Steamed dorada in Pepper and ginger sauce.

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This steamed dorada cooked in a pepper and ginger sauce is a great meal for any campervan. The dorada fish is part of the bream family and any white fish can be used. A great simple dish full of flavour!

Make sure to read our article on ventilating your campervan if you want to ensure there are no fishy smells left after cooking!

Recipe from @frencylevan

meal cooking on a stove in a campervan. There is a view of the sea through the window

Steamed Dorada with pepper and ginger sauce

FrenchyLeVan
Pescatarian
Easy, pretty and tasty fish dish. Steamed whole fish is very popular in Asia, almost as popular as deep fried version of it. It can be Pomfret, Tilapia, Dorada or any other small to medium size fish. Dorada is my favourite because of its nice firm flesh and absence of small bones.
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – 30 minute meal – Stove top meal
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Servings 2 people
Diet Pescatarian

Equipment

  • Deep skillet, steaming tray, skillet.

Ingredients
  

  • Whole Dorada scaled and gutted
  • 2 Bell peppers
  • Large chunk of Ginger peeled and julienned
  • 5-6 Green onions white parts
  • 1 large Onion
  • 1 small head of Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons of Oyster sauce
  • 2 tablespoons of Sweet chilli sauce

Instructions
 

  • Steam the fish in a pot/skillet/wok using a steam basket or a heat resistant plate.
  • Use green onions to line the plate under the fish, so it does not stick.
  • Sauté chopped Bell peppers/Ginger/Onions/Garlic, add Oyster sauce/Sweet chilli sauce.
  • Top the fish with the veggie mix and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 115kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 674mgPotassium: 430mgFiber: 4gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 4026IUVitamin C: 162mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
Keyword asian, Fish, fresh, skillet
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Cauliflower and spinach dahl with homemade naan bread

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Delicious recipe of cauliflower and spinach dahl with homamade naan bread is ideal for the colder nights setting in. Warming, delicious, vegan and gluten free. All you need is 2 pans! This makes it a great campervan recipe, and ideal for those who have been out exploring all day. This dahl & naan bread recipe can be made on a hob or even an open fire. Recipe from Jen @spirit_wren

Cauliflower and Spinach Dahl with homemade naans

spirit_wren
Vegan, Vegetarian
This dish is such a warming one for these cooler nights and such a fresh taste. The Naans are gluten free but don’t have to be made that way. It’s vegan and gluten free.
5 from 1 vote
No water – Stove top meal
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 4
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Deep dish for the curry, I used a large wok
  • Frying pan for the naan

Ingredients
  

For the curry

  • 400 g cauliflower chopped into bitesize florets
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli finely chopped – deseed and/or use less depending on how spicy you want it
  • 100 g spinach
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 4 tsp ground turmeric
  • 400 ml tin coconut milk
  • 400 ml tin tomatoes
  • 1 cup red lentils
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • Salt

For the Naan

  • 300 g gluten-free self raising flour plus extra for dusting
  • 280 g coconut yoghurt or other yoghurt
  • 2 tsp olive oil or try flavoured olive oil plus extra for drizzling
  • sea salt
  • chopped fresh herbs such as coriander and flat leaf parsley (optional)

Instructions
 

Curry

  • Add the coconut oil to a large saucepan and heat up to a medium-high heat
  • Chuck the onion in and cook until softened
  • Now put in the garlic, ginger, chilli and the spices and cook for another minute
  • Pour in the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk and lentils, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer – cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently
  • Add the cauliflower and cook for another 10 minutes
  • Season to taste
  • Stir in the spinach until wilted
  • Serve with the naan or add rice
  • THE NAAN
  • To a large mixing bowl add your 300g flour, 280g yoghurt, 2 tsp olive oil and a pinch of sea salt. Mix with a fork, until it starts to clump together
  • Now dust your hands, work top and rolling pin with flour
  • With your hands press your dough into a large ball and then divide in quarters and shape into 4 balls
  • Gently roll out each dough ball, or press with your hands, until roughly 5mm thick. Then press round any edges that have split, to give a smooth edge
  • Place a frying pan onto a high heat (no oil needed), wait until it’s very hot before adding your naan bread
  • Cook on both sides, for a couple of minutes, until the bread is just starting to blacken (this adds a lovely flavour)
  • Finally drizzle with a little extra olive oil, sprinkle over the chopped herbs, if using, and some sea salt

Nutrition

Calories: 819kcalCarbohydrates: 111gProtein: 30gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 23gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 213mgPotassium: 1624mgFiber: 22gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 2693IUVitamin C: 97mgCalcium: 257mgIron: 11mg
Keyword Curry, dairy free, gluten free, spicy, vegan, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Spaghetti with lemon and capers

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Spaghetti Lemon Capers

Lemon and Caper Spaghetti

spirit_wren
Vegan, Vegetarian
This quick pasta dish has such a lovely fresh taste, is really quick to do with minimal ingredients, but ALL the taste. I used gluten free pasta, to make the dish GF.
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – 30 minute meal – Stove top meal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Servings 2 people
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Two pans. One for boiling spaghetti, frying pan or shallow pan for sauce.

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g Cherry Tomatoes
  • 1 Lemon (juice and zest)
  • 2 servings of Spaghetti
  • 100 g Capers plus the water from the jar
  • 1 onion peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of Garlic peeled and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • Fresh basil leaves optional

Instructions
 

  • Cook the pasta according to the instructions.
  • Place the onion and garlic in a pan over a medium heat, with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
  • Once soft, add the capers, caper water, lemon zest, lemon juice and tomatoes ( I halved mine)
  • Cook everything together for a further 10 minutes until the juice begins to bubble.
  • Topped with fresh basil if available.
  • Stir through the pasta and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 4gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 1399mgPotassium: 407mgFiber: 5gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 571IUVitamin C: 59mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 2mg
Keyword dairy free, gluten free, pasta, quick, Simple, vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Halloumi Stacks

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A delicious recipe which helps you get your veg intake in for the day. Quick to make, simple and best of all minimal washing up!

Halloumi stack

Mid_van_crisis
Vegetarian
A quick and easy meal that is a firm favourite with us who consist of one vegetarian and one meat eater. Lovely lunch if having only one stack but double up or add sides for a more filling dinner
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less – 30 minute meal – One-pan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Servings 2 people
Diet Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Teriyaki grill if on electric hook up
  • Skillet pan or equivalent if using gas

Ingredients
  

  • 4 Brioche buns
  • 1 block Halloumi
  • 4 large field mushrooms
  • 2 beef tomatoes
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1 bag rocket
  • Mayonnaise
  • Sweet chilli sauce

Instructions
 

  • Peel and de-stalk the mushrooms, add these to grill/pan first whilst preparing other ingredients, turning regularly
  • Thinly slice the red onions, these can then be added to grill alongside the onions or can be served raw depending on taste, carry on with preparing the remaining ingredients
  • Open, drain and slice the halloumi (thickness depends on personal preference and how many portions needed)
  • Slice the tomatoes
  • Add the halloumi after the mushrooms and onions have been on for 5 minutes and the tomatoes a couple of minutes later
  • Continue to turn all ingredients regularly for roughly a further 10 minutes
  • You can’t really go wrong with times as it can all just be done to personal taste- either well done or lightly done
  • Open the buns and place a bed of rocket on the base
  • Once the ingredients are grilled to your taste stack them up on top of the rocket- mushroom, halloumi, tomatoes and onions
  • Finish off with generous portion of mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce
  • Serve open so your guests can admire your handiwork!
  • Make sure you have serviettes to hand

Nutrition

Calories: 822kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 26gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 22gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 287mgSodium: 814mgPotassium: 1250mgFiber: 6gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 6052IUVitamin C: 61mgCalcium: 262mgIron: 4mg
Keyword cheese, Easy, Halloumi, mushrooms, quick, Simple, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

7 WAYS TO BAKE BREAD IN A CAMPERVAN KITCHEN

There is nothing that quite beats that smell of freshly baked bread filling your van. But how can you bake bread in a campervan kitchen? And what if you don’t even have an oven? Here are our favourite tricks to getting that soft, warm, freshly baked bread in the comfort of your campervan.

Bread is one of the best foods you can learn how to make, to take your cooking to the next level. And it might not be as complicated as you’d expect. You don’t need a special bread maker or even an oven for that matter.

Bread at its core is just flour, yeast, water and a dash of salt. You can get creative and add your own twist of flavour such as chilli, garlic, herbs or even flip the script and make a sweet cinnamon roll.

From flatbreads to homemade pizza to dessert sweet treats, there is a recipe in here for every occasion. Hopefully, this post inspires you to try a new recipe this week and discover a new favourite bread recipe you didn’t even know you were missing out on.

Supermarket pre-sliced bread and fresh bakery bread are not even in the same league. Nothing beats the smell of fresh bread filling your campervan home or campsite.

To be honest, it may be easier to walk down to the local bakery in the morning and grab a loaf or a few rolls for the day. However, there is something magical about making bread at home and having full control over the flavour. Then knowing you prepared your meal entirely from scratch. Plus making your own bread is likely to save you money which is always a bonus when you’re travelling or living on a budget.

If you are ready to get experimenting, these are our tried and tested recipes that you need to try out.

Although it sounds simple, bread can be tricky to master. But trust us, once you become a pro at making your own bread and perfecting your recipe to your own taste you will never go back.

Coffee and sliced bread on a chopping board in the great outdoors

As a camper or van lifer, you are probably more creative than the average person. The minimalist van life often lends itself to adventurous, creative personalities who are experts at finding new ways to cook traditional foods in a tiny van kitchen. Whether you are cooking on an outside wooden fire or inside on a stovetop or in a crockpot

Here are our top 7 bread recipes you can cook in your van today.

7 Bread Recipes Suitable for Campervan Kitchens

Cheddar & Spring Onion Loaf

cheddar onion loaf

One of the best ways to bake bread in your campervan without an oven is by using the legendary, infamous….(can you tell how much we love it?) Omnia Oven.

Baking bread is 100% possible in a van by only using the stove top and we love being creative with bread flavours. By replicating the classic cheese and onion crisp sandwich we came up with this Cheddar and Spring Omnia Loaf recipe and has turned out to be a go to when we are away in the van.

Flatbread

vanlife-2 ingredient Flatbreads

With van kitchens being pretty minimal we had to start this list off with our 2 ingredient flatbread. Yep, all you need is self-raising flour and natural yoghurt in equal parts to create this versatile Turkish bread. Add a drizzle of oil, butter, ghee or coconut oil, or maybe even some garlic, chilli flakes or fresh herbs to compliment your main dish. This recipe couldn’t be easier for a van kitchen or a beginner baker.

Pizza Base

vanlife-Pizza Bread

This pizza dough recipe is fully tailored for van kitchens, as it is cooked over an open fire. Not only does this make it excellent for cooking on the road but it also adds a smoky flavour and crisp texture. Homemade pizza is also a great option when entertaining guests as there is always an option to customise the toppings to suit everyone’s taste.

Naan Bread

vanlife-Very easy naan bread

Naan bread is something you can make in no time with just two ingredients! All you need is self-raising flour and Greek yoghurt. Find the full recipe for this easy naan bread on VanlifeEats.com as well as a simple garlic butter with coriander. This is a great recipe to make while you are cooking up your curry, as naan bread is fried on a dry pan this can be done on a stovetop or campfire.

Bread on a Stick

Bread on a stick over a campfire

Bread on a stick is the ultimate campfire bread for a simple yet delicious and fluffy baked bread. This bread doesn’t need kneading so it is great if you have limited tabletop space or just want an easy alternative to a loaf or rolls. The recipe is pretty simple but it does require some patience while you wait for the yeast to do its magic and allow the dough to rise.

Best of all is that you really can use what is around you in nature and use sticks. Just make sure you sterilise them first by heating them over the fire before you wrap your dough around them. When the dough is brown and crispy on the outside it should be light and fluffy on the inside. Cook all sides evenly and serve warm as is, or with some butter or homemade jam.

Cinnamon Rolls

vanlife-Cinnamon buns

Calling all cinnamon lovers! This delicious cinnamon bun recipe is perfect for those big, fluffy rolls topped with a drizzle of vanilla frosting that soaks into each groove of the rolls. The secret to the fluffiest cinnamon rolls is bread flour. Serve these as part of an indulgent brunch or as a dessert. The only downside is that you will need an oven for this recipe but it is certainly worth checking out if you have this luxury.

Banana Bread

vanlife-6 Ingredient Healthy Crockpot Banana Bread with Peanut Butter

Ok maybe some of you will argue that banana bread is a cake but it just had to make this list as an honourable mention. You could serve this as a grab and go hiking snack, a warm dessert with cream and extra chopped banana and walnuts, or even toast it with some butter or yoghurt and blueberries for a sweet breakfast.

Our super simple 6 ingredient banana bread is van friendly if you have a crockpot/instant pot on board and is arguably a much healthier alternative to most banana bread recipes. The peanut butter in this healthy crockpot banana bread adds a creamy sweetness as well as some healthy fats and protein.

Add best of all, there are minimal steps involved. Great for anyone who is less confident in the kitchen or just having a lazy afternoon. Pop 5 of the ingredients in a blender, stir in your favourite peanut butter and you are as good as done. Top with sliced banana, crushed nuts such as walnuts or pecans or a sprinkle of granulated sugar for an extra crispy topping, and bake for 2-3 hours in your slow cooker.

Bonus Recipe

Omnia Banana Bread

vanlife-Banana & Walnut Omnia Cake

The Omnia stove top oven makes baking bread in a campervan without an oven just so easy.

As with the recipe above, banana bread is a great throw together and it works so well with the Omnia oven.

This recipe is a monthly treat for us. Served with warm custard of course!

This post was all about baking bread in a campervan kitchen.

Let us know if you have tried any of these mouth-watering bread recipes. Feel free to send us DM on Instagram if you need any help with your baking, we understand making bread in a van can be tricky but we are happy to share our tips with you to make it as easy as possible. Our favourite thing to do is chat all about food and van life cooking.

You might also like these posts:

Vegan Bunny Chow

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vegan bunny chow

Vegan Bunny Chow

Vegan
South African classic street food that originated from India. Curry in a roll!! Amazing! We first tried this at our very own Vanlife Eats Big Picnic and had to replicate it in our own van.
5 from 3 votes
No fridge – No water – Stove top meal
Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 32 minutes
Course Lunch, Snacks
Servings 2 Vanlifers
Diet Vegan

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Potato Medium
  • 1 Cup Spinach
  • 200 g Chickpeas Drained
  • 200 g Chopped Tomatoes
  • 3 Curry Leaves
  • 2 Cardamon Pod
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick 1cm
  • 1/2 White Onion
  • 1 tbsp Curry Powder
  • 1 Chilli
  • 1/4 Lemon
  • 1 Cup Coriander
  • 1 tsp Ghee or flavourless oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 2 Large Crusty Rolls
  • 1 Garlic Clove

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in the pan
  • Add the cardamon pods and the cinnamon stick and heat for 30 seconds
  • Add the onion, curry leaves and garlic. Stir and cook until translucent
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and the curry powder and cook for 5 minutes
  • Add the diced potatoes and chickpeas
  • Cover and cook for 15 – 20 minutes
  • Add the spinach and coriander for the last 5 minute and season with salt and pepper
  • Cut a circular hole in the top off each crusty roll and squash the fluffy bread inside to the inner wall making room for the filling.
  • Fill the curry mix into each roll
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 418kcalCarbohydrates: 77gProtein: 17gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 173mgPotassium: 1189mgFiber: 14gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1857IUVitamin C: 108mgCalcium: 141mgIron: 6mg
Keyword chickpea, Curry, potato, spicy, spinach, street food, vegan
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Katie & Jason

Featured Vanlifers Katie & Jason share their experiences of selling their house and travelling full-time in their motorhome with their cat Elsa.

Find out where these featured vanlifers have visited and their travel plans for the future. You should also follow their adventures on instagram @katieg_gross

Image of a motorhome

Why did Katie & Jason decide to go full-time?

Changing from a 9-5 lifestyle, with a nice home and then downsizing to a home with 4 wheels instead of 4 walls, has many advantages. Katie & Jason tell us about their experiences.

There are many reasons to live vanlife or motorhome life full-time. One of the most popular reasons we hear is that people are keen to live a more simplistic life. This was one of the reasons Katie & Jason decided to make the change in their lives. Another is that the couple decided to live life to it’s fullest.

Katie has been diagnosed with cancer 3 times in the last 18 years, 3 separate diagnoses. This can understandably make you look at life differently. With Jason also having a stressful job the pair decided to pack up and head off for a full-time adventure. Along the way Katie has raised awareness of cancer and raised several thousand pounds for Cancer Research. The Daily Mirror have covered her story which can be found here.

“we wanted to make some drastic changes in our life and start to live for today and not wait until we were retired”

Jason and Katie on paddle boards

With Covid giving everyone time to evaluate their lives and lifestyle, including Katie and Jason, their plan was made. They purchased a motorhome, a 2020 Hymer BMC T-580 to be exact in October 2020. After much deliberation they settled on a name for their new home, Björn after being inspired by the series Vikings.

They made some changes, such as having the cab wrapped, adding an LPG system, solar power and some bad-ass tyres.

A photo with an afternoon tea spread

Katie & Jason’s motorhome adventures

Imagine being all packed, and prepped and then having nowhere to go! Well, featured vanlifers Katie & Jason ended up spending the first 10 weeks of motorhome life in lockdown on a campsite! As soon as they were able to they began enjoying the joys the U.K can bring. Katie is a big fan of water, and so they have enjoyed many trips around the UK coastline. This has given her plenty of opportunity to do some cold water swimming and paddle boarding, 2 of her hobbies. They have enjoyed Devon and Cornwall, and take their fold-away bikes to make the most of exploring the area.

After spending the last winter in lockdown they have decided not to spend another winter in the U.K. They have big plans for their motorhome in the future. They will be heading to Europe later this year for some more exploring, and have plans to get the van to North America within the next couple of years.

Elsa is looking forward to some more global adventures, and is building up to being off her harness in the wilderness one day soon!

Elsa the motorhome moggy

Cooking in a motorhome…

As those of us with tiny homes know, facilities and space can be limited in a van kitchen! Katie & Jason have a pretty awesome set-up which helps when cooking in a tiny space. They have a 3 burner hob, FULL-SIZE fridge freezer (not that i’m jealous or anything!), plus lots of storage options including under the floor!

Katie & Jason’s favorite thing about their motorhome kitchen are the freezer, as they say everyone needs ice cream in their life. Plus they can have a steady supply of ice for their G&T’s! They are also very grateful for the underfloor lockers.

Cooking pizza outside in a mini pizza oven

Even with the extra storage, space is still the thing they find most limiting about cooking in their motorhome. They have had to make adaptations from cooking in a big household kitchen, and have embraced these changes. They see it as a challenge to continue to make great food in a tiny space. They love that they can cook anything, all it requires is a little imagination and creativity.

Katie & Jason are lucky not to have experienced any cooking disasters yet! They have a couple of meals they are proud of, especially that they were made in a tiny home. One being a lasagna – made in an airfryer! The second being Egg’s Benedict for Jason’s birthday breakfast. Another firm favourite is spicy chickpeas served with mint yogurt sauce with a wrap and homemade red cabbage coleslaw.

Close up image of eggs benedict

Check out their spicy chickpea recipe here, and keep scrolling for a bonus recipe!

Cheesy coleslaw

Red cabbage

Carrots

Apple

Onion

Grated Cheese

Greek yogurt

Mayonnaise

Salt & Pepper

Garlic salt

  • The beauty with this recipe is you add the quantities you want, and for how many you want to serve.
  • Thinly slice all the vegetables
  • Add the greek yogurt & mayonnaise
  • Add salt, pepper & garlic salt
  • Mix well
  • Put in the fridge until ready to serve
Cheesy coleslaw

In the motorhome kitchen

One of their favourite gadgets at home was their coffee machine, and so naturally they needed one in their motorhome. They now have a WACACO Minipresso NS portable espresso Machine which doesn’t need any power – perfect for a tiny home on wheels. The latest gadget they are in love with is their airfryer – they go as far as to say it’s almost life changing. If it means you can eat lasagna it’s got to be a winner!

Katie did say they could maybe do with a dishwasher, until they make a van friendly version they’ll have to do the dishes themselves.

coffee machine

What do Katie & Jason like to make sure is in their motorhome cupboards?

  • Chickpeas
  • Crispy onion
  • Pasta ,Grains & Rice 
  • Indian / Thai pastes
  • Loads of herbs & spices
  • You will always find lots of Garlic and onions
  • Cornish garlic sea salt
  • Obligatiory tin of rice pudding
Katie & Jason sheltering from the rain

Katie & Jason’s tip for fellow vanlifers

Plan ahead and prepare.

Travel and camp on durable surfaces.

Dispose of waste properly.

Leave what you find.

Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire).

Respect wildlife.

Be considerate of other visitor’s

Most of all pick up any other litter that’s not yours.

Beautiful sunset

Want to be featured on
vanlifeeats.com?

To apply for a featured post on vanlifeeats.com simply follow this link and fill out the application form. We promote all featured van lifers across all our social media networks, we send out a “featured Van Lifer” sticker for your van as well as awarding you a prestigious badge for your profile on our website.

Spicy Chickpeas

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Quick and delicious, an easy one-pan meal making it an ideal campervan recipe. This recipe is from featured vanlifers Katie and Jason of forevercopilots. You can read their feature right here and check out their Instagram here. If you want to make this into a delicious curry add a tin of coconut milk!

spicy chickpeas

Spicy Chickpeas

forevercopilots
Vegan, Vegetarian
Delicious Chickpeas, super easy to make and super tasty
4.50 from 2 votes
No fridge – No water – One-pan – Stove top meal – Tinned food
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch
Servings 2
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

  • Frying Pan

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tins Chickpeas
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1-2 Onions
  • 1 Green pepper
  • Cumin to taste
  • Tumeric to taste
  • Garam Masala to taste
  • Curry powder to taste
  • Cayenne Pepper to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Chop the onions & pepper
  • Add oil to the pan to heat, add the onion and pepper and cook until soft
  • If you want the chickpeas softer, add some of the water from the tin into the pan
  • Add in the spices, we add to taste rather than using exact measurements
  • Mix well until cooked

Nutrition

Calories: 97kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 222IUVitamin C: 52mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Easy, Simple, spicy, vegan, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Motorhominglife

Latest featured vanlifers Carl and Sally-Anne of @motorhominglife are some of Vanlife Eats biggest fans. They have provided so much support to us, and we are very grateful to them. Carl has experienced a number of health issues, a brain tumour, strokes and a heart attack. During his time in hospital, Carl and Sally-Anne focused on their ambitions to travel in a motorhome, and this must have provided some much needed motivation to recover.

Their dreams became a reality and here they share an insight into their travels with their motorhome Pegasus. This couple enjoy adventures full-time in their motorhome.. read to find out more, you won’t be disappointed…

Pegasus the motorhome in front of a castle

Who are motorhominglife?

Carl and Sally-Anne decided to leave their corporate careers behind them when they reached their late 50’s, and after some health issues. What better way to celebrate their health and enjoy early retirement than travelling Europe and experiencing all that comes with it. That is exactly what this couple decided to do.

The couple had been doing just this when Covid struck and ruined these plans. They were enoying their time in Portugal, and Sally-Anne decided to visit her family in the UK for Christmas. All was going well…. until she couldn’t get back to Carl! Carl began living solo vanlife while grounded in a campsite. There he began sharing his love of food with fellow stranded vanlifers. He took the time to learn about different cultures and cuisines in order to make meals for them all to enjoy. Poor Sally-Anne had to miss out on all the campsite meals.

Carl and Sally-Anne in their motorhome wearing their YouTube branded tops

As soon as the borders were reopened, Carl set about driving across Europe to rescue his damsel in distress. In May this year they were finally reunited. Currently making the most of being grounded in the UK, they are catching up with friends and family. It won’t be long til they head off on their next European adventure though, so make sure to follow their adventures on Insta and YouTube (links at the bottom). Be sure to keep an eye out for adventures from when Vanlife Eats meet Motorhominglife!

Carl and Sally-Anne’s adventures

Carl and Sally-Anne decided to take their tiny home with them at all times. They saw this as the perfect opportunity to make their life more simple. There are no televisions in Pegasus and they took the opportunity to downsize and minimize their ‘junk’. Instead they use their time to enjoy the surroundings and people around them and Sally-Anne is a keen reader.

Carl is a massive fan of Scalextric fan. One of his ambitions was to set this up on a beach in the Mediterranean, and he has now accomplished this! This hasn’t been their favourite part of their travels so far though…

Pegasus on the motorhome on the beach

The couple keep everyone entertained on their YouTube channel and regular Instagram posts whilst on their adventures. During their European adventures they each found their own favourite places whilst on their travels. They have such a lovely way with words we’re going to let them do the talking and paint the picture for you.

Carl’s favourite place:

Hort De Soriano 
Spain

A free 2 night maximum stay Aire.
In the middle of an ‘orange ocean’. Right in the middle of an orange forest, with millions of orange groves, millions of oranges.

The Aire is in a recreational area, once used as part of the orangery (van spaces on terraces), at the side of an enormous roman styled villa, once orange baron.
No water, no electricity but a toilet, and places to sit and picnic. There are remains of an orange museum, and signs of opulence from the early 1920’s. 

Walking into the mountains, you can see the enormity of the ocean, the horizon is almost a straight line, orange meets blue..

Every place we’ve been to in France, Spain and Portugal has had its own individual beauty, pleasing to the eye, and some smells associated with food and flowers. However, this area was an assault on the sense we don’t often use. Orange blossom, orange, almost cointreau-like. It was there, on your clothes, in the van, in the wood, buildings, I guess a good way to describe it, was like standing in the Jo Malone factory, leaning against a vat containing orange blossom body lotion.

You went to bed with it, and woke up smelling of orange blossom.

Being deaf, my other senses work much harder, so I ‘heard’  through my nose, my sensory fibres tingling with delight.

Carl & Sally-Anne

Sally-Anne’s favourite place:

Merida, 

   West Spain

 ‘Rome of Spain’.

This spectacular city was once the home of retired Roman warriers. The evidence of occupation and opulence runs throughout the city, ruins, remains and renovated Roman architecture around every corner. 

Amphitheatre, temples, fortress and the outside and inner remains of what must been a hippodrome (chariot racing circuit ) to match anything in Rome. We walked around it, and according to our FitBit it was exactly 1,500 m around the circuit.

                 When you think you’ve seen every thing and eaten some of the most amazing croquettes “ever”, the National Roman Museum and Crypt awaited to bend our minds. Firstly the architecture of the building itself is enough to impress the greatest architect in the world. But the artefacts! How did the Romans make mosaic floors the size of football pitches without computer aided software. Statues the size of houses, glassware, gold, pottery, tools, the list is endless. “Just shows you what the Romans did for us”.  3 days just wasn’t enough. There are a number of basic aires in the city, but we found the local camping site was adequate. After all, you only slept and showered there. 

                We met fellow motorhomers Lynn and Chris (Scottish) at this camper park, and enjoyed a glass or two of local wines. We have kept in touch and will undoubtedly meet again, to finish off that bottle of Scotch.

Sally-Anne

During their travels they have enjoyed visiting a number of places, and have even managed to accumulate a hive of bees and an olive tree (they don’t transport these in the motorhome for some reason!)

In Carl and Sally-Anne’s kitchen

Sally-Anne confesses that Carl does most of the cooking in this motorhome, and she is more than happy to be sous chef and chief taster! When asked what they like best about their tiny kitchen, they said, that it is the biggest kitchen in the world! That is what they love about it. There are no limits. Carl is a keen chef and is always looking to try new recipes and gadgets. The fact they don’t have an oven in their van hasn’t held them back at all. Carl even managed to make a giant yorkshire pudding in their Omnia oven.

Their favourite kitchen gadget for their travels has been their Hell’s handle fish slice from Mercer. They are also very keen on sampling local wines when travelling so a corkscrew / bottle opener is also a firm favourite.

The couple like to cook outdoors and so one of their favourite things about cooking in their motorhome kitchen – is that they don’t have to!

Carl in the motorhome with his Omnia stove top oven

What do Carl and Sally-Anne cook in their motorhome?

You may know Carl is a big fan of honey and his daily pollen, but what does he like to cook?One of their most memorable meals they have cooked outside was a fish dish – cooking fish in the van isn’t always the best plan. They enjoyed fresh monkfish tail caught that very day and cooked with local garlic and onions. They enjoy eating fresh, local produce. As such a salad nicoise is a definite favourite for them when they can get the freshest ingredients.

When shopping locally there are some key items they always ensure to purchase from the local supermarket:

-Local Garlic

– Local Onions

– Local Tomatoes

– Low fat, low suga digetives

– Anti-bac wipes

Those of us that like to cook in the van they know there is always a fair share of cooking disasters, and Pegasus has witnessed a few. One was when Carl decided to use the beloved Omnia oven on a fire pit. He attempted to make a cake using a cake mix, and is certain this is the reason his Omnia now looks like a spaceship on it’s re-entry from space. Good job he got a sparkling new one for his birthday recently!

If you are subscribed to their YouTube you may remember this video..

This amazing looking yorkshire pudding was the third attempt, the first two were not so picture perfect shall we say. The great thing with their previous experiences in their working lives means they are nifty with editing videos. Just as well as Carl managed to combine the best bits from all 3 attempts to create the perfect video!

As with other vanlifers Carl and Sally-Anne have their favourite go-to meals. One is beans on toast with grated cheese and HP Sauce! They also like to be well prepared for those situations where you are lost, have little water and power left – we’ve all been there! In these cases they are prepared with an ‘armageddon’ meal, essential boil in the bag meals. Ideal for these situations.

filled sandwich in front of a motorhome

The things they love to make the most are nice fresh salads with chicken. Outside the van they love to cook fish and seafood. This is what they avoid cooking in their van though, alongside anything that needs to be fried.

Find some of their recipes here!

Kaiser Otto Kartofflesalad

Swedish G&T Yorkshire Pudding

Mobilvetta Muffilvetta

Any disasters?

Let’s face it vanlife wouldn’t be vanlife without some ups and downs. Sally-Anne didn’t find it funny at the time, but now it is something they can laugh about together. This story is better told in their own words.

“We missed the turning for Apibericos (heading for a beekeeping experience) in the mountains surrounding the Douro Valley. This road was Pegasus wide. Wing mirrors in, steep gradient, raining, cobbled road, “dead end”. In a farm yard on a slope, in sand. By this time Sally-Anne realised her mascara wasn’t waterproof. A ‘26 point turn’ was needed. 

The automatic gear box struggled.

Not so simple though, as we had were following Portugal EasyCamp’s wine experience route, every bottle of wine we bought (just left our 5th vineyard) we put in the back. Pegasus beached like a whale.

So in the rain, on a gradient, in sand on top of wet cobbles, we unloaded the wine. (Didn’t realise how much we’d bought), took out my Scalextric, (I have a lot, 40 kilos of it), quite a number of 6 litre bottles of fresh water, tables, chairs, etc and put them inside the van, in the front seat well, front seats and the under table. Pegasus breathed a sign of relief and she raised a good 12cm at the back. Weight at the front, traction control on, off, on, off. Bingo!

Not quite.. 
Because we had to go back down the way we came, we started to slide, handbrake on, wing mirrors in, and in reverse gear. 

I was disappointed that Sally-Anne wouldn’t let me put the GoPro on, nor the phone in the front bracket to film the event.
I was in complete control. This is what Vanlife is about. Adventure. There was a 50 mts drop on the other side, to make it more adrenaline pumping.

Half an hour later, we were sitting by beehives, drinking coffee with honey and pollen, eating Pastel de Nata.
“Oh, we hadn’t realised you had such a big van” the host said.

After our stay, we had to reverse out”.

Pegasus the motorhome

Carl and Sally-Anne’s advice for fellow vanlifers

“Stretch, listen, respect the local rules, don’t believe everything on social media, engage with the local people, value and absorb traditions, and eat local fresh foods.

Invest in an Omnia, Skillet, unlimited WiFi and never stop exploring…”

Where can you find motorhominglife?

Instagram: @motorhominglife

YouTube:

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Vegan Feta & Fig Bulgur Wheat Salad

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vegan campervan feta fig salad

Fig & Feta Bulgur Wheat Vegan Salad

Vegan, Vegetarian
Savory, sweet and even a little bit spicy! This dish literally explodes with flavour with every bite! Yum!
5 from 1 vote
Stove top meal
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
Servings 2 Vanlifers
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Red Onion Diced
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil Extra Virgin is always best
  • 2 tsp Smoked Paprika Heaped
  • 1 Cup Bulgur Wheat
  • 2 Cup Water
  • 1/4 Cup White Wine
  • 1 Tin Chickpeas
  • 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 200 g Vegan Feta Cheese
  • 4 Fresh Figs (not the dried ones)
  • 1 Handful Coriander Fresh
  • 1/4 Lemon
  • Salt and Pepper

Instructions
 

  • Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add the red onion. Cook for 3 minutes until the onions have softened.
  • Sprinkle the smoked Paprika over the onion and give it a stir to make sure everything is coated. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • In the 2 minutes waiting take a saucepan and add 2 cups of water and turn up the heat.
  • Add 1/4 cup of white wine to the onion. Smell how good that is!
  • Drain and rinse 1 tin of chickpeas and add to the skillet. Give it a mix.
  • Add 1 cup of bulgur wheat to the now boiling water and turn off the heat.
  • At this point add the cayenne pepper to the skillet and some salt and pepper to the bulgar wheat
  • Cube cut a whole block of vegan feta cheese and add it to the skillet pan. Give it a mix. The feta will melt giving a rich creamy texture.
  • Cut 4 fresh figs in half, Scoop out the flesh from the skin with a spoon and cut the fresh figs into chunks. Add them to the pan.
  • Take a handful of coriander and chop it all up. Add most of it to the pan leaving only a little for garnishing your plate.
  • Add some salt and pepper and give it all a good mix.
  • Drain your bulgur wheat which should have now soaked up all the water. Add this to the skillet pan and again give it a mix. Add a little squeeze of lemon if you have one!
  • Serve it up in two bowls and enjoy :)

Nutrition

Calories: 739kcalCarbohydrates: 92gProtein: 11gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 27gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 31mgPotassium: 707mgFiber: 18gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 1481IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 3mg
Keyword bulgar, feta, fig, Moroccan, vegan, vegetarian
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!