Carrie’s Easy Meals for Backpackers

If you are lucky enough to find a hostel with a kitchen, the time, effort, health issues, other people waiting, washing up, may deter your desire to cook. Do not fear the hostel kitchen, it’s a great place to socialise with other travellers and perhaps share each other’s travel experiences and food!

I have put together a few recipes that I used while backpacking around Europe. Easy, quick and can be made in large quantities. You should be able to find most of the ingredients wherever you are, but if not go wild, experiment and make up your own additives.

A friend of mine made extra cash while staying in hostels by cooking for everyone. He placed up simple signs in the hostel stating that for 3 or so euros you could pop down to the kitchen at 7pm and pick up a plate of curry, roast or whatever was the meal of the day. A great way to make extra cash and everyone washes up their own plates, you just have to finish off the pots.

Cheese and Potato Omelette

Ingredients:

 potatoes
 bacon rashes sliced
 onion sliced
 4 eggs
 grated cheese
 oil
 salt and pepper

Instructions:

 heat oil in saucepan add potatoes and cook till soft
 add bacon and onion fry
 mix eggs, cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl
 pour over potato mix and leave for a few minutes on medium heat
 place under grill to set top

Nacho Mince Casserole

Ingredients:

 500g mince
 1 packet tomato soup with noodles
 1 can kidney beans
 garlic
 1 onion sliced
 1 1/2 cups water
 corn chips
 cheese
 1 tab oil

Instructions:

 Brown mince, onion and garlic with oil in saucepan over medium heat
 Add soup, water and beans. Simmer for 20 mins
 Place in a casserole dish, top with corn chips and grated cheese
 Bake for 10 mins

Plum Pork and Vegie Noodles

Ingredients:

 Asian style thin noodles
 plum sauce (can be Asian style or jam)
 1 carrot sliced thinly
 1 capsicum sliced thinly
 1 onion sliced thinly
 pork slices
 garlic
 oil

Instructions:

 heat oil, fry up pork with onion and garlic till tender, remove
 fry up vegies till soft, re-add pork and plum sauce, simmer
 boil water and add noodles, will only take 5 mins or so
 drain noodles and add to plum pork, mix well and serve

Pesto Pesto Pesto

I have become addicted to Pesto and am currently attending Pesto Addicts Anonymous meetings. You can mix this stuff with anything and the taste is fantastic!

 Mashed potatoes and pesto
 Pesto dressing, just add oil and shake then pour over salad
 Cream and Pesto mixed together and cooked with chicken or as a sauce
 Pesto and Pasta
 Pesto Pizza
 Pesto spread on sandwiches
 Ohh..I could go on for years!

French Toast

I had no idea about French toast, until a Kiwi girl taught me how to make it in a hostel in Rome. Great for breaky or a quick bite.

Ingredients:

 1/2 eggs (depending on how much you will make)
 1 tab milk
 pinch of salt
 grated cheese
 herbs of your choice
 1 packet of sliced bread
 oil

Instructions:

 Heat oil over low heat in a saucepan
 Add eggs, milk, salt, herbs and cheese to a bowl and mix well
 Take 1 piece of bread and smoother in egg mixture, let the excess drip off
 Place in saucepan on medium heat, cook till each side is brown and a little crispy on the edges
 serve with more cheese and a thin layer of butter

Chunky Vegetable Soup

Easy and healthy. You can bang it on and continue socialising with the other backpackers. Also great to serve lots of people, just warm up some bread for an accompaniment.

Ingredients:

 2 tabs oil
 20g butter
 onions
 carrots
 celery
 potato
 zucchini
 cabbage
 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
 425g can crushed tomatoes

Instructions:

 Heat oil and butter, add onions and cook till soft
 Add carrot, celery, potato and cook for 5 mins
 Add zucchini, cabbage, stock and tomatoes
 Simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or till thickened

If you have any great recipes that are simple and healthy for when your on the run send them in and I’ll post them up!