Packed with the flavours of Africa, a ton of veggies, a hint of chilli and the tang of lemon, this delicious bowl will just explode in your mouth. Somehow this hearty and delicious vegan stew works well in both the wintertime and the summertime.
Vegan West African Peanut Stew
Vegan, Vegetarian
Its hearty and warming yet vibrant and tangy. This is our take on a Vegan West African Peanut Stew.
400gBlack Eyed Peas1 Tin drained (alternatively use chickpeas)
2Sweet PotatoesLarge and cut into smallish bite sized pieces
2tbspPeanut ButterSmooth
2CupsSpinach
2Fresh ChilliesYour preference of heat
1CupVegetable Stock
1/2CupFresh Coriander
2Spring OnionsChopped
1/2LemonJuice of
Paste
2Onions
1tspFresh Ginger
1tspPaprika
2tspGround Coriander
1tspGround Fenugreek
1tspCumin
2Garlic Cloves
1tspSalt
Instructions
Using a manual food blender finely blitz up all the paste ingredients.
Heat a little oil in a pan and add the blitzed paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring often. Meanwhile peel and chop your potatoes.
Add the chopped sweet potatoes to the pan along with the tin of tomatoes, the tin of black eyed peas, the cup of vegetable stock and the peanut butter. Give it a good stir. Put the lid on the pan.
After 10 minutes add the sliced chillies and return the lid to the pan.
After a further 10 minute (25 minutes cooking so far) add the sliced spring onions, the spinach, a handful of shopped coriander and squeeze half a lemon into the mix. Season with salt and pepper and return the lid for a further 5 minutes cooking.
Originating from Tuscany, Italy these dumplings are incredibly delicious. Really quite easy to throw together and can be served in a buttery sauce, stock or tomato sauce.
Malfatti – Spinach & Ricotta Dumplings
Vegetarian
This is an authentic Tuscan dish that we have adapted for the van. It's simple quick and easy and very delicious! Malfatti means badly made in Italian but they are yummy none the less!
Add the 200g of Spinach to your skillet pan and cook the spinach for a few minutes until its all wilted. Do not let it stick to the bottom!Drain and press out as much liquid as possible and leave aside to cool.
Add the Ricotta, Parmesan, flour and the egg to a bowl and mix it all up.
Once the Spinach has cooled add it the manual blender along with half a slice of bread and blitz it all up. Add this to the bowl and mix everything together. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmegYou should have a sticky but firm mixture that you can roll into balls. Add more flour if need be.
On your tray sprinkle a little flour. Take a tablespoon of mixture and roll into little balls or mini sausage shapes. Make sure they have a light dusting of flour. The balls should feel slightly firm and yet not too wet.
Add to a pan a shallow amount of water (enough to cover most of the dumpling) and bring to a simmer. Add the Malfatti dumplings and simmer for about 7 minutes.
Drain a little of the water but leave a little a drizzle in the pan and add a good knob of butter. Coat the dumplings and serve 3 or 4 in each bowl.
Long grate or thinly slice the red and yellow onion into a bowl. Use a tea towel or thick kitchen roll to dab dry it as much as possible. You don't want it to be too wet.
Grate the Sweet Potato into the mixture.
Add 1/2 cup of Gram Flour, 1 tsp of Cumin, chopped Coriander,1 tsp of Turmeric, salt and pepper and with your hands mix it all together and form 2 large patties.
Heat some oil in a pan (I use avocado oil) and shallow fry the 2 patties on each side for about 5 minutes until golden brown on each side. Whilst frying make the Piquanté Chutney
Piquanté Chutney
Using your manual blender add 3 baby plum or cherry tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of pickled Piquanté peppers and 1 tablespoon of Tomato Ketchup. Give it a rough chop in the blender.
Construct the Burgers
Build your burgers with your favourite fillings. Ours were as follows: *Seeded Vegan Burger Buns *Bhaji Burgers*Piquanté Chutney*Mixed Salad Leaves*Sliced Gerkins
Here it is! The recipe for the flatbreads we made at Camp Quirky. We make these nearly every day in van. It only take a s few minutes to knock up the dough and whilst taking the dog out for her morning walk we leave the dough to prove.
These flatbreads are extremely versatile and just about any herb can be added for flavour depending on what you are serving them with. We often like them with just butter for a yummy and filling breakfast.
Quirky Flatbreads
Vegetarian
We make these almost every day in the van. Simple recipe with basic ingredients and far better than any you can buy. Also who doesnt love the smell of warm bread?
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – Leftovers – One-pan – Open fire – Quick cook
1HandfulHerb of your choiceMaybe add grated garlic :)
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl add 500g of Plain Flour, 1tsp of Salt and 2tbsp of Dry Active Yeast. Combine it all together with a fork.
Cautiously Add 150ml of cold milk to 150ml of hot water to result in a warm liquid. Add the liquid to the flour and roughly mix it taking care not to make it overly wet.
Add 3tbsp of Olive Oil and then knead the dough for about 3 minutes. It should result in a springy dough that bounces back when pressed.
Sprinkle a little water on to the dough and cover with a tea towel. Leave in a warm place like on your dashboard.
Leave to rest for at least 1 hour, so go for a walk and explore.
By this time the dough will be about double its size. Turn it out on to a lightly floured surface and divide into 6 balls. Oh and heat your pan to a medium heat.
Flatten one of the dough balls out to a disc about 7-8cm in diameter and 1cm thick.Place it onto the hot pan and dry fry each side for about 4-5 minutes. The flatbread will form bubbles. Ideally 3 or 4 large bubbles.Whilst cooking prepare the next flatbread.
Coat each finished bread with melted butter or herbs. We like to use a sprinkle of paprika and some finely chopped parsley.
This lemon drizzle cake baked in an Omnia oven, looks beautiful at any meet-up. It’s ideal with a cup of tea & it’s hard to only eat 1 slice. Deliciously moist and sticky without being too sharp. This lemon drizzle is one you just have to try! It can be baked in a conventional oven also if an Omnia isn’t available.
We would always recommend baking cakes in the silicone mould when using the omnia. If you do not have one you will need to line the oven well. The mould makes the lemon drizzle a lot less messy too!
If you make this lemon drizzle omnia cake be sure to rate it below!
Lemon Drizzle Omnia Cake
Vegetarian
We made this delicious, moist lemon drizzle cake to celebrate Vanlife Eats second birthday! It was the perfect way to celebrate the start of Summer.
Start by pre-heating the Omnia on the hob. This will help get a good rise on your cake.
Add the cup of butter & cup of sugar and beat together until pale and creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time and mix through slowly.
Add in the cup of flour and combine.
Add in the lemon zest and mix through without over beating.
Add mixture to the silicone insert & place into the Omnia.
Keep over a high heat for 2-3 minutes and then drop down to a low/medium flame. Bake for 50 minutes or until cooked & a knife/skewer comes out of the mixture clean.
If possible remove the silicone insert from the Omnia to help the cooling process & mix up the drizzle.
For the lemon drizzle
Squeeze the juice of the 2 zested lemons into a bowl and add the 2/3 cup of sugar. Mix together to form a thick sticky drizzle.
Prick the cake all over with the top with a fork and slowly spoon the majority of the drizzle over the top of the cake, and leave to cool fully in the mould.
When cool tip the cake out and slowly drip the remaining drizzle down the side of the cake, add the flowers to the top for decoration.
Notes
If you have an oven in your van, bake at Gas Mark 4 for a similar time
When we saw @thedornstroms had made pumpkin donuts in their van, we knew we HAD to have the recipe on our website. As if donuts weren’t good enough, this cinnamon pumpkin recipe just took them to the next level! If you have an oven in your van then this donut recipe is a must try! They used the original recipe from Brooklynfarmgirl.com and adapted it slightly for their van. All the ingredients can be mixed in one bowl so less washing up! This recipe makes 12 donuts
Pumpkin Donuts
@thedornstroms
Vegetarian
Donuts in a van, is that even possible? They sure are and these pumpkin donuts are so good you are going to want to make them all year round!
Us vanlifers love a one pan recipe. It’s handy if you only have one hob, and it also saves on washing up. What’s not to love? This recipe of smoky, spicy one pan chicken is a favourite of @campervancodgers. The great thing about this recipe is that you can adjust the spices to your tastes making it suitable for all. If you would like to make this a vegetarian or vegan option just change the protein option to tofu / jackfruit / halloumi / quorn etc
Smoky, spicy one pan chicken and rice
Campervancodgers
Meat Based
A one pan meal which can be made vegan with a substitute like jackfruit. This meal is quick and easy ideal for vanlife cooking and delicious served with a garlic ciabatta. Can be as spicy as you like or use less to make it a little milder. Chuck it all in one pan and wait for the yumminess!
This recipe is vegan, and requires zero cooking! Great option for those looking for a sweet treat with limited cooking facilities. A super tasty recipe that vanlifers @where.is.hummus have shared with us all!
A quick and easy recipe to cook in your campervan and so delicious! You’ll love how the Chorizo sausage leaks all the flavour into the mash
Chorizo and Sweet Potato Mash
Meat Based
Simple low ingredient recipe for your campervan here. By coking the sweet potato in the rich juices of the chorizo you get the most delicious rich mash.
5 from 2 votes
10 Ingredients or less – Less washing-up – One-pan – Stove top meal
Peel the 2 sweet potatoes and cut into small chunks. (sugar cube sized)
Take the chorizo sausage and stab it with a fork all over
In a medium heat skillet pan place the sasuage and scatter the potato cubes around it. Drizzle with oil and cook for about 10 minutes making sure the potato browns but not burns.
Flip the sausage over. It should be chard brown and cripsy on the heated side.
Turn over all the potato cubes making sure they are browned but not burnt.
Take a cup of water and pour it over the sausage and potato and then place the lid on the skillet.
After 5 minutes lift the lid and place the Asparagus tips on top of the mixture. Add a table spoon of butter and cook for a further 5 minutes. The potato should be soft when poked with a fork. The liquid should be evaporated but if not leave the lid off and cook for a further few minutes if necessary.
Place all the potato in a small sharing bowl (or decant into 2 bowls), season with salt and pepper and use a fork to mash it all up.
Take the Chorizo sausage and slice it into peices. Place the sausage on top of the potato.
Open up the 6 chicken thighs (slice them to open further if they are too thick) and place the Brie cube into the center. Close up the thigh around the cheese as tightly as you can.
Wrap a rasher of Bacon tightly around the chicken thigh making sure the wider part of the rasher closes up the underneath of the chicken thigh. Repeat this with all the thighs.
Pre-heat a skillet pan on a medium / high heat and then place all 6 chicken brie bombs into the pan top side down.
Whilst the chicken cooks.. empty the tinned tomatoes into a bowl and add the minced garlic, tomato paste and a little salt and pepper.
Turn the chicken over in the pan. You should have a nice brown and almost burnt top to the chicken.
Add a splash of red wine (just a little) to the pan. This will deglaze the pan and bring in all the flavour that is stuck to the pan. Let the alcohol cook off for around 5 minutes.
Next pour over your bowl of tomato sauce, turn down the heat and place a lid on top. Cook for 20 minutes.
Chop some fresh Basil leaves.
After 20 minutes remove the lid and add in the chopped Basil leaves. Leave the lid off and cook for another 15 minute. (you may need to turn up the heat so that the tomatoes simmer).
Serve 2-3 chicken brie bombs each., drenched in the sauce. We like it with rice.
Who doesn’t love Halloumi? Well we LOVE it! This is a quick and easy campervan recipe for hot dogs, an amazing vanlife lunch. The recipe makes 4 hot dogs but we have 2 each :)
Halloumi Hot Dogs
Vegetarian
The perfect vegetarian option for a hot dog! Easy to make and even a meat lover will love these. Vanlife meals at its finest!
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – No water – One-pan – Quick cook
Cut the Halloumi Cheese into 8 thick slices. (I usually cut lengthways).
Cut the Bell Pepper into chunky slices.
Cut the 1/2 Red Onion into slices.
Add the Halloumi and peppers to the hot pan. After 4-5 minutes the Halloumi should be brown on the pan side down. (Keep checking as Halloumi can burn easily). When it looks golden brown turn the cheese and peppers over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Remove the Halloumi from the pan.
Add the red onion to the pan and cook the Peppers and Onion for a couple more minutes and then turn off the heat.
Slice the hot dog buns lengthways and generously blob on the Guacamole.
Load up the buns with 2 slices of Halloumi each, some peppers and red onion.
Cut off two triangles of Toblerone and save for later. Roughly chop up the rest of the Toblerone in to bits.
In a pan add the 200g (half a tin) of condensed milk and warm over a gentle low heat for 5 minutes. (strictly no bubbles!)
Add the Toblerone chunks and stir through for another 3-4 minutes.
When melted it will be sticky, at this point add the table spoon of butter to loosen it up slightly. Warm for a further 1 minute until the butter has melted into the mixture.
Pour the mixture into tin lined with greaseproof paper.
Chop up the two Toblerone chunks you saved earlier in to small chunks and crumbs. Sprinkle this over the top of the mixture and gently press it down into the mixture.
Chill for 2 hours and then remove from the tin and cut into your desired bite size pieces.
It was a cold, dreary and rainy evening in the campervan and we wanted something hearty for dinner. Something filling with a little heat (but not too much) and this recipe was the perfect match! A vanlife must try!
With only the need of one skillet pan and one of our favourite cheat ingredients, Jerk Seasoning this was a really simple recipe to put together.
We’ve got some left over for lunch and I cant wait to eat more!
Caribbean Jerk Chicken with Pineapple and Coconut Rice
Meat Based
A vanlife one pan recipe perfect for a cold evening meal in your campervan. Its delicious and simple to make with minimal mess and washing up!
Place the 4 chicken thighs in a bowl and coat with 1tbsp of olive oil, 1tbsp soy sauce, 2tbsp of jerk seasoning, 1tsp salt, and 1tsp cayenne pepper. Massage the marinade into the chicken.
Place the chicken top side down in the hot skillet and leave it for 5 minutes to brown on top.
Meanwhile cut a bell pepper into chunks, mince 2 garlic cloves and slice the bunch of green onions (scallions).
Make sure you have a nice brown crust on the chicken and then turn it over.
Add the bell pepper chunks, the garlic cloves, the packet of white microwave rice and the whole tin of coconut milk. Make sure the top of the chicken isn't covered. so you keep that nice spicy crust. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the cup of pineapple chunks and the sliced green onions.
Lower the heat so it gently simmers for a further 25 minutes.
On a recent trip to a campsite in Aylesbury we decided to visit the on-site farm shop. With super fresh ingredients, we decided to make a stove-top meal for two. A campsite in the UK in March isn’t the warmest of trips away so we decided a bit of stodge was in order. Hence the gnocchi lasagna we’re sharing with you now. The best bit is you don’t even need an oven! This gnocchi lasagna was made on our 2 burner hob in our van.
Gnocchi Lasagna
Vanlife Eats
Meat Based
A simple yet super tasty dish for any campervan. A delicious recipe cooked on the hob! We visited the farm shop at the campsite we were visting to ensure we got the freshest ingredients for extra tastiness.
1cupCheeseUse the cheese of your choice, we used mozzarella, cheddar and red leicester.
Salt & pepper to season
Parsley to garnish
Instructions
Chop the onion, heat some oil in a pan on a medium / high heat and stick the onion in. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
Season the beef with salt, then add to the pan with the onions.
While this is cooking, finely chop the 2 garlic cloves.
When all the beef is browned (5-10 minutes), add the gnocchi. Cook for a further 2 minutes
Add the tomatoes to the pan and put the lid on & leave to cook while you make your cheese sauce. Take the lid off after 10 minutes to allow the sauce to reduce.
For the cheese sauce
In a seperate pan add the 1 tbsp of butter over a low heat.
When melted add 1 tbsp flour and stir continuously to make a roux
Add the milk slowly and keep mixing to ensure no lumps form, continue until the sauce coats the back of the spoon. You can whisk if needed to make it extra smooth.
Season with salt & pepper before adding the cheese.
Remember to check your gnocchi mix!
Add your cheese and keep mixing 💪
Pour the cheese sauce over the gnocchi mixture and spread evenly.
Like cooking in your van? Want to know 5 cookbooks that’ll make vanlife a piece of cake? Jakob Staudal from www.headlessnomad.com takes us through his top 5!
Wait… what the heck is vanlife? It’s when you live in a van. Oh, we guess it wasn’t as complicated as we thought it was. Obviously, the sarcasm is off the charts here as vanlife is not even close to as easy as it sounds.
One of the problems can be food, and that’s what we want to focus on today. It’s not as if you’re just going to eat out for the entire time you decide to want to indulge in the van life. Finding appropriate recipes and meals to make on the road can be a difficult endeavor. However, a well-written, vanlife cookbook can make all the difference, and here are five that are just that.
1. The Clever Camper Cookbook
We have to say that even though most have heard the expression, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” we really love the cover ofthis book. It just has a really nice and happy camping tone. Anyway, as for the book, it’s written by Megan and Simon who are both world travelers.
What makes this vanlife cookbook both a good read and very useful is there are over 20 simple-to-make recipes that can be done with a two-burner camping stove. The recipes were created by the authors during their travels, and they decided to share what they created with the rest of the world.
It’s a relatively short book at 64 pages, but the simplicity of it makes it worth it.
2. The New Camp Cookbook
This is a muchlonger read and book overall, and it was made for anyone who enjoys cooking outdoors from campers to day-trippers to adventurers. Outside of just recipes, this vanlife cookbook also gets into different elements of camping such as maintaining heat in a Dutch oven and grilling in foil packs.
As for the recipes, they’re actually presented by meal, which is really a nice touch. The meals include breakfast, lunch, feasts, sweets, and snacks. Now, you’ll probably see a number of recipes that will be too complicated for vanlife, but there are also simple recipes included that are very easy.
Indeed, this is kind of a broad camping cookbook that covers many different styles of camping and adventuring. So, not everything will apply to you and your vanlife situation.
3. Hungry Campers Cookbook
Yet another vanlife cookbook that is more or less a cookbook for campers, this one gears more toward simple and easy recipes. This will be right up the alley for vanlife, and the author uses her love of camping and many years of writing to create a cookbook ideal for the entire family.
Virtually all of the included recipes will require very little cooking equipment, and some of the chapters in the book include Prepare Ahead Meals, One-Pot Dinners, and Fire Up the Barbecue. The author also does a good job of providing advice on how to eat well while camping, and this can be suitable for vanlifers, if you will, as well.
As the title of the book suggests, this book places an emphasis on recipes that are both healthy and fresh. Oh, and also those that are easy to achieve, and that is also very critical.
4. The Camper Van Cookbook
The tagline of this vanlife cookbook is “Life on 4 wheels, Cooking on 2 rings,” and it kind of says it all. We’re not picking a winner here, but this might be the best book on this list for the purposes of vanlife. Included are over 80 different and tasty recipes that can be cooked with the use of just two rings.
Of course, as great as the content is in this book, it needs to be mentioned that it takes place in Great Britain. The way the author writes, you can clearly tell that’s where he’s from, and many of you in America may not be too fond of a read such as this.
Again, the content is really great and there’s a lot of zest in the writing. However, it may be a bit overbearing for some. Hey, if nothing else, you at least can just read the recipes and call it a day with this book.
5. The Original VW Camper Cookbook
One thing we’ll say is you might just want to buy this book used as it’s kind of expensive brand-new. Anyway, off that topic, this features a collection of over 80 dishes and for the purposes of a vanlife cookbook, the dishes are designed to be prepared in many different rustic settings.
Meaning, basically, that many of the recipes aren’t going to require you to have a lot of utensils. Here’s what’s also kind of cool about this cookbook, the recipes are organized by different categories. The categories include main courses, light bites, soups and salads, sweets, and BBQ.
Additionally, some of the actual dishes include baked bananas, hot cinnamon apples, pancakes, flaming beef stroganoff, spicy lime grilled prawns, and avocado salad. There’s a really good variety here is basically what we’re getting at, and that can be very important for life in a van.
Final thoughts on Vanlife cookbooks
It’s not as if you can’t find recipes and resources online to figure out what you’re going to make on the road in a van. However, these dedicated van life cookbooks can be so much easier and more convenient for you to have at all times.
We know all we presented was a quick overview of each book, and you can always dig a little deeper to find the right van life cookbook for you and your needs. After all, not everyone will have the same utensils, resources, and even personal likes (when it comes to the types of food and things like that).Past cooking, van life might also present some nights where you want to have a campfire somewhere. And on that topic, have you ever wondered how hot an average campfire gets? Well, wonder no more as we’ve uncovered that mystery for you!
BONUS COOKBOOK – Camping Soul Food
Here at Vanlife Eats, we couldn’t let this pass without passing comment! What a great variety of books – we would love to add our own personal favourite. This vanlife cookbook was written by The Buggans, a family in Ireland who have combined their love for cooking and good music. Camping Soul Food has a really quirky feature, which allows the reader to scan a QR code. This provides a playlist for the length of time required to cook the meal in question. Simple, tasty recipes the whole family will enjoy!
This was a guest post by Jakob Staudal
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This campervan recipe of Summer cous cous is fabulous to make and enjoy for a tasty lunch or side dish. It is amazing eaten in the sunshine outside your campervan with friends but can be enjoyed all year round. This is a recipe enjoyed by @campervancodgers who kindly shared it with you! Be sure to rate it when you try it.
Summer Cous Cous
@campervancodgers
Vegetarian
As soon as the sun starts shining, Summer cous cous is a must! Packed full of tasty, fresh ingredients – sunshine in a mouthful. You can mix up the vegetables, and even include leftovers to use them up.
We decided a treat was in order on our recent camping trip!! We ended up having Naughty nutella crumpets for an indulgent Sunday morning breakfast in our campervan – and it was sooooooo good!! We shared it on a plate to minimise washing up 😉
Without further ado, let us introduce you to Naughty Nutella crumpets!
Naughty crumpets
Vegetarian
This delicious breakfast is the perfect naughty treat in the van. A twist on the classic french toast – but a lot more cheeky!
Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and whisk in the 1/3 cup of milk. Add in the vanilla extract
Add the crumpets to the mixture and ensure all pieces are coated.
Add a knob of butter to a hot pan and add your coated crumpets
Keep turning the pieces until all sides are browned
Dish up onto a plate, drizzle with nutella & icing sugar.
Enjoy the naughtiness!
Notes
We made this in our van in the winter so our Nutella was quite firm. We placed it in a small bowl inside a larger bowl of hot water to soften it up. Alternatively you could use chocolate sauce
Ever wondered what size inverter you need for cooking in your van? Eliot Prince of www.wattalot.com explains what size inverter you need for cooking in a van in this article.
We’re all becoming increasingly reliant on electronics. That includes in our vans and other homes on wheels.
It’s almost impossible to escape!
If you’re like me, you’ve tried to pack up your van and head off-grid for as long as possible.
But eventually, you’ll find the need to use electricity to enjoy life.
For me, that usually comes in the kitchen for either food storage or cooking.
What kitchen appliances can you run in your van?
When spending long periods in your van, you might be thinking of adding luxuries like microwaves, fridges, and coffee makers.
These are all examples of appliances that need AC electricity, just like you get from the mains at home.
The only problem is that your deep cycle batteries can’t supply this directly.
Deep cycle batteries store direct current (DC) electricity, while most home appliances run using alternating current (AC) electricity.
But don’t worry, you can easily use a power inverter to make the conversion from DC to AC, plus increase your voltage from 12V to 120V/240V.
Using a power inverter enables you to run any electronic appliances you use at home (as long as you have a big enough battery). Once you understand your campervan’s kitchen power consumption, you can then pick the right size power inverter for all your kitchen gadgets.
What size inverter is best for cooking in a van?
You will need at least a 1000 watt inverter to run common kitchen appliances. You might even need a bigger 1500 watt or 2000 watt inverter depending on what you plan to run.
To work out the correct size, you will first need to know how many watts your electronics use. There are 3 ways of finding this out:
Check the user manual or technical specification. You might also find a sticker on the device detailing the power consumption.
Use a wattmeter to get a live power reading. These are great little devices you can attach to any appliance to check the wattage. It’s awesome to have if you’re using an inverter.
Do the maths. To calculate wattage use the formula Volts x Amps = Watts.
Once you know the total wattage of the appliances you want to run simultaneously, you should add 20% to the final figure. This is the minimum inverter size you require.
Here’s an example.
Let’s say you want to run a 700W microwave, a 40W mini-fridge, and charge a 5W phone at the same time. This is a total of 745 watts.
Next, we add 20% by multiplying by 1.2.
745 x 1.2 = 894 watts.
So you need an inverter with at least 894 watt capacity. (Closest to this would be 1000 watts.)
What type of inverter is best for cooking in your van?
Go for a Pure Sine Wave Inverter
One other thing to consider is the type of power inverter. You can choose between pure sine wave and modified sine wave.
I always recommend pure sine wave. This is because it more closely replicates the electricity you get from the main grid. While they are more expensive, it allows you to run a much wider range of kitchen appliances like microwaves and refrigerators.
The other option is modified sine wave which is cheaper. These inverters have a much sharper step in voltage which is not suitable to run sensitive or inductive appliances. In simple terms, you can’t efficiently run cooling devices like fridges or cooking equipment like microwaves.
What can you run off your inverter in your van?
Now you understand what size inverter you need for your van kitchen, let’s look at what you might want to run. We’ll also look at the average wattage of these devices.
One thing to mention is that different models of appliances can range massively in power consumption.
For campervans, it’s always best to look for low wattage options or travel sized gadgets. This helps to reduce the amount of energy your batteries need to supply.
Here’s a handy table you can quickly reference:
Appliance
Average Wattage
LED Lighting
5 – 10
Smartphone Charging
5 – 10
Fan
30 – 60
Mini-Fridge
40 – 60
Slow Cooker
50 – 200
Microwave
600 – 1000
Small Blender / NutriBullet
600 – 1000
Toaster
800 – 1600
Coffee Machine
1000 – 1500
Induction Hob
300 – 2000
Which appliances should you avoid in your van?
There are a number of appliances I will always avoid trying to use in a van. This is simply due to the sheer amount of power they suck up. While you might be able to get a big enough inverter to run them, you will find power hungry devices will deplete your batteries super quickly.
You can generally find low wattage options for these devices which would be better when using off-grid power. What I want to discuss here are the normal domestic sizes that you’ll find in your home kitchen.
Kettle
It is generally best to boil water using a gas hob when living off-grid. This is because a domestic kettle uses an enormous amount of energy to operate. You will find that a modern kettle uses between 1500 and 3000 watts! That means an amperage of 125 to 250 from a 12V battery. Even if you only run the kettle for 5 minutes it will still suck up 10Ah or 20Ah of your battery. So it’s probably not best to be using a kettle to make cups of tea or prep cooking water.
Induction Hob
I have listed an induction hob on the list above with a wattage of between 300 and 2000 watts. But think very carefully about using one to cook with. That wattage is for a small lower powered single hob. You could run it at 300 watts but the cooking temperature would be impossibly low. In general, a regular induction hob is going to use over 2000 watts when cooking on a decent heat. So it’s going to be better to stick to gas for frying your bacon.
Domestic Fridge (or freezer)
You want to avoid a normal home fridge at all costs. They have large compressors in them that draw a lot of power. You will find that they have a running wattage of at least 200 watts. Now, this doesn’t sound huge but remember you need to have it plugged in 24 hours a day. Adding to this, each time it cycles on to do some cooling it draws a quick spike in power. All of this adds up to a demanding toll on your battery supply. You should look at RV fridges specially designed with 12V operation or a low powered mini-fridge.
Which inverter to choose for cooking in a van?…
I hope this article helps you understand what size inverter you should pick for your campervan.
Put simply, you need to add up the total wattage of all the devices you want to run at the same time. Then add 20% to find your minimum inverter capacity.
Happily, the size of an inverter is measured in wattage so it will be easy for you to pick out.
And remember, just because your inverter is powerful enough to run an appliance, doesn’t mean you should! Take the time to think about how much battery power it will use, it’s not always worth it.
If you need some more tips for which equipment you need in your van kitchen for cooking, then these articles may interest you.
Tortilla wraps are everyone’s go to for a Vanlife recipe. Quick easy and incredibly versatile. Here is one of our favourites for when ingredients are low and we are after a quick yet filling bite to eat.
Chipotle Chicken Crunch
Meat Based
Simple ingredients, quick to make and super delish!
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – No water – One-pan – Stove top meal
8Tortilla Chips / DoritosOr any of your favourite crisps :)
2Tortilla Wraps
2tbspChipotle Sauce
Low Calorie Spray Oil
Salt
Instructions
Heat your skillet pan to a medium/high heat.
Half tenderise your chicken breast by bashing it with a tenderiser or rolling pin. (I just give it a bash with my hand to flatten it a little).
Add the chicken to the pan and season the chicken with salt and drench in Chipotle Sauce. Cook for 5 minutes each side.
Whilst the chicken cooks chop your tomato into rough chunks, grate your cheese and trim around the edge of 2 tortilla wraps to make them smaller than the remaining 2.
When the chicken is cooked, slice it into chunks.
Lay out the larger wrap and take half of each component and build a pile in the center of the wrap. Chicken, cheese, tomato, lettuce and a good drizzle of mayo. (half of your ingredients) Finish up with a layer of chips/crisps.Do not stack it too high or it wont wrap up very nicely.
Place the smaller cut down wrap on the top and fold the edges of the lower wrap over the top. Hold it in place whilst you place it fold down into a medium heat pan. Do not lift it up too early or it will unfold! Toast off each side for about 2-3 minutes.
Whilst toasting compile the second one with the remaining ingredients.
When perfectly toasted place on a plate and cut in half.
Enjoy!
Notes
Get creative and use your favourite combination of fillings :)
Full time vanlife cooking can be a very different game to that of the vanlife weekend warrior. Cooking three meals a day (or more if you are a fitness freak like me) can be hard to sustain.
The number of times I used to default to the quick pan of pasta and ready made sauce I should really keep a secret. It was unhealthy, boring and didn’t at all spark any of the vanlife dream that had drawn to the lifestyle!
To make it even more embarrassing, I am a qualified nutritionist and I also come from a family of passionate chefs and cooks. I was brought up on hearty home-made meals. I’d be booted from the dinner table if they knew I used a supermarket pre-made tomato sauce!
5 years before starting Vanlife, I was totally hooked on cooking shows, always making the effort to cook with seasonal produce and always keeping everything fresh. I cooked to impress!
Full Time Vanlife Cooking Year 1
My reasons for starting Vanlife were not like most, at least those who are likely reading this post. I had no intention of driving off into the sunset, exploring Europe or getting my bum out for a photograph under a waterfall. I simply needed somewhere to live so I adapted my VW Caravelle into a T4 campervan. Rock and roll bed, mixing bowl sink and a single burner cartridge stove. It really was minimalist living and I loved that about it.
During that year I was still finding my feet and learning about the Vanlife scene which I hadn’t heard of previously but what really did suffer was my nutrition.
Basic meals, basic cooking and regular convenience stores for a quick bite became the norm. With nobody to cook for, the cook to impress was out the window.
Thankfully this same year I met Sophie. Now I had a reason to pull out my culinary skills. Especially as I felt I had to make up for the fact that I was living in a van.
Rather than our usual meals out for our dates, I decided I would make a romantic candle lit dinner in the van. Sophie took the bench seat and I covered up the porta potti with a towel for my seat and a mini collapsible table from homebase and voila! Im such a smoothie huh!
My First Vanlife Romantic Meal
Traditional Bologna Spaghetti & Ragu (Spag Bol)
I made this on the one hob and I remember the spaghetti being cold and I premade the sauce early that day and had to store it in a camping flask! It was such a bodge and there was so much mess in my tiny T4 van. Thinking back, it was hilarious! Tasted good though!
Dried Spaghetti 1 x Onion 1 x Carrot 1 x Celery 2 x Garlic Cloves 1 Tin of Chopped Tomatoes 1 tbsp of Tomato Puree 250g Pork Mince 250g Beef Mince Handful of Basil Splash of red wine Salt & Pepper 1 tbsp Sugar Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)
Dice the onion, celery and carrot and fry in a pan with the olive oil until soft.
Finely chop the garlic and add to the pan.
Season with salt the pork and beef mince and add to the pan stirring until the meat has colour. Add a splash of red wine.
Add a tin of tomatoes and puree.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp of sugar and give it all a good stir.
Leave to simmer for as long as you can. It richens the longer you leave it.
In the meantime, boil some water and add the spaghetti. Cook until soft.
Before combining and serving add some chopped fresh basil to the ragu 5 minutes before.
That very meal re-sparked my passion for cooking once again and I felt excited by the challenge of having a tiny kitchen with only the most basic amenities.
Here is everything you need to know about Full Time Vanlife Cooking
Full Time Vanlife cooking should be as nutritious as possible so that you can maintain your health during cold winters, improve your mental health and be full of energy to enjoy life on the road surrounded by nature.
Do you need a fridge for Vanlife?
Generally nutritious food tends to be perishable and storing perishables requires a fridge, freezer or even a cool box. Especially during the warmer months.
If you don’t have any of these in your van you can find yourself limited to tinned food, dried food or making regular trips to the store for your fresh perishable food.
Full Time Vanlife
From my experience of full time Vanlife a fridge is an essential appliance in your tiny home on wheels. I would even say it’s an investment as it will minimise your trips to the store purchasing additional items you may not necessarily need.
If you are a solo full time Vanlifer you will also find that the freezer compartment is an amazing way of storing pre-made meals. It’s difficult to cook for one sometimes so go ahead and make a double portion so that you have one prepped for another day.
Part Time Vanlife
One of the biggest holdbacks in equipping your van with a fridge is the expense. A common 12v compressor fridge will cost between £300 and £1000. The higher end being for brands such as Dometic / Waeco.
For part-time vanlife perhaps all you need is a cool box for the weekend. With a couple of ice blocks stored inside it would certainly keep your perishables cool for a long weekend.
However, for a week or two away in your van you may start to find it inconvenient to keep stopping at convenience stores to stock up on perishables and a fridge would be a worthy asset to your van.
Do you need an oven for Vanlife Cooking?
Many campervans, motorhomes and van conversions make do without a fitted oven, but the real question is can you?
What do you like to cook in your van?
Full Time Vanlife
From my experience as a full time Vanlifer without an oven, I can confess to missing pizza the most but also oven baked delights such as pies and hot pots.
Whilst it is very possible to cook variations of these favourites by using gadgets such as the Omnia oven it lacks that one thing you find you start craving… that crispy topping!
All this being said, even when I was boring and lived in a house I hardly used the oven. Most of my cooking was done in a pan. It is my cooking style.
I’m sure that if you are a passionate cook you will know how to enjoy panlife and will be able to cook most of the things you enjoy. If you are an oven based passionate cook then you are going to need to get an oven installed.
Part Time Vanlife
Ok so you are on holiday right? You will undoubtedly be sightseeing, snacking on pasties, ice creams and local delicacies and a hearty home cooked meal might not be on the agenda. An outdoor BBQ is more likely on the cards when you get back from the local attractions.
Ovens aren’t that expensive, but they do come with their own set of considerations. They are quite large, heavy and they are either powered by gas or electricity.
Gas ovens require professional installation with gas safe approval and electric ovens require a substantial amount of power from your batteries. Both are the main reasons why Vanlifers avoid them. If you are a part-time Vanlifer do you need to go to these lengths for an oven?
Here are some products that will help you cook oven style food without an oven or grill
The Wonderbag Dutch Oven Great for slow cooked recipes that need long periods of time in the oven.
The Omnia Oven Cooks a variety of oven recipes with the simplicity of your stove top.
A Stove Top Tagine Almost everything tastes better when cooked in a tagine!
Full Time Vanlife Cooking Year 4
4 Years along the road and not only have I learnt how to cook the meals I have always loved but I have never been so passionate about cooking. There seems to always be a way to adapt a recipe and make the classics come together in a van. Of course, I like to experiment and do my own take on the classics anyway.
I often make toast on the hob by using my stove-top toaster. It’s possibly one of my favourite van kitchen gadgets. The toast comes out spotty but perfectly crispy.
Another regular feast in the van is roast dinner with roast potatoes. Crispy roast potatoes might I add!
Curry is also a favourite of mine, with so many variations of protein, spices, veg and of course I make my own Naan Bread.
4 years on and I still haven’t found the need to install an oven. I do have a mini electric oven stored under my counter, but I very rarely use it. It’s only because of the kid’s turkey dinosaurs that I keep it. I can’t see myself installing an oven anytime soon and even if I started another van build, I wouldn’t be taking an oven into consideration.
I’d like to say I rock up at some scenic location and make viral TikTok worthy meals but the harsh reality of my vanlife is that I am usually parked up on an industrial estate with a depressing view! Not quite the TIkTok or Instagram shot you lot in Portugal are getting!
During the weekends when I am in the van with Sophie we like to head out into the country with the intention of a nice park up and interesting food and we both get stuck into some van cooking and baking. Sophie usually hogs the Omnia oven and bakes an amazing pudding. I can’t recommend her Omnia cakes enough!
Conclusion
The conclusion of full time Vanlife cooking vs part time Vanlife cooking is as follows:
Full time Vanlife cooking requires a more sustainable diet which will also mean there is a requirement to store perishable food. You shouldn’t be avoiding your veggies and you will need a more varied diet, thus more ingredients to store. Longer periods in the van will free up more time to cook a nutritious hearty meal.
Part time Vanlife is a lot more flexible in what food you need to be storing as you will be stopping off for convenience meals and snacks whilst on your travels. You are less likely to feel the need to cook a hearty meal so cooking will be quick and easy, leaving much more room for those holiday activities.
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