Lip-Smacking Rice Poppers for Snacking or Breakfast

Janet Groene’s
Rice Puppies
    This is what I call a “recreational dessert” because everyone can pitch in-- providing, of course, all precautions are taken when working with hot oil. Make these crunchy, flavorful poppers over the campfire, indoors on the RV range or outdoors in an electric skillet, a pot over your induction hot plate or in a deep fryer.
    When the cooking aromas steal out over the campsite, the gang gathers round and all the compliments are yours. The recipe is easily doubled to keep the production line going until everyone has had their fill for breakfast, dessert or snacks.  The recipe is an ideal use for leftover rice. If you make it from scratch, spread hot rice out on a strip of foil and stir with a fork to quick-cool it and keep it from clumping.

3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice or plain cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups cooked white or brown  rice
Flour (can be non-wheat flour)
Oil for frying
Powdered sugar
    In a bowl beat the eggs with sugar, salt, spice, vanilla and baking powder. Stir in rice and enough flour to make a thick dough. Heat a couple of inches of vegetable oil to 375 degrees and use two spoons to drop in rice puppies. When they are brown on all sides, remove to basket lined with paper toweling.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Repeat, keeping oil at 350-375 degrees. 

See Janet Groene's newest RV-ready recipes in her weekly blog https://campandrvcook.blogspot.com 

Smooth Moves Make a Pie

Janet Groene’s
Smoothie Pie
If you travel with a blender or other smoothie maker, as so many RV-ers do these days, this pie goes into your oven in minutes. To add texture, scatter nuts and coconut in the pie shell before adding the liquid mixture. You can also blend everything, nuts and all, into a smooth pie filling or omit the coconut and nuts completely.

1 unbaked deep dish pastry pie shell
2 eggs
½ stick softened butter
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons each flour, cornstarch and cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put liquid ingredients in the blender and mix well. Add dry ingredients and blend until satin smooth. Pour into pie shell and bake about 30-40 minutes or until filling is set and crust is golden.  Cool to lukewarm and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.  Serves 6 to 8.

Check out this week’s recipes and camp cook tips at Janet Groene’s Camp and RV Cook blog.

Flavors of the South of France

Janet Groene’s
Fireball Fish Skillet
    
Make this one-dish supper outdoors over the campfire or grill or in the RV galley using the oven. It’s a complete meal when you add chunks of peasant bread to mop up the delicious juices. You’ll need an ovenproof skillet for the two-step prep, then serve it directly out of the skillet.

2 tablespoons olive oil
About 6 miniature sweet peppers in red, green and yellow
Medium onion, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 or 3 ribs celery, sliced
2  chicken or fish bouillon cubes
1/2 cup water
4 to 6  portions thick fish such as cod, mahi-mahi or salmon
28-ounce can diced tomatoes
Hot sauce

    Seed and cut up peppers.  Sprinkle fish with salt and freshly ground pepper.
    In a large skillet over high heat, sizzle vegetables in olive oil until limp. Add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve bouillon. Nestle fish in vegetables and add tomatoes. Bring back to a boil.

    Cover at once and cook over a hot fire, or in a 450-degree oven,  about 5 minutes or just until fish is firm. Serve in shallow soup plates with chunks of hearty bread or boiled potatoes. Pass the hot sauce.
 
See more of Janet Groene’s RV-ready recipes at http://www.campandrvcook.blogspot.com