you like it hot!)
1 Heaping Palm full of Cumin (don’t be shy, it’s what makes the chilli)
1 Small Palm full of Paprika
1 Large can of Whole or Diced Tomatoes
1 Small can of Tomato Paste
1 Can Kidney Beans or Pinto Beans (or both if you like)
1 Can Black Beans
1 to 1 ½ Cups Frozen Corn
1 Diced Green Pepper or 2-3 Paddles of Nopal Diced (aka. Prickley Pear)
In a large pot over medium high sauté onion until translucent, add garlic and sauté for another few minutes watching not to burn garlic. Add ground beef and cook, stirring often, until brown. Now add cumin, oregano, paprika and chilli powder and stir, cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add tomatoes and paste and combine well. If using whole tomatoes try and break up tomato into small bits. Add beans and a little of the can juices, stir to combine. It should look more or less stew like, add a little water or more tomatoes. Bring to heat and simmer for 30 minutes or so, more if you have the time and unlimited resources. Add frozen corn and diced pepper or nopal and simmer for another few minutes until greens are tender. Can be served immediately but gets better in a day or so.
Corn Bread (Ffrom the dog eared pages of the trusted Joy of Cooking)
1 ¼ Cups Yellow Corn Meal
¾ Cup Flour
2 ½ tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Sugar (you can add more if you like yours sweet)
¾ tsp Salt
1-2 Large Eggs
2-3 Tbsp Melted Butter or Vegetable Oil
1 Cup Milk, or Soy Milk
1 Cup Frozen Corn
Diced Peppers or Chilli Pepper or a Few tsp of Crushed Chillis Flakes
Can also add some grated cheese
Combine dry ingredients, make a well, pour in wet ingredients and with a few quick strokes combine. Add remaining ingredients and fold together until just combined. Turn into pie plate, loaf pan or muffin trays and cook at 400-425 F until browned and toothpick comes out clean. 12-18 minutes, more if you are loafing it.
Mexican Pizza
Okay, here’s my latest twist on the Pizza, making it without wheat is not only a nice alternative but makes it feel a little more “Mexican”. If you make it with a traditional crust just be careful, the beans can make it a little soggy so you might want to pre cook the crust before topping the ‘zza.
The Crust:
1 ½ Cups Corn Meal
1 tsp Salt
1 ½ Cups Cold H2O
2 Cups Boiling H20
A little Oil
Combine cornmeal, salt and cold water in bowl and stir to combine. In a large pot bring remaining 2 cups of water to a boil, add cornmeal mixture while whisking, bring to boil, turn down heat and cook until thick, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool until handleable. Place the whole amount onto a lightly oiled pizza pan and with oiled hands pat until it even and looks like a pizza crust. Cook in a 375 F oven for 30 minutes. It should be lightly browned but still a little soft, it will crisp up a little more when you bake it with toppings. If it is crispy now it will be REALLY crispy when it is finished.
The Pizza
Quanities vary, it is a pizza, make it how you like to eat it!
1 Can Re-fried Beans
A Couple of Tomatoes, Thinly Sliced
Some Onion, Thinly Sliced
Some Grated Cheese
Leftover Taco Beef or Shredded Chicken
Salsa Verde
Jalapeno, Thinly Sliced or Diced
When the crust is ready spread with re-frieds, sprinkle with cheese and toppings and place back in 400-450 F oven until cheese is melted and it looks good enough to eat! The crust will be a little crunchier and harder to cut but DELISH!
Steve’s Hot Toddy
Brew a pot of strong black tea. In large mug pour a scant ounce of good quality rum, add a couple spoon full’s of honey and a squeeze a couple of lemon wedges, leaving wedges in mug. Fill to brim with piping hot tea, stir well, linger over steaming mug and sip cautiously.
Heather’s Hot Toddy
Pour a rather large ounce of rum; anything will do really, into a mug. Since we are not using a measure add just one more splash for good luck. Squeeze in honey and if there are lemon wedges use those, or just mash the ones still at the bottom from the last toddy. Use aforementioned tea, now fairly lukewarm or even cold and fill to brim. If tea is stone cold add just a splash and fill with hot water to make it warmish. Stir and Enjoy! Since it is not hot or prehaps even warm it will go down quickly providing fast relief, repete as necessary.
ANZAC Biscuits
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour
1 cup sugar
½ to 1 cup dessicated coconut
113g to 125g butter
1 to 2 tbsp treacle or golden syrup (molasses or honey work well too)
1 to 2 tbsp water
½ to 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Optional and Delicious 1/2 Cup Raisins
Preheat oven at 180°C/350 F
Where a variable quantity is indicated, this depends on the type of consistency required.
Combine the oats, flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl. Combine the butter, treacle or golden syrup and water in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat. When the butter has melted, stir in the soda and mix with the dry ingredients.
Drop teaspoons of the mixture on a greased oven tray or tray lined with oven paper. You may have to flatten out of mixture is very dry.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Best eaten when cool and hard. Keeps for weeks, but likely to dissapear immediately!!!!!
Sailor Pie
1 lb lean Ground Beef
Squirt of Ketchup
3 Largish Splashes of Worchestershire Sauce
1 Egg
1 to 1 ½ Cups Cooked Rice
Handful of Frozen Peas
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Mix all ingredients together well in a large bowl, adding rice until you get a good consistancy. Tip into pie pan and pat down smooth and even. Cook at 350-400 F for 30-45 minutes until brown. Cut into wedges and serve hot or cold! Serves 4 or 2 twice.
Stuffed Eggplant
1 Large Eggplant
1 Onion
2-3 Cloves Garlic
0.5 lb Ground Turkey, Chicken or Pork, or Sausages of Your Choice
1 Tbsp Dried Basil and Oregano
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 to 1 1/2 Cups Cooked Quinoa & Millet
A Few Splash of Maggi or Soy Sauce
Sambal Oelek or Hot Sauce
½ Cup Grated Cheese, what ever flavour you like, I use Cheddar
Handful of Fresh Parsley
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Cut eggplant in half and scoop out meat leaving 1cm all the way around. Dice into 1cm squares, do the same to the onion. In a skillet sauté onion and eggplant until soft, add garlic minced to taste. Set aside and brown the meat, breaking into small bits. When brown add back veggies, add dried herbs and bring back to heat, stirring often. Turn off heat and add grains, Maggi and Sambal Oelek, mix well. Let cool slightly and add cheese and minced parsley blend well. Divide into two and fill hollowed out eggplants. Cook in a 350-400 F oven for 30-40 minutes until golden and eggplant is soft. Can be served with a dollop of tomatoe sauce (as in pasta not ketchup) but is great without. Serves 2 or use to stuff peppers and serve 4.
