Dutch Oven Hashbrown Bake

We love to prepare this when we are camping on a beach along the Columbia River!!  Thanks to the Ashworths for this yummy recipe!  Simply bring a pack of classic bacon, a bag of frozen Ore-Ida shredded Hash-browns, a dozen eggs (lightly beaten with a little milk) and a 4 Cup package of shredded cheese.  This serves our family of five but my boys eat a LOT!  It would probably be sufficient for at least 6-8 people as long as they are not swimmers! I'll try to take pictures next time we make it and update this post with pics!  Here's a summary of ingredients:

1 Package Bacon
1 Package Frozen Ore-Ida Shredded Hash-browns
1 Dozen Lightly Beaten Eggs with a little milk
4 Cups Shredded Cheese

Cook the bacon first then discard most of the grease.  Reserve some of the grease for the hash-browns.  Set the bacon aside then brown the Hash-browns, about 10 - 20 minutes depending on the heat of the Dutch Oven.  Then add the egg mixture and cook for a few minutes, stirring almost constantly.  When the eggs are about cooked then add the cheese.  Remove from heat and serve.  It looks ugly but is Oh So Yummy!

Dutch Oven Pizza

This is our family favorite to take camping! I pre-make the dough and then freeze it a couple days before we pack up. I also pre-chop all the veggies and toppings. When we are camping everyone just selects their favorite toppings to build their very own personal pizza.

Preparation:

I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free pizza dough mix. It says it's for 2 pizzas but I divide it into 4 to make a nice thin crust that cooks great in the dutch oven. I place each ball, after it has risen, on parchment paper sprinkled with a thin layer of gluten free flour to keep it from sticking. Then I sprinkle more gf flour on top, place another piece of parchment paper on top and then slowly roll out with a wooden rolling pin.  I add more gf flour periodically as I'm rolling to ensure it won't stick to the parchment paper.  I stack them with 1 piece of parchment paper between each one and one piece on top, then wrap with saran wrap and stick in the freezer. My dutch oven is 12" so I try to keep them around that size.

Meanwhile heat up your briquettes...

Toppings I usually include (and add in this order):

  Pizza Squeeze (specifically says it's gluten free)
  Mozzarella Cheese
  Pepperoni
  Salami
  Canadian Bacon
  Basil (chopped)
  Garlic (diced with a little olive oil)
  Spinach
  Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
  Olives (sliced - 1 small can is good for about 6 pizzas)
  Pineapple (chunk or crushed)
  Tomato (thinly sliced)
  Mozzarella
  Cheddar
  Feta

Cooking:

Place the prepared pizza (have everyone build their own pizza) with the parchment paper into the dutch oven.  Have briquettes evenly spread under your dutch oven and some on top.  Your dutch oven should come with instructions on how many to place under and over.  Typically for a 12" it would be about 9 on the bottom and 15 on the lid.  When we cook in the sand we usually add more on the bottom.  Cook for about 12 minutes or until evenly browned, you can tell when your pizza is fully cooked, the cheese should be bubbly and the crust will be browned on the edges..  For larger groups I like to use two dutch ovens at a time to speed up the "personal pizza" process.  I also have people split pizzas when they like the same toppings and then make them several pizzas to share so no one starves to death! 

Salad! It's what's for dinner!

We have a crazy schedule!  It's usually after 9pm before we are all home from various sports and activities!  Therefore we eat LATE!  My husband and I started eating salads for dinner about 5 years ago (2013-ish) I'd say about 98% of the time this is the salad we eat.   Sometimes we add smoked salmon, grilled chicken or whatever lunch meat we have on hand.  Most of the time though, it's too close to bed so we don't add meat.  We've found that we both sleep so much better if we stick to this!  It's a big salad, if you follow the portions below its enough for a whole meal!

Makes 4 Salads:

  4 handfuls Spinach - one handful per person
  1 Apple - 1/4 per person
  1 Bell Pepper - 1/4 per person
  20 Baby Carrots - about 5 per person (or 4 regular carrots - 1 per person)
  1 Avocado - 1/4 per person
  1 Roma Tomato - 1/4 per person
  4 Jalapeno and Garlic Stuffed Green Olives* (from Costco) -  diced, 1 per person
  4 Pickled Green Beans* (or other pickled item you like) - diced, 1 per person
  4 Tbsp Nuts - 1 Tbsp per person (pine nuts, pistachios, etc - whatever you like)

Slice everything into bite-size pieces and enjoy!

*by including pickled items as well as the tomato, apple and avo the salad is so moist you don't even need salad dressing.  I used to love salad dressing and thought people were weird if they didn't use it...just try it, you'll be surprised!  If you add the right ingredients and slice them small enough you don't need dressing, you'll save on the calories.  If it's still too dry, try adding a little Feta.  You can do it!

Fresh Asparagus and French Bean Salad

Salad:

1 pound French beans, stems removed
2 pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in quarters

Vinaigrette:
2 tsp Dijon mustard*
4 tsp balsamic vinegar *
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil and add beans and asparagus. Return to boil, lower heat and simmer about 2 to 4 minutes until vegetables are tender but still crisp. Drain and refresh under cold water. Let cool completely. 

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil until smooth. Season to taste. Set aside. 

Chop cooled vegetables and transfer to a salad bowl. Sprinkle with shallot, chives and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with eggs. Makes 12 servings.

*What to look out for in your ingredients:

Dijon Mustard - There are many gluten free mustard options out there but beware, not all mustard is gluten free!  Here is a list of brands that have specifically marked their Dijon Mustard label with gluten free: Organiville, Koops', and Annie's.  French's says that that all of their prepared mustards are gluten free to less that 20 ppm except for its Tangy Sweet and Smooth BBQ Mustard, which does contain gluten.  However they recommend you always check the label as modifications may occur in their formulations.  They do state that the vinegar they use is ethyl alcohol, another term for grain-derived alcohol or ethanol, meaning that alcohol could be derived from wheat.

Balsamic Vinegar - Always check the label.  If it is good quality it will be gluten free.  The less expensive, the more likely it will contain additives - coloring, caramel, guar gum and corn flour are most commonly added to artificially simulate the sweetness and thickness that is naturally created from the lengthly aging process of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.  It is these colorings and caramel flavorings in the lowest quality of balsamic vinegars which may or may not contain gluten, so always check the label!