Sunday, November 22, 2009

Boating -Thanksgiving Dinner Using Two Burners

Making your Thanksgiving dinner when boating is possible using two burners.

I have posted an article outlining what equipment needed and a sample menu at
Thanksgiving Dinner

When planning a menu for boating, or at home, my goal is to keep it as simple and easy as possible. Pre-planning my meals allows for more time to enjoy family and guests.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Easy Tortilla Roll Ups

An easy way to serve breakfast on board is to use flour tortillas. You can take ingredients you and your crew like and roll them in a tortilla. Some suggestions are:

Peanut butter and jelly
Cream cheese with sliced fruit
This post has been moved to Easy Family Boating Recipes

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Boating Galley Recipes

When summer arrives, boating is a popular activity for the whole family. Bringing food for the crew will vary depending on the size of your boat, the galley, and storage available on board. Even in a small boat without a galley, feeding the crew can be accomplished by using a cooler and one or more thermos bottles.

At Easy Family Boating Recipes
there are recipes and articles for thermos meals and cold snacks to consider for your next boating trip.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Leftover Pasta and Tuna Salad

Pasta may be on your boating menu for a dinner. Consider cooking extra, drain and rinse with water. Refrigerate the leftovers from dinner and plan a salad for next day's lunch or dinner as follows:


4 Cups of pasta, cooked
3 Cups carrots, shredded
3 Cups zucchini, shredded
2 (6 oz.) cans tuna, drained well
3/4 Cup of creamy Italian salad dressing

To Assemble:

Place the pasta into a bowl.
Carefully fold the carrots and zucchini into the pasta.
Add tuna and stir gently until blended in well.
Pour the dressing over the mixture. Mix until all the ingredients are coated well.
Refrigerate at least 2 hours but no more than 24 hours being sure to stir before serving.

Makes 6 servings

Monday, June 15, 2009

Easy Boating Dinner Ideas for Hot Days on the Water

Some days on the water can be hot. Instead of spending time in the galley over the stove, here are easy boating dinner ideas for those warm summer days.

Salads are one idea to serve on hot days. Here are a few favorites. Of course you can use whatever ingredients your crew prefers.

Try an enhanced traditional tossed salad. A traditional tossed salad is easy to make, however, may not fully satisfy hungry appetites at dinner. Add one or more of the following ingredients for extra flavor and protein:

• Chunks of cubed cheddar cheese
• Slices or cans of lunch meat - turkey, chicken, salmon, tuna, ham
• Leftover chicken breast
• Zucchini squash slices
• Yellow squash slices


Chef’s salad: Basically a chef’s salad is an upgraded tossed salad. Add sliced hardboiled eggs, chunks of cheese and sliced ham, turkey, chicken breast or roast beef and you have a chef’s salad. Vegetables such as shredded carrots, slices of cucumber, and/or shredded red cabbage may be added as well.

Spinach salad: A spinach salad made with baby spinach leaves is cool and refreshing. Add shredded cheese, slices of ham, turkey and/or roast beef, cut up cucumbers, sliced hardboiled eggs, and black olives.

Your choice of dressing may be used for the salads.

Sandwiches: Another easy meal idea you can create without cooking is sandwiches for dinner. They are easy and heat free. Some great summer sandwiches are:

Chicken salad: Cooked or canned chicken, celery, onion, and mayo are the basics for chicken salad. Serve on bread, in a tortilla or in a croissant for variety. Add lettuce leaves to your sandwiches for a refreshing meal.

Deli style sandwiches: Present a plate or platter with a combination of the following, pass the buns, and the crew may like to make their own meal.

• Ham
• Turkey
• Roast Beef
• Chicken Breast
• Corned Beef
• Salami
• Pepperoni
• Cheese
• Cucumbers
• Pickles
• Tomatoes
• Romaine or leaf lettuce
• Green Peppers

Condiment suggestions: mustard, mayonnaise, favorite sauces.

When planning your menu, include a variety of canned meats to be used in salads or sandwiches. Suggestions - ham, tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey, corned beef.

Try some of above ideas for a cool dinner to have on board on hot days or make dinner on the boat's barbeque.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Easy Boating Snacks - Vegetables


Vegetables can be excellent snacks when boating for those times when your crew is hungry but it is not time to eat a full meal.
Carrots, cucumber, peppers, celery, and zucchini can be cut into sticks for easy eating. Broccoli and cauliflower can also be eaten raw. Tomatoes are classified as fruits, however, are often eaten as vegetables. The small cherry tomatoes are a good choice.

Your choice of vegetables can be served on a tray, or children may enjoy their own baggie of cut up vegetables. When planning on serving vegetables during the day, consider preparing them before leaving dock in the morning.
Dip adds a flavor to veggies and you may use your favorite bought dressings or many dips can be made with dry seasoning packets and fat free sour cream. For a different taste add your own fresh herbs. 


Monday, May 11, 2009

Easy Cucumber Salad Boats

Easy Cucumber Salad Boats can be served for lunch or an addition to dinner.

You will need:

3 large cucumbers
1 (6 oz) can tuna in water, drained well
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 c celery, chopped fine
1 tbsp sweet onion, chopped fine
1/4 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp relish
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c Cheddar cheese, shredded


How to put it together:

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise.
Remove the seeds and cut the bottom so the cucumbers set flat.
Slightly stir together the tuna, eggs, celery and onion in a large mixing bowl to help breakup the tuna.
Add the mayonnaise and relish.
Stir until the mayonnaise is slightly smooth.
Pour in the lemon juice.
Sprinkle in the pepper.
Stir to mix well.
Sprinkle in the cheese and continue stirring until all the ingredients are incorporated together.

Fill each cucumber half with the tuna mixture.

Cucumber boats can be filled with any type of salad - egg salad, chicken salad or ham salad.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Easy Fruit Salad for Dessert

Here is an easy fruit salad to make on the boat for a refreshing dessert.

Easy Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

1 C fruit cocktail, drained
1 C pineapple chunks, drained
1 C mandarin oranges, drained
1 C sour cream
1 C rainbow miniature marshmallows

Method:

Place all fruit into a large mixing bowl.
Gently fold in sour cream until all fruit is covered.
Sprinkle in the marshmallows and stir until just combined.

Serves 6

Add a little coconut or a few nuts to make a different taste.

Hint: At home, I use the juice from the drained fruit to make ice cubes to be used in fruit punch at a later date.

Planning a Menu for Boating

Planning a menu for your boating trip, then making a shopping list from your menu will help ensure all needed supplies are on board. Break the menu into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the number of days you will be eating on board.

When stowing provisions, a menu will help in storing the last to be used items first for ease at time of meal preparation.

I like to plan a menu to cook once, eat twice as much as possible. For instance, boiled potatoes may be on your menu. Cube potatoes before cooking and make extra. Cool and refrigerate any leftovers. The leftover potatoes can be used to make potato salad, corned beef hash, browned with onions for the next dinner, or added to an omelet for breakfast.

An article I have written, Menu Planning For Boating, outlining 5 reasons for menu planning before your next boating vacation.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Try a Turkey Pita

Pita pockets are a change from sliced bread. An easy lunch idea for boating is the following turkey pita.

For ease at lunch time, consider preparing the filling before leaving dock in the morning. Assemble when ready for lunch. Read more