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‘How To Eat Like Royalty In A Very Small Van’
Quick and easy recipes for when you are on the move (or not!) all tried and tested in The Rosabella during 2009 with limited space, utensils and ingredients and using just two Camping Gas rings. Despite these limitations we ate in style – leaving home cooking or 'fine dining' restaurants a disappointing alternative to ‘life on the road’.
BREAKFAST
Starting the day properly has always been important in The Rosabella, whether we’ve got two hundred miles in front of us, or a day lolling on the beach. Here’s how we’ve done it.
Pre-breakfast treat
Tea (made in a china tea pot – of course!), chocolate digestives (or French ‘Little Prince’ sandwich biscuits when in France
Obvious and nice brekkie
Obvious because it’s the obvious choice for brekkie on the road. Nice because it’s, well, nice.......
Crispy bacon
Princess eggs (withcarefully lovingly removed white bits)
buttered fresh bread
orange juice
tea
salt & pepper
brown sauce
Serve when the birds are singing and the sun is shining in, preferably with the sliding door open enough to swell the curtains with fresh country, or seaside, or mountain air.
Princess eggs (with
buttered fresh bread
orange juice
tea
salt & pepper
brown sauce
Serve when the birds are singing and the sun is shining in, preferably with the sliding door open enough to swell the curtains with fresh country, or seaside, or mountain air.
Left over pasta frittata-tit-tata
4-6 fresh eggs
2 knobs (of butter!!)
Pasta ‘remains’ from the night before
Grated parmesan
Melt 1 knob in the pan, lightly beat the eggs, mix in pasta and cheese. Tip mixture into foaming butter in pan, draw from edges to the centre of the pan, cook for 5 minutes, turn onto plate and heat second knob in pan, then return frittata to the pan to cook the other side, brown under the grill, serve with bread and butter, tea or juice.
Trois Français
Le premiere: Fresh croissant and fresh coffee (brandy shot - an optional treat)
Le deuxieme: Muesli, honey, toasted flute
Le troisieme: Oeufs, poitreax fume, patat frite, sauce du pere
Le Classique
4 eggs
Smoked salmon
Fresh bread
Fresh butter
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
Melt knob of butter in olive oil until foaming, break 4 eggs straight into the pan, jiggle mixture with spatula. Add salmon whilst eggs are still gooey and then a good dose of black pepper. Keep it moving! Serve whilst still moist with fresh bread and butter to mop up. Bucks Fizz makes a nice accompanying tipple, but only if parked up for the day!!
Life on the road has given rise to some wonderfully improvised meals, in some beautiful settings, sometimes warm but more often freezing. Meals in would always be our first option but if the food muse wasn’t around there was usually the pub!
The Scottish Option – ‘Slange!
Prep time 5 minutes maximum. Cooking time 45 minutes. 2 saucepans used twice! 1 grill pan
The first ever dinner in The Rosabella was made in Glencoe after a nice evening at the Clachaig Inn with crackling fires and folk music; in sub-zero temperatures we cooked in the car park – our home for the night after after the gruelling, snowy, ‘Danger of Death’ walk!
1 veggie haggis
4 slices of meat haggis
1 tin of mushy peas
Local potatoes
1 packet of onion gravy
Boil the veggie haggis in foil, turning occasionally for 40 minutes. While the haggis is cooking boil potatoes for 20 mins, crush and serve, grill the sliced meat haggis for 5 minutes each side, heat tin of mushy peas for 5 minutes and boil kettle for onion gravy mix. Serve by candlelight on a dressed table, red wine and soft music on the CD (rather than the roaming bag-piper who chose to perform for us that night). Voila!
The Welsh Option – ‘Yach-e-da!’
Prep time 5 mins, cooking time 5-10 minutes. Number of pots used 1!!
Served at an isolated Cae Du near Tywyn overlooking the dark night-time sea below.
1 pack of best smoked salmon slices
1 pack of fresh tagliatelli
1 tub of crème fresh
1 lemon
Sprinkling of dill
Black pepper
Parmesan shavings
Sliced garlic bread (packet)
Chilled dry white wine
Boil pasta for 5-10 minutes. Chop and dress salmon with the lemon, dill, black pepper) then add to drained hot pasta. Stir in crème fresh and mix to heat through. Add more lemon and dill. Grill garlic slices of bread, serve in dishes with parmesan shavings and lemon wedge, chilled white wine and lounge sounds. Yach-e-da!
The Blighty One – “good ‘elf!”
Prep time 5 minutes, cooking time 20 minutes, 2 pots + 2 small dishes
After a beautiful walk to Hope Cove from the campsite at Bolberry we served this simple dish (based on a ‘Cinnamon Cafe’ recipe) al fresco, by the light of the stars with duvet jackets at the ready to fend off the frost.
Pasta
1 x onion
1-2 x leeks
1/2 x box mushrooms
6oz x stilton (St Agur is a good substitute)
Chop onion and brown, add mushrooms and leeks, gently fry for ages. Boil pasta and drain, add mixture and season, fill small dishes with pasta mix, crumble cheese on top and grill. Serve in the dishes with crisp salad if available; stars optional!
The Blighty One 2 – ‘cheers!’
Prep time 2 mins, cook time 10 mins max, pots 1 + 2 small dishes to serve.
We missed the visiting chip van at Bolberry Farm and were low on supplies. We did have, though, our staples and tinned toms and tuna were ready for this ‘use up left-over ingredients’ dish, taken under the stars in hats, gloves and coats, on our last night in Devon.
Left over ingredients (leek, mushroom, onion, pasta on this occasion)
1 x tin of toms 1 x tin of tuna
1 x onion Mozzarella
Bread crumbs
Brown onion, add mushrooms, boil toms, add tuna, mix into cooked pasta, place in small dishes. Slice or grate cheese and breadcrumbs and add to top of mixture in dishes and grill to brown. Serve al fresco with oodles of red wine and classical music from the open door of The Rosabella.
Flash-fry fresh burgers
Prep time 2 mins, cook time 5 mins, 1 pan
You’ll never taste a better burger. Forget the fancy additives and keep it simple. Especially good when eaten outdoors.
Fresh, lean minced steak
Oil for frying
Heat oil, shape mince into flat discs, fry until brown on both sides, serve hot, with sauce or relish if required, and fresh rustic bread. It doesn’t get much easier than that!!
Plat du jour – Dimanche
Cooking time 20 mins, 3 pots
In France Pyrenees
2 x chicken breasts OR lean steaks / pork medallions / lamb steaks (any small boneless cut of meat or poultry)
Spuds (local waxy variety)
French beans (of course!)
Shallots
Optional sauce or gravy mix or simply serve with jar of relish, mint, cranberry, horseradish, mustard or any other tasty option.
Marinate chicken in olive oil and herb du Provence
Plat du jour 2 - optional alternative to Plat 1 dish
Cooking time 15 mins, 3 saucepans
1 x tin of Pinto beans
olive oil
lemon
bread sauce mix (milk for sauce)
leek
carrot
Serve chicken as above, with boiled leek and carrots. Warm some pinto beans in olive oil, add lemon juice and sea salt. Serve with bread sauce.
Beans means.........we’re in the Rosabella!! (part 1)
Croquettes (our fave) from Rose Elliot’s ‘The Bean Book’ – our culinary bible for life on the road
Prep time 5-10 minutes, cooking time 10 mins, pots 3
Red lentils
Egg, flour, breadcrumbs
Oil (for frying)
1 x tinned toms
Onion
Pasta
S&P
Harrisa paste or curry powder
Damp cloth to clean up the flour – which got everywhere!!!
Boil lentils until ‘dry’. Add spices. Fry onions and add toms, simmer for 10 minutes. Whilst pasta boils shape lentil goo into little zeppelin shapes, heat oil, baste each ‘zeppelin’ in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and fry in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy, place on kitchen roll to remove excess oil and serve hot with hot pasta and hot tomato and onion sauce. Lovely! Especially when taken on the Pyrenees hill top ‘Croix Blanche’ as the sun sets over the mountain tops and 360° views and not a soul for miles.
Beans means......(part 2) The quick one - curried chick peas
Prep time 2 mins, cook time 2 mins, pots 2
1 x tin chick peas
Spices
1 tblsp Dried onions
Rice (preferably boil in bag – 60 seconds)
Put a drop of boiling water into a pan, add dried onions to heat and hydrate, add some oil and the spices, add the chic peas and simmer, mashing some of the peas with a fork as they heat through. Place bag of rice in boiling water for 60 seconds, serve all within about 2 minutes from the start! Top tip – if bag of rice not available use cous cous, just as quick and works just as well. This is a great dish for when you pull in later than planned after a long day’s drive.
Beanos meanos...............(part 3) The Spanish favourite – paella
Prep time 5 mins, cook time 20 mins, 1 pan
Rice (preferably brown or wild)
Onion
Celery
Carrot
Leek
Red beans
Veg oxo (or Bouillon powder is best)
Salt & Pepper
Meat or fish can be added if available for carnivores but it’s tasty and nutritious without!
Boil rice, fry onion and chopped veg and stock cube, add beans and serve, serve with optional extra grated cheese to top it.
Beans means.......(part 4) Moroccan chicken and chick pea stew
Prep time 2 mins, cook time 5 mins, 2 pans
Chicken diced in to 1 inch chunks
Chick peas
Tinned toms
Onions
Garlic
Coriander, hot chilli powder, cumin, cinnamon
Couscous
Simply chop and mix all ingredients (except the couscous) simmer until onions are soft and chicken is cooked through. Boil water and cover couscous, serve. Very simple, very tasty!
Beans means...(part 5) Beans escort – goes with everything!
Prep time seconds, cooking time 1 minute, 1 pan
Flageolet beans
Olive oil
Lemon
Sea salt
Simply heat all ingredients and serve – simples!
Your escort will go with anything – one accompaniment……
Prep time seconds, cook time 1 min, 1 pot
couscous
harrisa paste
basil
olive oil
lemon juice
black pepper
salt
Simply mix herbs, harrisa and oil. Add boiling water to couscous and stir in paste, mix and serve to accompany almost anything – very tasty – enjoy!
Another escort – the green one
Prep and cook time seconds, 1 pan
Fresh spinach
Lemon juice
Olive oil
Sea salt
Heat oil, add spinach and wilt for a few seconds only, add lemon juice and sea salt and serve.
NIBBLES
Life on the road means meandering on byways, stopping to look at the view and generally mooching. These snackettes are useful when a 'quickie' is needed, on the move (by wheel or foot), when arriving early (or, more commonly, late), as hors d'oeuvre, when you're just too knackered to cook, or any time that a hard-to-reach corner needs filling.
Sardine snax – great for a starter or an anytime nibble
Mash sardines with lemon and black pepper, spread onto oatcakes, sprinkle with cayenne pepper (paprika will do) serve with lemon wedges and kettle crisps, cool beer with lime wedges in a sun-shiny field (optional)
Crostini
Warmed Ciabatta slices with mozzarella, tomato and basil leaf; pesto; tapenade; garlic mayonnaise, finely chopped garlic mushrooms, skordalia, humus or anything else that the imagination can muster.
Definitely for sharing…..
Pickies
Fresh bread, cheeses, pâtés, smoked salmon, cold meats; always best with cold bubbles on a hot relaxing day with friends if you can find any!!
Rosie stays at Bolberry while we go walking……
DESSERTS
Fresh fruit, chocolate bars, Greek yoghurt and honey kept our sugar cravings to a minimum, so there are no fancy recipes to share in this section. We sometimes bought nice cakes and fancies from the boulangerie or patisserie or local SPAR or went out for a slap up meal cooked by someone else! Easter 2009 and 2010 we were in the van, and chocolate eggs were hidden, found and devoured but I don’t think that counts as an entry, maybe this is a section to develop during our time in Rosabella II. watch this space....!!
(She forgot to mention hot chocolate with Bailey’s & squirty cream. T)
