Campfire Cooking

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

This past December I went out on a little getaway with my husband before the hectic holidays set in. We embarked on a tour of the wild west and to see some of the great sites of Utah and visit Death Valley. And what better way to take advantage of our national park service and do some good old fashion camping! Well, I couldn’t help but bring a few campfire recipes along with our cooking gear. I wanted to share the results of one of our campfire meals with y’all! But first, a few camp cooking tips:

• Bring spices in weekday medicine containers so you can bring a little of each spice you need.
• Plan in advance! Bring any small dry goods from home (like 1 cup of rice or dried mushrooms)
• Make a list! You didn’t go all the way out to Canyonlands to wander the isles of the grocery store.
• One pot wonder is the name of the game!

Without further ado, here was our delicious sausage and rice recipe that we made out in Death Valley camp grounds and a few of the gorgeous sights that led up to this delicious dinner!

MIXED UP SAUSAGE AND RICE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 bouillon cube + ½ cup water
• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 red or green pepper, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
• 1/2 lb kielbasa (or other smoked sausage) diced
• 1 - 19 oz can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or pot over medium heat.
2. Throw in the onion, celery and red or green pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Add the kielbasa and garlic powder and oregano and continue to cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes, just until the kielbasa begins to brown.
4. Add the rice, broth, beans, tomatoes and pepper and bring to a boil.
5. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and cook, stirring only once or twice (to prevent sticking) for about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
6. Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.