Welcome to Chameleon's Galley Talk!
Inevitably I get asked two questions about meal preparations. The obvious one is what meals can be prepared easily and without much hassle on board a small sailing vessel. The second question comes from friends and acquaintances who know that two of our crew have food allergies. Both members are intolerant to gluten, a naturally occurring protein found in wheat, barley and rye. To complicate matters more, one or the other also is allergic to lactose, coconut and xanthum gum (often used as a thickening agent). With these main ingredients removed, and the growing interest in gluten free cooking, everyone wants to know how I make a meal not only with any taste at all but one that actually tastes good. The good news is you can! The better news is with today's health conscious grocers, it really isn't any more difficult than a normally prepared meal. Here on Galley Talk I will post my favorite recipes that I have either created or modified for a gluten free cuisine. If you don't need gluten free, you should still find the recipes tasty. Simply replace the gluten free ingredient with your favorite brand of flour or pasta. This is usually done on a 1-1 ratio. I will try to notate any rare occasion where this general rule deviates. To help your search for main dishes I will break out recipes into categories, i.e. beef, chicken, fish... etc. but don't let that limit your searches. Remember, fish and chicken can often be substituted for one another and then your dish takes on new characteristics. Use these recipes as a base but don't be afraid to alter, improvise and experiment. Sailing is an adventure, cooking can be too. DISCLAIMER: These recipes work for me and my crew. Ultimately, your health is in your hands and it is up to you to make sure you are not allergic to any ingredient listed in these recipes. Yeah, I know, it's sad I even felt the need to include this...
Galley Talk is a work in progress. Normally, I would not release a project like this without it being complete but the Admiral was so excited to have a place to refer her friends for recipes she threatened to keelhaul me if I were to take this page down. I obligingly agreed to leave it up! The buttons below will become active as recipes are added. Keep checking back as I will be adding content regularly.
Please feel free to use the comment button at the bottom of each individual recipe to ask questions, or let us know if you liked the recipe. Maybe you even found a way to make it better and want to share! If you have a recipe of your own you would like to share, please post it in the forum below and I will try to get it posted to the correct category.
There are several indispensable items we keep on board to make life in the galley a little simpler. A good French press for those too early in the morning, get me goings, is one. We found an excellent marine grade, vacuum thermally insulated 10 cup press made by Planetary Design at REI that fills our needs perfectly. It will keep your java hot for a couple hours unlike your usual glass presses. Als0 there is no worries about broken glass on the cabin sole because someone forgot to stow it properly. A good stove top tea pot to go along with your french press is nice also.
A nice cookware set is also a necessity for cooking on your boat. You can make do with your kitchen's cook set, but this takes up a lot of precious space. Nesting sets are optimal but take up a lot of your precious money. I was lucky enough to catch a sale from Defender Marine on a set of stainless cookware made by Galleyware. I absolutely love this set for it's performance and storage abilities. The pans even have sealable lids so leftovers can go straight into the cooler after dinner.
You may have noticed some of my recipes call for an oven. So, now your scratching your head and saying something along the lines of "hey, I haven't seen too many 26 foot boats equipped with ovens." Well, you would be correct in your pondering. A fair amount of them do, however, have rail mounted BBQ grills and Chameleon is no exception. I bought a used Magma charcoal grill off EBay last winter. What I never understood is why most gas grills have a thermometer on the lid and yet charcoal grills do not. I bought a small thermometer, also off EBay and promptly drilled a hole in the lid of my new Magma. Now I light the charcoal, wait until the coals are white and place the lid on the grill. Adjust the airflow until the desired temperature is reached, place the pan containing my soon to be meal on the grill making sure to use indirect heat (not directly over the coals), cover, and WALLAH! I have an oven! BONUS! I also get all that smokey flavor infused into the meal!
A nice cookware set is also a necessity for cooking on your boat. You can make do with your kitchen's cook set, but this takes up a lot of precious space. Nesting sets are optimal but take up a lot of your precious money. I was lucky enough to catch a sale from Defender Marine on a set of stainless cookware made by Galleyware. I absolutely love this set for it's performance and storage abilities. The pans even have sealable lids so leftovers can go straight into the cooler after dinner.
You may have noticed some of my recipes call for an oven. So, now your scratching your head and saying something along the lines of "hey, I haven't seen too many 26 foot boats equipped with ovens." Well, you would be correct in your pondering. A fair amount of them do, however, have rail mounted BBQ grills and Chameleon is no exception. I bought a used Magma charcoal grill off EBay last winter. What I never understood is why most gas grills have a thermometer on the lid and yet charcoal grills do not. I bought a small thermometer, also off EBay and promptly drilled a hole in the lid of my new Magma. Now I light the charcoal, wait until the coals are white and place the lid on the grill. Adjust the airflow until the desired temperature is reached, place the pan containing my soon to be meal on the grill making sure to use indirect heat (not directly over the coals), cover, and WALLAH! I have an oven! BONUS! I also get all that smokey flavor infused into the meal!