My father was a forest ranger and I grew up loving the mountains and the outdoors.
In the west we are blessed with abundance to great place to go outdoor and enjoy, and wth all the water we have had this year, the mountain are really green. Cooking a meal outdoors is an add benefit.
One of my favorite outdoor methods of cooking is to cook food inside food — it is a unique way of both cooking and flavoring foods. The outer food shields the inner food against extreme heat and give additional flavor. Here are some ideas:
Cooking inside an Orange
Select and orange with a thick peel, because it is easier to remove the fruit inside. Cut the orange in half. Ease your finger between the flesh and the peel of the orange. Slide your finger back and forth to detach the flesh from the peel, leaving on orange "cup."
A spoon may also help in separating the fruit from the skin.
Eggs or muffins are foods that will cook nicely inside the orange shell.
For an egg, line the orange shell with a piece of foil and then put a little oil in the foil. Then break the egg into the foil covered shell.
Wrap the outside in foil and place on hot coals until the egg is cooked.
For muffins, mix the muffin mix in zip-top bag and then squeeze the batter into the shell, leaving a little room for it to rise.
Wrap the outside of the shell in foil and place on hot coals and cook until done.
Meat Loaf in an Onion
This if one of my signature recipes and is wonderful for a large group. Each person makes his or her own.
1 pound lean ground beef
1 egg
¼ cup cracker crumbs
¼ cup tomato sauce
½ teaspoon salt
1?8 teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon dry mustard
4 large onions, peeled and halved
19-inch piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil
Cut off the root at the bottom end of the onion so that removal of the center is easy.
The removed center of the onion can be diced and combined with ingredients or used later.
In a 1-gallon plastic self-sealing bag, combine ground beef, egg, cracker crumbs, tomato sauce, salt, pepper and dry mustard, and mix by squeezing. Set aside.
Cut onions in half horizontally and remove center part of onion, leaving a 3/4-inch-thick shell.
Divide meat mixture into 4 portions and roll into balls. Place in the center of the 4 onion halves.
Put onions back together.
Place the onion with the meat mixture in the center in of a piece of foil.
Bring the sides of the foil together to cover the onion and mixture. Fold the foil in small fold until until you reach the onion. Flatten down the foil on the sides and fold them in on the onion, sealing it in foil.
Cook over a bed of hot coals for 15 to 20 minutes per side. Serve 4
At home: Cook onions at 350° F. in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the ground beef and onion are cooked.
Be sure to get outdoor and enjoy these tasty recipes.
TV personality and author Dian Thomas shares her journey of weight loss, exercise and life on the run every other Wednesday in the Deseret News and at www.DianThomas.com. Her weekly blog also runs Mondays at www.deseretnews.com and she takes tour groups to China. Contact her at www.www.dianthomas.com/travel.htm.