Healthy, Quick Recipes for Overlanders

We have been traveling full-time in our self-built overland truck for the past seven years. Although we have experienced many culinary delights on our travels, we always like to have easy, comfort foods that we can prepare without a lot of time or cleanup. Please check out our Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets for Overlander Foodies to see some of the kitchen appliances that make food prep a breeze.

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Instant Pot Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls

This is a go-to Instant Pot recipe that takes about 40 minutes and is entirely cooked in the Instant Pot! The best part of this recipe is that the ingredients are always available in South America—ground beef, cabbage, and rice are common staples. This recipe is a great example of using our Instant Pot Duo 3-Quart for high-elevation cooking in the remote mountains of Bolivia and Peru.

Ingredients:

• 60 g chopped onion (1/4 cup)
• 15 mL olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 500 g ground beef
• 150 g chopped cabbage (2 cups)
• 90 g uncooked white rice (1/2 cup)
• 240 mL tomato purée (1 cup)
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté Mode for 10 minutes. Start by sautéing the oil and onion together for 3 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and continue to sauté until browned.
3. Add in the chopped cabbage, rice, tomatoes, and seasonings. Mix together.
4. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on High for 20 minutes.
5. Allow for a natural release, which takes about 10 minutes. Then carefully turn the pressure release valve to vent any remaining pressure.
6. Mix and serve—with ketchup, of course!

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Instant Pot Quinoa

Quinoa is a staple grain for many people in South America. It is readily available and affordable. All you need is water and quinoa, but if you want to jazz up this recipe, you can use some homemade chicken stock instead of water. We often add our leftover bones to the Instant Pot with 1.5 cups of water and set it to Pressure Cook for 1 hour—delicious bone broth!

Ingredients:

• 170 g rinsed quinoa (1 cup)
• 360 mL water or bone broth (1.5 cups)

Instructions:

1. Combine quinoa and liquid in the 3-Quart Instant Pot and set to Pressure Cook on High for 1 minute.
2. After it cooks, allow the Instant Pot to release naturally.
3. Open the lid and fluff with a fork. Ready to go!

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Low Carb Egg Roll in a Bowl

Here’s another cabbage recipe so you have something to use the remainder of your cabbage on. The best part? This one only takes 15 minutes! This one-pot recipe is a great example of an easy, budget-friendly meal that we make on our induction cooktop in our camper.

Ingredients:

• 15 mL olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 60 g chopped onion (1/4 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 30 g fresh minced ginger (2 tbsp)
• 500 g ground beef or pork
• 280 g shredded cabbage (4 cups)
• 60 mL soy sauce (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:

1. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger for 3 minutes.
2. Add in the ground meat and cook for another 7-10 minutes, or until browned.
3. Add in the shredded cabbage and cook until the cabbage is at your preferred consistency.
4. Remove from heat and add green onions, sesame seeds, and hot sauce if you have those things available in your overland pantry!

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Keto-Friendly, Low-Carb Waffles

These are perfect for those wanting a quick, low-carb treat on the road. I really love my Dash Mini Waffle Maker, and I use it often. My favorite combo? Chilean smoked salmon and cream cheese on one of these waffles!

Ingredients:

• 75 g cream cheese (1/3 brick – assuming a 225 g brick)
• 2 eggs
• 15 g almond flour (2 tbsp)
• 2 g baking powder (1/2 tsp)
• 2 g baking soda (1/2 tsp)

Instructions:

1. Allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature. You can soften it in the microwave if you have one, but we haven’t met too many overlanders who do!
2. Beat together the cream cheese, eggs, and remaining ingredients. This is easily done with the help of our stick blender.
3. Pre-oil the waffle machine (I use coconut oil) and pour in the batter.
4. Cook for about 3 minutes per waffle. Makes 6 delicious waffles!

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Chocolate Avocado Mousse

I cannot think of a better recipe for travel in Mexico and Central America! Avocados are abundant, and when combined with locally sourced cocoa powder from Guatemala and Mexican vanilla, you have a winning combination. We like to use our immersion blender to quickly whip up this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe avocados
• 22 g unsweetened cocoa powder (3 tbsp)
• 400 mL coconut cream or milk (1 can)
• 5 mL vanilla extract (1 tsp)
• 50 g sugar or sweetener (1/4 cup)
• 0.5 g salt (1/8 tsp)

Instructions:

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight. So simple!

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Garlic and Anchovy Cauliflower with Salmon

Throughout our travels in Chile, we’ve tasted some of the most delicious salmon we’ve ever had! Many overlanders do not have an oven in their camper, but this is a perfect reason to consider adding the Cuisinart Oven/Air Fryer to your overlander kitchen—if you have the solar and batteries to run it. This recipe is a perfect combination of spicy and salty, something Jason discovered while we were in lockdown in Mexico during the pandemic. It has remained one of our favorite recipes for years.

Ingredients:

• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 anchovy fillets (or a whole tin if you like!)
• 8 g red pepper flakes (1 tbsp – use less if preferred)
• 30 mL olive oil (2 tbsp)
• 30 mL anchovy oil (2 tbsp, from the can)
• 450 g cauliflower (1 large head, about 1 lb), cut into florets
• 2 salmon filets, ~225 g each (about 8 oz each)

Instructions:

1. Make a paste using the oil, anchovy, garlic, and red pepper flakes. This can be done on a cutting board with a knife.
2. Rub the cauliflower with the paste and add it to a baking dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes at 200°C (400°F).
4. Add the salmon to the top of the cauliflower and return the dish to the oven for 10 more minutes.
5. If traveling in Mendoza, Argentina, fresh lemons are abundant—garnish away!

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Marry Me Chicken, Sous-Vide Style

If you check out our Top 10 Kitchen Appliances for Overland Foodies post, you’ll see why we are in love with sous-vide for overland travel. It gives you the ultimate flexibility when you have long, unpredictable days on the road.

Although you may not be able to find sun-dried tomatoes everywhere, we’ve found that making our own is easy. We just chop up tomatoes, gouge out the seeds, salt them, and leave them on the dashboard of the truck for a day or two. It doesn’t take long in the hot Central American climate!

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (about 300–350 g total)
• 15 mL olive oil (1 tbsp)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 g dried thyme (1 tsp)
• 1 g dried basil (1 tsp)
• 2 g red pepper flakes (1 tsp)
• 120 mL heavy cream (1/2 cup)
• 25 g parmesan cheese (1/4 cup, grated)
• 3 or 4 sundried tomatoes

Instructions:

1. Sous-vide the chicken breasts in advance. Vacuum seal the chicken or place it in a Ziplock bag.
2. We use a 6-can Coleman cooler with a hole cut in the lid to fit our sous-vide stick. Fill with water, add the chicken, and set the sous-vide to 74°C (or 165°F).
3. Put the cooler in the sink and continue your journey. Once the water reaches temp, cook the chicken for 1 hour.
4. For the sauce, sauté the olive oil, garlic, and spices for 3 minutes.
5. Add the heavy cream and cook for 5 more minutes, until slightly thickened.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and cooked chicken.

Easy and delicious!

These are just a few of our favorite quick and healthy recipes for overlanding. Let us know if you try them out on the road!

Happy cooking and safe travels!