Ali’s Top 3 Leisure Vehicle Dishes

1. Griddled Butternut Squash, Goats Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomato and Rocket Salad (V)

This is an incredibly tasty inexpensive and filling 'salad' made using with the Cadac BBQ Grid. The soft sweetness of the butternut squash and sundried tomatoes combines beautifully with the crunch of the nuts and tartness of the goats cheese.

Serves 2 generously

Ingredients

Half a butternut squash, skin on.

A bunch or bag of rocket

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 jar of sundried tomatoes

A large handful of walnuts halves

150g goats cheese log with rind

1 tsp of ground cumin

Olive or rapeseed oil

Dressing

2 tbsp of olive oil

2 tsp of balsamic vinegar/or lemon juice

1 tsp of honey, or caster sugar

salt and pepper

You will need a Cadac griddle plate


Method

Use the bottom half of the butternut squash.  Scoop out the seeds then cut the butternut squash into 1cm thick slices, keeping the skin on. 

Next cut the circles in half so you end up with semi-circles of squash. (You can use thin wedges of pumpkin instead if you prefer).

Rub oil into all side of the squash, sprinkle them with a light covering of ground cumin, salt and pepper and put them on a medium heat barbecue griddle or grill.

Grill and turn occasionally for about 8 minutes on each side, or until the squash has softened and the flesh has turned slightly brown and golden.

Meanwhile place 6 slices (about 1cm thick) of goats cheese on a square of tin foil that has been wiped with a little oil. This is to stop it melting onto the grill. Let it heat for about 3 minutes or until it begins to soften and warm through.

Put the rocket in a serving bowl then gently combine all the other ingredients with it, including the squash and cheese.

Mix all the dressing ingredients well, then drizzle all over the salad.


2. Sweet and Smoky Corn Fritters

These smoky fritters are so tasty - and very popular with children. The smoky flavour comes from the smoked paprika and the smoked bacon pieces. Eat them on their own, topped with an egg, or serve as part of a brunch with salsa, avocado and extra crispy bacon. If you don't have fresh corn, you can use 300g of tinned sweetcorn instead.

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 fresh sweetcorn cobs - husks and stalks removed

125g of plain flour

3 spring onions, sliced thinly into rounds.

1 tsp of baking powder

2 eggs

4 slices of good quality smoked back bacon

4 tablespoons of milk

1 clove of garlic, grated

1 tsp of smoked paprika

1 tablespoon of fresh coriander, chopped.

Oil for frying such as rapeseed oil

1 teaspoon of butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper


Method

Hold the corn cobs upright on a chopping board, using a sharp knife cut downwards to remove the kernels from the core. Discard the core.

Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan, or barbecue hot plate. Add the bacons pieces and fry for a minute, then add the sweetcorn, spring onion, garlic and paprika to the pan. Fry gently for a few minutes until the corn is just lightly cooked - not soft. Take off the heat and put the contents of the pan into a bowl.

In a jug, mix together the milk, eggs and flour, baking powder, some salt and pepper and fresh coriander until combined. Add to the sweetcorn mixture and combine well.

Heat the teaspoon of butter in the pan/hotplate and add a little more oil if needed. When the butter is bubbling, use a large spoon to place the mixture in rough circles, the size of a mug diameter, and leave to cook for a couple of minutes. When the bottom has cooked and turned a little golden, use a spatula to flip the fritters over and cook on the other side. This should take about 2 minutes on each side.

Remove from the pan, drain on kitchen paper and serve with a poached egg, sliced avocado and rashers of crispy bacon.


3. Black Pudding Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with roast chorizo potatoes, onions & a cider and cream sauce.

Yes, it sounds like something you might order in a fancy restaurant and I'm the first to tell you that the top tip of barbecuing is to keep it simple.... but hear me out on this one.

I made this champion of a dish in under 40 minutes - and with very little fiddle and fuss. I made it on my trusty little Cadac Safari Chef and bought everything I needed in one farm shop. So, if you are looking to cook something a little bit special on your next camping trip - this is the one!

Serves 2 very generously

Ingredients

A pork tenderloin about 300g (cut it in half to make 2 x 150g ones)

150 g black pudding

150g of chorizo, sliced and the slices cut in half.

8 slices of air-dried or parma ham

2 small brown onions

4 garlic cloves, skin on and crushed

rapeseed or olive oil

12 new potatoes

For the sauce: 100ml of cider

3 tsp of single cream

* I used my Safari Chef II with the fat pan, griddle plate and lid

Method

Boil your new potatoes in a pan of salted water, drain and put to one side.

(You can use the safari chef lid to boil them in if you don't have a pan.

Cut through each pork tenderloin in half lengthways - but not all the way through - just so that you can open it like a book. Season well with salt and pepper.

Crumble the black pudding (it is easiest if you slice it first) then lay the crumbled pudding down through the middle of the pork. Save back a couple of slices to use in your sauce later.

Close your pork book and use the parma ham/air-dried ham to wrap it up so as to seal the black pudding inside and stop the pork opening again as you cook it.

Cut your boiled new potatoes in half and put them in a bowl with the onions, crushed garlic cloves and the bits of chorizo. Drizzle enough oil over in order to mix it all about with your hands to coat everything.

Now put this potato and onion mixture around the edge of safari chef's fat tray.

Put the fat tray in place on the safari chef, light it and put the griddle plate on the top.  Pour a little oil in the centre of the griddle and put the pork on top and put the lid on.

It will need about 20 - 30 minutes to cook on a medium heat. Although you want to keep as much heat in as possible it is worth checking once or twice to turn the pork over so that it cooks evenly, and the ham crisps up all over.

When the pork is cooked (you can check it with a meat thermometer, the centre of the pork flesh should be 70% ) take it off the griddle pan and put it to one side to rest.

Now, you can leave the veg to cook in the fat pan, or if you want to quicken things up a little, spoon them out and pop them on the griddle to finish.

Once the veg have cooked, put them on a serving plate and pour the juices from the fat pan into a small saucepan. Put the pot stand on and add the cider and crumble in the remaining black pudding and let it all bubble furiously until the liquid starts to reduce.

Add the cream and let it bubble away for a little longer and until the sauce has thickened.

Slice the pork and serve on the roast potatoes, chorizo and onions drizzled with the sauce.


For more handy culinary tips from Ali, follow her twitter, check out her book Pitch Up, Eat Local or visit her website.