Grocery Shrink » Outdoor Cooking

More Solar Cooking

Angela — Thu, 19 May 2011 12:00:10 +0000

When solar cooking, keep in mind that protective eyewear (sunglasses) are a really good idea. Also, if children will be nearby, remind them that this not to look at the glare.

Here’s a solar cooking video from Minnesota. Roberta roasts a chicken and bakes cornbread in her solar oven. The worst part about this is having to go outside to set it up and check it, brrr! But if she can do it on a -10 degree day, then cooking on a pleasant summer afternoon should be a piece of cake. http://youtu.be/aJ22QCAqFCc

Here’s another type of cooker, with a parabolic mirror–that made a really fast grilled cheese sandwich. http://youtu.be/aJ22QCAqFCc

Other Solar Cookers

Angela — Wed, 18 May 2011 12:00:59 +0000

There are other ways to cook with the sun than in a cardboard box.

Here’s an open reflector. This one can be purchased on ebay for about $30.

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Windshield_Shade_Solar_Cooker

This one is made from a reflective windshield covers (the kind designed to keep your car cooler in the summer.)

http://solarcooking.org/plans/newpanel.htm

Here’s a page for making a similar style reflector from cardboard and foil.

This oven is also for sale on ebay for around $50. It fascinates me because it folds down very compactly–perfect for those with small amounts of storage space.

And here’s a video of a man sun roasting a 6 lb chicken in Ontario Canada on a windy day in February! He paid so much for his supplies for his slow cooker that he could have purchased this one and come out ahead (since his didn’t turn out as well as he had hoped.) But I love that it shows you don’ t have to live in Arizona to cook with the sun.

The Solar Oven

Angela — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:00:46 +0000

We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s so hot you could cook an egg on the sidewalk.” But cooking with the heat from the sun is not a cliche. With about $5 in materials you can create a solar powered oven that will bake bread, cook a casserole, or even boil water. For 3rd world areas where cooking fuel is scarce, solar ovens can give natives a way to purify their water. For the rest of us, solar ovens offer a cost effective way to cook our summer meals without heating up the kitchen.

Solar Oven cooking times resemble those of an electric crock pot, but will vary based on the cloud coverage and time of day. If your box is well insulated, the outside temperature is not as crucial as how direct are the sun’s rays. It helps to invest in an inexpensive oven thermometer positioned so you can read the temperature without lifting the lid. Also helpful are black or dark pans that aren’t reflective.

I’ve searched the web for the best online instructions for building yoru own solar cooker. Try it with cardboard and plastic first and if you like it, you can build a more permanent model from wood, metal hinges, and glass. Click the photos to go to the instructions.

Also See: http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/radabaugh30.html and http://articles.cnn.com/2009-04-09/tech/solar.oven.global.warming_1_cardboard-solar-box-cookers-international-simple/2?_s=PM:TECH

Solar Cooking fascinates me, and tomorrow I’ll show you some other types of solar cookers, plus show you the most affordable places to buy your own if crafting isn’t your thing.

The Summer Grill

Angela — Mon, 16 May 2011 12:00:32 +0000

Cooking outdoors on a grill gives great flavor to food, reduces fat, and prevents heating up the kitchen. If you have a covered porch to grill on, a summer shower doesn’t have to stop your cooking plans. We enjoy our gas grill but the most economical way to grill is in a traditional fire grill (Like a Weber), with coals made from fallen wood that has been allowed to cook down into coals.

When you think about a grill, what foods do you think of most? The first thing that popped into my mind was BBQ chicken, then hot dogs and hamburgers. But there’s even more that can be cooked on a grill, including stew and pizza!

To make the most of your grilled foods, consider marinating them. There are lots of commercial marinaids available for sale, but homemade ones are easy, cost effective and delicious. Marinades typically have oil, an acid ingredient like vinegar, pineapple or lemon juice, and herbs and spices. I’ve found that I can replace the oil with water which saves money and calories. We didn’t notice a difference in flavor.

You can marinate meat or vegetables, just don’t marinate them together. To marinate, mix all ingredients, pour over the food in a zipper seal bag and store in the refrigerator overnight. Flip the bag over and continue to marinate until time to grill. Discard raw meat marinades after use. If you’d like to brush the meat with marinade as it cooks, save some separately before you marinate the food to keep it from getting contaminated.

Here’s my favorite chicken marinade recipe:

3/4 cup water or oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vinegar (red wine or rice vinegars are nice)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Favorite Fajita Marinade

2 Tablespoons oil

2 Tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1 1/2 teapspoons cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

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Zucchini is one of my favorite vegetables to grill. We like to slice it thick (about 3/8″) and marinate it in low calorie Italian dressing before grilling.

We’ve also grilled corn on the cob: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Vegetables/GrillingCorn.htm

http://www.backyardandbbq.com/easy-grilled-pizza/186

Here are some links for grilled pizza instructions: http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/05/how-to-make-grilled-pizza-tips.html and http://pizzatherapy.com/grilling.htm

Photo Source: Food Network

Or try making your own individual meal packets in foil and grilling them. We love hamburger patties with carrots, potatoes, green beans, garlic and salt. Or fish with carrots, zucchini, onions and lemon pepper.