Ah, Hive account@galenkp, you couldn't have picked a better Weekend Engagement topic for me as I travel at the moment! Actually, there's sooo much I could write about - I've eaten some amazing food on my travels, particularly in SE Asia. But those were in the days before we photographed our food all the time, so I'm not even entirely sure that these meals even happened. And if I go on a photo search I'll be stuck in my head in Bagan, Burma, or Sapa, Vietnam...I don't really want to relive that experience where we went hiking into the mountains with some random Hmong people we met at the market and ate two minute noodles with tofu out of very dirty plates, resulting in me being so sick they had to go and find motorbikes to get me off the mountain after me limping and crying half way for hours. That's probably my worst experience, to be honest - most have been pretty good, and me and Jamie have a good sixth sense of when to walk out of a restaurant, such as when the chef keeps sniffing and wiping his nose with his sleeve...

So let's digress and go with the Weekend Engagement topic of 'Outside Food', which is a relevent one since I'm on the road anyway! I was going to write about it anyway! I'm the MISTRESS of outdoor cooking. I absolutely love it. There's something special about camp cooking as the sun goes down. It's quite the relaxing thing to do and somehow you are hungrier after a day outdoors!

Usually I cook more elaborate meals when I'm in company. Back when I was in my 20's and travelling around Australia, I used to do grape picking in Western Australia, and the campground was full of international people. I used to collect $2 from everyone and go into town and buy food and come back and cook a huge curry, tomato pasta and so on for everyone. It was awesome as most travellers were eating two minute noodles and beans as they were fresh out of home and had no idea how to cook. All the meals were vegetarian but no one minded - they just appreciated a home cooked meal after picking all day or surfing.

Anyway, back to camp Riverflows, current day! First of all, I can't tell you how stoked I am with my current kitchen set up. It works perfectly. The van door shades me from rain and the cooker is perfectly placed so the drawer itself forms a windbreak. I use metho stove - a spirit stove used in boats. YOu don't have to carry a gas bottle which I like. More space and less fuss.

The stainless steel bench hooks over the end of the drawer and sits on top of it when not in use. It's fantastic - wipes clean and is a great surface for chopping or a table when you're done. It's super easy to set up wherever I am, such as in this carpark having coffee. Yes, Hive account@mrprofessor, that's a Landrover mug. Australians will recognise the Kings Adventure branding - we had to adapt it so it fitted on this particular Titan drawer by angle grinding the top.

Okay, first dinner. I have to say I dont do packet food at home. But it's easy when you are camping, and these precooked Indian meals are cheap and delicous. The thing is, I dont JUST do the packet - I have to add healthy vegetables to make it taste even better and be good for me. IN this case, I threw in a handful of cherry tomatoes and some eggplant, and cooked it with a splash of water and some extra chilli til it was cooked down, then stirred through some coriander. You can eat it with rice but I tend to not do many carbs.

It's been such a bummer my 12V fridge isn't working, but I don't mind my coffee black and I am just buying a few veggies every couple of days. However, I was pretty happy to find some stinging nettles at Bay of Fires, which is basically a spinach subsitute and cooks down as such.

I happened to have a big packet of that pre chopped stir fry mix that was in the bargain bin, so I added that to a tin of tomatoes and a tin of lentils, and the nettles as well, and some onion.

Looks healthy, right? It tasted amazing. THe secret? A good splash of stout, a splash of tamari, and some black onion seeds. It made it taste super meaty and amazing. Tinned lentils are the BEST when you're camping. Easy to cook and a good protein source. Again, I didn't bother with pasta, but you could do.

I added some parmesan to this - I had to use it up due to the fridge being broken. Honestly, it was so delicous I had to eat it for breakfast as well. It's such a simple fare. I also like to carry tins of white beans as well, because a white bean stew cooked similiarly is also a good hearty camp feast, and can be even better with some herby dumplings on top! I usually steal fresh rosemary from people's gardens as I walk by - fresh rosemary is wicked in a bean or lentil stew. When I say steal, I actually mean just liberate a twig overhanging the fence - officially everyone's property.

Tonight's dinner is - noodles, ahah! I love udon noodles, they are real comfort food. I'd also been past a farm shop which had spinach and broccoli, so that was added to boiling water with a sprinkle of chilli, a dash of tamari and a bit of stock powder, cooked til the broccoli was crunchy tender, then the noodles added to heat.

I'm sure that the meals will change slightly when I'm cooking for two, but curries and veggie stews are a staple for sure. I also love cooking veggie fajitas as the tortillas keep well in their packet. I also make some nice bean rissoles from tinned beans as well. Jamie certainly appreciates it. And for after dinner? Dark 🍫🍫🍫 chocolate!

But excuse me, I have a sunset to go eat noodles by...

With Love,

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