Going on an outdoor adventure doesn’t mean that you should compromise your taste buds and eat bland meals. Here’s a list of 10 must-have spices, so that every meal can be gourmet when you are camping in your RV.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Lemon
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Chilies
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Truffle
- Oregano
- Rosemary
No matter what type of cuisine you follow, these spices are versatile for creating any gourmet recipe on your list. When combined, they give the perfect flavor and balance to your meals. As a result, you will enjoy each meal on your trip and make it memorable. The best part about carrying these spices in your spice rack during an RV trip is the variety of recipes that you can create by mixing them in different combinations.
Let’s now dive in further and see what makes each spice special on its own and some ideas that we have compiled by research and asking experienced RV campers on how you could use these spices to make things a little more gourmet.
Salt
Any cuisine is incomplete without Salt. So, it should be the first thing to add to your spice rack on an RV trip. There are plenty of salts out there and all of them have their own distinct flavor. Choose your favorite one among many options, regular table salt, sea salt, smoked salt, flaked or black salt.
You can toss some table salt with butter in your popcorns. For example, adding sea salt to baked baby potatoes makes a delicious snack. Another great gourmet meal idea that uses sea salt, as asked by people who commonly go camping during an RV trip, is to make salted pecan brie tartlets.
The smoked salt gives the best finish to beef up your BBQ or add a hint of smoky flavor to your veggies. Using flaked salt will give a crunch to your grilled meat and vegetables. Sprinkling Hawaiian black salt on your baked salmon or try it on fruits like oranges and guavas to bring out the sweetness.
Black Pepper
Black pepper is the most loved spice we tend to use in a variety of ways. Black pepper is another gourmet spice to take within your spice rack. There are many varieties of black pepper each having a unique taste and the choice will depend on your recipe needs and the cuisine you follow. It’s advisable to take peppercorns in a sealed bag or container to retain their quality and taste and prevent mold.
Now the question arises, how do you crush the peppercorns? Try this simple trick, place your pepper cords inside a coffee filter and smash it with the flat side of a meat mallet or the side of your knife. You can use crushed black pepper powder to make peppercorn sauce for your steak. Pepper also accompanies a variety of cream sauces for pasta or meat. We all know that pepper is great on eggs. What about pepper-crusted coating for your steak, tuna, salmon, or pork?
Lemon
Lemon has this tangy flavor that can brighten up the flavors of your favorite recipes. Take lemon juice or use the rinds; ideas are endless! As we said, you can use lemon in plenty of ways to give your dishes that bright touch of flavor.
Give a quick start and a healthy start to your morning by squeezing lemon and honey into your cup of green tea. Then, to make an excellent grilled treat for your dinner, you can stuff it together with slices of onion and put Salt and pepper on the top, inside a belly of salmon or trout fish, wrap it in tinfoil and BBQ.
Finally, give your eggs a finishing touch of lemon or creamy pasta sauce by grating the Rhind over it. Try cutting lemons into wheels and dehydrating them and adding a piece to salads, on top of a piece of grilled fish?
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is one of the beloved additions to the spice rack! A game-changer for our desserts! Cassia cinnamon has an intense flavor good for adding to morning coffee as a flavor enhancer. You can also use the powder in coffee grounds to make caramel apple coffee. Spice up your overnight oats with a pinch of cassia cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon has a milder flavor best for use in desserts. It goes well in pancake batter or over French toast. Sprinkle some Ceylon cinnamon over fresh fruits to serve with waffles.
Crushed Chillies
Chilies give a little heat to all your dishes. Add a little less for milder pallets, and a little more for those that like to feel alive! The real umami factor for plenty of your recipes. If you cannot tolerate crushed red chilies due to extreme spice levels, try jalapeno flakes. Use them in your honey soy glaze to spread over grilled chicken or duck to balance the sweetness.
Sprinkle jalapeno flakes over fish tacos for that extra spice level. You can use crushed red chilies to make pimento cheese dip for your snacks. If you are making curry sauces, crushed red chilies are a must. Sprinkle it to your stir-fried ramen for that piquant touch.
Cumin
Cumin is used in gourmet meals widely. Every cuisine somehow or the other relies on cumin as the primary flavor enhancer. Add cumin seeds to your chicken pilaf (chick broth rice) as seasoning. Or crush cumin powder and mix it with veggies for salsa sauce for chicken or beef tacos. Add it to the stew dishes like Chili Verde. Cumin powder makes the best seasoning for Greek salads. Carry both cumin seeds and cumin powder in your spice rack to get the best of any recipe you make.
Garlic
Garlic is the best gift of nature for creating gourmet recipes. Grate some garlic to add to butter for seasoning steaks. You can also use it over French bread for some evening snacks. Finely chopped garlic is an excellent finishing for alfredo pasta. Sauté your steak in chopped garlic and parsley for a gourmet lunch. Roasted garlic over the grill is amazing for purees or mashed potatoes.
Truffle
This unique and earthy flavored mushroom spice is a gourmet meal delight. A great tip for using truffles is to pack them with salt for an earthy flavored seasoning. Sprinkle seasoned salt over baked potatoes. Or how about seasoning scrambled eggs for some gourmet touch? Shave a little truffle over your fettuccini or bisque for extra flavoring. The best part of including truffles in your spice rack is that it adds a decadent touch to even the simplest recipes.
Oregano
This Italian herb is a unique gourmet spice. It is always better to crush and keep a bottle in your rack for an RV trip, as fresh oregano leaves can go bad if not stored properly. Crushed oregano goes well with pasta dishes, Greek-style salads, or tortellini soups. Mix oregano with garlic to make herb compound butter for steaks. Sprinkled oregano makes delicious garlic bread for snack time. What other unique ways can you use oregano? Mix it with other crushed herbs to make Italian dressings or pizza sauces.
Rosemary
This fragrant and evergreen herb gives a distinct flavor to meals. It pairs well with any potato recipe. Crush dried rosemary over mac and cheese or mushroom soup for extra herby fragrance. Another great idea is to chop and use over-grilled veggies. Store it in a Ziploc bag or an airtight container and refrigerate to retain freshness for a week or two.
