Menu ideas for solo sailing

[Cappen Boidseye]

I am hoping to take a week away on my wee boat later in the year, I have a gimballed cooker, basic two ring, grill and oven. I have a sink with cold water (still need to sterilise the tank).
I have no fridge and limited room for food, there will only be me on board, which makes stew from a variety of tins a problem as that normally feeds about four!.
I crave the knowledge and experience of yourselves; What can I take, what won't go off and what can I cook? for a week of meals?
I have cooked for 32 souls for a week (different vessel!), cooking for one seems more of a problem.
I can take an electric car fridge and use it as a chilled store (A bag of ice cubes helps to chill when away from decent power supplies) which will help a bit.
I hope to spend some time alongside during the week in range of pub meals but on board catering is also desired.

 

[rob2]

Welcome to my world, whether on a boat or not. Many's the time I've got a takeaway 'cause I'm sick of the stew i cooked this week... I did notice when I bought the boat that it had a one-person wok, so a stir fry and some noodles would make a quick, tasty and easy meal. Chuck some diced meat into a smoking wok, throw in some chopped veg, add sauce from a bottle then stir in some wok-ready noodles from a packet - done.

If you can afford the extra gas, try putting a pork loin steak in the oven along with some bakeable veg, serve with crusty bread.

Damn - getting hungry, must go...

Rob.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Part baked rolls are useful; they keep indefinitely while not opened.
Cheese and eggs keep well in a cool place - no need to refrigerate
You can get tinned meat and fish in small cans. For spaghetti sauces, dried mince or veggie alternative is OK, and keep indefinitely.
Vegetables will keep OK in a cool place for a week

 

[northwind]

Marks and Spencers do various smaller tins,

Meal for 1:

Fry some onion in a pan, chop up a mushroom, add in a half tin of M&S Chunky chicken, serve with either new potatoes, pasta, or rice.
M&S Tinned curry is also pretty good.

Also the basic of things like pasta with green Pesto, smoked bacon, garlic and onion.

You need to be in the mind set of it being worth the effort, also bear in mind that onion cheers up all sort of meals. Also fresh bread is great if you can get it.

As you have an oven, you could also look at places like "Cook" for their frozen meals, which you could eat on the first or second night if you keep it in a coolbox.

 

[prv]

I always get one of the better-quality oven-bake ready-meals for the first night, as I am usually over-ambitious about how quickly I'll get away and tend to reach the first anchorage rather late. Pop the foil tray in the oven when the destination's in sight, and it's ready to dish up as soon as the anchor's down and the decks are stowed.

Pete

 

[Stemar]

We visit France regularly and I always bring back a few tins of cassoulet (French version of pork 'n beans), lentilles aux saucisses (lentils with sausages) and petit salé (pork & lentils) or similar from Carrefour. They're all pretty complete meals and not as laden with fat like a lot of UK versions. A bit of salad and some cheese & biscuits to follow if I'm really hungry and it's just the job after a day's sailing.

SWMBO has veggie leanings, so doesn't like them, but loves ratatouille (from Tescos) with some cheese grated on top

 

[BAtoo]

We visit France regularly and I always bring back a few tins of cassoulet (French version of pork 'n beans), lentilles aux saucisses (lentils with sausages) and petit salé (pork & lentils) or similar from Carrefour. They're all pretty complete meals and not as laden with fat like a lot of UK versions.

Lidl & Aldi offer a similar range at times, these always seem better on the boat, especially when washed down with some red wine.

Also for first night, and maybe 2nd night, deep frozen one-pot something from home is bound to be better & will help chill your box.

 

[aslabend]

I have some tupaware boxes and cook one night and save half for the next.
one favorite is;
fry some onion and garlic (1/2 a finely chopped yellow pepper sometimes goes in), add some flaked chillies (to taste), add some chopped mushrooms soften, add a tin of chicken in white sauce, simmer until the onion is well cooked. Steam half a packet of the ready cooked rice (save the other half for the next day) and serve.

Another is corned beef hash but as I have no oven it is done on the hob.

Fry corned beef until slightly crispy, remove from pan, fry onions until golden (I also add a clove of garlic and some chilli flakes), add some parboiled spuds (chopped into small cubes) add a tin of baked beans, a small tin of toms, the corned beef, Worcestershire sauce, lots of pepper, simmer till the toms have cooked out. Enough for two warming bowl-fulls on these chilly summer nights. Nice with crusty bread.

Spuds Carrots, onions, Peppers all keep well I find. Broccoli, mushrooms, green beans don't do so well. Cabbage is Ok
Fresh coleslaw made by grating cabbage, carrots and onion with salad dressing is a good lunch item. Can be jazzed up with salami or choritzo finely chopped.

I keep some small tetrapacks of Pasata and add fried onion, garlic, italian seasoning and cooked pasta for a quick evening meal.

Either that or the local chippie (there's nothing better than a good fish and chip but there is also nothing worse than a bad fish and chips).

 

[david_bagshaw]

muesli & yog for breakfast, sliced meats, cheese and olives for lunch, something easy and quick from a tin for eve, or a run ashore. Perc coffee at all meals. coffee mate ideal if you dont have a running fridge. can recommend the fish & chips on the quay at falmouth, really yummy. diet on recent solo voyage Amsterdam to severn estuary. I find on a mile muncher solo voyage, I dont have the time or inclination for messing in the galley, after doing the nav prep for the next day.

 

[prv]

Also for first night, and maybe 2nd night, deep frozen one-pot something from home is bound to be better & will help chill your box.

A good technique, though personally I've stopped doing this so much as I enjoy cooking on board.

However, I'd be wary about planning it for the first night unless your coolbox is completely rubbish - on a charter trip with mates a few years ago we agreed that each of us would cater one night, with the remaining evening being a meal ashore. Everyone turned up with their contribution pre-made and frozen, and on the first night we realised that all our dinner supplies consisted of solid icy blocks that wouldn't fit into the pan!

Fortunately we'd catered for some slap-up breakfasts, and I used the sausages to do bangers and mash

Pete

 

[doug748]

I always have a good French dressing on board and olives. Iceberg lettuce keeps very well in a cool place and a strong chedder is usually eaten before it goes iffy. Peppers are another thing it is nice to have. Olive based spreads, rather than butter, will keep for a couple of months. Salami type sausage stays forever and can be eaten as a starter or as the basis for a chilli meal.
With these sort of extas, a tin can meal can be transformed.
I also keep a can of spray cream to jazz up puddings or fruit, although chums do tend to sneer.

 

[prv]

I also keep a can of spray cream to jazz up puddings or fruit, although chums do tend to sneer.

Doesn't that stuff need to be kept in the fridge?

Pete

 

[doug748]

The Lidl stuff will last more than a month.


....but clean the end of your nozzle after every squirt, so to speak.

 

[prv]

The Lidl stuff will last more than a month.


....but clean the end of your nozzle after every squirt, so to speak.

Fair enough.

No desire to eat the stuff myself - I think my dad put me off it as a child by describing it as "hydrogenated whale blubber" - but I wouldn't go as far as sneering at others' culinary preferences

Pete

 

[Rowana]

I also sail single handed. Here are some tips from me.

Milk - I can't stand UHT milk, so always buy fresh. Wrap a couple of layers of kitchen towel round the bottle and wet it. As the water evaporates, it keeps the milk fresh. keep the towel moist, and it will last 2-3 days. I keep it in the sink just to catch the water drips.

Sweet & sour - I buy a plastic tray of chopped chicken or pork from Tesco and a jar of uncle bens sauce. Use half the chicken & half the jar of sauce one night. Wrap the remaining half chicken/pork in cling film, then kitchen towel & wet it. This will keep perfectly well till the next night. I use "boil in the bag" rice as it saves mess and is tolerably tasty.

Look in the local butchers in the places you visit. Some do individual steak/chicken/mince pies. There is a lovely place in Wick for example. Buy a few loose new potatoes - if you buy them loose, you can get as many/few as you want. Same with vegies.

Some of the packet risotto's aren't too bad, and are simple to put together if you're tired.

HTH.

 

[richardsn9]

I rather like the pouch food from Waitrose 'Look what we Found' range, tasty and simple to cook and serves one comfortably. Nearby on the shelves, they have a potato saute that is quick to do in a frying pan. All have good shelf lives and do not require refrigerating at all. Not too expensive either.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Concerning milk, one of our recent discoveries is cold filtered milk. Several supermarkets sell it alongside the ordinary milk. The great thing is that it will keep for a week as long as it isn't excessively warm - our insulated cold locker is fine. And it tastes absolutely no different to "standard" milk.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Depends if your cooking under way or when the boats stopped!

Now for the finer things in life for the solo sailer.

Heinze Beef Ravioli comes in a tin, with a bread roll makes a great meal for 1, 4 min in the pan

Asda Chicken Tika, comes in a tin, brillient with another bread roll, also 4 min in the pan.

Fray Bentos Steak and Ale pie and Chicken Pies takes about 40 min in the gas oven, brillient on its own.

Bacon, usually keeps a couple of days if kept cool

Get a few plastic sealed container with a clip top, amazing how long and fresher things keep in them.

all the above will keep for ages as they are in a tin, best investment I bought was a toaster for £4.50 at Asda, now that opens a whole
load of nice quick dishes!

Mike

 

[Boatman]

The two best items I have on board are:

A cheap small wok (Portion control)
A pressure cooker (Sealed the food keeps for 2 days, and if it falls off the stove dinner is still there)

 

[onesea]

The two best items I have on board are:

A cheap small wok (Portion control)
A pressure cooker (Sealed the food keeps for 2 days, and if it falls off the stove dinner is still there)

One week should not be an issue without a fridge...

I would stock..
Vegetables (potatoes, carrots, leeks, onions, tomartoes)
A ham (supermarket stuff Lidil to nice size for 5 pounds, great for sandwiches and a meal).
Bacon (again shrink wrapped supermarket stuff, breakfast or dinner).
Some tinned meat: Corn Beef, Stews, chilies curries (I always keep some on the boat just incase).
Pasta
Milk in 1 pint and 2 pint cartons frozen at home to use as Ice packs.
Some spices as I feel fit.
Eggs A dozen.
A steak or 2,
Some lamb chops,

If stored in the bilges away from engine and heat sources or in cool box in cold part of boat, this should see you through most of the week. You can then buy what you fancy when you go ashore...
I tend not to make menus and plan meals to detailed, just eat what I fancy...

If your not planning on hitting any land or shops it becomes more challenging..