Living Overland - A new blog dedicated to gourmet camp cooking

[flyfishexpert]

We are excited to announce we have started testing with the Global Sun Oven by Sun Ovens International, Inc..



We started by running some initial tests in the back yard to see how quickly it comes up to temperature. After about 45min the oven's internal temperature had reached 225*F. This was while the ambient temp here was 55*F. We had to end our tests early as the rain clouds moved in and blocked the sun.

We will be taking the oven on our nine-day trip to the Four-Corners region, here the end of the month, to put the design to the test in a overland type application. More photos and our initial reviiew will be posted within the coming days.

[flyfishexpert]

Review of Sun Oven Part 1



Sun Oven International Inc. sent us their Global Sun Oven to test for 90-days. Our experience with the company has been very good. We received the oven in October and quickly set out to do some preliminary tests at home before we attempted to use the oven in the field. This is our preliminary review of the oven. Our final review will be posted in the following weeks.

Construction



The Global Sun Oven’s base is constructed of a black plastic box and a black metal inner liner. A layer of insulation is sandwiched between the two and the oven’s top is capped with a wooden frame. The oven’s glass door opens with two hinges and is secured in place with two twist locks. The reflector array is made up of six polished metal panels which fold together for storage and quickly open for use. An adjustable post, located on the back of the oven, is used to adjust the ovens angle. Two bolts on the interior of the oven support a pivoting tray, which allows the contents to sit level as the oven’s angle is adjusted.

You can read the rest of part 1 of our review on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.

[flyfishexpert]

Sun Oven Chili Colorado



Ingredients

6 dried New Mexico red chiles
6 dried ancho chiles
6 dried cayenne chiles
2lb beef roast
1/4cup brown sugar
12oz Coca-Cola
salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4

Pre-Trip Preparation



Remove the stem and seeds from the dried chiles (wear latex gloves to prevent getting chile oils from getting on your fingers). Place chilies and three to four cups of water in a large pot and simmer over medium heat for thirty to forty minutes, or until the peppers are tender. Remove chiles from water and place in a blender with 1/2 cup of chile water. Puree until smooth. Transfer into an ice cube tray and freeze. Place frozen chile puree cubes in a zipper bag and store until ready to use.

Cut beef roast into one inch cubes, trimming off any fat and silverskin. Place beef in a plastic zipper bag until ready for use.

You can find the rest of our recipe on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.

[flyfishexpert]

Cool as a Cucumber Soup



This is a great recipe for those late summer trips when you have extra cucumbers in your garden.

Ingredients
2 medium english cucumbers
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup parsley
1 tablespoon chives
1 tablespoon dill
1 tablespoon mint
1/2tablespoon tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups greek yogurt
Serves 4

You can find the rest of our recipe on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.

[flyfishexpert]

Sun Oven Chicken Curry



Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, cut into 3/4" cubes
12 oz Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
1/2 cauliflower head, cut into florets
1 15.5 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
1 15.5 oz can low-sodium chicken broth
1 15.5 oz can coconut milk
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp turmeric

You can find the rest of our recipe on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.

[4x4mike]

I'm going to try this one at home. I love chicken and curry. Experimenting at home will be good because the 2 year old doesn't like curry so much. Hopefully I can find a happy medium before we're out and about.

[flyfishexpert]

Turkey and Apple Pita with Cranberry-Pecan Aioli



Ingredients: Aioli

1 cup Mayo
1/3 cup Dijon Mustard
3 tbsp honey
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pecans halves
salt
pepper

Makes 16, 2 tbsp, servings

Preparation: Aioli
Preheat oven to 350F. Place pecans on a cookie sheet and toast for 5 min, or until they become aromatic. Remove from the oven and let cool. Coarsely chop cranberries and pecans. Place in a bowl mixing in remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

For the complete recipe visit our website, www.livingoverland.com, or click here.

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Review of Sun Oven Part 2



The Plan:
We continued our evaluation of the Global Sun Oven on our Four Corners trip so that we might see how well the design lent itself to overland travel. The route and timeline for the trip left only a few hours of daylight at the end of the journey most day's and only two days with a full afternoon in camp. Despite our aggressive travel plans the oven tagged along as we traveled some 2500 miles.


Valley of the Gods

Preparing for Transportation:
The oven's glass door was a concern for us as we would be driving on dirt roads for part of the trip. To reduce vibration and the potential for damage, we covered the supplied enamelware pot with a fleece blanket. We wrapped the reflector assembly with a second blanket to reduce vibration and potential damage.





The Sun Oven was placed next to our cooler, on top of the rear drawers, during transportation. The oven's leveling leg sticks out about 1/2" past the bottom of the oven when in the lowest adjustment. We made sure to insert the leg past this adjustment, allowing the bottom of the leg to sit flush with the bottom of the oven, to ensure the oven stayed in place as we traveled.



You can read the rest of part 2 of our review on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.

[flyfishexpert]

Caprese Salad



Ingredients
1/4 cup pine nuts
3 medium cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup loose fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves
4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
3 whole ripe tomatoes
6 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, patted dry
Ground black pepper
Kosher salt

For the complete recipe visit our website, www.livingoverland.com, or click here.

[flyfishexpert]

Review of OvaEasy



We first encountered OvaEasy, by Nutriom, at the 2011 Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. I must say we were a little skeptical when we first approached the booth and inquired about the product. I had tried the typical dehydrated eggs in the past and was, well less than impressed. Memories of rubbery, off-colored, and odd-flavored scrambled eggs began to surface.



As we spoke with the Nutriom representative, he began to explain what set his product apart from the competition. "The process," he explained, "was the key to the difference." A low-temperature dehydration process maintains the egg's protein structure as it evaporates the moisture without cooking. They claimed their product tasted and acted just like fresh eggs and had a shelf life of 18 months.



To prove it, the representative offered to make up a fresh batch of scrambled eggs for us to taste. The taste was great and the texture was right. We were impressed!

Product Information:
OvaEasy comes in two forms, Whole Egg and Egg Whites. The wholes are sold in 1 and 6.5 dozen egg packages while the whites are sold in 2 and 4.75 dozen egg packages. Both can be purchased in sealed metal cans to extend the shelf life up to 7 years.

Our Test:
Okay, so we admit making scrambled eggs is easy, but how would OvaEasy holdup to the riggers of other recipes? We were lucky enough to bring two bags of OvaEasy home with us to test more thoroughly. We chose to prepare omelets with the eggs to test how well they would hold up to being folded and mixed with milk and cream.



You can read the rest of our review on our blog, www.LivingOverland.com, or by clicking here.