Many of us like to celebrate significant events in life in nature: in a forest glade, by a lake or river, near the sea in the sand. What could be better than breaking out of the annoying bustle of the city at least for a few hours, and preferably for the whole weekend. Whether a tent, a wooden house in the forest, a car as a place to sleep, a five-star apartment - for many there is no significant difference. The main thing here is to go barefoot, sing songs by the fire, chat with friends, swim in the river, but how many pleasures you get from the trip? But an important question: "What to cook in nature?" also quite relevant. After all, even for a one-day picnic you will not be able to take everything ready with you, especially if the trip is long and in the hot season. And even more so if three-day communication with nature is supposed. In this material, we will try to fantasize with you what to cook on a table in nature, so that a holiday spent in “field conditions” will be a success.
Natural menu
As a rule, intentionally, when planning to go on a short forest rest, rarely does anyone think out the menu so scrupulously. Usually rely on intuition and Russian maybe. But the main dishes and snacks still need to imagine, at least in order to bring along the right foods and in the right amount. Therefore, it is not out of place to sketch out an approximate list of dishes on a piece of paper. Typically, a list of what to cook for a holiday in nature, may consist of one or two main dishes and several appetizers and salads. All sorts of sandwiches and their derivatives are well used: canapes, tartans, tartlets, sandwiches (we'll talk about their great variety and quick ways to feed a whole crowd a little later). It is also worth considering drinks, especially if going out with children is supposed. But let's talk about everything in order.
Main dishes
What can be prepared for a picnic in nature, you should think in advance. The top of the most popular dishes, of course, include dishes made on a live fire, on the grill or other devices for frying. But the variations of these dishes can be very different: barbecue, meat on the grill, barbecue, baked fish, kebab. Baked vegetables on the grill and baked potatoes as a pioneer side dish are also popular among the people. In order to prepare all this, it is necessary to carry out some preliminary actions, without which the holiday will certainly be incomplete.
Preparatory work
- At least you need a barbecue. Simple small folding braziers are very popular today, which are easy to install almost anywhere. Attention: when using the barbecue in the forest (and not only) it is necessary to observe fire safety rules and not let small children get into the burning fire: this is fraught with the fact that your holiday may soon end in failure.
- You also need to take care of the wood and coal that you will use to make a fire. Hoping that we supposedly go to the forest anyway and there’s always a bunch of firewood should not be. Firstly, there may be many people like you, and natural firewood can simply be taken apart. And then you spend a certain amount of time to find them all the same. And secondly, not all firewood can make good fried meat, keep this in mind. Therefore, we buy a couple of good bundles of firewood and, in addition to them, a bag of charcoal (sold in many supermarkets or at gas stations), especially if it is planned to cook for a large company. It is advisable to buy a bottle of means for quick ignition, so as not to mess with all sorts of newspapers and needles and bark. No, there are, of course, fans of igniting a bonfire in a pioneering way, from improvised means, but believe me, meat on such a fire can turn out to be not quite edible and not soft enough.
Cooking kebab
What to cook in nature, if you are going to go there quite a large company? This dish, popular and beloved by all, is the first thing that comes to mind. Shish kebabs are distinguished by a choice of meat, additional ingredients and seasonings, a marinade in which the meat was soaked. Today we will try to cook traditional pork skewers.
Choose meat
This procedure, respectively, must be done in advance. The choice of part of the carcass is up to you. Someone likes kebabs from the neck - they turn out to be fat and rosy. Someone loves the tenderloin (it turns out to be rather dry, but it cooks, especially after soaking it, one-two-three). Someone prefers the back. Yes, and another piece of advice on this topic: try to calculate the amount of raw materials with a margin. It will be embarrassing if the finished barbecue is not enough or just someone does not get yummy.
Soak
Professionals say: the success of the kebab directly depends on the marinade in which he soaked. Therefore, this issue should be given increased attention. Here are a few marinade options for a successful barbecue (tested in practice):
- The fastest and easiest way is in kefir. This is if the meat was bought immediately before the picnic and it needs to be soaked quickly. We take 1% kefir - such an amount that it completely covers the cut meat in a pan. Add the chopped onion rings and spices. Mix everything thoroughly and cover. In just a couple of hours, the meat will be successfully pickled.
- Meat soaked in light beer or in dry white wine (sour) with the same spices and onions tastes good. In the Caucasus, they even produce special ordinary wines for soaking barbecue. But in this case, the semi-finished product should be marinated at least three or four hours, or better - all night. Then the meat becomes very tender and cooks fast enough.
- Mayonnaise, just not too fat, will also work for marinade. After pouring the mayonnaise and adding spices with onions, the meat should be thoroughly kneaded with hands in a saucepan and only then set aside to pickle. And one more thing: it is recommended to add a couple of drops of vegetable oil (preferably olive) to mayonnaise.
- Mustard marinade in French. You need to buy French (not spicy) mustard, add a spoonful of lemon juice, spices. Mix everything thoroughly with the meat.
- Some use mineral water with lemon juice and spices as a marinade.
Choose any marinade to your taste (the Soviet version with the use of vinegar is not given here on purpose, since the meat still has a characteristic vinegar flavor from it).
The task of what to cook in nature has almost been solved. The point is small: fry the kebab itself.
Some tips
- Firewood or coals should burn well. Never cook on an open flaming fire: the meat on top will burn, but inside it will be damp.
- An ordinary spray gun (as for ironing clothes) helps to bring down fire. Some craftsmen constantly water meat, thus creating, as it were, a steam bath over a fire. And the meat is very tender.
- Do not forget to constantly turn the skewers. So the kebab is evenly browned on all sides.
- Readiness can be checked by incising a piece of meat to a skewer. If there is no pinkish tint, then the kebab is ready.
Additions
Now let's talk about what to cook for barbecue in nature. So, one of the main dishes is produced. But you will not eat naked kebab. It relies snacks, side dishes, salads. What to cook for barbecue in nature? Let’s try to offer several options without unnecessary frills - very simple in execution, just suitable for the discharge of rough food in nature:
- Cucumber and tomato salad. This is a traditional, accompanying pork barbecue, cuisine. Vegetables help better absorb heavy foods like fried meat. Cooking this salad is quite simple. We take in equal parts cucumbers and tomatoes. Add fresh herbs and a little garlic. We cut everything, but not very finely, into a large bowl. Mix and salt. Season with olive (or any other lean) oil and a drop of lemon juice.
- What to cook in nature for barbecue yet? Here is a recipe for a very simple and tasty (and for those who had a pioneering childhood, also a nostalgic) side dish - baked potatoes. Moreover, after cooking the main dish there were still hot coals. It is quite simple to inflate them if necessary to increase the heat and bury in them unpeeled raw potatoes, previously washed. We check the readiness with a toothpick or an ordinary match: if it is pierced easily, then the potato is ready.
- Some people prefer to wrap each potato in a piece of foil and only then put it in the coals. So you can get rid of the unpleasant soot that remains on the potato as a result of the previous recipe. But then, to make our side dish even tastier, cut the potato and put a small piece of bacon in it, and then you can wrap it in foil and send it to a fire.
Cooking at the stake
By the way, what to cook outdoors at the stake, so to speak, open, without the participation of devices such as barbecue? Great options - Cossack kulesh, lagman, pilaf, ear. The latter option is more suitable for those who combine business with pleasure: getting out for a picnic, I also took a fishing rod with me. For all of the above dishes, you must have a good and roomy cauldron (preferably with a tripod, on which it can be hung over a fire). The rest is on the topic "What to cook for a picnic in nature?" recipes can be different (each has its own secrets).
Pilaf
For a real Uzbek pilaf, of course, you need lamb, but not everyone loves its characteristic flavor. In this case, you can cook pilaf at the stake on pork ribs - just an overeating! By the way, instead of fatty lamb fat, an ordinary pork is perfect. So, we start cooking:
- On a tripod we place a cauldron over a fire. Fire should be, but not strong. Pour a little lean oil into the cauldron.
- We put fat in a bowl and melt it. We remove the greaves. Separate the ribs one at a time and stir into the cauldron. Mix and fry until crusty.
- We clean a couple of onions and cut into half rings. Throw to the meat. Fry.
- There - grated carrots and simmer it until softened. Then fill with water to cover the meat with vegetables, and simmer for about 30 minutes. After that we introduce spices for pilaf and salt.
- Rice, pre-soaked (it is better to take a long, not sticky), spread in a cauldron. Fill with water. The ratio of water to rice is 2: 1.
- Later, in the middle of the mass, we make a large hole to remove air and excess water. Cook for 20-30 minutes (until rice is ready, but it can be different). Before the very end we stick garlic cloves around the perimeter.
Such a tasty dish smelling like smoke of a bonfire is one of the best options to cook in nature (photo above). Pilaf is eaten hot, spread out in portions. You can sprinkle with fresh herbs as a useful decoration.
What to cook for a picnic in nature: snacks
Regarding snacks in the fresh air, one simple rule can be deduced: they should be simple and uncomplicated. Because, firstly, everyone wants to relax and chat, and not fool themselves with too complicated a performance. And secondly, nature itself has a simplicity and a minimum of sophistication.
What to cook for a picnic in nature? Snacks can be very different. The simplest thing that comes to mind is the slicing of smoked meats and cheese, garnished with vegetables. Everything is simple here. You need to take several types of smoked meat and lard, cheese, cucumbers with tomatoes to nature. Then we do this: we take a huge dish (so that it would be enough for the whole company), cut into thin slices all this good and artistically arrange them in random order, decorating with dill and parsley branches.
Pickles are also one of the fastest and most delicious options for what to cook in nature. The recipes for the blanks are different for everyone. It can be rolled cucumbers or tomatoes, oriental eggplant with garlic and pepper, marinated zucchini, plums in a spicy sauce. We act quickly and simply: open the cans, put it in the prepared containers, decorate with fresh herbs. You can make a mix of pickles: put the cucumbers with tomatoes, for example, or make a salad of pickles, adding fresh onions and seasoning with vegetable oil.
Birthday
If you decide to spend a birthday in nature, what to cook? Photos and recipes of the main dishes were presented above. They can be successfully used by everyone. But the most convenient and trouble-free option for this holiday, which usually has a lot of guests, is sandwiches, tartlets and canapes. What is their charm and significance for a picnic? You can place almost anything on a small piece of hard bread or in a small basket. And to cook these dishes for one bite is quite simple and quick. As fillings, you can use cheese paste, ham, slightly salted fish, vegetables and even fruits. And most importantly, there are a lot of them! You can safely feed a whole big company with snacks.
So decide for yourself if you are going to spend your birthday in nature, what to cook. Photos and recipes of these simple and tasty dishes will help you in cooking, but it is not forbidden to use your own imagination.