Having spent a while camping in France (on a budget) We have identified a range of meals that are based on easily accessible and affordable european produce. Seeing as we where traveling light most recipes only require a pot and a frying pan (its all we have - therefore its important).
These meals are in no particular order.
Prawn Risotto:
All of the supermarkets I have been into in France sell precooked, unshelled, big delicious prawns. They sell by weight, 100 grams is un (or deux/trois etc) cent gram. If you are ever food shopping an important french phrase is 'c'est tout', 'that's all'. Everyone uses it and it's invaluble. For two of us we would usually get 100 grams (mainly cause I don't know how to ask for less), that makes a fair sized meal.
Ingredients:
100 grams of precooked prawns
Risotto rice
A stock cube
White wine
1 onion/ 2 shallots2
cloves of garlic
MushroomsBroccolli (or any vegetable really depending on what you like)
Heat two parts liquid (water and wine) for one part rice, add the stock cube then set aside.Sweat the onion in a generous dollop of olive oil (and butter if you can get it), then add the garlic. Shortly after add the mushrooms and broccolli. After a few minutes add the risotto rice and coat it in the oil.This next bit is fairly boring but necessary. Just add one or two spoonfuls of liquid at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Keep going untill the rice is soft and chewy (but not crunchy), you may not need all of the liquid. Add the prawns last and just heat them through. The meal is delicious served with a squeeze of lemon juice. Kate's
Orange and Almond Couscous Salad
Ingredients:
Couscous
Red onion
Yellow capsicum
Stock cube
Almonds
Dried Apricots
2 oranges
Chicken (optional. if using, marinade in orange juice and olive oil just before cooking)
Boil some water (one part liquid to one part couscous) and add the stock cube, orange rind and juice. Take it off the heat and add the couscous, sprinkle salt and pepper a dollop of olive oil and cover.Fry the chicken now, in the marinade juices until cooked.Chop all the other ingredients and mix them and the chicken into the couscous.
Chorizo and Mushroom Pasta (or Risotto if you like)
Ingredients:
Pasta Choriz
Onion
Mushrooms
Chilli Flakes (optional)
Cherry tomatos
Boil the pasta, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.Sweat onion and add garlic, sprinkle a little chilli in now if you want it. Add the chorizo and cook lightly, then add the mushrooms. Lastly add the pasta and chopped tomatoes, warm through and serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Tomato Pasta
I'm adding this recipe for a basic tomato sauce because sometimes you just get stuck with barely any food. If you have a few basic ingredients, you can make the tomato sauce and then add in anything else you happen to have lying around.
Ingredients:
Garlic
Onions
Tomatoes
Tomato Paste (optional)
Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
Chilli Flakes (optional)
Cook the pasta and set aside. Sweat the onions slowly in a good dollop of olive oil, add the garlic then anything else you happen to have lying around (left over veges, meat, fish... anything). Add the chopped tomatos and cook untill they have disintegrated and reduced. Add vinegar and tomato paste if you have it. Stir in the pasta to warm it, serve seasoned with salt and vinegar.
Sams Breakfast Eggs:
All of the supermarkets I have been into in France sell precooked, unshelled, big delicious prawns. They sell by weight, 100 grams is un (or deux/trois etc) cent gram. If you are ever food shopping an important french phrase is 'c'est tout', 'that's all'. Everyone uses it and it's invaluble. For two of us we would usually get 100 grams (mainly cause I don't know how to ask for less), that makes a fair sized meal.
Ingredients:
100 grams of precooked prawns
Risotto rice
A stock cube
White wine
1 onion/ 2 shallots2
cloves of garlic
MushroomsBroccolli (or any vegetable really depending on what you like)
Heat two parts liquid (water and wine) for one part rice, add the stock cube then set aside.Sweat the onion in a generous dollop of olive oil (and butter if you can get it), then add the garlic. Shortly after add the mushrooms and broccolli. After a few minutes add the risotto rice and coat it in the oil.This next bit is fairly boring but necessary. Just add one or two spoonfuls of liquid at a time, stirring until it is absorbed. Keep going untill the rice is soft and chewy (but not crunchy), you may not need all of the liquid. Add the prawns last and just heat them through. The meal is delicious served with a squeeze of lemon juice. Kate's
Orange and Almond Couscous Salad
Ingredients:
Couscous
Red onion
Yellow capsicum
Stock cube
Almonds
Dried Apricots
2 oranges
Chicken (optional. if using, marinade in orange juice and olive oil just before cooking)
Boil some water (one part liquid to one part couscous) and add the stock cube, orange rind and juice. Take it off the heat and add the couscous, sprinkle salt and pepper a dollop of olive oil and cover.Fry the chicken now, in the marinade juices until cooked.Chop all the other ingredients and mix them and the chicken into the couscous.
Chorizo and Mushroom Pasta (or Risotto if you like)
Ingredients:
Pasta Choriz
Onion
Mushrooms
Chilli Flakes (optional)
Cherry tomatos
Boil the pasta, drizzle with olive oil and set aside.Sweat onion and add garlic, sprinkle a little chilli in now if you want it. Add the chorizo and cook lightly, then add the mushrooms. Lastly add the pasta and chopped tomatoes, warm through and serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Tomato Pasta
I'm adding this recipe for a basic tomato sauce because sometimes you just get stuck with barely any food. If you have a few basic ingredients, you can make the tomato sauce and then add in anything else you happen to have lying around.
Ingredients:
Garlic
Onions
Tomatoes
Tomato Paste (optional)
Balsamic Vinegar (optional)
Chilli Flakes (optional)
Cook the pasta and set aside. Sweat the onions slowly in a good dollop of olive oil, add the garlic then anything else you happen to have lying around (left over veges, meat, fish... anything). Add the chopped tomatos and cook untill they have disintegrated and reduced. Add vinegar and tomato paste if you have it. Stir in the pasta to warm it, serve seasoned with salt and vinegar.
Sams Breakfast Eggs:
This breakfast is great if you have been up late tasting the Bourdeux wine and need to soak up any left over alcohol or have a range of food that just needs to be eaten.
Ingredients:
Ham
Onion
Milk
Butter (optional)
Red, green or yellow capsicum (optional)
Sausages (optional)
pre cooked potato (optional)
mushrooms
Sweat the onions in a little oil (or butter if you have it). Add the ham and other addictional ingredients fry until crispy. Add the eggs and milk and whisk together, leave to cook as slowly as possible until light and fluffy. Season generously and serve with bread and chopped tomatoes.
Ham
Onion
Milk
Butter (optional)
Red, green or yellow capsicum (optional)
Sausages (optional)
pre cooked potato (optional)
mushrooms
Sweat the onions in a little oil (or butter if you have it). Add the ham and other addictional ingredients fry until crispy. Add the eggs and milk and whisk together, leave to cook as slowly as possible until light and fluffy. Season generously and serve with bread and chopped tomatoes.
