You mention one pot, one pan and a bowl — how do you make that work?
One of the joys for me when we’re travelling around in our campervan is the freedom you get living on the bare minimum. Our lives are filled with so much "stuff", whether it be in our wardrobes, our sheds, our cupboards, our kitchens, etc, that when you leave all that behind you realise you simply just don’t need much of it to, not only survive, but also thrive.
I love the challenge of creating a simple meal in my one-pot, one-bowl, one-pan tiny kitchen.
What other basics do you have in your ‘camp' kitchen?
Apart from what I mentioned above, the other things I use are general cooking utensils, cutlery, crockery, a microwave — which I can use if we are somewhere with power (I hardly ever need it though) — and a fridge. However, I do have to admit that on our last holiday travelling around Australia (we have a campervan there too) I purchased an air fryer and I have to say it was money well spent). Once again, I can only use it when we have power.
What are your favourite meals to cook in the campervan and why?
I am a real stickler for eating a proper dinner each night whether I’m at home or away. I don’t feel as though I’ve eaten well on any day if I haven’t had a salad or my veges. So sometimes I’ll purchase a bag of ready-made coleslaw or salad mix (keeping it real here), which I find invaluable as it saves having to purchase a variety of vegetables which I may not have room for in our little fridge. Plus, it’s ultra convenient. Also, a bag of frozen vegetables I store in the tiny freezer in the fridge never goes astray when I’m running low on fresh vegetables.
Breakfast is usually overnight oats with fresh fruit, or porridge, and lunch is either leftovers from the night before or wraps or sandwiches. Easy peasy!
Steak and salad gets boring after a while — any other suggestions?
My pork rissoles are a good example of this. It’s just pork mince, apple puree (you can also use grated apple) and sage and onion stuffing mix.
They can be fried in a frying pan or barbecued and are just delicious.
Creamy chicken and mushrooms is another favourite while on the road . It consists of diced chicken, mushrooms, onion, Worcestershire sauce and cream.
Chicken and feta patties, which are in one of my other cookbooks, are made with chicken mince, feta and crushed garlic. They’re another simple but tasty option which can be fried in a frying pan or barbecued.
There are many more recipes like these in my cookbooks which have become firm camping resources for many around New Zealand and Australia.
What are your top tips for cooking in the campervan?
Use space efficiently, like having stackable cookware and collapsible containers. If you plan your meals before you leave home, you can pre-chop ingredients and group ingredients by meal and keep them in stackable containers. Plan meals that use similar ingredients to minimise what you need to store. Keep surfaces clear by washing dishes as you cook or immediately after eating.
Above all, enjoy the pleasure of simple, relaxed cooking — and a glass of your favourite tipple while preparing dinner makes the experience even more enjoyable!
What is the hardest thing you find about cooking in constrained space?
How do you still make food delicious and appealing if constrained by space and equipment?
I like to have a variety of spice blends on board to add instant flavour to meat and vegetables. I sometimes take fresh herbs like basil, parsley and coriander with us as they add flavour and colour to dishes. And a squeeze of lemon juice or zest at the end of cooking can brighten up almost any dish. Adding nuts and seeds to salads adds crunch and can easily be stored in the campervan. Balsamic glaze is great to drizzle over salads, vegetables and meat and adds visual appeal.
What staples and spices do you keep in your van pantry?
Tuscan, Cajun and Moroccan seasonings are a must to rub over meat or add to stir-fries, etc, for instant flavour. Also tomato sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, balsamic glaze.
How do you deal with cooking smells in a small space?
I’ve never found this to be a problem. However, I generally cook with the door open, and I don’t cook seafood in the camper for this reason.
What is the most ambitious thing you've tried to cook in the van?
I wouldn’t call this ambitious, but I recently cooked a roast leg of lamb and vegetables in my new air fryer. I served it with greens and home-made gravy. It was such a treat to sit down to a roast dinner. It was better than going out to any restaurant and it fed us for three nights.
Do you make dessert or bake at all in the van?
I don’t bake in the van as I don’t have an oven, however now I have the air fryer I will be able to experiment with recipes. If we have dessert, it usually consists of fresh fruit salad and yoghurt. If we are away with friends, I like to make my home-made vanilla ice cream with caramel sauce (it’s in volume one) or my salted caramel ice cream in my Five Ingredients book. You won’t find easier ice cream recipes to make — you can whip them up in the camper and they will last in your freezer for the whole journey. They make the perfect little treat when it’s hot.
Couscous, pea and feta salad
I just love the freshness of this couscous salad. It has a real summer vibe to it so it’s a perfect side dish at your next barbecue. It is also delicious served alongside roast lamb. It can be prepared well in advance so is perfect for entertaining. I really like the texture of Israeli couscous in this recipe, however, any couscous will work.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup (165g) Israeli (pearl) couscous
2 cups (240g) frozen peas
½ cup roughly chopped mint leaves
2 Tbsp lemon juice
80g feta, crumbled
1 Tbsp olive oil
Method
Cook the couscous in a large saucepan of boiling water according to the packet instructions, until tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
Cover peas in boiling water for 5 minutes to thaw, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool.
Place couscous and peas into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Barbecue satay kebabs
Kebabs are a great, cost-effective alternative to steak as they use less meat. If you are using beef, use cuts like rump, porterhouse, sirloin or fillet. These kebabs can also be grilled in the oven, but make sure the skewers don’t burn (see tip).
Serves 4-5
Ingredients
2 Tbsp peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
700g meat of your choice, cut into 2cm cubes
Coriander leaves, to serve (optional)
Method
Place the peanut butter, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and oil in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.
Add the meat and stir until well coated in the marinade.
Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or place in the fridge for longer to allow the flavours to develop further (8 hours or overnight is even better).
Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to allow the meat to come to room temperature.
Preheat the barbecue to medium-high and grease the grill plate.
Thread the meat on to 8-10 bamboo or metal skewers then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook for 12 to 14 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked through and brown on all sides.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with coriander leaves, if using.
TIP:
If using bamboo skewers soak them in water for 20 minutes to prevent them from burning when cooking.
Lemon meringue ice cream loaf
The use of store-bought meringues and lemon curd makes this dessert convenient and super easy to make. It is creamy, not overly sweet, with a refreshing tang and a little crunch to it. A perfect summer dessert.
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 cup (250ml) cream
1 cup (280g) plain unsweetened yoghurt
1 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind
4 Tbsp lemon curd, plus extra to serve
90g meringue nests, lightly crushed, plus extra to serve (see tip)
Shredded lemon rind, to serve (optional)
Method
Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Place the cream and yoghurt in a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in the grated lemon rind, lemon curd and crushed meringues.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap.
Freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm. When ready to serve, take the plastic wrap off the top and lay a serving dish over the loaf pan. Carefully flip to unmould the loaf. Remove the rest of the plastic wrap.
Top with extra lemon curd, sprinkle with extra crushed meringues and shredded lemon rind. Cut into slices and serve immediately.
This dessert will keep in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
TIP
Don’t crush the meringue too finely. You still want some bigger pieces.
