This weekend we took a spontaneous camping trip to the Bodega Dunes Campground in Sonoma Coast State Park. The dunes brought back memories of Cape Cod, but luckily we were much warmer than we would have been there! Our friends who teach there are on their FIFTH snow day… in a row.
Joe invented a little BBQ twist on your classic Chicken Cordon Bleu: rather than a swiss or gruyere cheese, a semi-spicy pepper jack and sliced onion; instead of a breading, sweet and tangy barbecue sauce; and in place of ham, a sliced pork tenderloin from the deli. While we ate, he repeatedly declared, “I think this is the best thing I have ever made.” You mean, while camping? “No, I mean ever.”
Joe claims these really weren’t that much more challenging than burgers. Just a little prep work the day before you leave.
Joe made his own barbecue sauce, and we’ll post a recipe for that once he has it perfected. He is still working on some tweaks!
So, what does a vegetarian eat while her husband is eating Chicken Cordon BBQ? Her favorite lentil walnut burgers, adapted from Molly Katzen’s Moosewood Cookbook, of course! (Our adapted recipe is coming next week; it’s time to load up the freezer with a new batch.) We also had a beautiful butternut squash from our CSA that we wanted to eat up, so we tried grilling that as well. We filled the cavities with onions and peppers, then sprinkled with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a splash of beer. This seemed to work great until we wanted to flip them over. The filler veggies got a little overdone because we had chopped them so small. But the flavor was still pretty good.
(Do you like our snazzy camping plates?)
One of our favorite things about grilling veggies for dinner is turning the LEFTOVERS(!) into a buttery, cheesy egg scramble the next morning. Just what we needed to gear up for a stunning hike along the coast and a giant flight of beers at Russian River Brewing (yes, of Pliny the Elder fame!) in Santa Rosa.
Don’t worry—we shared.
Please, tell us, what do you like to eat when traveling or camping? What tips and tricks can you share with us? How do you take advantage of your leftovers?
The Recipe (printer-friendly version here)
Ingredients
- 1 skin-on chicken breast between ½ and ¾ pounds
- ¼ pound sliced pork tenderloin (although your favorite deli ham will work)
- 1 thick deli slice of Pepper Jack cheese
- About 1/8 of an onion, thinly sliced
- Olive oil, salt, and pepper, to taste
- 1 large poblano, Anaheim (preferred), or red pepper
- Barbecue sauce (I prefer sweet and tangy, but go for whatever you like), to taste
Directions
On a hefty cutting board, pound down the chicken breast until it’s thin (maybe about a ¼ inch or thinner). Use a piece of wax paper on each side of the chicken to keep from sticking.
With the chicken skin-side down, add layers of pork loin or ham, then cheese, then onion. This is not an exact science (your amounts may vary), but be sure to leave enough room to roll it all up. Fold the chicken over everything so that you can turn over and tighten, forming almost a ball. Chicken should overlap onto itself and stick. With the Chicken Cordon BBQ in a nice package, drizzle and rub olive oil on the top (the skin), sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a baggie overnight.
The next day, get the coals hot on the grill. Cut open the large pepper (slice off the top and bottom, then make a cut straight down and open it up) and place the Chicken Cordon BBQ on it, so that the pepper forms a kind of plate. Place the entire meal on the grill, cover with a cast iron pot or any lid you have. Cook for about an hour, slathering with barbecue sauce every 10 to 15 minutes.
After cooking, let sit for about 10-15 minutes before eating.
The Leftovers Project 