After having travelled for some months we have had many opportunities to cook different dishes with our equipment and to diversify them from time to time. We are using the regulable Optimus Nova stove which we fuel with ordinary petrol since Hungary (before that we bought clean petrol in hardware stores) without any problems. Other important pieces of our equipment are our two pots as well as one lid and one non-stick frying pan – having two pots is essential for most of our recipes. The bigger pot is coated and is therefore well suited for cooking whereas our smaller pot is a simple iron sheet pot which serves as our bowl as well. This is convenient because it won’t get scratches when we use a metal spoon for eating out of it. At this point we would like to share some of our recipes. They stood the test of time because they are simple, nutritious and tasty.


Breakfast
Oat Flakes Porridge

  • Oat flakes (alternatively finely ground bulgur or rice flour)
  • Honey
  • Nuts or trail mix
  • Fruits (e.g. apples, berries, bananas…)
  • Cinnamon
  • Luxury version: add a cup of yoghurt or a bit of cream

Chop fruits and bring them to a boil with nuts, honey, cinnamon and some water, then add oat flakes and let it steep covered for some minutes (the waiting time can be conveniently used to put down the tent). If at hand you may add the yoghurt or cream directly before eating the porridge.

 

Rice Pudding
  • Rice (long grain rice or risotto rice will do fine for those who don’t want to cycle around the world carrying stuff like a pack of pudding rice)
  • Milk
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon
  • Fruits

Let rice soak in milk overnight in a covered pot and cook it with the remaining ingredients until the consistency turns mushy the next morning.

 

Main Courses
Pasta with Tomato Sauce and Vegetables (The Classic)
  • Pasta
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Canned tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper, if available herbs make this dish a lot better!

Cook vegetables with some water and add the tomato sauce in the end. Add spices and put it aside covered in the second pot. Use again the first pot to cook the pasta and clean it at the same time.

 

Vegetable Rice with Soy Sauce
  • Rice
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Peanuts (if you like them)
  • Soy sauce

Add desired amount of rice (for us both 4 hands full are enough) and twice as much water to the big pot. If you do this step first it is easier to estimate the required amount of water. Add the chopped vegetables next and the peanuts if you have them. Flavour the dish in the bowl with soy sauce, other spices are not necessary.

 

Rice with Beans
  • Rice
  • Beans in tomato sauce
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic

Add desired amount of rice (for us both 4 hands full are enough) and twice as much water to the big pot. If you do this step first it is easier to estimate the required amount of water. Add the chopped vegetables next and heat the beans with it in the end. Alternatively you can change the recipe into a tomato risotto by leaving out the beans.

 

Fried Rice with Vegetables

  • Rice
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • 2 eggs
  • Oil
  • Bacon (optional)

Add desired amount of rice (for us both 4 hands full are enough) and twice as much water to the big pot. If you do this step first it is easier to estimate the required amount of water. Add the chopped vegetables next. When the rice is done fry the dish in oil and add the eggs.

 

Curry with Potatoes and Lentils
  • Potatoes
  • Red lentils
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Coconut milk
  • Curry and other spices (paprika, ground cumin, etc.)

Boil finely chopped potatoes with other vegetables with a long cooking time (e.g. carrots). Add remaining vegetables and lentils when potatoes are half done. Add coconut milk in the end and season to taste. This dish is well-suited for a spread the next day so you may as well cook a generous portion of it.

 

Fried Potatos with Vegetables and Fried Eggs
  • Potatoes
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Oil
  • Bacon (optional)
  • Eggs

Peel and finely chop potatoes to reduce the cooking time and fry them in oil until they are almost done, then add remaining vegetables and bacon if you have it. Season it to taste with salt and pepper. Fried eggs match well with this dish.

 

Potato Casserole in a Pot
  • Potatoes (or pasta if you prefer that)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Bacon (optional)
  • Oil
  • UHT cream
  • 4 eggs
  • Cheese

Peel and finely chop potatoes to reduce the cooking time and fry them in oil until they are almost done, then add onions, garlic and bacon. Add cream and whisked eggs next and finally add grated cheese until the consistency is as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Vegetable Soup
  • Potatoes or pasta (add tomato sauce to make a minestrone)
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Buillon cube

Cook potatoes or pasta with vegetables plenty of water with a buillon cube.

 

Vegetable Couscous with Salami

  • Couscous
  • Vegetables of your choice (e.g. zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, carrot, broccoli…)
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Tomatos
  • Salami
  • Oil
  • Herbs, very good would be Ras-el-Hanout

Fry vegetables and add garlic and salami towards the end (otherwise it would burn) and put aside in the bowl. Cook couscous and mix it with the vegetables. If you want cook more couscous than needed and use the leftovers in a salad the next day (see following recipe).

 

Couscous or Pasta Salad
  • Cooked couscous or pasta (possibly leftovers from the last dinner)
  • Tomatos
  • Cucumber
  • Onion
  • Balsamic vinegar
  • Oil
  • Peanuts (if you like them)
  • Herbs

Mix ingredients and season to taste with balsamic vinegar, oil and herbs.

 

Bruschetta
  • Bread
  • Oil
  • Tomatos
  • Herbs

Bruschetta is a convenient possibility to use up stale white bread. Roast the slices in a pan until they turn golden and dribble some oil over it and put some finely chopped tomatos on top. Season to taste with salt, pepper and some herbs.


 

Of course the ever-changing environment during travelling influences what and how exactly we are cooking because it simply gets difficult to always find all the ingredients as we know them at home – on the other hand this means more variety. In Muslim countries like Turkey and Iran we have obviously no longer found bacon. In general we haven’t cooked much meat though as it has the unfortunate habit of spoiling quickly in the heat.

If you have any suggestions we would be happy to read them in the comments!

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