Monday, June 22, 2009

tacos!

Camping in Devils Postpile (Mammoth Lakes, CA) was great fun and the food was simple yet fabulous! The weather was cold and cloudy for the most part, but the fishing was decent and the scenery is some of the most beautiful you can find anywhere in the world. There is something incredibly special about cooking while set amongst towering pine trees and a rushing river. Everything just tastes better.You can't beat this view.

Cooking successfully while in nature takes lots of forethought, especially if it's in a secluded location (like DP) and you have to pack in your ingredients AND your equipments. This means that planning is key! With just a little bit of work - and a very good checklist of items to take with you - you can be prepped to make meals simply and deliciously. I suggest making a list of meals that you'll make for each night, then thinking about every ingredient you'll need in making it. It's important to remember to pack simple things like salt, pepper, tongs, etc. or you'll regret it (says the chick who forgot oil a few years back).

So, to help you out, I'll be making a very detailed list of the items needed to pull off each of the next 5 meals. Each meal for my camping trip was planned for about 10 adults, and since it is camping, I'll just write an ingredient list rather than exact measurements. These meals are so simple that you will want to estimate how much you'll need for the number of campers in your party. Also, I'll jot down the equipment that you'll need.

These meals are not meant to be gourmet. It's just good, wholesome food that can be thrown together relatively quickly and with little prep time. And it tastes good.
*Simple Camping Tacos*
ground meat (turkey or beef)
garlic salt
salt
pepper
vegetable oil

cilantro
onions
grated cheddar cheese
jarred salsa
lime

corn tortillas

*Equipment*
cast iron skillet
large non stick pan
tongs
plates
napkins

For the meat: Brown the meat up in a couple tbsps of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet. Season and set aside.

For the shells: Heat up 1/4 cup of oil in the non stick pant. To fry them, quickly put them in the oil on side A and leave in for just a sec. Quickly turn it over to side B and fold it in 1/2 until lightly browned. Flip it over to the other side of side B and brown on that side. As soon as they're cooked, put them on a paper towel lined plate and salt them! Seriously, this makes them great!
Assemble your tacos with whatever accoutrements you like. I like cilantro, salsa, cheese and a super quick squirt of lime, but feel free to bring anything else you like.

It will fill you up and satisfy you. Until s'mores, that is.


10 comments:

Zoe said...

This is a great idea for a camping meal!

theUngourmet said...

I love the photo of the meal cooking and the river view. Pretty! This is a fun camping meal I haven't thought of.

Thanks for stopping over my way.

foodcreate said...

Grand Idea! I love camping and this recipe is Ideal.

Thanks for sharing your recipe~

Welcome~~~
http://foodcreate.com

And if you can visit me I can visit you:)

Have a Great day!

Natty said...

drool... that's some pretty fancy camping food, little missy.

teresa said...

Mmm, this is how to eat when you camp! I love the pics! Glad I got to discover you!

Katy ~ said...

The tacos I make at home don't look nearly that good. Fabulous view and food. Well done!

Unknown said...

looks great! There's something about cooking outdoors that makes it soo much better. grilling is great but camp cooking is awesome!

Emily said...

I love that you had tacos on your camping trip! That is such a good idea. And it sure beats hot dogs.

Donna-FFW said...

Such cool photos. Camping tacos sound fun. First time to your blog, it is lovely!

Melissa said...

YUUUUUM. And that must have been a very relaxing cooking time indeed. Quite peaceful there, or so I'm told.