Mouthwatering Boat Recipes (mainly plant based)

[Seaworthy Lass]

Back in sailing mode and along with experimenting with new recipes, I am making a few old favourites .

Most of this dish can be partially preprepared like most of the meals I make, leaving me free to relax in the cockpit close to dinnertime rather than being stuck in the galley.

I usually make this as a dressing for freshly made pasta, but for an easy meal I reached for barley yesterday. As we are out of meat, I threw in a tin of chickpeas to bump up the protein content. I love this with heaps of parmesan, but if you are vegan skip this. It is still good without.

LEMON AND LEEK BARLEY/PASTA

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
3 medium leeks (big ones are tougher)
1 stock cube dissolved in a little boiling water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Rind of 1 lemon
2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
1 heaped tsp dried oregano
1 cup pearl barley (or about 400 g pasta)
Optional: 400 g tin chickpeas, rinsed well and drained
½ cup chopped parsley
(100-200 shaved parmesan if not vegan)

- Sauté garlic and add leeks
- Cook until soft and add seasonings
- Use your preferred method to cook the barley (thermos for me at the moment), drain and toss into the pan along with the chickpeas.
- Just before serving add the parsley (and cheese if using)

If using pasta, cook this just before serving and add the sauce, parsley and cheese then.

With a cooler northerly blowing at the moment seemingly straight from Siberia, I served this hot last night (I just wrapped the pot in a blanket until dinner time), but it is very good at room temperature as well.

This has been added to the recipe index in post #1.

[bfloyd4445]

stock cube??....you mean bullion?

[goboatingnow]

This is a friggin awesome thread. I say again there's a book in it !

Dave

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

This is a friggin awesome thread. I say again there's a book in it !

Dave

That's crazy talk.

Carrot cake or pork ribs?

Integrity is about wot ya do when no one's keeping score.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

stock cube??....you mean bullion?

Stock is the same thing as bouillon, and yes, it is often referred to as liquid gold .

It comes concentrated in the form of cubes or powder (commonly available as vegetable or chicken or beef based on the broth type). Cubes and powder are usually high in salt, so I skip this if using a cube.

It is also nothing like using the real stuff, so where the flavour of the stock predominates the dish, such as in a risotto or delicate soup, rather than dissolving a cube in lots of water it is well worth making your own stock. Some of the stuff in tetra packs is reasonable if you want to take a shortcut, but nothing beats homemade stock.

Vegetable stock is very simple to make:
2 litres water
2 carrots, washed and chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
Few handfuls chopped celery leaves and/or stalks from a bunch of parsley
1 tblspn dried mixed herbs (eg thyme, oregano, rosemary)
4 bay leaves
1 tblspn whole peppercorns

Just pop it all in a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and immediately turn it off. Leave at least an hour or two then strain, discard the solids and season to taste with salt.

It is little trouble and is fantastic for risotto.

(I know this is a vegan thread, but nothing beats the chicken stock I make on board. It is superior to any I have made back home using the conventional boiling method. I buy a whole chook, have the butcher cut off the breasts for dinner and chop up the rest. I skin it, add seasoning exactly as above, but skip the carrot and onion as they take up too much room and I don't end up with enough liquid, then bring it to pressure, turn it off and leave it for an hour and then repeat this. It makes the most superb rich stock with extremely little effort and without hours of boiling. I discard all the solids except the chicken meat and this then goes back in the soup I am making).

For hearty dishes like casseroles and stews (and the leek and lemon barley dish), bouillon cubes or powder are perfectly adequate.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

This is a friggin awesome thread. I say again there's a book in it !

Dave

Thanks Dave . Definitely no books, no blogs, no apps LOL. But I am happy to share here. When we first started cruising I think we lived off cheese and tomato toasties for the first six months .

Boat cooking is very different to home cooking in many aspects. Ingredients are usually limited to what I can store and at some point what I can store for weeks unrefrigerated. As we prefer remote anchorages, in summer when we occasionally have weeks between access to shops this means I need to manage with little animal produce when I start to run out.

Food preparation is quite different too. Other than a stick mixer I have no electrical appliances on board and space is very limited. On the positive side, I am not at work all day so have the time to prepare things in stages, my preferred method of cooking as I can then relax close to dinner time. The leisurely life cruising allows food to be brought to pressure, turned off and left to cook on its own, or popped in a thermos or Wonderbag, or thermal cooker and also left to sit. Cruisers can easily take advantage of the enhancement of flavour achieved by marinading. It is not often things need to be made "instantly".

To avoid boring meals or malnutrition, new skills and new recipes often need to be acquired. Seeing what works well for me may give others ideas. I have certainly gained lots from some of the contributions here (munching on heavenly granola as I am typing this ).

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Carrot cake or pork ribs?
Integrity is about wot ya do when no one's keeping score.

Crabby, the problem is that scores are often being kept when it comes to things you pop in your mouth. It certainly does all the time when it comes to food you consume .

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

Thanks Dave . Definitely no books, no blogs, no apps LOL.

Crabby, the problem is that scores are often being kept when it comes to things you pop in your mouth. It certainly does all the time when it comes to food you consume .

Yepper. I am amazed and aghast at the volume of food folks shovel in every few hours. I had to fast for a bit for a recent exam and could only have stock/similar. I had just two cups over a 24 hr period. Dang! was that ever good!!!! Yer veggie stock recipe had me mouth awaterin'.

You go girl!

[Seaworthy Lass]

My supply of fresh vegetables is getting a little lean and hunting for a new recipe to try with limited supplies, this one piqued my interest:
allrecipes.com/recipe/west-african-peanut-stew/detail.asp

If you are not a fan of sates, don't read any further. I love their creamy texture coupled with added bite from chili and fragrance of ginger and garlic, so I didn't let the photo put me off .

I modified the recipe to suit, substituting chicken for chick peas and kidney beans, decreasing the amount of peanut butter (a cup seemed excessive) and upping the veggies etc. This is definitely a recipe I will make again .

WEST AFRICAN PEANUT STEW

2 tblspn extra virgin olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 tblspn grated fresh ginger
2 red chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 heaped tblspn (about ½ cup) chunky peanut butter
3 cups water
2 stock cubes
2 x 400 g cans whole tomatoes with liquid, roughly broken up
400 g tin chick peas, well rinsed and drained
400 g tin kidney beans, well rinsed and drained
1 kg orange sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
½ kg carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
½ cup chopped parsley
½ cup chopped walnuts
(recipe also had collard greens, but I had none on hand so omitted this)

- In a pressure cooker with the lid off sauté onion and garlic until slightly coloured
- Add rest of ingredients except parsley and walnuts, stir until simmering, seal and bring to pressure
- Turn off heat and leave at least half an hour to allow the sweet potato to cook (I left it several hours)
- Sprinkle individual serves with chopped parsley and walnuts

I think almost any vegetables could be substituted for the carrots and sweet potatoes and any bean used instead of the mix I selected. If you are feeling less lazy than I am at the moment, cook up some dried beans instead of using tinned ones.

This has been added to the recipe index in post #1.

[Sailor g]

I love the Recipe Index. There are so many choices. I appreciate your going back and adding them.

I have a couple favorite meals-though they are more like salads. I enjoy them when it gets hot out for lunch or dinner instead of something complicated I have to cook. Sorry but my recipes are not real exact but more of to your taste.

Greek Vegetable Dip

Dice tomato & cucumber into approximately equal parts. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Add the juice of half of a lemon and approximately 2 Tbsp & olive oil (I add only 1 Tbsp.) Add pinch of salt, pepper and a large pinch of oregano.

I eat this as a dip with pita chips (bake pita bread cut into pieces & sprinkled with salt) or thin tortilla chips if it is all I have.

Garbanzo-Beet Salad or outoffreshveggiesbutiwantasalad

Add
One rinsed can of Garbanzo beans (or about 2 cups freshly cooked & cooled)
One drained can of beets-diced or
shoestring
One can of artichoke hearts (marinated in Italian dressing for a few hours) drained
Add minced garlic to taste
Add pinch of salt, pepper
Add Italian dressing. I put in a container and turn over to mix.

This is good by itself or as a topper to a salad.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Sailor g

I love the Recipe Index. There are so many choices. I appreciate your going back and adding them.

I have a couple favorite meals-though they are more like salads. I enjoy them when it gets hot out for lunch or dinner instead of something complicated I have to cook.

Greek Vegetable Dip

Garbanzo-Beet Salad or outoffreshveggiesbutiwantasalad

These recipes have been added to the index in post #1.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Here in Greece, chocolate is considered a suitable ingredient in breakfast cereal and to my amusement they even label one brand "Chocolate Fitness". Having indulged daily in warm chocolate croissants and baguette Viennoise studded with melting chocolate for breakfast while in France recently, I have decided I've not been consuming chocolate often enough for breakfast, so I made amends this morning .

Now this dish is my idea of decadent tasting oatmeal . As a bonus, unlike croissants, it actually makes a healthy start to the day. The cocoa is rich in antioxidants, and oats and almonds are full of goodness. It would go beautifully with the addition of fresh raspberries, or any berries. Otherwise toss on whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.

This dish provides about six generous serves. Cold leftovers slice easily and are delicious.

The added beauty of this dish is that if you use long life milk all the ingredients keep easily on board for months unrefrigerated, making this a fabulous treat when supplies of fresh food have run out. It is extremely filling. Not many dishes I can't manage seconds of .

CHOCOLATE ALMOND BAKED OATMEAL

½ cup good quality unsweetened cocoa (eg Green & Black's)
½ cup boiling water
2 cups rolled oats
½ cup ground almonds
1 flat tsp baking powder
2 cups milk of choice
⅓ cup honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
¼ cup almonds, roughly chopped (or almond flakes)
1 tblsp brown sugar

- Mix the cocoa and boiling water until smooth
- Combine the oats, ground almonds and sifted baking powder
- Combine the milk, cocoa, honey and vanilla in a glass jar and shake until the honey is dissolved (or just whisk it altogether)
- Pour the liquid on the oats and let stand 10 minutes
- Tip into a greased ovenproof dish and smooth out the surface
- Top with the chopped almonds and the brown sugar
- Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes
- Leave in the oven for another 10 minutes before removing
- Serve immediately with almond milk or yoghurt (it solidifies as it cools)

I haven't seen this version of baked oatmeal make an appearance anywhere, so this is another CF original .

This recipe has been added to the index in post #1.

[Sailor g]

I looked but don't think I posted this yet.

My favorite healthy breakfast choice. I use whatever grains, dried fruit, etc. that I have on hand. I also add less sugar and use Agave Nectar when I'm ready to eat it. This can be eaten almost as a bar or I usually add milk, yogurt or, better, coconut milk to make it a porridge. This is from The Best Recipes Ever cooking show on (Canadian) CBC. I love this so much that I will eat it as a dessert.

Mixed Grain Breakfast Pudding

3/4 cup (175 mL) pot barley
3/4 cup (175 mL) large-flake rolled oats
3/4 cup (175 mL) bulgur
1/2 c nuts-pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup (125 mL) slivered dried apricots
1/2 cup (125 mL) dried cranberries or currants
2 tbsp (30 mL) flax seeds
2 tbsp (30 mL) packed brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

In 8-inch (2 L) square glass baking dish, whisk together 5 cups (1.25 L) water, barley, rolled oats, bulgur, apricots, cranberries, flaxseeds, brown sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon.

*Cover and bake in 350°F (180°C) oven (or convection) until grains are tender and water is absorbed, about 1-1/2 hours. Cut into squares and serve warm. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until cold. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Or wrap individual portions in plastic wrap and freeze in resealable plastic bag for up to 2 weeks.)

*Tip: To microwave instead of bake the pudding, use 12-cup (3 L) microwaveable casserole dish and microwave at high for about 17 minutes. Then broil to brown top.

[Sailor g]

Oops wanted to add a photo but I can't add it as an edit.

[Sailor g]

Best Recipes Ever has great recipes if you ever have time to go to their website. Healthy and Brownies seem mutually exclusive but are good AND easy.

Healthy Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup dried dates, pitted (about 21)
½ cup dried figs, hard tip removed (about 10)
¾ cup almonds
¼ - 1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

Line a small container (about 5x7 inches) with plastic wrap, allowing it to over hang by 5 inches on opposite ends.
Place dates and figs in the food processor and blend until the dates have been chopped into small pieces.
Add almonds, dried cranberries, cocoa powder, and coconut oil. Blend until the mixture resembles a fine crumb.

Tip the mixture into the lined container. Fold plastic wrap over to cover mixture and press with the palm of your hand to compact. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a cup, press the mixture down until it won’t compact any further. Place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Lift the brownie out using the excess plastic wrap, unwrap and cut into bite sized pieces. Serve or keep tightly wrapped in the fridge.


Healthy Brownie Tips:

Choose loose dried dates, not the kind that are compressed into a solid brick. The dates should be slightly soft when pressed.
To save time, choose dried dates that are already pitted.
Almonds can be substituted with any kind of nut or seed – walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Dried cranberries can be substituted with for dried cherries.
Coconut oil is used to help bind the ingredients together, but butter can be used instead.
The tighter you compress the mixture, the better it will stay together.
Although I say a 5 x 7 container, you can use anything that’s roughly that size — a takeout food container, Tupperware, or wide shallow bowl will do.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Sailor g

I looked but don't think I posted this yet.

My favorite healthy breakfast choice. I use whatever grains, dried fruit, etc. that I have on hand. I also add less sugar and use Agave Nectar when I'm ready to eat it. This can be eaten almost as a bar or I usually add milk, yogurt or, better, coconut milk to make it a porridge. This is from The Best Recipes Ever cooking show on (Canadian) CBC. I love this so much that I will eat it as a dessert.

Mixed Grain Breakfast Pudding

This sounds very much like the baked oatmeal, except it uses more liquid and the baking time is longer. I bet it's delicious.

I am about to run out of pearl barley, possibly until the winter when I have access to huge supermarkets again. I just got hooked on it after discovering how easily it cooks in a thermos, so will miss it . For anyone that hasn't tried barley, The grains are like fat rice sized ones, but with the texture of pasta and with a good flavour.

Originally Posted by Sailor g

Best Recipes Ever has great recipes if you ever have time to go to their website. Healthy and Brownies seem mutually exclusive but are good AND easy.

Healthy Brownies

Yum! Dates make a fantastic sweetening agent. With the addition of a little espresso coffee to help them clump together these could also probably also be rolled onto balls, tossed in cocoa powder or chopped almonds or coconut and turned into truffles.

Thanks for sharing the recipes .
They have been added to the index in post #1.