One of the most difficult things to do on a boat is to deal with meal planning. Unless you live on a dock and have a car, you can rarely dash to the store for some forgotten ingredient. The other issue is the lack of ability to keep leftovers fresh for any length of time, since refrigeration is usually inefficient at best.
One way to help with this challenge is to buy meals that you can double up on by changing or adding a very few ingredients. As an example, last night we had cheese tortellini with a red sauce, French bread, and a salad. I made twice the tortellini that we could eat, and put the rest in the fridge. This afternoon I took the rest of the tortellini and added chopped red pepper, red onion, chopped cucumber, julienned carrots, and grated Parmesan. I made a simple shake together vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, garlic salt, oregano, and lemon pepper and tossed it into the tortellini. I served it with leftover bread and a few slices of red pear. I didn't have to heat up the galley twice to prepare two meals and I had no leftovers.
Some other ways to double up on a meal:
Pork chops the first night with rice, pork fried rice with the leftovers.
Meatloaf the first night, cold meatloaf sandwiches the second.
Grilled chicken the first night, greens with thinly sliced cold chicken, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette the next.
Ham, grilled pineapple, and broccoli the first night, cheese omelets with diced ham and chopped broccoli the next.
Fried chicken tenders the first night, greens with diced fried chicken, cheddar chunks, red pepper chunks, and tomatoes the next day.
Grilled fish fillets with oven roasted red new potatoes and corn the first night, fish corn chowder with the leftover potatoes and corn and add onion and celery and cream the next.
Tacos the first night, then chili with the leftover taco meat as the base- add beans and canned tomatoes. Or use the taco meat for the base for sloppy joes. Doctor with barbecue sauce and spoon on crusty rolls.
Fish tenders and tossed salad the first night, fish tacos with the leftovers.
Roast chicken, baked potatoes and corn on the cob the first night, chicken corn chowder with the cold baked potatoes diced in and the corn and added cream the next.
Roast chicken or baked ham the first night, a chef salad the second.
I could go on and on with this, but if you have your favorites please comment below!
One way to help with this challenge is to buy meals that you can double up on by changing or adding a very few ingredients. As an example, last night we had cheese tortellini with a red sauce, French bread, and a salad. I made twice the tortellini that we could eat, and put the rest in the fridge. This afternoon I took the rest of the tortellini and added chopped red pepper, red onion, chopped cucumber, julienned carrots, and grated Parmesan. I made a simple shake together vinaigrette with olive oil, vinegar, garlic salt, oregano, and lemon pepper and tossed it into the tortellini. I served it with leftover bread and a few slices of red pear. I didn't have to heat up the galley twice to prepare two meals and I had no leftovers.
Some other ways to double up on a meal:
Pork chops the first night with rice, pork fried rice with the leftovers.
Meatloaf the first night, cold meatloaf sandwiches the second.
Grilled chicken the first night, greens with thinly sliced cold chicken, mandarin oranges, toasted almonds, and balsamic vinaigrette the next.
Ham, grilled pineapple, and broccoli the first night, cheese omelets with diced ham and chopped broccoli the next.
Fried chicken tenders the first night, greens with diced fried chicken, cheddar chunks, red pepper chunks, and tomatoes the next day.
Grilled fish fillets with oven roasted red new potatoes and corn the first night, fish corn chowder with the leftover potatoes and corn and add onion and celery and cream the next.
Tacos the first night, then chili with the leftover taco meat as the base- add beans and canned tomatoes. Or use the taco meat for the base for sloppy joes. Doctor with barbecue sauce and spoon on crusty rolls.
Fish tenders and tossed salad the first night, fish tacos with the leftovers.
Roast chicken, baked potatoes and corn on the cob the first night, chicken corn chowder with the cold baked potatoes diced in and the corn and added cream the next.
Roast chicken or baked ham the first night, a chef salad the second.
I could go on and on with this, but if you have your favorites please comment below!
Great little read. I think two meal cooking has been the best alternative for me also!
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