When people think of touring in a motorhome or caravan, gourmet meals don’t come straight to mind very often. Fear not – there’s plenty you can do in a leisure vehicle when it comes to cooking.
Your winter tour should be all about relaxing and rebooting. That means cosy campfires, great food and your beverage of choice. Most camping and caravan sites will offer basic cooking facilities, but we advise you to do a bit of research on the best parks in the UK before you book anywhere.
In the CaravanTimes winter kitchen, we’re sending out Michelin-star meals and nobody is left dissatisfied. Why? Because we’re following guides like these! Read on for some of the best meals you can cook this winter to warm up and eat like royalty.
Breakfast
The most important meal of the day. First of all, let’s get some breakfast ideas laid out. If you’ve got a big adventure planned and consecutive busy days, you’ll need a lot of energy. That means you have to eat and you’ll only want to eat delicious meals! Here are some easy breakfast ideas:
- Full English – probably not a lot needs to be said about this one, but the classic fry-up is simple, fresh and filling. Be careful with it though, as sometimes it can be… too filling.
- Porridge – a big bowl of porridge puts you in the shoes of an artist and the oats are your canvas. You can be really creative with the toppings you put on it, although foods like nuts, fruits and honey are always winners.
- Pancakes – another simple addition to the breakfast list, pancakes are quick and easy to make, require minimal effort and taste great. Once again, you’re the boss when it comes to toppings, so you could eat this breakfast several times and not get bored.
Lunch and dinner
Now we’re cooking. We know some of our readers like to keep lunch on the light side, whilst others prefer to have a quick dinner. Whatever your eating habits may be, we’ll be taking a look at the best meals we’d recommend for a winter tour.
Soup
Starting with what some would argue is the ultimate winter meal, you simply can’t go wrong with soup. It’s wholesome, hearty and filling – perfect for when the cold weather attempts to spoil your plans. Of course, there are dozens of types and flavours, so we can’t say which is the best (chicken and sweetcorn), but it’s a great way to use veggies and warm up your guests.
Chilli con carne
Chilli is really easy to make, tastes amazing and can be spiced to your liking – it doesn’t have to be super hot, although in the CaravanTimes kitchen we’re adding any chilli peppers we can get our hands on! Here’s a simple recipe that’s tried and tested. For a perfect chilli, you’ll want to serve it on top of fluffy rice with a generous dollop of sour cream on top. Don’t forget the nachos!
Ingredients:
- A large onion and a pepper
- Two garlic cloves
- 500g minced beef
- Two cans of chopped tomatoes (and tomato puree for the all-star chefs)
- One can of red kidney beans
- A cube of beef stock
- Spices: chilli powder, paprika, cumin
- Your rice of choice
- Sour cream
- Nachos
Recipe:
- Prep your veggies by dicing your onion, slicing your pepper into small chunks and finely chopping your garlic.
- Throw your onion in the pan with some oil and cook for two minutes on a medium heat. After five minutes, or when your onion becomes golden, add pepper, garlic and spices. Mix, then leave for another five minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Brown your minced beef in the pan until it breaks up and there are no more pink bits.
- Crumble your beef stock cube into 300ml hot water and add this into the pan with your chopped tomatoes, and tomato puree if you have it.
- Bring everything to a boil, then simmer for roughly 20 minutes. Once it looks thick and juicy, add your kidney beans and have a taste. Chilli often takes a bit more seasoning than you think.
- Leave your chilli to stand for at least five minutes, then serve on top of rice with sour cream.
Campfire stew
We’re big fans of Stuart Kelly’s campfire stew recipe. It’s hearty, warming and a sure way to impress your guests. The ingredients consist almost entirely of vegetables and on a cold winter evening, this meal is a true delight. Don’t be alarmed by the name – you don’t actually have to cook it on a campfire, a stove is just fine.
The best part about campfire stew is the fact that it’s a one-pot dish, so you can keep a large group of guests happy. The recipe is simple and allows for any chopping and changing of ingredients that you’d want.
Photo credit: Katerina Holmes / Pexels
