Three Square
Dirty Gourmet: uncomplicated, outdoor-friendly recipes from three friends
Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats
My parents took my brother and me camping all the time when we were growing up. My mom says it was the one thing they could do with us that was affordable, kept us entertained, and made them both happy. As a parent of twins, Asha and Ravi, I’ve learned how true this is. We camp as often as we can, usually last-minute overnighters to escape our to-do lists in exchange for some quality family time. On these types of trips, I try to keep the food as simple as possible so we can focus on getting out the door.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats are a camp breakfast staple for those mornings when we want to get up and go. You can make them at home the night before your trip or while you’re making dinner at camp, then throw the Mason jars in the cooler. Come morning, there’s no need to pull out stoves or do dishes—just go play! —Aimee
- ⅔ cup unsweetened almond milk (other types of milk work too)
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 2 tablespoons salted natural peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons jam of choice
- For Serving
- Sliced bananas, berries, or other fruit
- The evening before you want to eat this, prepare the oats. In a Mason jar, combine milk, oats, peanut butter, and seeds. Stir to combine, but don’t worry about getting the peanut butter perfectly mixed in. Top the oatmeal with 1 to 2 tablespoons of jam (depending on how sweet you like it). Seal the jar with a lid and place in a cooler overnight.
- In the morning, serve the oatmeal cold, topped with fruit.
Ember-Roasted Baba Ghanoush
You don’t have to make every piece of a meal from scratch as long as you have 1 or 2 impressive from-scratch elements. This simple and elegant baba ghanoush sets the tone for that scenario, rounding out a meze platter of supermarket hummus, dolmas, tabbouleh, and pita bread. You’ll get to utilize the campfire in an impressive way, but will quickly get down to enjoying an evening of entertaining under the stars. —Emily
- 1 large eggplant
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 to 4 tablespoons tahini
- Juice of 1 medium lemon
- For Serving
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Pita bread
- Wrap the eggplant tightly in aluminum foil, and place it directly on the embers of a campfire. Roast the eggplant until it’s softened, turning often with tongs, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- While the eggplant is cooling, finely mince the garlic and then sprinkle the salt over the top of it. Gather the mixture into a pile and, holding your knife at a 30-degree angle to the board, scrape your knife across the board, smashing the garlic. Repeat this process until the garlic is broken down into a paste. Set aside.
- Once the eggplant is cool enough to handle, place it on a cutting board and slice off the top stem. Cut the eggplant lengthwise in quarters. Scrape off the skin and discard, and place the flesh in a towel. Drain any liquid that is released and then return the eggplant to the cutting board. Chop the eggplant as finely as possible and place it in a bowl.
- Add the salted garlic paste to the bowl of eggplant, along with 2 tablespoons of tahini and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Taste and add additional tahini, lemon juice, and salt if needed. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve with hot pita bread.
One Pot Pasta Puttanesca
My mom once accidentally poured a boiling pot of water on her sock-and-sandal-covered foot as she was trying to drain pasta in the Sierra backcountry. She spent the rest of the trip with her foot soaking in the ice-cold creek near our campsite. Somehow she managed to hike out a couple days later, but it was a pretty terrible burn to withstand. I’ve been wary of draining hot water off anything ever since, so I’m motivated to find ways to avoid it altogether. Case in point: This pasta cooks in its own sauce and requires no draining at all. It’ll look soupy for a while, but then suddenly the pasta will absorb all the extra water and a sauce will form. If you have any leftover, break out your pie iron and make a spaghetti sandwich. —Aimee
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon red chile flakes
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound rigatoni
- ½ cup good-quality pitted black olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons capers
- For Serving
- Chopped fresh Italian parsley
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until it’s slightly browned at the edges, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chile flakes and stir for another minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, rigatoni, olives, and capers. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally for 8 to 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Serve with fresh Italian parsley and Parmesan cheese.
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