King of the Road Recipes

Okay.  So what do you eat when you are so busy bundu bashing?

Well, it is quite amazing what you can conjure up with some forward planning.  A lot of ingredients or meals can be prepared beforehand for the first, second and even third and fourth evening meals.

Prepared meals can be made anytime in advance of your trip as they can be frozen and taken out as you set out on your journey or kept in the cooler box to defrost. 

Join me for some mouthwatering, hassle free recipes, which take little time and effort to put together in the bush as well as some ideas on what to have for the pitstop to keep the wolf from the door.

You will be amazed at how simple, yet wholesome these recipes are and how they become instant winners even for the fussiest eaters.  You might find yourself being begged to make them at home.....but they just don't taste the same!  I believe it is a combination of all that fresh air and long distance driving, hiking or whatever else it is you like doing in the great outdoors, that gets the appetite going making anything taste delicious.....

The recipe today is:

Couscous Salad (very nice either hot or cold - depends on the weather!)

If you are pushed for time during your expedition or when entertaining, this salad can be made in advance and kept in your camping cooler or fridge as it keeps very well and the flavour improves. 

Salad Ingredients:

1 Red Pepper - diced

1 Yellow (or Green) Pepper - diced

2 Sticks Celery - finely sliced

1/2 cup seedless Raisins

60ml Red or White Wine Vinegar (Apple Cider, Spirit Vinegar or Lemon Juice)

60ml Olive Oil

10ml Ground Coriander

5ml Ground Cumin

2ml Chilli Powder

Whisk the last five ingredients together and pour over veggies and allow to marinate while you prepare the couscous as follows.

Basic Recipe for Couscous:

1 Cup Water

1 Tbsp Oil

1 tsp Salt

1 Cup Couscous

Bring water, oil and salt to a full boil.  Remove pot from heat, stir and add couscous.  Allow to swell for 2 minutes.  Add another two to three tablespoons of oil, olive oil or butter (whatever your preference might be) and stir through with a fork until well combined and grains are separated.  Heat through again over a very low heat.  (Can be served just as is with extra butter, salt and pepper.)

Stir the veggies through the couscous and allow to stand until ready to serve.

Notes:

- The longer the couscous stands, the more it swells and softens.

- A quarter cup of dry couscous is sufficient for the two of us and I just adjust the water accordingly.

- You can use any veggies or spices/herbs you wish.

- The only limit is your imagination! 

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Marinated Vegetable Sosaties (Prepare marinade at home)
You will need approximately 3 pieces of each vegetable per skewer, but you will be the judge of that depending on the length of the skewer. 
Try and keep pieces more or less the same size.  You can use any combination of vegetables you fancy but here I have given our selection.

 

Be sure to pack the skewers tightly.

 

Rosetta Tomatoes (the oval shaped variety - keep whole)
Mushrooms (Portebellini are nice if you want a change from the white button variety - keep whole - prick)
Courgettes (Baby Marrows) (the thicker type - cut in 1.5 inch intervals)
Patty Pans (baby variety - prick)
Red Peppers (cut into about an inch squared)
Onion - large (cut into six wedges)
Marinade:

6 Wooden Skewers - Soaked in hot water (this is to stop the skewer from splintering)

 

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Olive or Salad Oil
2 tablespoons Clear Honey or Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar or Dry Red Wine
1 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger or
   a good pinch of ground Ginger
2 crushed Garlic Cloves

 

Place all marinade ingredients in a screw top bottle and shake to combine.
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Methods

 

You can either:

 

1.  Place all the vegetables into a container and pour marinade over, mix to coat, cover and leave to marinate for 1 to 2 hours or until ready to assemble. 
  
2.  Assemble the skewers, place in a shallow container that can accommodate the length of the skewers and pour marinade over. 
Leave to marinate for 1 to 2 hours or until ready to cook.

 

Cook over hot coals until sizzling and vegetables are tender but not so soft that they fall apart.

 

Serve with couscous, breadrolls or foiled potatoes.

 

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Caution: When assembling skewers, be careful not to stab yourself!
Do not freeze as vegetables lose their firmness and marinade will become too watery.

 

Shingwedzi - Days 1 and 2
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Good Old Fashioned Chicken Soup (Serves 4-6)

20ml Olive Oil

1 Large Onion, chopped

1 Clove Garlic, crushed

2 Large Carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 Sticks Soup Celery, sliced

1 Large Fresh Chicken, washed

2,5 Litres Cold Tap Water

1 Bay Leaf

Handful of fresh Parsley and Thyme (or 2 teaspoons of each dried)

Salt and White Pepper to taste

Method

• Pre-heat Oil in a large pot with a lid and fry Onion until soft. 
• Add Garlic, Carrots and Celery and fry until soft.
• Add Chicken and pour over Water.
• Bring to the boil, skimming any scum off the surface.
• Once boiling add the Bay Leaf and Herbs.
• Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1,5 hours.
• Leave Chicken in the stock until both are cold.
• Once cold remove Chicken and remove skin and bones.
• Cut breast meat into blocks and shred the rest of the flesh to your liking.
• Return flesh to stock.
• Adjust seasoning.
• Ladle portions into suitable containers and freeze. (As a standard of measure I put 4 ladles for the two of us).

When in the bush, heat on your little gas stove and serve with fresh breadrolls. 

This is a very feeding meal, is quick to serve in the bush and provides everything you need after a long tiring day and can be enjoyed in any kind of weather.

Shingwedzi - Days 1 and 2
Shingwedzi - Day 4