Mt Franklin views ...

Nick and I were married ten years ago at Frying Pan Point on Lake Macquarie's shoreline. We're a long way from there these days, so originally planned to take a picnic dinner to the local-ish Frying Pan Hill for our anniversary celebrations.

It was a great idea but on closer inspection of the map, we saw that Frying Pan Hill was on private property!

Plan B was quickly devised.  We would visit nearby Mount Franklin and view Frying Pan Hill from there.

While our cake was baking, I prepared a Thai green curry and rice in one of our thermal cookers. Asian Home Gourmet spice paste was on special at our local IGA.  I bought two packs, as one was suitable for 350 grams of chicken and 100 grams of vegetable.  As rump steak was a mark-down special, green beef curry was on the menu!  

Fortunately I noted the "hot" symbol on the sachet as I prepped the meal.  I only used one sachet for close to 1 kilo of beef, an onion, one large capsicum and 500 grams of frozen vegetables.  It was hot enough for us!

Given there is no liquid reduction in thermal cooking, I only used one can of coconut milk.  I also added a few teaspoons of cornflour to thicken the liquid.  I rinsed the coconut milk tin and included that water when cooking the rice.

Our dinner went into the thermal cooker at around 4:00pm and was enjoyed at Mount Franklin Reserve.  Erin was our drinks waitress and served everyone with Mount Franklin mineral water, flavoured with some very nice lime cordial!

Creamed Rice (thermal cooked)

I realised quite late last night that even though I've said I make creamed rice in the thermal cooker, I haven't actually included my method.  Given I was making a batch, I took some photos and reviewed my notes from several years back.

Creamed rice is something I make every so often at home.  It used to feature far more regularly on our breakfast menus - as evidenced by our expanding waists of the time!

I generally use Basmati rice, sugar, powdered milk, vanilla and some spice.  As there is no liquid reduction in the thermal cooker, I make up less milk than I would if cooking by other methods.

The ratio used last night (at 11:00pm) was:  190 grams of rice, 100grams of sugar, 4 cups of water, 1 cup of powdered milk, about a teaspoon of mixed spice and a generous quantity of vanilla (home-made in a recycled bottle)!

I used the small pot for the rice.  It only had a short time on the stove-top, before it sat over the large pot of boiling water in the thermal cooker.  The longest part of the process was boiling the water - and taking photos!

The rice was still nicely warm when I sampled it this morning at around 7:30am.  It was a fairly firm texture and I'll probably try 4.5 cups of water next time.  (The usual 6 cups of water that I use for other methods is a bit too much in the thermal cooker).

Dhal-ish-ous Lentil Soup!

I've used this recipe previously as the basis for the chunky chorizo soup we took with us for Nick's birthday trip to the snow last year.  I used the same recipe as a guide again today, making a double quantity. 

There was a fair bit of substitution!


This is what I used:-

1 cup dried brown lentils
1 cup dried red lentils
1 cup dried borlotti beans
1 tin diced tomatoes
1 bacon rasher diced
about 6 slices of pre-cut salami
1/2 brown onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 fresh carrots, peeled and chopped
approx. 2 litres of water
7 teaspoons beef stock powder (cos that's what was left in the tin)
24 home-dried mushroom slices
12 home-dried carrot slices
2 tablespoons home-made tomato relish (optional)
freshly ground black pepper
pinch of Pink Lake salt
1-2 teaspoons mixed herbs (cos I didn't want to go out in the rain)
2 small sprigs fresh rosemary (cos the rain stopped)!

I used the large inner pot of the thermal cooker.  I fried the onion, garlic, bacon and salami in a little olive oil.  I then added the fresh carrot slices and let them cook for a few minutes before tipping in the tinned tomatoes.   (I used the tomato tin to measure five tins of water into the pot).

Salt and pepper were added to taste, then mixed herbs and/or fresh rosemary, as well as stock powder.  I used the last of the tin, which was a little less stock powder than ideal.  I didn't have any tomato paste so used some home-made relish instead.

I've been playing with my dehydrator so also added some dried mushroom and carrot slices.  Given there is no liquid lost in thermal cooking, the dried vegetables will help to thicken the soup - as will the cup of red lentils (extra to the original recipe).

The soup was brought to the boil and simmered for about 15-20 minutes before putting into the insulated outer pot.  We ate it for dinner this evening, served with slices of cornbread.  (I made the cornbread in the oven but it could have been done in a camp oven).   The verdict - an empty pot!

Beef and Vegetable Curry (in the thermal cooker)

I developed a lurgi over the weekend and am not yet recovered (though Erin's high-octane vitamin tablets are having some positive benefit). I tend to feel healthier in the morning, so set about cheffing some curry in the thermal cooker for dinner.

This recipe was a guide but you'll see that I added (and subtracted) as I went along! 

I didn't have onions, so omitted them.  I included vegetables in the meal, rather than having to cook them separately later tonight. 

There wasn't any rice in the pantry, otherwise I would have cooked that in the top pot - and left out the potatoes!  Yep, there was a fair bit of improvisation but this is pretty much the ingredients used (or I'd  usually include if available)!

1kg of beef, cubed
1-2 chopped onions (if you have them)!
2 teaspoons garlic
1 tin drained lentils
1 tin diced tomatoes
1/4-1/3 cup of curry powder
1 cup of chopped sweet potato (approx.)
3-4 small potatoes diced/chopped
2 cups of cut beans (approx.)
2 tablespoons jam
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon stock powder

Brown the meat in a little oil.  Add the garlic.  (Usually I'd brown the onions and garlic first).  Tip in the drained lentils and diced tomatoes. 

There is no liquid loss in thermal cooking, so I generally add lentils to thicken the gravy.  I am mindful of how much liquid I use overall.  Today, I only added a small amount of water when rising the tomato tin.  Often I also include dried lentils or vegetables to reduce the liquid content while cooking. 

I added the curry powder and then the chopped potatoes (sweet and standard).  There was probably about two cups of frozen beans.  I also added some of my homemade plum jam, a small amount of tomato paste and a little stock powder.  The main ingredients were simmering as I added the extras. 

The larger pot was around two-thirds full, which left enough room for the top pot of boiling water to sit inside.  I tucked both pots into the outer insulated pot at around 1:30pm - and will be pleased not to have to do much else tonight!

Makin' Make-do Minestrone-ish

Aldi had a sale of camping equipment today, including their wonderful thermal cookers. 

Seeing the catalogue prompted me to use one of my two (!) thermal pots this morning. (I was multi tasking while cooking breakfast).

My "recipe" for Minestrone-ish is more of a loose guideline as it varies depending on ingredients on hand.  There were various omissions and substitutions this morning. 

I was going to use frozen peas, corn and carrot mix in lieu of fresh carrots but I'd already used the last of the mixed vegetable packet. 

There was only about half a zucchini due to using the other half for breakfast.  Similarly, I raided bacon and chorizo from the breakfast portions.  (Other times I've used left-over cooked sausage).  I'm not entirely sure I put the garlic in.  Anyway, it'll still work out - trust me! 

The usual inclusions are:-

1 onion (chopped)
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 rashers of bacon (chopped)
2 medium carrots (chopped)
1-2 zucchini (chopped)
2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 tin baked beans
1 tin kidney beans (drained)
1 tin cannellini beans (drained)
Green beans (fresh, frozen or dried)
A few handfuls of dried pasta (or broken spaghetti, whatever is available)!
Salt, pepper, oregano
Tomato paste
Stock powder
Water

The method is simple.  I use the large inner pot of the thermal cooker.  Fry the onion, garlic and bacon in a little olive oil.  Add the carrot and zucchini and let them cook for a few minutes before tipping in the tinned tomatoes, baked beans and other (drained) beans.  I rinse the tomato and baked bean tins to make sure I get all the contents.  I probably put 4-6 tins of water into the pot. 

My water content is guided by the fact that I sit the smaller top pot into the larger one.  The small pot is filled with boiling water, to create the maximum heat bank inside the thermal cooker.  A full thermal cooker retains heat for much longer.

Add salt and pepper to taste, a generous amount of dried oregano and stock powder to match your water content.  Bring to the boil and simmer for about 20 minutes before putting into the insulated outer pot.  I then place the smaller pot of boiling water into the top, put the inner lid on and close down the outer pot.  Done!

Well, almost done.  About half an hour before serving I tip a couple of handfuls of dried pasta into the soup and give it a stir - then close everything down again until we are ready to eat.  Easy!

Roadside cheffing

We left the Zoo at around 4pm and stopped a little way out of Dubbo at a truck rest area.  We had picked up a few grocery items in Coonabarabran and I used them with some of our existing supplies to put together a red lentil and chorizo soup/stew for the thermal cooker.

Although we made several stops on the way, we didn't eat the soupy stew till around 11pm when we  finally were home again.  It was very much appreciated with several pieces of flat bread (also purchased at Coonabarabran)!

Definitely a lemon!

Looked a mess - tasted fine!

I have made bread, scones, cakes and puddings successfully in our thermal cooker.

However, on each occasion the experiment has been conducted under stationary conditions, so last week I decided to try to cook a cake/pudding while in transit.  Lemon Drizzle Cake was chosen as the recipe.  There is slideshow on the link, demonstrating the method.  I didn't watch that prior to making the cake but have had a quick look now.

There are a couple of points I should make.  Our thermal cooker is an Aldi version.  At the time of purchase it was around a third the cost of a named brand.  It seemed identical in features and represented very good value.  We've had a lot of good use from it and when stationary there are no issues at all with it's performance.

When in transit, it doesn't work quite as well - mainly because the water is able to slosh between the two pots (if both are being used) and some is lost between the inner and outer pot.  I allow for these short-comings when cooking savoury dishes by adding a larger volume of dried ingredients to counter the expected water increase while traveling.  Of course, that solution is not an option for the cake/pudding cooking method.

I will also mention that we traveled down to Sydney in our small car, rather than using Elmer.  The red car is experiencing a few technical difficulties at the moment, so the ride was bumpier than it should have been and more water was lost as a result.  You can see in the bottom left pic how the cake looked upon opening the thermal cooker when we arrived.  Everything was still hot (five hours or so after leaving home) but the cake hadn't risen evenly and some water had obviously made its way into the pudding bowl.

The cake probably still could have been salvageable if I hadn't had a brain snap and inverted it onto a wire cake cooler, rather than a plate!  I was in hysterics as I watched my creation slowly sink into the cooler, which cut through rather like one of those wire gadgets used to slice eggs or avocado!  Further mess was created when I belatedly tipped the cake (and cake cooler) onto first one plate and then another, to recover the trivet (which had lodged about a third of the way into the cake)!

Given a traditional cake presentation was no longer an option, I artfully mounded the cake and decorated with a few strips of lemon peel.  The lemon syrup was poured over, so the end result was something akin to a lemon island amid a lemon sea - with icing sugar snow on top!  In spite of it's obvious aesthetic shortcoming, the "Lemon Mess" tasted quite good and I expect will feature in the future (when it can be cooked in a stationary thermal cooker)!

(You will note my trivet improvisation of a plastic dinosaur sandwich cutter was another brain snap moment)!

Corned Beef (Thermal Cooked)

Corned beef sandwiches are on the menu plan!

We are planning a few days away (staying in a budget cabin) and I am busy preparing various items to take with us. 

As a child, my favourite cold meat was corned beef - thinly sliced from a shop!  I wasn't a big fan of the home-cooked variety, though over the years my taste has changed.

I always made corned beef in my slow cooker - until I bought a thermal cooker.  The preparation is similar but I much prefer the end result.  Even when left overnight in the thermal cooker, the meat is perfectly cooked but still intact the next morning (as opposed to disintegrating when done in the slow cooker). 

Roothy demonstrates the thermal cooking method in this YouTube clip.  My additions are similar to his - about 12 peppercorns and 8 whole cloves but I included powdered ginger (a generous heaped teaspoon), 2 bay leaves and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar.  For the first time ever, I also used a small amount (a scant half teaspoon) of allspice.  Hopefully it will be a good thing!

Although I meant to chop an onion, I was side-tracked by other missions so threw about a teaspoon of dried onion in at the last minute.  (I have tried garlic a few times but wasn't all that keen).

Festive Thermal Cooking

I have never made Christmas pudding but decided this was the year to try!

I used a recipe from Simple Savings intended for a slow cooker - and I did use the slow cooker for some of the mixture, to make six mini-teacup puddings.

The remainder of the mixture was used in a normal-sized pudding bowl cooked in the thermal cooker, following the method described here.  We went out looking at Christmas lights last night, so I checked on the pudding after we got home and had settled Vaughan with a story etc.

In all our pudding was in the thermal cooker for around 10 hours - and looked perfect when turned out.  Of course, it smells pretty good too and we are all looking forward to the official tasting!

Thermal-cooked pudding

The Hamby Campers were very happy today!

The afternoon scone success inspired me to try another experiment, something else I had been thinking of trying for a while - a self-saucing pudding.  I found this video and decided the method could be adapted for one of my usual recipes.

These days chocolate and/or coffee give me an instant headache, so are best avoided - sadly!  (Of course, my faithful taste-testers have no aversion to chocolate but where's the fun in cheffing if the chef misses out on the sampling)?!

I spread the batter evenly into the top (greased) pot and arranged pear slices over the surface.  Our fridge is currently overflowing with pears, so I took the opportunity to reduce the stockpile - if only by one! 

The sauce was then poured over the batter, via the back of a spoon for more gentle distribution.  The large pot was about three-quarters full of water and had been simmering on a hotplate while I prepared the pudding.  I placed the top pot into the bottom pot, put the lid on and left the pudding to stand over the simmering water for about 20 minutes.  I then transferred both pots to the thermal cooker for a further 60 minutes, before "plating up" with custard.

Mmmmm - another success!

Thermal-cooked scones

Thermal cooking experimentation on a rainy day ...

I've been meaning to try scones in the thermal cooker for quite some time - probably since a fellow camper raved about them in July last year!

I used the Thermal Cookware recipe for Golden Syrup Scones - with a few modifications to the method, as though I own the Thermal Cookware insulated bag, I don't have the Thermos Shuttle Chef cooker it (and the recipe) was intended for.  The recipe lists an egg in the ingredients but doesn't include any further instructions, so I mixed the egg and milk before adding them together.

My thermal cooker (purchased from Aldi) has two inner pots, one large/deep and the second much shallower.  I greased the top, smaller pot for the scones and used the larger pot for hot water - about three-quarters full.  The scones simmered on the stove top for about 25 minutes (covered) before both pots were moved into the insulated thermal cooker.  I expect the scones would have been ready after another 30 minutes but we left them in the cooker for around 90 minutes, with no ill effect.

The mixture was more the texture of dumplings than scones, so I was keen to sample the end result.  They are different to what I usually make but quite nice.  Erin declared them "tasty" and Nick also commented favourably - therefore the experiment was a success!