What to cook when camping

So I am one of those personalities that just never sits still. I love my home but I am challenged to relax there. There are always things that need to be done, so to unwind I love to camp and go to cabins for a weekend, minibreaks! Find a place in nature to relax, cook some interesting meals, maybe read a book or magazine and hang with my daughter.

So when traveling with a cooler these are a few things I keep in mind.

• Marinate any meats ahead of time, bring frozen if possible as it will act as an extra ice pack.
• Bring premade salads: potato, rice or pasta that can we just added to the meal.
• Bring a grill for grilling meats and veggies
• For the first night I always bring frozen meat sauce and spaghetti noodles and garlic bread when you are allowed a campfire. A really simple meal for when you arrive. The sauce can be simmering and the water coming to a boil while you set up your tent!
• things I pack in my cooler: yogurt, fruit, milk, marinated meat, chicken breast, spaghetti sauce, sliced meats and cheese, condiments, salad fixings and corn on the cob.
• Another great meal is curried chicken for camping. Just bring some chicken breast, grab a jar of pataks tikka masala, some basmati rice and you are done. Just simmer the sauce and add the raw chopped chicken, cook a further 20 mins and camping is done curry style!

I love a great burger but really camping can be more than hot dogs, burgers and canned baked beans. Just plan your meals ahead, prep and marinate items and then when you arrive you can spend more time in the lake and less time in front of the camp stove. But never compromise on good food just because you are camping!

Now for the wine! A few suggestions for camping. With the curry I would suggest the Oak Bay Reisling from the Okanagon, very yummy and reasonable. For the spaghetti try the Tinhorn Creek Cab Franc or Castillo de Almansa Reserva 2005 from Italy.