In a hot skillet pan, fry the 4 rashers of bacon. You will want to get these nice and crispy so make sure the pan is hot and keep turning to get them nice and even.
When cooked remove from the pan and place on some kitchen paper to soak up the grease.
Take your cauliflower and cut the stem off and break the cauliflower up into small bite-sized florets.
Add them to the pan along with a cup of water. Place the lid on the pan and leave to cook for 15 minutes until the florets are soft.
Meanwhile..
Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan on low heat. When the butter is melted add the tablespoon of coconut flour and mix to form a paste. Continue to stir the paste for a couple of minutes to cook out the flour.
Add one-third of the cream to the paste and stir until combined. Add the second third and stir until combined and finally add the last third of cream to the paste and stir until a smooth mixture forms.
Add the cheese, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and give it all a good stir. It should form a sticky sauce.
By now the cauliflower should be soft and there should be a little moisture still in the pan, keep this in.
Add the cheese sauce to the cauliflower and mix it all together. Return the lid to the pan.
Take your crispy bacon rashers and cut them into small crsipy chunks.
Add them to the pan and give it a mix.
Stir in some fresh parsley and serve.
Enjoy!
Being brought up in a close British Italian family it’s no surprise that I spent most of my life cooking alongside my Nonna and learning the family secret recipes.
I am proud to say that my children have also taken the family passion for cooking and I am now teaching them these family secret recipes.
The best tips for campervan cooking are to be organised, keep your surfaces clean, learn how to turn simple food into a variety of interesting cuisines and make sure you eat tasty food that you enjoy eating.
Whilst I am not yet ready to share the secret family recipes (although it’s in family discussion) I am very keen to share with you some of my favourite cooking tips that will really help elevate your food.
1. If your campervan cooking is tasting bland, add some salt
Often you will find that a pinch of salt is all that is needed to really bring your food to life.
Under seasoned food is a classic rookie mistake and it takes time to know what foods require what amount of seasoning.
Salt as you may know contains sodium and sodium ions have the magic to take away bitterness as well as enhance the sweetness in flavourings.
It is always best practice to taste as you go along whilst cooking to ensure you don’t under or over season.
2. Toast your spices first
This is something that took me a little while to realise and what a huge difference it made. My curries and sauces suddenly became fragrant and bursting with flavour, and all I did was add the spices first!
Another rookie mistake is to add spices to your sauce. Always toast your spices over a low dry heat in a pan and start your recipe on these foundations first of all.
When you start adding your other base ingredients to the pan you will find that they start to coat in the toasted spices and bring a whole new depth of flavour to every ingredient that goes in there after.
You could also bloom the spices in some hot oil in a pan to form a fragrant paste that once again brings a concentrated kaboom to your food.
3. Deglaze your pan
This is another trick to really maximise flavour in your cooking and help prolong the life of your campervan cooking pan.
The rookie mistake would be is to scrape the food from the pan and scrub the remaining brown bits that stick to the pan in the sink, potentially ruining your non stick pan but worst of all in my opinion you are washing all the flavour away.
Those stuck on brown bits are like little concentrated flavour bombs and you NEED them in your dish!
Whilst the pan is hot use a little white wine or stock to deglaze the pan forming a little extra concentrate of flavour to add to your food.
You will also be glad that the washing up will be easier and your pan will last a lot longer.
4. Let your meat rest before cutting it
Once upon a time I was a big meat eater and spent a lot of time experimenting with finding the best ways to cook meat. It was then that I realised the importance of letting meat rest before slicing into it and how much juicier it really does get.
When meat is cooked the fibres tend to tense up and it pushes all the moisture / juices out of all the fibres.
If you were to cut it open too early you would find that all the juices will spill out and when you eat the meat it will be very dry.
Allowing meat to rest before cutting into it will allow the fibres to loosen up again and re-absorb the juices. Less juice on your plate and more juice in the meat.
Beef Thai Green Curry cooked in our campervan on date night
5. Add butter to your sauce before serving
This is more of a restaurant trick to make your sauce look all glossy and rich but it definitely adds a rich buttery sheen to your sauces.
This technique is called “monter au beurre” which is where you add a small dollop of cold butter to your sauce right at the end of its cooking phase before your plate up.
The trick is not let the butter cook and not let the butter fat breakup and separate, and only melt, soften and emulsify to richen and thicken your sauce.
6. Cook your eggs slowly
I always cook the perfect eggs and my best tip is to cook the eggs slowly over a low/medium heat.
There is nothing more disappointing than cutting into your egg and finding it hard and dry and the best way to avoid this is to cook them low and slow. This also prevents the egg white from turning rubbery.
I am also a fan of slow cooking my scrambled eggs as I get a light, fluffy and creamy scramble.
7. Dry your meat before cooking
By thoroughly drying your meat before cooking it will help to get a tasty crisp and golden colour when cooked. It also helps in sealing the meat keeping the juiciness on the inside and crispiness on the outside.
Use a paper towel to pat dry the meat but do not press into the meat and soak up the meats natural juices and moisture, this would remove a lot of the flavour. The aim is to dry the outside layer only.
If you are getting bits of paper towel sticking to your meat then you are probably pressing too hard!
Also make sure you use a thick paper towel as to not leave bits of paper over the outside of your meat.
Campervan vegan chilli with nachos
8. Add some crunch
Texture is an important factor to a dish and is almost important as flavour. It’s all about enjoying your food and if your food has no texture it end up sloppy and can be unpleasant.
Try leaving a bit of bite in a vegetable or two or add some crispy breadcrumbs, nuts or seeds.
Take a stir fry as an example, by adding some mange tout towards the end and only briefly cooking them will bring some crunch and also add freshness to your dish.
It makes a huge difference having something to bite on rather than just churning mush inside your mouth!
9. Look after you knives (and fingers)
Its actually very dangerous working with blunt knives. By having to put too much pressure into every cut you risk losing control of your knife by slipping or dropping your knife and potentially hurting yourself.
If you haven’t got a knife sharpener in your van make this your number one item on your next shopping list. It makes your culinary experience so much more enjoyable.
Having a quality sharp knife means you get even, good looking cuts of meat and vegetables and most importantly all your fingers intact!
Neat evenly sized food in your pan means everything will cook evenly and taste the same.
10. Add some acid to liven up your dish
In the same way as salt, acid can massively enhance flavour. If your food is tasting flat and dull, add a squeeze of lemon or lime to brighten it up.
Here’s the secret.. do not add the squeeze of citrus until the sauce or food is completely cooked. It can make your food sing but if you add the citrus too early and it starts to cook it can make your food taste really quite funky.
Be careful with cream based sauces as although adding a squeeze of lemon will brighten the flavours, adding too much can curdle the diary.
It’s not only citrus fruit that brings your flavours to life, you can get the same effect by using vinegar.
As mentioned before, deglazing your pan with vinegar works amazingly or you can drizzle vinegar like a dressing.
Try balsamic vinegar on strawberries as this brings out the sweetness in the strawberries.
Conclusion
These are just a hanful of useful tips I have learnt not only from my Nonna but from friends who are professinal chefs and not to mention my 40+ years of passionate cooking.
Hopefully these basic cooking tips will help improve your culinary skills in your campervan kitchen.
Pre heat a large skillet pan to a high heat.Pat dry your piece of steak with strong kitchen roll. Place some strong foil, cling film or a plastic bag over the meat and using the bottom of a sauce pan or heavy object bash the meat firmly to tenderise and flatten it out. Don't pulverise it! Season with plenty of salt.
Cut the meat into strips and fry in the hot pan for a couple of minutes and then remove from the pan and set aside.
The steak should still be pink and rare.
Turn the heat down in the pan to a medium heat. In a manual food processor like the Zyliss Easypull place the roughly chopped shallot, garlic, chopped ginger, sugar, fish sauce, chillies, cumin, a good pinch of black or white pepper, half the coriander and the juice from half the lime. Blitz for around 20 pulls until the mixture is finely chopped and almost a paste.
Add the paste to the hot pan stirring continuously for 3 minutes. Add the aubergine and the pepper and continue to stir until the veg is coated in the paste.Give it a good season with salt now.
Add the small tin of coconut milk and add some water to the empty tin to get the milk stuck to the sides, add this to the pan too.
Give it all a good stir.
Return the meat to the pan, give it a good stir and then leave on a low heat with the lid on the pan for 20 minutes.
Stir in the remaining coriander a few minutes before it's ready to serve.
Serve up with Jasmine rice, spicy crackers and some white wine. Add a wedge of lime and squeeze over depending on your taste.
Enjoy!
Featured Vanlifers May, Derek & Chloe share their vanlife experiences with you. Find out what this married couple like to do & eat while travelling full-time in their van.
You can follow their adventures on Instagram @mayandtravel. Head to the bottom of the page for links to all their social media pages.
May, Derek & Chloe
These guys love to travel, and one of their favourite things about travelling in their van is that they get to take their dog Chloe with them. The travelling clearly agrees with her as the 11 year old still looks like a pup!
If you have seen their Instagram feeds you will see amazing editorial style photos highlighting the places they have visited. All of their photos are inspiring and showcase many beautiful places. They are currently based in California, travelling full-time in their van ‘The Ark’.
What do featured vanlifers May, Derek & Chloe do when travelling?
There are many things that we see vanlifers enjoy doing on their travels, hiking, climbing, kite surfing and yoga to name a few. Many also like to take an instrument such as a guitar on the road with them too. Not many take a guzheng and piano along on the journey though! Music is a real passion of May’s and there is no way she wanted to miss out on that when travelling. There is something very magical about watching someone play the piano with rolling waves through the window in front of them. Head to the bottom to find her instagram dedicated to the music she creates in her van or the wild.
The musical talents do not end there either! May quite often makes the most of the open spaces when travelling by performing traditional chinese dances.
The pair really enjoy seeing Chloe exploring new places. They regularly take her hiking and for walks (chasing squirrels is one of her favourite activities!). They say whatever provides their dog happiness also brings them joy and is the highlight of their travels.
What do featured vanlifers May, Derek & Chloe eat on the road?
The couple are very conscious of eating well on the road, and are adamant this keeps them healthy. May & Derek have not experienced illness for years, including headaches, colds, sore throats etc. They attribute this to the healthy diet they eat. Living on the road does not mean healthy meals can’t be enjoyed!
The majority of the couple’s diet is plant based, and about 20% is made up of chicken, sea food etc. They like to keep things natural and avoid processed food. They have been lucky enough not to have any cooking disasters in their van so far! May’s favourite meal to make in the van is a coconut soup, Tom Kha Gai. You can find the recipe right here!
Chloe also eats well on her travels, she has meals cooked for her daily. These usually contain cod or tuna with raw vegetable juice over the top. As with their own health, they are certain this diet attributes to Chloe’s health and youthful energy.
Their van kitchen
May and Derek have the benefit of being able to cook indoors and outdoors. One of their favourite things about cooking in the van is that they cook with different views everyday. What’s not to love?!?
May’s favourite kitchen accessory is their pressure cooker. It gets used to cook many delicious Vietnamese dishes such as rice, pho & beef stew. Her favourite features of their kitchen are the vast storage space & counter top area. Space can be limited in a tiny home so counter top space is such a luxury. By not having a fixed hob not only does it create space, but allows the opportunity for outdoor cooking.
Their van pantry essentials are: sea salt, cayenne pepper, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, paprika, raw honey & tumeric powder. All great ways to add flavour to dishes.
What’s next for featured vanlifers May, Derek & Chloe?
The couple dreamt of vanlife for 2 years before they converted their van, and their favourite place to visit so far has been boondocking at Mammoth Lakes. The area has many beautiful secluded hot springs.
As well continuing with exploring and hiking, May will continue enjoying her music & calligraphy. When the pandemic has ended and travel is more accessible the couple are planning on travelling to South America & Canada in The Ark. We’re sure Chloe is looking forward to finding more squirrels to chase!
Their tips for future vanlifers….
One tip for my fellow vanlifers is getting organized. Organization skill is one skill that you need to master when planning to live in a van. It’s all about surviving in the tiny space with only basic things that you need. You couldn’t afford to create a mess in your kitchen, leaving unwashed dishes in the sink, or fit junk food into your fridge. You need to be organized in every little aspect from cooking in your kitchen to planning where to sleep every night.
When you think of Tom Kha Soup, vanlife may not be the first thing that springs to mind. This tom kha soup with shrimp is a one pan dish, making it pretty great for vanlife.
This campervan recipe is a firm favourite of our featured vanlifers May & Derek. The pair travel in their beautifully converted van with their super cute doggy. They have a strong emphasis on eating healthily especially when travelling. Healthy eating is one of the reasons they attribute to their good health and very rarely becoming unwell.
The tom kha soup they have shared with is filling and nutritious, not to mention delicious. if you want to read their feature, you can do so right here! You can also see their main instagram account here.
If you try this vanlife recipe of Tom kha soup with shrimp, please rate it and feel free to add a comment below.
Tom Kha Soup with Shrimp
Pescatarian
This recipe of Tom Kha soup with shrimp is a favourite of May & Derek. They like to eat healthy when on their travels in the van, and this campervan recipe doesn't disappoint
For the first weekend of Spring here in the UK and we are inviting Vanlifers anywhere in the world to join us with a celebratory afternoon tea in a van.
We also have special guest Janey de Nordwall reading from her book ‘From a wonky Path to an Open Road!
What is afternoon tea?
For those of you who aren’t sure just what afternoon tea is, here is a little summary so that you too can join in and put together your very own afternoon tea picnic in your van.
Afternoon tea dates back to the 1840s in Britain and evolved as an afternoon mini-meal to curb hunger before an evening dinner party.
Typically it consisted of mini sandwiches, pastries, cakes and of course a pot of tea. During the 20th Century, the introduction of scones with cream and jam were introduced and became a staple of afternoon tea.
Queen Victoria is responsible for the growing trend of afternoon tea or “tea receptions” as it was known back then and it would typically consist of as many as 200 guests at social gatherings usually for those of higher status or class.
These days an afternoon tea is enjoyed as an occasional treat or for small homely gatherings.
One of the best places to enjoy an Afternoon Tea (apart from in a van over a video call) is whilst visiting a stately home in heart of the countryside.
You don’t have to bake or make anything in your van to join in with the eventso go grab yourselves some delicious treats to enjoy over the video call.
There are many variations of an Afternoon Tea and it can be entirely customised to suit your taste. Here are some of the classic elements found in an Afternoon Tea.
Here is our very own recipe for making mini scones in an Omnia Oven
With spring around the corner we decided to share our tasty mini scone recipe that we bake in our Omnia stove top oven. Enjoy these with a cup of tea in the sunshine!
5 from 1 vote
10 Ingredients or less - Family friendly - Stove top meal
In a suitable bowl add the flour, baking powder, sugar and butter.
Rub the mixture with your fingers until it forms a light crumbly texture.
Break the egg into a cup, add the small amount of milk and lightly whisk. Add the egg to the flour mixture a little at a time until the mixture becomes soft and sticky. Save a little egg mix for later.
Gently knead the dough and roll or press out to a 3 cm thick flat on your surface.
Cut out about 6 small discs.
Lightly grease the Omnia muffin mould and place the dough portions into the popped out inserts.
With the left over egg wash, brush on top of the scones.
Place the lid on the Omnia and bake on a low heat for about 20 minutes or until the tops of the scones start to go golden brown.
When done, place on a wire rack (or Omnia rack) to cool.
Load up with clotted cream, fruity jam and serve with a cuppa.
Meet featured vanlifers Xanthe, Martin and Reggie of @rvhomesoon.
The trio have been exploring Europe in their van Pablo. Be sure to follow them on Insta @rvhomesoon and their blog https://rvhomesoon.com to keep up-to-date with their adventures. Also make sure to check out their ‘review my shower’ features on Insta and TikTok to see the best and worst campsite showers.
Why did our featured vanlifers Xanthe & Martin decide to live the vanlife?
The couple really loved the idea of leading a minimalist lifestyle. One where they could roam anywhere with their home on wheels seemed pretty ideal to them. Just like any true Brit, they knew living this way would mean they were never too far from a perfectly brewed cuppa either.
The other main reason they wanted to travel and explore in this way is their beloved dog Reggie. Those of you with pets appreciate what a massive role they have in your life. Xanthe and Martin didn’t want to be without him, so the best solution was to take him along too! This way their 4 legged friend is with them every step of the way and can join the vanlifers on their adventures.
Experiences of our featured vanlifers…
Well these guys had been travelling full-time across Europe in their van. They returned to the UK to get Pablo his MOT and some repairs completed. Until the situation with the pandemic eases they are pretty much grounded, but are eager to get back on the road to adventure as soon as they are able to.
The highlights of their vanlife travels so far include visiting Scotland. When here they were brave enough to swim in freezing cold fairy pools at sunrise on the Isle of Skye. They also visited the Smoo caves in the Scottish Highlands. The pair managed to enjoy them completely to themselves as due to the torrential rain, there was nobody else brave enough to venture out!
Another highlight for Xanthe and Martin was parking up lakeside at Lac d’Annecy and debuting their paddleboard.
One thing we think may not be on their highlight list however, was trying to find an open launderette on a Sunday! The couple noticed a nasty smell in their van one Sunday morning in France. Originally they thought it was the filter in the air vents. Much to their horror, they soon realised cutie Reggie was the culprit! Turns out the little fella had decided to cover himself in fox poo – that stuff is like nectar to pooches. He then decided he loved it so much he wanted to share it with his adoring hoomans – ALL OVER THE VAN! Reggie was promptly rushed out for a sponge and bucket bath, much to his disgust. Poor Xanthe & Martin had to wait until first thing the next day for the launderette to wash everything they owned – oops!
During their adventures to Spain they met up with previous featured vanlifers Laura & Benedict! They enjoyed morning yoga sessions, hiking in the afternoon and toasted marshmallows over a campfire in the evenings. (Knowing Laura & Benedict we can imagine there were oats involved at some point too!)
We spied on their Instagram they found an abandoned gold mine in Rodalquilar to park up which looked awesome. Abandoned buildings always have such an air of mystery surrounding them.
What do these featured vanlifers like to eat?
Martin & Xanthe are vegetarian and enjoy a variety of vegetarian and vegan meals when on their travels. One of their recipes was very popular on Instagram with others attempting it. This recipe is on their blog and we are very pleased they decided to share it with us. Keep an eye on their blog for new recipes (there is a dedicated page for them!) For now though, here is how you can recreate their Vegan Mushroom & ale pie – Omnia style.
This recipe is a favourite for them to make together. Martin deals with the complicated pastry cutting, not an easy thing to manage with the Omnia oven. Xanthe is in charge of the delicious filling. Another favourite meal Xanthe likes to make is Sweet Potato Risotto. It’s her go-to meal in the van and she says she has made it so many times she could manage it with her eyes closed.
That doesn’t mean the duo have escaped their share of cooking disasters. Once Xanthe decided to ‘wing it’ when baking some banana bread. She didn’t use any scales for measuring. This unfortunately resulted in a volcano of banana bread all over the van kitchen.
Xanthe & Martin’s van kitchen…
When preparing to move into a home on wheels, the couple realised it would be difficult to fit all their kitchen items into their new home. They came up with a plan to reduce the items they planned to take on their travels. When cooking at home they looked at the items they didn’t use on a day to day basis such a blender, slow cooker, many pans etc. From this they were able to strip back and decide on the things that were essential for them to take with them.
One of their favourite features in their van kitchen is the slide-out pantry. They do confess it is more of a pull out pantry rather than a sliding one these days and may benefit from a little WD40. Their favourite kitchen accessory is their stove top coffee maker which helps them get a kick start to the day. Although it takes a while to perfect their coffee they say it is definitely worth it.
Xanthe says that her favourite thing about cooking in the van is that there is always a new view to look at whilst cooking. A vanlife perk for sure! She also likes to be the one to cook because it means Martin has to do the washing up.
What’s in these vanlifer’s pantry?
We always like to know what are our featured vanlifers essential food items they make sure are well stocked. Here’s what Xanthe & Martin like to make sure they have in their van:
Garlic
Risotto Rice
Coffee
Peanut butter
Biscoff spread
Oatly Milk
What’s next for Xanthe & Martin?
Both are keen to get back to adventuring with Reggie in Pablo. On their list of places to visit are Scandinavia & Greece. We are sure there are also many showers to be rated along the way. As well as morning yoga sessions with Laura & Benedict – even if they have to be virtual for now. Be sure to follow them to see where they head to next and what they think of the showers…
What advice do our featured vanlifers have for fellow vanlifers?
Xanthe & Martin recommend getting a good dustpan and brush – vanlife essential. When parked by the beach they said they would easily sweep 6 times a day.
Always double check everything is strapped down before setting off. They have had their fair share of the contents of their cupboards spilling out as they’re driving.
Finally, the unplanned adventures are often the best ones!!
This vegan mushroom & ale pie is a team effort from our featured vanlifers @rvhomesoon.
No oven? No problem. The Omnia oven means pie is definitely on the menu in this campervan.
Heat some olive oil in a pan & add the onion. Cook until softened and lightly brown (around 5mins). Add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes
Add the garlic, brown sugar and thyme.
After 30 seconds add a glug of the vegan ale, tomato puree, soy sauce and boiling water.
Crumble in the stock cube
Season well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add in the cornflour and stir until the sauce thickens.
Expertly line the Omnia with the ready rolled pastry - no easy feat
Spoon the filling into the Omnia, and add the pastry lid.
Cook over a low/medium flame for 45 minutes or until beautifully golden brown.
Cannelloni with ricotta and spinach!!....simple to do in our van. The bechamel can be substituted with cooking cream. The meat sauce can be replaced with a vegetarian sauce
Cook the spinach, and drain the excess water, if desired, it can also be minced.
Mix until all the ingredients are well blended
Boil the water and immerse the pasta for 15/20 seconds. Dry slightly to drain excess water.
Roll up as if to form a tube. Arrange Omnia on the stove, spread the meat sauce, béchamel sauce and a little grated cheese on the surface.
Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes and enjoy hot!
slurp
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site you are consenting to these cookies.OkPrivacy policy
