Easy Meals for Campers

We've just returned from a weekend camping, and whereas we had the teamaking equipment, wine, bottle opener and soft drinks very well organised, when it came to knocking up a quick and tasty supper on the first night our options were quite limited. Rather than the proffered baked beans on marmitey fried bread, my husband decided he'd rather go out for dinner. And breakfast. And in fact lunch.....

It worked out to be quite an expensive little trip in that regard, so I've done a little bit of research and found a great recipe where not only can you cook it all in one pot, you can mix all the spices, chopped veg and chopped chicken in ziplock bags before you leave, so all you have to do is add to the saucepan as required once you've got your tent up. Keep all ingredients chilled in an icebox until you are ready to use.

Easy Chicken Pilaff

Yield: 4 servings
Ready in: 40 mins (15 mins Prep - 25 mins Cook)

Ingredients

Bag 1

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 red pepper, seeded and diced

Bag 2

340 g (12 oz) skinless boneless chicken breasts (fillets), cut into thin strips

Bag 3

170 g (6 oz) button mushrooms, halved
2 courgettes, sliced
300 g (10½ oz) basmati rice, rinsed
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon

150 ml (5 fl oz) coconut milk
400 ml (14 fl oz) hot chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onion, garlic, red pepper and chicken. Cook, stirring, over a fairly high heat for 4–5 minutes or until the chicken has lost its raw look.
Add the mushrooms, courgettes, rice, ground coriander, cumin and cinnamon. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Pour in the coconut milk and hot stock, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil, then cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes or until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid.
Remove from the heat. Stir in some chopped coriander, then cover again and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.