Bacon veggie burger. That's OK right?

Last night after picking up some tofu from the local Piggly Wiggly I was struck that it is nearly July fourth. I needed to be grilling something!

The Pig inspired me to get the veggie burgers out of the freezer and onto the grill. I had cooked up some turkey bacon a few days ago and thought yum. Also at the pig I picked up some pimento cheese. Being in Savannah Georgia I was tempted to try the locally made pimento cheese. I couldn't do it. It was too crazy with sun dried tomatoes and diced green chilies. I chose my favorite palmetto cheese made in South Carolina. Jeff chose pepper jack for his cheese burger. (Yes more pimento for me!)

Of course we didn't have buns so English muffins would be the sub. I toasted them on the grill along with the burgers remembering this time to spray the burgers with Pam so they wouldn't stick.

At the last moment  I got a wild hair and decided to grill the bacon. You know to warm it up give it a good sizzle? Ha! It flamed up within seconds and was on fire. I just closed the lid turned off the grill and watched the flames licking out of the top vents. Note to self don't grill turkey bacon for more than 3 seconds! It might have worked out OK if I had turned off the grill and then placed the bacon on the hot grill.  That stuff could be used as wonderful kindling.

I made a broccoli slaw. Using a bag of shredded veggies some Newman's own Caesar dressing some mustard mayo and white wine vinegar and some cracked pepper and salt as the dressing. I would add cabbage next time to round out the flavor of the broccoli. It was a very filling summer dinner.

Salmon on the grill

Wow, I have found a great way to cook the salmon I have on our grill. I purchased, I think at the grocery store Harris Teeter in Mooresville, NC, some cedar planks (Fire & Flavor). There are four to a package and if I were at home I can see how these could be reused. We don't have that much fresh water to be scrubbing and I don't know if I could stand the smokey smell in the cabin of the sailboat. I might forget and think the engine is running hot! 

At any rate the directions say to soak them for an hour prior to putting them on a grill that is 375°-400°. Bud Lovett gave us an infrared red thermometer so we used that to tell what the temp was on the grill. Then you heat the planks for 3 minutes and add the fish skin side down to the hot plank. Oh the smell is wonderful and it imparts such a great flavor to the fish. The back of the package had a recipe for salmon so I tried it. Perfect!

For each piece of fish smear on some mustard about 1/2 tsp each. Your choice I had brown grain but the recipe called for dijon. On top of this sprinkle brown sugar about 1/2 Tbsp each. Then sprinkle on some dried rosemary. Not a lot just a few leaves. Crack some pepper and dash of salt. You are done no mixing and just the measuring spoons to clean up! After the planks preheat on the grill I suggest turning the grill to low and cooking for 8 minutes with the lid on. Dress the fish with a squeeze of fresh lemon. If you don't have lemon its OK use lime or none at all. You are done. I did not turn down the grill and the planks caught fire and the fish was slightly crispy on the edges. Not bad but could have been better. I did have to throw the burning planks overboard. I did not soak them long enough if I had followed the directions I might have been able to reuse them. The directions also said I should have put both fillets on one plank. Learning all the time! 

So if you see cedar planks in your grocery store or online pick some up. They are great and a natural way to add flavor to grilled veggies fish chicken...whatever you might try! If you have used these things before let me know how you used them. I like it!

Morning Glory Muffins

My favorite thing on this boat besides Jeff, is my oven. 

I love to cook. I love to take random things and pile them together heat them up and call it dinner. Best of all I can bake while aboard. I know not everyone loves to cook and some folks even think they can't but really if you can read you can cook. If you are a careful reader you can bake basic things. If you are a technical reader you can bake anything and do everything.

I am not a technical reader, but I still try my hand at bread and other difficult things. I do like to make muffins and scones and once with help I made cupcakes and someday I will learn to make cookies. Baby steps.

Today I made morning glory muffins. I copied the recipe and it is attached. I got it from KingArthurFlour.com surprise surprise. I wish I had taken photos of the process but my hands were messy.

I did take a photo of the dirty dishes! And most importantly the final product. These are great for breakfast or a snack on passages as they are healthy and hardy.

I did substitute some things. I used craisins instead of raisins. One cup of oil and 3/4 cups of yogurt instead of the eggs and orange juice. I also filled the cups full. I usually only do 2/3 of the way full but I couldn't imagine the oven on for another 28 minuets the cabin is hot enough!

The down side of these muffins is either the baking soda did not get really mixed in or there was not enough acid to really react the baking soda. Some of the muffins were a little...basic.

I like mine with lettuce and tomato

Time for some cheeseburgers in paradise! Now as Jimmy Buffet croons there are lots of steps to this recipe. I of course had to make a few substitutions!
We have turkey burgers in the freezer, everything bagels in the fridge and we are out of hinze 57 and instead of French fried potatoes and a kosher pickle we have a quinoa salad with cucumbers feta craisins and pistachios with red wine vinegar and oil.
Wonderful!

Chicken on the grill

Dinner tonight as it is so hot in the cabin will be grilled. I bought in the states individually wrapped organic chicken breasts that were and still are frozen. I took 2 out to defrost while I prepped the rest. I wanted some roasted potatoes so I checked out my potato bin. Yuck when potatoes go off they are a horrible smell. How did we not realize this sooner. Well to the trash they went. I just purchased these in marathon too! Bummer with the rest I inspected them any black sports or soft spots they were trash too. That left me out of a 5 pound bag 5 red skinned potatoes. I decided to cook them all. No sense in wasting more food.
Who am I kidding we would eat them all we love roasted potatoes. OK so with the foil on the table I wrapped up the sliced potatoes. They were  dusted with salt and pepper and drizzled with the rosemary olive oil Muriel got for me before we left. Then pinched the sides closed and place on the hot grill for 25 minutes.
As an aside I really like these oils but am learning they are finishing oils. The flavors cook out even the spicy ones really mellow out. I think I will get more but know they are eating oils not cooking oils.
Next to get ready in its packet were the green beans trimmed of ends rinsed the water from rinsing will steam the beans. I wrapped them up and placed them on the grill for 15 minutes. They shared the grilled with the potatoes.
I chicken was defrosted but really thick so I butterflied the breasts and rubbed on stonewall kitchen  chicken and pork rub. Note to self, a little goes a very long way. We were scraping off the rub when eating  as it was too much. So this 4oz can will last quite awhile.
I popped these pieces of chicken on the grill 7 minutes a side. That gave the potatoes and green beans a chance to relax and were perfect for eating  when the chicken was done!

Hot day on the water

Another sunny stormy day in the Bahamas lead me to the grill. I wanted good food fast. Aluminium foil to the rescue! My last attempt to grill salmon was a messy disaster. I wrapped the 2 fillets with salt and pepper and lemon slices up in the foil and placed them on the grill. No flipping required just 8 minutes and the a few to rest and I opened perfectly cooked fillets. While the salmon was on the grill Annie's Mac and cheese was put into motion. As the pasta cooked I cleaned and cut up broccoli. Using the pasta water to help steam the broccoli is one way to save on water. I drained the pasta over the broccoli in a colander then added the sauce ingredients I poured the broccoli on top and shut the lid to finish steaming the veggies.
Pull off the salmon skin and serve!

After clearing customs

As Jeff stated we enjoyed our really brief tie up to Chub Cay Marina's fuel dock. On to Bird Cay we sailed. I started up dinner early so as to not over heat the boat. We had seared tuna steaks sauteed broccoli and quinoa with cilantro. Yes its true I dislike cilantro. But he likes it so much. Compromises. He didn't like the over night passage menu. Compromises.

YUM Cilantro!  Some help with my Scrabble tiles please.

So again with the simple is better. Just some salt and pepper.  Cook in a hot pan with some oil. I like olive oil. Cook for a few moments on each side. We like our steaks rare. And that's it. I cooked the broccoli in the same pan. Then boil water same ratio as rice 2 water to 1 rice. Cook 20 minutes add chopped cilantro salt and pepper and dinner is done.

We have been eating for sure!

Passage making for me is nerve wracking. I am excited and scared. Going over watery depths that the sounders can't gauge makes me realize how small 34 feet is. With that said we don't eat much when I feel queasy. Lays potato chips, rice cakes, apples, and tea. That is my recipe for a successful overnight passage. I know gross but that's what works for me. Poor Jeff he has to starve or eat this stuff with me.  He did try a rice cake. I don't  think they are his thing.

We did make it to the Bahamas and anchored somewhere between Cat Cay and Chub Cay. We did eat dinner to celebrate our tenacity in pursuit! 

I simply grilled 2 chicken breasts just salt and pepper and served it sliced over a salad of romaine lettuce and feta cheese with sliced cucumbers red onion and garbanzo beans. Delish!

Also the drinks are made of homemade ginger ale! More on that later!

Making Almond Milk on board

OK its really easy and can be donw on board. You need...

1. Blender or an immersion blender (I use a Cuisinart cordless/rechargeable hand blender on board the boat.)
2. Strainer or coffee filters
3. Almonds
4. Water. 

That's it! Sweetener and real vanilla extract if you want but I like it just fine with out it.

Steps

Soak 1/2 cup of almonds in water over night. Rinse in the morning. 24 hours of soaking is max otherwise they get kind of funky.

Fill blender or cup with the soaked rinsed almonds and 4 cups of water.
Blend for 2 minutes. Don't skimp

Then strain the mixture into a clean container.  Squeeze out any excess water from the almonds. 

There you have almond milk. I let it set for a day or 2 before drinking. Tastes better. Lasts about a week!

Do not throw away the almonds. Make something with them scones or cookies or pesto. They are delish so please reuse.

Who wants pizza?

Here is the best recipe I have used in a long time - King Arthur Flour Pizza Dough.

On the boat I use half or a third of the dough for one pizza.  The remainder of the can be placed in the fridge for the night and become cinnamon rolls the next day.  The dough is very forgiving and the crust is crispy on the bottom and soft crumb on the inside.

We were due for some homemade bread products and I aim to deliver!
I sauced ,cheesed, spinach, pepper and turkey pepperoni!  It was in the oven at 350 for 35 min as the oven just got only that hot today.

Hot stuff!

Thank goodness for the internet! For so many reasons but mainly because I was so excited to make a recipe out of the latest bon appetite magazine. Sesame noodles with chili oil. I left the magazine at the outward bound base camp. Dang it! Now what? I guess I will check my email. Wow, best idea ever. One of my favorite food blogs www.lottieanddoof.com covered this very recipe! I opened the email read his review and what he would change. Voila the recipe was at the end of the post.
I thought I had everything for this rice noodle salad. I know I said no more salad but this is different right? Well, I didn't have everything but I had good substitutions.
Recipe
1tbs orange harbenaro olive oil
1 pkg rice noodles soaked for 5 min in hot water to soften then drain
1 grated carrot
1/4 of onion thinly sliced
4 baby bell peppers thinly sliced
Sauce mix together and add to noodles and veggies
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup tamari
1 tbs sesame oil
As an added kick we dressed the salad with siracha maybe too much?
It turned out well and for dessert we were treated with the most beautiful sunset.

No more salt!

We were quite the crawdad eaters yesterday. We woke up feeling a bit parched. It was not from lack of libations the night before!

We needed to eat some of the fresh peppers that we had and have a bit of a detox. I know! Detox pasta. Ha.

I found in my new favorite cookbook, cooks illustrated cooking light, a roasted red pepper sauce  for the whole wheat pasta that we have on board. Add spinach and fresh tomato and we might have a winner

.
It was OK. I did get to use my immersion blender which was fun but the flavors were lacking I used no salt at all and did not roast the peppers long enough so they were fresh tasting instead of blending all together. Like I said it was OK. It was really much more fun to cook.

We were both exhausted as well since we left snake creek to avoid a storm only to be chased by one and ran into driving  stinging rain. We picked up a ball in marathon after hours and just ate and fell asleep.

Snake creek fun

We had a good sail from everglades city to snake creek. We anchored off the channel by a no wake sign. I decided we did not have to have a salad but a light dinner was in order.

I sauteed 2 chicken breasts in a special oil Jeff's mom and I got when we went to an olive oil and vinegar shop. A little bit goes a long way. So I used cooking spray cooked the chicken then drizzled on the plate some of the orange habanero oil and mixed it with the cranberry pear vinegar. When the chicken was done I placed it on the plate and rolled it in the mixture. The smell was divine. I wish I had sliced it and then added the mixture. Next time. In the same pan I added sliced garlic broccoli rabe and some of the blood orange olive oil. That cooked down and on the plate it went. I salt and peppered the whole thing before serving. And voila super easy dinner for 2 and only one pan to clean. We could have had a starch or rice or quinoa or Israeli couscous but I really did not want to heat up the cabin. So while it might be bland on the plate there were no leftovers! I suggest going really easy on the habanero oil. It can over power the meal for sure.

We were really lucky as our friends Eric and Kim had invited us to a crawfish boil. I had never been to one so again a first for me!

 I enjoyed the claws more than the tails. Sorry to all the  Louisiana folks but I could not get the hang of sucking out the tails so I pealed them like shrimp deveined them and ate them. Yum. I did love the claw meat so sweet! Worth effort for sure. Thanks folks for the delish experience I loved it!

Smoothie Time in Snake Creek Anchorage

Anne's using her battery powered immersion blender to whip up morning smoothies on the water.  Yum!  Also notice the romaine lettuce she is growing on board.

Back on the water back to the galley

The galley wench is back and I am ready to share my learning's on the go. This trip is full of them so far. Number one make a pantry list and stick to it. I know this but I thought I would just wing it. Well that was like going to the grocery store hungry and no list. Crazy.
So here are some learning's...

• Check to make sure the fresh items you have purchased will all fit in the fridge. Then stop buying items that need to be refrigerated.
• Check to make sure all the cool new oils and vinegars that you bought at the fancy store will fit before buying a gallon of coconut oil and forgetting to buy regular olive oil or canola oil.
• Check to make sure you have all the ingredients to that complicated recipe you just read in the latest bon appetite magazine and don't forget said magazine at your office desk.
• Make sure you have enough lettuce even though you have learned to make more and you are fully prepared to make spouts. Then don't go out and buy even more because you can't remember if you got the lettuce on you first provisioning run.
• Remember the yogurt starter you made but don't forget the milk to make more yogurt.
• Remember all the steps to making that super good almond milk. Buy a new immersion blender to make the milk bring the almonds and don't forget that special strainer to actually make the milk.
• Are you getting the picture? Lists are good. Following the list is an even better idea. My memory is really good for some things and then others? Not so much.

So we had salads for the first few days. Lunch and dinner. Super good for us. Super healthy. Not a huge bummer but by day three I was psyched not to have a salad!

Our first evening we had a big green salad and I grilled 2 salmon filets to go with it.

My learning here was I forgot my metal spatula for the grill and salmon skin really sticks to the grill. I have cedar planks for this reason but FORGOT all about them. Dinner was great and we are on the water. Can I really complain?

Lunch on day 2 - Salad Cheese & Crackers

Enjoy!

Dinner Day 13

We are finally in the warm temps. Phew, shed a layer I am so happy but... with the warm weather comes the bugs with the bugs comes the fear of opening hatches. If the hatches are not open the cabin gets stuffy if I want to cook using the stove that adds another layer of heat and stuffiness. I forgot about that. So, we ate appetizers prior to the sun going down it was lovely in the cockpit. I was in no hurry at all then all of a sudden the bugs came out as if they had not been fed in a very long time. Swarms of them, oh my! We were on a dock in Moorehaven,  FL No where to escape to. So we let the sun go down, bug hour, then decided to have a lovely cold salad with leftover bread. It was a really good meal! Happy accidents.

Day 12

We were on our way to the St Lucie Lock from Ft Pierce. We thought we would fight tide the whole way but lucky us it was with us and we could sail. Its getting warmer. I am not a fan of chilly weather so this makes me happy. We had till about 12:30 of sunny warm weather then these crazy rain/thunder storms came through. We made it to the lock by 13:00, but they had us circle in the rain till almost 16:00! Poor
Jeff he was out there in the thick of it. I made him tea and kept him abreast of when the rain might stop using my phones raindar app. We got to the St Lucie Lock campground on the other side of the lock and pulled in for the night.

I cut up some cheeses and salami and served it with these new Triscuits that have black pepper on them, yum! I made a green salad since we had to have ports closed due to the rain. Simple but satisfying.

Planning

Some folks have asked me how I have all of the things on board to be able to make the things I do. Well, because of my job as a kitchen manager for the last nearly 20 years I have had the unique training to think a month in advance. When I make my grocery shopping list at home or on board it is nor to simply replace what I have used up but to project what will I need for the next "x" amount of time. I know I can't always do what I want to do because things happen, fruit ripens quicker or not at all, the fridge accidentally freezes the lettuce. So I have back ups. I am not anti processed food so, I have some on board but I enjoy cooking. I enjoy the process of combining ingredients adding heat and creating something totally new. When working with dairy ingredients making yogurts or cheese I feel like a chemist. It awakens something in me, another way to express creativity. I also don't follow recipes very well. I like to look at about 6 different ones and then combine or alter due to allergies or what I have available. But again, I like that it keeps my brain active.
So, here was my proposed menu plan for this trip. 17 days or so was the plan, no need to really stock up on too much as we are travelling domestically. I do have a tenancy to over purchase!

Dinner options:
Mushroom/spinach enchiladas
Sweet potato black bean Burritos
Boboli pizza veggie
Red curry with tofu
Green curry with tofu
Bean chili with corn sticks
Pasta with red sauce and homemade bread x 2
Ceasar salad with salmon
Chicken marsala broccoli with potatoes
Lindsay green tofu potatoes and broccoli
Fajitas

So far on this trip we have had our lettuce freeze, tangerines rot, green peppers disintegrate  Our cauliflower  spinach and carrots also froze but I just plan on using them that way. Its hard for lettuce to recover from a freeze.

We did just do a quick resupply more spinach and more lettuce. So we shall see how that goes.
Enjoy!

Dinner Day 11

Last trip north I was trying to figure out what on board could I use to pound chicken thin. Then our friends Alan and Marcia came to visit us in Ft. Pierce. They had been reading the blog and came bearing a gift of a meat tenderizer!  Ah ha the perfect thing to use to pound my chicken thin. Thank you for that! In honor of them I made Chicken Marcia! We were pulled into ft pierce to work on the engine pick up parts and buy more produce. I was so upset in Beaufort when I froze all my greens in my fridge on land prior to boarding. Arrrgh !

So Chicken Marcia is like chicken marsala just lighter. Not as much butter but flavorful and rich and delish.
Pound on the flat side of your trusty meat tenderizer organic chicken cutlets that have been washed and patted dry between 2 sheets of plastic or a ziplock bag. You don't have to be strong here they will get too thin ig you are overzealous!

Dredge these thin pieces in wondra flour that is mixed with some kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
Drizzle some olive oil in the pan and 1/2 tablespoon of butter (this is for 2 servings) you are not trying to deep fry these things just sautee and crisp them up. Flip over after about a minute or 2. Cook for one minute more.

Transfer these yummies to a plate
.
Add the othe 1/2 of tablespoon of butter to the pan then add in a clove or two of crushed/ pressed garlic and a box of sliced fresh mushrooms. You could use less but I love mushrooms! Let them cook out their water then add 1/2 cup marsala wine and reduce by half and and 3/4 cup of stock and reduce by half. Stir in one more tablespoon of butter then add the chicken back in for a few minutes just to warm them up. If you don't want to use the wine use all stock. I like to serve this with a green veggie either a salad or broccoli or asparagus. Also I like a simple starch of oven roasted potatoes. This is a hearty meal.

Dinner Day 10

Wow go from dog tired to inspired! Bread! When Jeff and his father did this trip last year I included a no knead yeast bread. They loved that it heats up the cabin makes the whole boat smell good! So, it was still chilly I though I would try my hand at this. I got hot water, possibly too hot as the bread did not rise as much as I thought it would, added it to the yeast and sugar packet, too much sugar for my preference, and waited for it to bubble. Once it bubbled I added the flour and stirred and stirred with my wooden spoon. Then I plopped it on to a baking sheet which come to think of it might have robbed it of any heat created by the warm water and waited for it to rise. And rise it did. In the oven for 20 minutes and out came a delish round of bread. I wonder if I could have shaped bagguetts? Hmmmm. Next time maybe.

I really wanted to eat the whole thing for dinner with bread some jam and call it done. Cooler head prevailed and we added a Ceasar salad with the last of the lettuce. I have a cheese grater I got when working a wonderful kitchen store in Brevard, NC called the Proper Pot.  It's made by a Swiss company called Zyliss. Its perfect for boaters because it is made of plastic and stainless steel. Match made in heaven. Also its super easy to clean! Dreamy. So with that said I usually by hunks of parm and grate it myself with no fear of hurting my knuckles.
 
Cheers!