Cheerful Valley Campground

Come Camping in New York’s Finger Lakes Region

1412 Route 14, Phelps, NY 14532, 315.781.1222    Email Us

BBQ Grilled Trout in Beer Butter

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grilled-fishWe think fish taste best when it’s cooked on the grill and we know our campers love it, too. We found some helpful tips for making sure your grilled fish is delicious and good enough to feed your crew next summer.

BBQ Grilled Trout in Beer Butter – The flavors combined in this recipe with be memorable. You start with a fresh trout and stuff it full of flavor. Slice lemon, red onion, and leeks and put them into a cavity you’ve cut in the belly of the fish. Then make some slices on the outside of the fish to add more lemon slices, salt, basil, parsley, and chives can also go inside. Pepper it all well and drizzle with olive oil.

Set this marvel on the grill and you can then mix butter with chopped onion, parsley, and garlic. Salt and pepper it well and then pour a splash of beer into the mix. Stir it all together and then add chunks of the butter mixture in the slices  and center of the fish. Cook 5 – 10 minutes and you’ll be ready to eat the best trout you’ve had in a long time.

You can see the whole process done in the video below. We hope you enjoy plenty of delicious grilled fish while camping next year.

 

How to Bake in a Dutch Oven

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Dutch Oven cookingLewis and Clark brought one to the wilderness. So did the early pioneers to Utah (it’s now the official state cooking vessel). And so should you, because it means you’ll get to bake–and eat–carbs in camp. All you need is a 6-qt. camp Dutch oven (one with legs and a flanged lid; lodgemfg.com), some regular (not competition-style) charcoal and a chimney or hot embers from a wood campfire, and a heatproof spot like a fire ring or bricks set flat on an area free of flammable material; check your campground’s fire rules.

  1. Prepare the fire. If using charcoal: Light 50 briquets in a chimney and burn till they’re spotted gray, 15 minutes. If using a campfire: Scrape the fire to the side, level out a space the size of the Dutch oven, and mound the hot embers nearby (2 to 3 qts. worth).
  2. Lay a bottom ring of hot coals. The area of the coals should be slightly smaller than the circumference of the dutch oven. Put the oven on top and set the lid in place.
  3. Lay a top ring of hot coals. Use metal tongs to arrange a single ring on top of the lid around the lip. Evenly space a few more coals across the lid. Set any extra heated fuel aside. To check the food and temperature, lift the lid occasionally.
  4. Tweak the temperature. To decrease heat, scrape away some fuel. To increase heat, or to cook longer than 45 minutes, add 5 or 6 new coals to both the top and the bottom of the dutch oven (touching lit ones so they’ll ignite) about every 30 minutes.

Marinade Recipes To Jazz Up Your Grilling

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Grilled_steak_marinadeCamping is the time for cooking on the grill and for enjoying a variety of foods you can’t eat all year. Making a flavorful marinade can add to the flavor of your food making the meal even better. Marinades can be used on meat, poultry, even vegetables. Here are a few you might like to try.

Basic Meat Marinades

In a container with a covered lid (plastic zippered bag, glass jar or plastic lidded container) add in the following:

1/3 cup oil (options: olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil or vegetable oil)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of sugar or honey

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (if desired) or you can use 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder.

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Other seasonings as desired (cracked black pepper, salt etc.)

Add in 3 to 4 pounds of meat (slice thinly or leave whole depending on what you’re planning to cook for dinner).

Allow the meat to marinade for several hours or overnight and cook as desired. The longer the meat marinates, the more tender and flavorful it will be when it’s served.

 

Basic Vegetable Marinade

4 to 6 baking-sized potatoes scrubbed and sliced into bite sized pieces.

You can use carrots, celery, and mushrooms or other root vegetables as desired as long as you reduce the number of potatoes accordingly.

1 package of dry onion soup mix

1/3 cup oil

One 12 ounce can of beer if desired.

 

Allow the above to sit and marinade for 2 hours and then bake either in a campfire or a hot oven until the vegetables are tender. Serve hot and enjoy.

Special Note: When preparing chicken or pork, pre-cook the meat and brush the marinade on the meat as it’s cooking for the best results.

Adjust these recipes to your family’s taste preferences.

Healthy Snacks For Your Little Campers

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healthy snacksDo you ever find yourself surprised at how much your kids can eat when you are camping? They may be asking for something to snack on every time you turn around. It’s because their little bodies are working hard at having fun. There is so much to do and those little legs have to move a lot to make any headway. They have been running, swimming, laughing and playing. They are little calorie burning machines. You can keep some healthy snacks on hand to satisfy their hunger and not ruin their dinner.

1. Ants On A Log

Grab some celery and peanut butter and a small box of raisins. Slice celery sticks, spread some peanut butter (we like the honey peanut butter) on them and place three or four raisins in the peanut butter.

2. Apples And Peanut Butter

Take along a bag of your favorite apples and some peanut butter. Core the apple and slice into wedges and serve with peanut butter as a dip. Kids love to dip foods into dip. So make the dip healthy.

3. Cheese And Crackers

Slice some cheese or make cubes and serve with some crackers and if desired a dip. You could also use pretzels if desired.

4. Make Beef Jerky

If you’re into homemade snacks, you could make some beef jerky before you go. Simply buy a skirt steak and slice it thin, marinade it for a few hours and then place it on your food dehydrator until it’s done. Jerky is done when it’s pliable.

5. Fresh Fruit

Take along some fruit and make a fruit platter to snack from. You could also add in some chunks of cheese and some peanut butter to dip things in.

6. Power Sticks

Pack some carrot sticks and some celery sticks along with broccoli (trees) and pea pods. Serve with a healthy dip. Kids love dipping so this gets the veggies into them in a fun fashion. You can find a lot of great easy to make dip recipes and create your own healthy dip. Hummus is a favorite in many households.

These healthy snacks will help keep kids energized and help you to avoid sugary snacks that aren’t healthy. You can rest assured knowing they are getting the nutrients they need to keep them going all day as they enjoy all the outdoors has to offer.

3 Fruit Desserts You’ll Want To Try On Your Next Camping Trip

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fruit desserts at the campsiteOne of the best things about camping is enjoying food that you never tried. The food you eat while camping doesn’t have to be only melted cheese or grilled meat. If you want to find out what three fruit desserts you should give a try, then continue to read on.

1. Bananas Foster- you need a few ripe bananas, cut into small pieces and then add a tiny bit of butter to them. We recommend adding a tbsp of butter, as well as about a fourth of a cup of cinnamon, brown sugar and rum extract. You should also use a tsp. of vanilla.

This sweet and creamy mixture can be used to top pound cake. You can pour it over the pound cake after you have grilled the ingredients for about six minutes. Make sure you add a bit of whipped cream after you have completed your dessert. It’s the perfect finishing touch.

2. Mountain Pie- The ingredients for this include peanut butter, chocolate chips, marshmallows, butter, bread, sliced bananas, shredded coconut and some Nutella. Take the ingredients and spread on bread so you have a sandwich. You can light roast the sandwich and then eat it warm or you can eat it later when it’s cooled. The choice is completely up to you.

3. Fruit Jello- This is a classic dessert recipe and it’s very easy to make. You cannot go wrong with a nice cup of Jello and your favorite fruit, and feel free to mix the two together. This dessert is easy, convenient and you can bring it with you on hikes so you can eat it afterward.

The above fruit desserts are all easy to make, so add them to your recipe book because you’ll definitely want to keep them on hand for your next camping trip. You will love how they taste and the chances are you’ll want to make them at home. They taste good and they are fun to make, so give them a try today.

Mistakes To Avoid When Making A Camping Marinade

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Marinade recipes for campingGoing camping is exciting, especially when you factor in cooking food over a campfire. While some people believe that food cooked this way is typically bland, it is your job to give it as much flavor as possible. Creating a marinade will be the key to your problems, as long as you avoid these errors.

Marinating your food for too little time means that it will not absorb as much flavor as you had hoped for. As a result, your food may not taste much different from the hum-drum, boring camping cuisine you are used to. Ideally, your meat should sit in the mixture you made for at least two hours. This will help break down the meat and ensure a more powerful flavor.

Using lots of sugar is a big no-no. The more sweetener you use, the more likely your food will be to burn. If you insist on having a marinade that has a good amount of sugar, try grilling your meat until it is nearly done, brushing on the marinade and cooking for just a bit longer. You will have all of the flavor you have been looking for without too much char.

Avoid brushing cooked food with the leftover marinade you used for raw items. This is a great way to end up in the doctor’s office stricken with food poisoning. Reserve some of the marinade early on to avoid any cross contamination. The only way you can safely use this would be to bring it to a boil. This will kill off any bacteria lingering there.

Whether you are planning to use a simple marinade containing citrus and herbs or you want to go for something with a little more kick, using the advice here will help you create a better culinary experience. Keep all of this in mind the next time you embark on a camping trip.

Your RV’s Microwave/Convection Oven

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RV Microwave Convection OvenMore often, now, you’ll see that RVs are coming equipped with a combination microwave/convection oven. Most of us haven’t really worked with one before and it can be confusing. A lot of people mention that they had their rig for a long time before even trying the convection option. Most of them tend to say that they should have done it sooner because now they love it.

The convection part of your microwave uses heat and a fan to cook your food. One of the first rules to pay attention to is reading the owner’s manual. Really, you should read it. There is a lot of information in it that will help you to get so much more use out of your convection oven if you read up on it first.

You should use the racks that come with it because your food will need to be suspended so heat can circulate around it. Regular cookware works just fine though some people recommend choosing shallow dishes instead of deeper ones.

Be sure to let the oven preheat. Most of the early mistakes we hear about is that one. They failed to preheat the oven first. Cooking times are about 20% faster and temperatures are somewhat lower, too. So read the manual and preheat the oven. When you do those things you are more than half way there.

Your food will cook through and you can achieve a crispy crust outside and maintain a soft interior, just like in your regular oven. Some people remark that they now use their regular RV oven for storage and use their convection oven solely for cooking the family meals.

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