When we cruise we try to eat well. This means, nutritious food prepared to taste great.
Every cruise results in some new recipes from Mary’s galley. Her goal is to make meals that are delicious, healthy, easy to prepare, easy to clean up, and whenever possible use the fin fish or shellfish that we can catch or gather. There are a few favorites that never disappoint and we will share those recipes with you here.
BAKED ASPARAGUS
I was out on a friend’s boat and she served cold baked asparagus as an appetizer. It was delicious. Hot, right out of the oven, it is even better. My husband, who “forgets” to eat vegetables, never forgets asparagus. To prepare the asparagus for baking, wash the stalks and bend and break them at their natural spot. If you are really organized you can save the tough left over parts in the freezer to make vegetable soup base.
1 bunch fresh Asparagus
Olive oil
Sea salt
Prepare asparagus stalks. Then brush with olive oil to coat. Lay asparagus spears, l layer thick, on a flat baking pan. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Place pan in preheated oven, 350 degrees, and bake for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy while they are hot. We never have left-overs.
RASPBERRY OATMEAL COOKIE BARS
Another small space dessert hit; this recipe only requires an 8 x 8 inch baking pan.
Try it with different jams. I’ve made this with blackberry, plum, and apricot. This is a triple tested recipe.
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup rolled oats ( Quaker Oats Old Fashion)
½ cup butter, soften (1 cube of butter )
¾ cup seedless raspberry Jam
Prepare an 8 x 8 inch pan by lining it with a piece of foil. Grease or spray the foil with oil. Oven temp: 350 degrees
Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Rub the butter into the flour mix by using your fingers. (You can use a pastry blender, but you probably won’t have one on a boat.)
The dough will be a crumbly mixture. Press 2 cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the 3/4 cup of your jam of choice over the crumb mixture to 1/2″ of the edge. If you spread the jam all the way to the edge, it will stick to the foil and pan. Finally, sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.
Bake for 40 minutes or until lightly brown. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.
SLOW COOKER SLOPPY JOES
For you boaters who like to hang out at the dock, where you are plugged into shore power. This sloppy Joe recipe has less sugar than normal. You can increase the sweetness if you wish by adding a few drops of stevia after it has cooked for a while. Use this sauce on a roll or try it over a baked potato.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 small onion chopped small
1 small green pepper chopped small
1 clove garlic chopped small
1 – 14 oz can of tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup (Use the no or low sugar ketchup)
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ Teaspoon chili powder
¼ Teaspoon pepper
Sandwich rolls
Topping: Fresh or canned salsa
Fry the ground beef and pore off the extra fat. Place everything in a slow cooker for 2.5 hours on high, or 4.5 hours on low.
When finished, heat up your buns and add a scoop to each ½ bun. I like to top with homemade salsa before I serve these.
SPEEDY ITALIAN PASTA SAUCE
This is Italian Sauce in the fast lane. When your hungry and out to sea and no Safeway in site, this works fine. OK to double recipe if more is needed.
1 can tomato sauce (14oz size)
½ can spicy diced tomatoes (14oz size) (Ok, when on a boat and you don’t have any way to store a ½ can, then toss in the total amount. The sauce might be a little thin.)
½ onion – diced tiny
1 clove garlic – diced tiny
½ cup dry red wine or rose if that is all you have
1 ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
½ teaspoon Dulse
½ teaspoon ground pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 can mushrooms (4oz or larger)
Salt if needed
Optional: For more vegetables you can add all or part of the following:
Sliced and quartered ½ whole zucchini
Few sliced olives ( 2Tablesoons to 1/4 cup)
½ green pepper, chopped
Grated ½ carrot
1/3 cup loosely packed spinach, chopped
Sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes. Now add the wine, seasonings, tomatoes sauces, and mushrooms. Simmer the sauce for another ten to 15 minutes or less if you are really in a hurry.
Personally I like more vegetables in my sauce. I usually include spinach, zucchinis, and/or green peppers and cook in the sauce
Add the protein after the sauce has cooked. Frozen shrimp is easy to add if you have any in your freezer. Clams are a great choice, especially if you just dug them. Steam the clams and add with the sauce over the pasta of your choice. Of course cooked ground beef is fine too.
SPROUTED BREAD PUDDING
Bake the pudding in an 8 x 8 inch pan. This recipe is a lower glycemic version of one of my favorite desserts. I use sprouted bread which has more nutrients and fiber than normal wheat bread. I’ve also exchanged half of the sugar with a sugar substitute.
4 slices of bread*, cubed; leave the crusts on. (This should be about 4 cups of lightly packed bread cubes.)
1 peeled and chopped apple
¼ cup sugar substitute, either Stevia in the raw or Splenda
¼ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup 2% milk
½ cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Use an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Oil the pan or spray with non-stick and set aside.
In a separate bowl whip together the eggs and sugar, add the milk and spices, and stir together. In another bowl toss together the chopped apples and bread cubes. Now pour the liquid over the bread and apples and stir. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the liquid.
Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan. Place pan into the oven. Let the bread pudding cook for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Now check the center of the pudding to see if it is done. There should be no liquid on top and a tooth pick should come out clean when inserted. If the top center of the pudding is still slightly liquid, place the pan back into the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. The pudding will puff slightly and be golden brown when done.
*I like to use “Naturally Sprouted ‘Healthy Way Organics’ Whole Grains” bread with this recipe. This brand is not as dense as some other sprouted bread brands on the market. There are other fine sprouted breads on the market that you can substitute. I think ‘Dave’s Killer Bread’ would make a good substitute. If the bread you choose is very dense and heavy, you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of milk to the recipe. You don’t want your finished product to be too dry.
CRAB & CHEESE CASSEROLE
This is delicious, especially for crab lovers, like me. My husband catches and cleans the crab and I cook. Sometimes as I am cracking the crab, pieces fall into my mouth. It happens! If you don’t like to crack the crab then get the crew to volunteer with a promise of a great dinner. (OK to sub with canned crab.) In this recipe you can use most any type of cheese that is easy to grate. (Please not Velveeta!) I prefer a mix of parmesan & pepper jack because it gives it a little bite. I’ve used all cheddar too and it tastes great.
Ingredients:
1 whole crab with the crab meat removed and set aside. If you have less, that is OK, and if you only have canned crab then use at least 2 – 6oz. cans of crab meat.
1 cup broth (Chicken or Vegetable).
1 cup milk or Almond milk substitute.
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter or olive oil (I like to mix them.).
2 cups dry Macaroni Elbow or Penne. (Boil according to the package directions. Drain & set aside.)
3/4 cup onion chopped.
2 Tsp garlic – chopped (fresh or by jar OK).
1/2 – cup chopped celery.
2 Tbl Basil/Pesto sauce.
1 Tbl chopped olives (Optional).
Pepper to taste
1 ½ cup grated cheese of your choice.
For casserole top: 1/4th to 1/3rd cup bread crumbs and 1 to 2 Tbl parsley mixed together.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. In a pot add (1 Tbl) Ghee or olive oil and gently stir fry the onions, garlic, and celery until soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
In the same pan: Gently heat the 1/4th cup of butter and/or olive oil. Quickly add the 1/4th cup flour stirring together to make a roué. Add about 1/4th cup of liquid (milk or broth) to the roué and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Then slowly add the rest of the liquid and stir on low heat until it thickens. This will take a few minutes. Once the sauce starts to thicken return the cooked onions, garlic, celery to the pan and also add the Basil/Pesto sauce, and chopped olives. Stir. Now add the grated cheese and let melt. Add the crab, and then the cooked macaroni. Gently combined together. Sprinkle top of casserole with some mixed bread crumbs and parsley. Put casserole in a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until you see the sauce bubble around the sides of the pot and the top is slightly brown. Enjoy!
GERMAN SAUSAGE & CABBAGE SUPPER
This is a simple but tasty dinner. The pre-packaged cooked sausages are easy to store in any boat refrigerator or cooler. Onions & potatoes can easily be stored in a cupboard and cabbage holds well in the cooler or refrigerator. I even store my cabbage under the floor boards in our sailboat and the temperature is as constant as a root cellar (if you are sailing up in the Pacific Northwest.)
Ingredients
16 oz Lean pre-cooked Polish, German, or turkey sausage cut into ½ inch pieces.
1 tsp garlic, chopped.
1 cup fresh onions, chopped.
2Tbl cooking olive oil or Ghee
3/4 to 1 cup broth or water.
2 cups shredded cabbage.
2 cups unpeeled and sliced raw (about 1/4th inch thick) potatoes.
2 Tbl fresh cilantro or parsley flakes (died OK but add less)
Pepper to taste
In a large skillet quickly stir fry the garlic & onions for a few minutes until they are soft. Then add the cut up sausage and cook for another few minutes. After add the broth or water, cabbage, potatoes, cilantro or parsley, & pepper. Mix well to combine. Lower heat, cover & simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir Occasionally. Serve immediately.
MARY’S SHRIMP CREOLE
Sometimes you do not have everything on hand for creole, especially celery. Here is another version. You can also have canned Okra on hand, or if you use Okra with tomatoes, then add less tomato sauce.
Ingredients
1 ½-cup onion chopped.
1 whole green pepper, chopped.
1 ½ cups frozen Okra.
2 cloves minced garlic.
1 can 15 oz tomato sauce.
2 bay leaves.
1 Tbl Creole seasoning.
½ tsp Ground Pepper.
1 tsp dulce
Sauté’ together the onions & green pepper until the onions are slightly translucent. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer together 25 minutes or slightly longer until you have a thick sauce. Now add the shrimp and simmer until the shrimp is cooked if fresh or if frozen, just another 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Serve over brown rice.
CURRIED CHICKEN / APPLE STEW
This stew is a bit spicy. I like it that way, especially over the Jasmine coconut rice, which has a creamy taste and texture. Adding the plain yogurt to the stew, before serving, will cut the spiciness. If you want more protein, you can also add another chicken breast to the recipe since there will be plenty of sauce. I like to keep the amount of chicken in the recipe small because of the Arachidonic Acid in the chicken meat.
Ingredients
2 large boneless, skinless Chicken breasts, cubed. (Sprinkle the meat with pepper before cooking.).
2 Tbl Olive oil.
1 large onion chopped small.
1 small apple, peeled and coarsely chopped.
1 cup diced carrots.
1 tsp minced garlic.
2 Tbll fresh ginger, grated or chopped very fine.
1 1/2 Tbll curry powder. 2 Tbll flour. 2 cups chicken broth (I like the organic). 1 Tbll fish sauce. 1 tsp Dulse. Dried Parsley.
Salt to taste.
Plain Yogurt (approx. 1 Tbl per serving)
Cook the chicken in a 3 quart pot, with the olive oil, over gentle heat, for about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside. Add the onion, apples, carrots, garlic, and ginger and sauté 5 minutes. Now add the curry, flour, fish sauce, and Dulse then cook another 2 minutes. Return the chicken and add the broth to the pot and simmer cover until the sauce has thicken slightly, about 30 more minutes. Sprinkle the stew with parsley. Salt to taste. Serve over Jasmine coconut rice. Add a dollop of yogurt to the each bowl of stew just before serving.
JASMINE COCONUT RICE
1 Cup Jasmine rice. 1/4 cup chopped fine onions. 1/2 cup canned coconut milk. 1 ½ cup water. ½ tsp sea salt
Sauté the onions in some ghee or olive oil, for about 2 minutes. Add the uncooked rice and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes. Now add the coconut milk, water, and salt. Bring to a boil the turn the heat down and simmer for another 20 minutes.
GOLDEN LENTIL SOUP
You can balance this soup with cheese and bread or cottage cheese and fruit for a complete protein meal. I like to soak my lentils in water for 7 hours, and then drain off the liquid before I use them. If you wish, you may proceed without this first step.
Ingredients
2 cups onions chopped (about 1 large onion).
2 Tsp chopped garlic.
2 Tbl fresh medium. hot pepper, chopped.
1-cup red lentils.
3 ½-cup broth, vegetable or chicken.
1 tsp Dulse flakes.
Chopped fresh cilantro about 1/4th cup.
2 tsp lemon juice.
2 tsp miso paste stirred into 1/4th cup water.
Sea Salt and ground pepper to taste
Sauté the onions and garlic in Ghee or coconut oil. Sprinkle with some sea salt and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add fresh chopped pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes. Now add lentils, broth, Dulse flakes, and cilantro. It will take another 20 minutes for the lentils to soften. Now add 2 tsp of lemon juice. If you wish, you can just blend the soup with a spoon or in a blender if you like a smoother soup. Now add the miso paste mixture, stir, and let sit for about 2 minutes. Add sea salt & pepper to taste.
SPICY FISH WITH VEGETABLES
If you want to do something wonderfully different with your fresh caught fish here is a great alternative. In this recipe you cook the fish separately and combine with the cooked vegetables at the last minute for a tasty combination of flavors. Prepare some cooked brown rice to serve with the dish.
Ingredients
FISH
1 ½ # of fish, split into four servings. (Any firm white fish will do such as Cod and Rockfish.)
2 Tbl of Lemon juice.
2 Tbl Olive oil.
1 tsp Grd Cumin.
1 tsp Chili powder.
1 tsp sea salt.
1 tsp Dulce (dried sea vegetables.).
1 Tbl Cilantro dried flakes
VEGETABLES
2 Tbl Olive oil.
2 medium onions, chopped.
½ green pepper. (use a slightly spicy variety or use 2 whole Green chilies if you like a lot of spice.).
2 Tbl fresh Ginger chopped, very fine.
3/4 cup Napa Cabbage, shredded.
½ red or orange pepper, chopped.
1 tsp chili powder.
1 tsp salt.
1/4 cup broth.
1 can drained Corn Kernels.
Lime slices
Prepare the fish, so you have four servings. Rub the fish with the lemon juice and olive oil. Then sprinkle both sides of the fish with the Cumin, Chili powder, and sea salt. Lay in a pan to bake and sprinkle the top of the fish with the dried Cilantro flakes. Bake @ 325 until the fish is done, about 20 minutes, but check the fish closely to make sure you don’t overcook it. (You can also wrap the fish in foil and bake it on your barbeque.)
Have your vegetables chopped and ready. Start to sauté the onions in the olive oil until they are slightly brown. Now add the fresh ginger, cabbage, spicy pepper, and the mild pepper, and sauté another 2 minutes. Then add the broth, Chilli powder and salt and cook on low heat until the vegetables are almost done. Now add the drained can of corn, stir and heat until the corn is hot.
Serve the fish, with the vegetables, on a platter with lime slices and cooked brown rice.
FAST STROGANOFF
I love the taste of tender beef in sour cream. Ideally, you have a ½ day to cook it, but sometimes it never works out that way. Here is a recipe that will give you an all day taste in one hour from start to finish. This is enough for 3 adults, or 2 big eaters.
Ingredients
½ pound Beef Eye of Round steak, ½-inch thickness.
Ghee for sauté.
½ large onion – chopped.
Sea salt 2 tsps.
Fresh ground pepper.
2 small cans of slices mushrooms – drained (Fresh, use about 1/3rd pound.).
2 Tbl Braggs amino acid.
1 tsp Dulse Flakes (Sea Vegetable by Eden organic’s).
2 Tbl – 3 Tbl flour (wondra is the easiest to use).
8 ounces of Sour Cream. Parsley
½ package of Healthy Harvest whole-wheat blend pasta – extra wide noodles (or your favorite wide noodle).
Boil in pan of water, salted with 1 tsp sea salt for about 9 minutes. Drain and keep warm. Slice the meat very thin. Sprinkle with sea salt (about 2 tsp). Melt Ghee (or an oil of your choice) in a saucepan and quickly lay each slice in the pan and brown as many slices as possible at one time. Turn each piece after the redness is gone from the meat. Both sides of meat will take about 1 to 2 minutes to cook. Set aside. In the same pan with more Ghee melted, add the chopped onions and garlic. Stir-fry about 3 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms here and stir-fry. Otherwise, add browned meat back into the pan with broth, some fresh ground pepper, Braggs, Dulse Flakes, and two cans (drained) of mushrooms. Simmer for 20 minutes. It is at this point you can start to cook the noodles in a separate pan.
After 20 minutes, turn heat down and thicken sauce slightly with the flour. Simmer & stir for another 5 minutes, making sure sauce does not stick to the pan. Now turn heat off and add the 8 oz of sour cream & parsley. Stir and cook gently, making sure the sauce does not boil. Serve over the noodles.
Crock-Pot Chili
This is a smaller than normal serving for a smaller than normal crock pot that you could take along on a boat. This is for four people as a side soup or two very large servings for a hungry couple.
Ingredients
½ # ground beef, no more than 10% fat.
1 clove garlic.
1 can 14 oz chopped tomatos.
1/4 cup broth to thin a bit.
2 Tbl chili powder.
½ tsp ground cumin.
½ tsp salt
Cook the ground beef until brown, drain any fat. If you want to cut down on the fat, then rise the cooked ground beef with warm water before adding it to the crock pot. Now add the rest of the ingredients to the crock-pot. Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 3 ½ hours.
Serve chili with grated cheese on top.
ROCKFISH CURRY
I think this recipe ranks as one of my favorites. You can buy rockfish at some of the food markets. If you catch your own, I like to simply clean the fish, remove the head, and then bake the fish whole for 20 minutes and remove the meat from the bones after it has baked. (If you plan to do any crabbing, keep the head for crab bait.) It is easy to de-bone the fish after i’s been cooked and there is less waste cooking the fish this way.
Ingredients
1 large onion, chopped.
2 cloves garlic, chopped.
2 Tbl curry powder.
Olive oil for stir frying.
1 1/2 pounds rockfish fillets, cubed.
1 Tbl fresh ginger, finely chopped.
8 oz caned or fresh mushrooms.
1-15oz can of tomatoes.
2 Tbl Pesto sauce.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper as needed.
Sauté the onions and garlic for a few minutes and then add the curry. If you are not baking the rockfish at this point add the raw rockfish and stir fry gently until the fish is almost done. Now add the ginger, mushrooms, tomatoes, pesto sauce and the salt and pepper as needed. Let the curry cook another 5 minutes. Serve over rice.