Tasty recipes for cooking on the campsite

• Olive oil and sunflower or vegetable oil
• Dry pasta
• Box of flaked sea salt
• Black pepper mill (and plenty of peppercorns)
• Cumin, coriander and fennel seeds (whole is best, but ground is fine)
• Paprika
• Dried chillies
• Fresh herbs: garlic, rosemary, thyme, coriander, basil, bay leaves
• A bottle of hot sauce

Do you miss your favourite spicy chicken dish when you’re camping? This easy recipe will let you rustle up a cheeky peri-peri style wrap of you own. Change the amount of chilli to make it mild, medium, hot or extra hot. 

Ingredients (for 4)

Chicken

• Four chicken breasts
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• Sweet chilli sauce
• Little gem lettuce
• 2 sliced tomatoes
• ½ sliced cucumber
• 8 small plain wraps

Peri-peri mayonnaise

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp chilli flakes
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch sugar
• Squeeze lemon juice

Method

1. For the wrap filling, slice the chicken breasts into strips. Mix all the dry seasoning ingredients together in a bowl and massage into the chicken pieces, making sure they are all thoroughly coated.
2. Put the oil into the frying pan on a high heat, then when it’s full heated add the chicken. It should sizzle when it hits the pan. Leave the chicken frying in the pan without moving it, so it gets nice and crispy round the edges.
3. While the chicken is cooking, place the wraps in a dry frying pan to warm them, switching them around to make sure they are all warmed up. After about five minutes, turn the chicken, turn the heat down a little, and fry more gently until it’s cooked through.
4. Combine all the peri-peri mayonnaise ingredients in a bowl, mixing thoroughly.
5. When the chicken is fully cooked, it’s time to serve. Take a warmed wrap, spread generously with sweet chilli sauce and layer the lettuce, cucumber and tomato on top. Add a serving of chicken then drizzle with the peri-peri mayonnaise, fold the wrap and serve.

There’s nothing better than sitting round the campfire with a spicy bowl of chilli and there’s no reason for you to miss out if you have a plant-based diet. This vegan recipe is a camper’s dream as most of the ingredients are tinned or dry – including the mince – so you don’t have to worry about keeping them fresh. It’s also really easy to make and, in our opinion, tastes just as good as a meat version.

Ingredients (for 4)

• 200g textured vegetable protein (dried soy mince)
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tin kidney beans
• 2 fresh jalapeno chillies
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• One eighth tsp cinnamon
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 avocado
• Basmati rice

Method

1. Pour the can of chopped tomatoes into a saucepan over a medium heat, then add three-quarters of a can of water to the pan.
2. Add the soy mince and the rest of the dry ingredients then pierce one of the chilli peppers and add it to the mix for flavour. Bring it to a simmer and leave to cook gently for 20 minutes.
3. Check regularly to make sure the soy mince isn’t absorbing too much liquid. If it looks like it is sticking to the pan, add a little more water.
4. After 20 minutes, drain the kidney beans, add to the pan and cook for further 10 minutes. Now cook the Basmati rice in another pan according to the pack instructions.
5. Discard the cooked jalapeno, then serve the chilli on a bed of rice, with chopped avocado and slices of the remaining fresh chilli pepper.

Everyone loves a late-night kebab, but these are a fair bit more classy than a greasy doner on the way home from the pub. Quick to prepare and easy to cook, but packed with flavour, they are the perfect campsite cuisine

Ingredients (for 4)

• 800 g of beef (rump steak or tender cuts)
• 1 red onion
• 1 green pepper, 1 yellow pepper, 1 red pepper
• 4 to 6 Paris mushrooms
• 10cl of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• Espelette pepper
• Salad
• 4 pitta bread (optional)

Method

1. Wash and dice the peppers, do the same with the onion, cut the mushrooms in half and chop the meat into 2.5 cm cubes.
2. Assemble the brochettes along a wooden skewer, alternating the ingredients.
3. Marinate the brochettes in a dish for about an hour, with a little olive oil and a pinch of Espelette pepper.
4. To cook the brochettes: Heat the grill and salt the brochettes.
5. Place the brochettes on the grill for two to three minutes on each side.
6. Dish them up on a plate with some salad or remove from the skewers and serve in a lightly toasted pitta bread.
7. Drizzle some of your favourite hot sauce over it for that authentic kebab shop feel. 

The classic Japanese noodle soup is packed full of flavour and makes for a delicious campsite dinner. This recipe is quick and easy to make so is ideal for cooking at your tent but tastes as good as anything from your favourite noodle bar.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken thighs
• 4 packs of instant noodles (chicken or vegetable flavour)
• 2 pak choi
• 2 spring onions
• 2 fresh chillis
• Coriander
• Soy sauce
• 1 heaped tsp miso paste
• Rice wine
• 1 clove garlic sliced
• White pepper
• Salt and black pepper

Method

Season the chicken thighs and griddle them skin down for around 10 minutes then flip them over until they are cooked through. Cut the chicken into slices and put to one side.

While the chicken is cooking, boil a small pan of water, dissolve the miso paste into it then add a glug of soy sauce and rice wine, the garlic, most of the chilli and some white pepper. 

Add the noodles and bring to the boil again, then simmer for two or three minutes until soft. If the noodles come with flavour sachets add these now. 

Cut both pak choi in half and cook on the griddle until there are char marks and it becomes slightly wilted.

When the noodles are ready, divide them into four portions and place them into bowls, before adding the chicken and pak choi on top. Pour the broth into the bowls to create the ramen.

Garnish with chopped coriander, spring onions and sliced fresh chilli and serve.

A traditional Vietnamese Banh Mi adds a little bit of the exotic to your campsite cooking repertoire – and it’s easy to make. A fusion of French and Asian food culture, this spicy chicken sandwich on baguette can be rustled up in half an hour.

Ingredients (for 4)

• 450g chicken mince
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 2 baguettes
• 1 spring onion
• 1 cucumber
• 1 carrot
• ½ radish
• 1 small bunch mint

For pink mayonnaise

• 150g mayonnaise
• 1tbsp ketchup
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch crushed peppercorns

Method

Prepare the pink mayonnaise by mixing the ingredients together in a bowl.

Place the chicken mince, the breadcrumbs and finely chopped coriander in a bowl. Add the egg, season with salt and pepper and mix together until well combined.

Lightly moisten your hands, scoop out a small amount of the mixture and shape into a small ball, then lightly flatten each piece with the palm of your hand. Repeat until there is no mixture left. Set aside.

Peel the carrot and radish. Rinse the cucumber. Slice the vegetables and finely chop the onion.

Turn on the barbecue and cook the chicken patties for a few minutes on both sides until they are nicely coloured.

Slice the baguette in half lengthwise. Spread each half of the baguette with the pink mayonnaise. Garnish with the vegetables and place the chicken patties on top. Top with the other half of the baguette. Serve immediately with fresh mint.