Campfire chicken

with char-grilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes, corn and quinoa salad

(serves 2-4)

Another fun thing we did whilst away was go camping! There's just something special about getting out into nature and being away from technology, distractions, everyday luxuries and just being by the campfire, watching the sun go down and breathing the fresh air :) Just another little bit of adventure that we might have to put on hold for a little while...

We went to this lovely quiet spot within Myall Lakes National Park called Dee's corner, just across from the beach and also right next to the lake! Lucky we got there early and set up camp, and decided to eat early too because just as the sun set, the rain also came with it! Then it rained basically from 6pm at night until the next morning! Thankfully our tent is awesome despite only having 5 out of 8 tent pegs (Note: sticks do not work like tent pegs!) and our sleeping bags are also super warm - thanks Mario & the Cheng family for those wedding and birthday presents !! Our camping chairs that we got from Secret Santa a couple years ago were also great - thanks Li en!

Camp set-up and stroll by the beach

Amazing sunset 5 metres from our tent

Ingredients

Chicken marinade

500 g chicken breast

2 tsp herb and garlic seasoning

salt

pepper

olive oil

spray oil

200 g asparagus 

250 g cherry tomatoes

200 g canned corn

3/4 C quinoa

5 g butter

zest and juice of 1/2 lime

Method

Disclaimer: As we were only planning on spending 1 or 2 nights camping and we hadn't brought all our camping gear, I decided to cheat and make the quinoa and corn at home beforehand to save time and the effort of boiling water, re-using pots etc. I think this is definitely an easy camp cooking option though, but we should have brought our gas stoves if we were planning on staying longer.

Preparation beforehand:

1. Cook the quinoa in 1.5 cups of boiling water for 15 minutes or until the water is all absorbed. Leave to dry for 5 minutes.

2. Drain the corn from the tin and put in boiling water over the stove for 5 minutes. Drain then mix with butter and salt. 

3. Combine the quinoa and corn and season with olive oil, lime zest and juice.

4. Marinate the chicken with the spices, salt and pepper and oil. Refrigerate overnight. 

At the campfire:

Paul setting up the fire - already chilly at 3pm!

4. Remove 3cm off the end of the stalk of the asparagus. Place in a metal holder, season with salt and a drizzle of oil, then place on the fire for 5-8 minutes, turning regularly to avoid burning. Remove from the heat and chop into bite-size pieces and place with the quinoa and corn mix.

5. Place the chicken into the holder and spray with oil on either side. Cook for 15-20 minutes on the fire, turning every few minutes to avoid burning. Cut open to check it's cooked all the way through before removing from the heat.

6. Halve the cherry tomatoes. Place foil on a saucepan, spray with oil then place the cherry tomatoes on top. Season with salt and place on the fire for 5-8 minutes until softened and slightly crisp on the outside.

Cooking by the campfire - great way to stay warm!

7. Toss the tomatoes in with the salad mix, season with salt and pepper. Serve with chicken on top (or cut into bite-size pieces). 

Success! Dinner by the campfire :)