Menu for Gulf Coast Sail

 Wednesday, Sept. 23 (Nanaimo)

Dinner-maybe dinner out in Nanaimo

            -Carlos O'Brien

 Thursday, Sept. 24 (to Mark Bay, Newcastle)

Breakfast-On Boat or Tim Horton's

Pastry from Nanaimo, Coffee (with milk), OJ

Lunch

Wrap (mustard, mayonnaise) (Ham, Cucumber, Cheese Slices)

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Roasted chicken (2 so enough for lunch)

Beans, rice or naan

Package salad

Coffee

Friday, Sept. 25 (to Telegraph Harbor, Thetis Island)

Breakfast-Quick Breakfast before Dodd Narrows

Toast/Bagel, Peanut Butter, Jam, Coffee (with milk), OJ

(or patisserie from café-purchase yesterday)

Lunch

Left over chicken Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper (maybe dinner out)

Hamburgers (frozen Patties), Buns, Cheese Slices, Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles

Chips

Coffee 

Saturday, Sept. 26 (Princess Cove at Wallace Island)

Breakfast

Instant Oatmeal ,Coffee (with milk), OJ

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Chicken Fettucine

Package salad

Coffee

Sunday, Sept. 27 (Galiano Island and stay at Galiano Harbor or Montague Harbor)

Breakfast

Granola, OJ, Coffee (milk)

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Spagetti and Meat Sauce

Package salad

Coffee

Monday, Sept. 28. (to Saltspring Island and dock at Ganges Harbor)

Breakfast

Toast/Bagel, Eggs, Coffee (with milk), OJ

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Salmon, Rice

Package salad

Coffee

Tuesday, Sept. 29. ( second night at Ganges Harbor)

Breakfast

Toast/Bagel, Peanut Butter, Jam, Coffee (with milk), OJ

Lunch

Lunch Meat Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

BBQ Pork Chops, Coleslaw, Buns or Beans or Potato Salad

Package salad

Coffee

Wednesday, Sept.30. ( to dock in Maple Bay, Vancouver Island)

Breakfast

Instant Oatmeal Coffee (with milk), OJ), OJ

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Taco Salad (Doritos, ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce,

Coffee

Thursday, Oct. 1. ( to Pirates Cove, DeCourcy)

Breakfast

Granola, OJ, Coffee (milk)

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Chili and buns

Package salad

Coffee

Friday, Oct. 2. (To Mark Bay on Newcastle Island)

Breakfast

Toast, Eggs, Coffee (with milk), OJ

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Shrimp Fettucine

Package salad

Coffee

Saturday, Oct. 3. (to  Marina in Nanaimo)

Breakfast

Toast/Bagel, Peanut Butter, Jam

Lunch

Wrap

Water

Fruit or Veggie

Supper

Supper in Nanaimo

Sunday, Oct. 4 (to airport and ferry terminal by noonish)

Breakfast

Pastry from Nanaimo, Coffee (with milk), OJ

Tim Horton's

Lunch

Out in Nanaimo

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Alternate lunches-ham sandwiches, charcuterie, hot dogs

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Breakfast Ideas

Toast, Bagels, English Muffins

Eggs

Yogourt

Granola

Instant Porg

Orange Juice

Coffee

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Lunch Ideas

Wraps with Lunch Meat, Canned Tuna, Canned Salmon, Leftover Chicken

Fruit

Bread and Cheese, Veggies, Fruit  if Fresh Loaves available

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Snacks

Granola Bars

Chocolate Bars

Peanuts

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Supper

Dinner Out

Roasted Chicken

Salmon

Fish

Pork Chops

Taco Salad

Quesidillas

Chicken Fettucini

Spagetti with Meat Sauce

Chili

Hamburger Patties

Rice

Dried Pasta (Spagetti, Fettucine, Linguine)

Hashed browns (dehydrated)

Canned beans

Pasta salad with veggies and chicken

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Drinks

Water, Boxed Juice, Coffee

Pasta Salad on a Sailboat

 

Easy Meal with Lots of Alternatives

Boil the pasta and add spices and mayonnaise as per package instructions.

Add what you have on hand:

Veggies such as carrots, cucumbers, asparagus, peppers, pickles, peas, onion, 

celery, radishes, tomatoes, corn, brocoli, cauliflower, zucchini

Protein such as cheese, chicken, tuna, salmon, sausage, beef, chickpeas, 

eggs, salami, shrimp, lentils, shelled edamane

Quesidillas on a Sailboat

 

This is another easy prep idea for cruising or camping  as quesidillas can be easily heated up on a griddle, a bbq,  a fry pan or even wrapped in foil and heated over a campfire or in an oven.

Serve with salsa (fresh or from a jar), sour cream and a side salad.

Use rotisserie chicken or grill chicken with seasoning ( chili powder, ground cumin, and dried oregano), grated cheese (monterey jack and cheddar) as the main filling.  Add canned, diced green chilies, avocado, scallions, onions or tomatoes.

Assemble by putting filling on one side of a tortillas leaving room along the edge to prevent spilling out. Fold over into half moon shape.  Grill or warm, cut into serving size and enjoy.

Hash Brown and More

 Space is limited in the sailboat galley and these dehydrated hashbrown potatoes can be comfort food after a long day sailing.  Unlimited combinations from chicken and ham added to make a one dish meal to a side for a bbq steak or pork chop.  

Potatoes, Pepper, Onion and Parmesan Cheese

Peanut Butter Cookies

 Gerry and Kathy came for a late winter visit and Kathy brought along

 her yummy peanut butter cookies.  One of Papa's favorite cookies.  

Thanks to Kathy and Gerry for the visit and the cookies.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs (room temperature)

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling OR pickling salt 

optional: 1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts

Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Using a mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together on medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Add the eggs and beat on high until combined, about 1 minute.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Add the  peanut butter and vanilla, then beat on high speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, then mix on low until combined.  

With the mixer on low speed, add the peanuts.  Dough will be thick and soft.

Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 2-3 days.  If chilling for longer than a few hours, allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling and baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll cookie dough into balls, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie (can use medium cookie scoop).  If desired roll in granulated sugar or 

alternatively sprinkle a few grains of salt on the cookies.

Use a fork to make a crisscross indent on top. Bake for 10-12 minutes until very lightly browned.  The centers will look soft.

Remove from the oven.  Cool.

Good to know:

Cookie dough can be made ahead chilled for up to 3 days. Unbaked cookie dough balls (without sugar coating) freeze well for up to 3 months.  

Yield: 40 cookies

Baguettes on a Sailboat

Pastries, breads and "les baguettes" are lifesaving comfort foods on a sailboat. When opportunity knocks take it.  In other words when you see a baguette buy a few.  They make great sandwiches, breakfast bread, additions for dinner.  Pastries are a nice treat for celebrating a successful sail or an evening sunset treat. 

Plan ahead for carrying groceries back to the boat on the dinghy in a waterproof bag.

  This bag was the perfect size to get the baguettes safely on board.

Lemon Shrimp Linguine

Cruising on the sailboat and planning meals takes imagination and patience.  Some of the challenges are space, refrigeration, availability of ingredients and  guests' dietary preferences and restrictions.

 Taking advantage of local seafood leads to Pasta and Seafood meals being a great choice.

For this meal we enjoyed shrimp sauteed in butter, garlic and lemon over a bed of linguine.

Garlic toast as a side can be made with leftover breads.

Hamburgers on the Sailboat

Cruising on the sailboat and planning meals takes imagination and patience.  Some of the challenges are space, refrigeration, availability of ingredients and  guests' dietary preferences and restrictions.

 Hamburgers are a great choice for a sailboat meal.

Barbecue or fry depending on the weather.

Sides could range from-

Chips

Fresh veggies

Coleslaw

Salad

Canned beans

Grilled pineapple

Pork Chop Meal on the Sailboat

Cruising on the sailboat and planning meals takes imagination and patience.  Some of the challenges are space, refrigeration, availability of ingredients and  guests' dietary preferences and restrictions.

Barbecuing helps to keep the galley cooler and is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.

A great meal combination-

Barbecued pork chops

Potato salad

Coleslaw

Fruit while Cruising the Caribbean

Fruit can be a large part of the menu while cruising, whether it be with 

-morning yogourt, granola, peanut butter toast or eggs

-lunch pita wraps or baguette sandwiches 

-dinner as grilled fruit

-refreshing snacks

Taking the opportunity to learn about local fruits adds depth to your trip. On our Caribbean Cruise from Guadeloupe to St. Lucia we enjoyed mango, green oranges, bananas and pineapple.

Greenish peel on these oranges

Greenish-skinned oranges in the Caribbean and tropical regions are fully ripe and sweet, despite their colour. Due to a lack of cool nights, chlorophyll does not break down, keeping the rind green while the inside matures to a sweet, juicy, orange state. 

While enjoying the morning sun on the sailboat in Marigot Bay a local Caribbean came by on his runabout with fruit to sell.  We were gifted with a lesson on how to cut a mango.

The pit is not round, but thin and wide, similar to an elongated, flattened disk.  Because the pit is wide and flat, it dictates how a mango is sliced. The pit sits inside with its flat sides facing the widest parts of the mango "cheeks". 

To cut a mango in cubes, slice off the two "cheeks" about 1/2 inch from the center line to avoid the large, flat pit. Score a grid pattern in to the flesh of each half without cutting through the skin, then invert the skin to pop out the cubes. Once the cheeks are removed, slice the skin off the remaining middle section containing the pit, then carve out the remaining flesh. If the mango is very soft or overripe, avoid cubing and instead slice it directly to reduce mess, or use it for smoothies. 

For ease of slicing one can buy a mango slicer.

Pineapple can be grilled in varied shapes, on the barbecue or in a frypan.  For extra sweetness grill with brown sugar, maple syrup or agave. For adding spiciness sprinkle with chili powder or cinnamon.

 

Sadie's Toffee

 Sadie says the he recipe is quite simple. 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

few pinches of salt

 

Just melt down half a cup of butter in a medium size skillet.  When it has melted add one cup of sugar and a few pinches of salt.  The salt helps the toffee not separate.  Turn the temperature up to a medium or high heat depending on whether you would rather it take less time with more of a chance of burning or more time with less of a chance.  Continue stirring it until the mixture becomes a light brown color that when left for a few seconds, and you mix it deep brown streaks turn up.  Most importantly when you can no longer see the sugar particles and it is smooth.  Then remove from heat and pour it onto a parchment paper on a pan of some sort.  Allow to cool completely then crack into pieces.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the recipe and the yummy toffee Sadie! 

Oven Roasted Salmon

Pomolo roasted salmon

Slice pomolo, grapefruit, orange or any citrus fruit and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle with desired fresh herbs. Roast  in oven as usual until desired doneness.  Enjoy the subtle hint of citrus.

Roasted Pears

Jenny served this as an accompaniment to a tender pork loin on a visit over the Christmas holidays.  A perfect compliment to the meal along with cheesy mashed potatoes and a smooth gravy. 

This dish can also be served as a dessert or lunch treat along with ice cream or greek yogourt. 

 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 ripe but firm pears (Comice, Bartlett or Bosc)

1/ 1/4 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/3 cup pistachios

Peel, half and core the pears.

Quarter the dried apricots.

Toast and chop the pistachios.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Melt 1 1/2 tbsp. butter in 12" oven safe skillet, cookie sheet with parchment paper or casserole dish.

Place pear halves cut side down in skillet and brown for 3 to 5 minutes with medium heat.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast for 15 minutes. Flip and roast for another 15 minutes until fork pierces fruit easily.

Using tongs transfer pears to a platter. Return skillet to medium high heat and add wine, apricots, sugar, cardamon, salt and remaining butter.  Bring to vigorous simmer, whisk to scrape up any browned bits.   Cook until sauce is reduced and has the consistency of maple syrup, 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.  Pour sauce over pears, sprinkle with pistachios and serve.

(Alternate method of preparation is to sprinkle the apricots, sugar, cardamom, salt and pistachios over the pears while still in the oven and continue to roast until desired doneness is achieved.)

Substitutions: 

Gala Apples for Pears

Red Wine for White Wine

Figs for Apricots

Walnuts for Pistachios

Pepper for Cardamom

Papa's Bread #2

 

Papa’s Bread # 2

Just like the other recipe this bread is very easy to make, so here goes..

Ingredients 

6 cups of white flour

2 1/2 cups of room temp water

1 tbsp of active dry yeast

2 tsp of salt

And maybe a pinch of sugar

Mixing steps

Combine half the flour and all  yeast and sugar in the mixer bowl by stirring not by the mixer

In the rest of the flour stir in the salt

Add all the water to the flour yeast and sugar bowl and mix by hand until  a soggy mess then place bowl in mixmaster  with the dough hook..

Next turn mixer on a low speed and slowly add  the rest of flour. Nead this for about 8 to 10 minutes adding a little water ( like tbsps  at a time ) to create a sticky dough cleaning bowl sides as needed be. 

Remove from mixmaster and by hand nead a bit to even out in the bowls, cover with Saran and place in warm place. Let raise for about two hours.

While dough is raising dampen the Banneton Bowls and cover the inside with rice flour so dough will not stick to them.

When dough is risen dump out onto counter, nead to remove some of the air. 

Then cut dough in half placing each into a banneton bowl,  needing down a bit to fill the bowls.. return the bowls to the proofer for another two hours..

Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake loafs for 45 minutes. When baked turn the loafers out on cooling rackets and if you can’t wait, cut a crust piece, and using ample butter ENJOY!

Amy and Kevin's 25th Wedding Anniversary Chocolate Cake

I made one 9 inch cake for Amy and Kevin 2025 on their 25th wedding anniversary.

This cake is gluten free, keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen un-iced. Thanks Tristan for sharing your expertise on the difference between almond meal and almond flour.

For two thick 9 inch cakes you need the following for each one ( in other words the following twice if you want two cakes:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot water

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

330 g butter (about 1 1/2 cups)

300 g dark chocolate

2 1/4 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

9 eggs

For one thin 9 inch cake and one 6 inch cake you will need the following for each one.

1/2 cup cocoa powder

                                                  1/2 cup hot water                                                        

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

220 g butter ( about 1 cup)

200 g dark chocolate

1 1/2 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 170 C/338 F. Grease cake tins and line the base with baking paper.
Put cocoa into a medium saucepan and slowly whisk in the hot water to form a smooth paste. Add sugar, butter and chocolate. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Stir in the almond meal and eggs. Pour into tin and bake for about 60-70 minutes for the two deep 22cm cakes, 50 minutes for thinner 22cm (9 in) cake, and 1 hour 20 minutes for 16cm (6 in) cake or until cooked when tested with a skewer. I baked the 9 inch cake for 1 1/2 hours to get the toothpick to come out clean but read elsewhere that flourless cakes can be taken out when the middle is still a bit jiggly otherwise they can be a bit dry.  Not sure if that applies to this cake.  The cake wasn't overly dry but I will try a bit less time in the oven next time. Cool cake in the tin, then remove, cover and refrigerate until needed. They can all be frozen at his stage if you are planning ahead. Cool, wrap in baking paper then cling film and freeze flat (on a tray is good). Defrost over night . 

Meringue Icing

1 1/4 cups berry sugar

1/3 cup water

6 egg whites

500 grams (1 lb) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, and slowly bring to the boil without stirring. You can swirl the pan slightly, but stirring it can cause sugar crystals to form, which you don’t want. Wash down any sugar crystals from the inside of the pan with a wet pastry brush. When the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil until soft ball stage on a sugar (candy) thermometer (116 C/240 F). If you don’t happen to have a sugar thermometer, simply drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water, and if it forms a soft sugary ball you’re good to go.

Beat the egg whites with a electric hand mixer in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Continue beating and pour in the sugar syrup in a steady stream into the egg whites. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture stops steaming.

Continue beating and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, until it's all incorporated. Beat for a further 15 minutes (the mixture will look curdled at first), then use a metal spoon to mix in the vanilla. Keep in a cool place (not in the fridge) until needed.

To ice I turned the cake upside down on the serving plate as the bottom of the cake is flatter.  For the 9 inch cake the above amount of icing was too much. I would try 2/3 of the recipe next time.

Garden flowers made a pleasing finish to the cake.

August 2025

 

Amy's Summer Bowl

Pictures say it all in this yummy and healthy summer meal! 

This meal can be served using individual large bowls or plates and 

personalized to suit guests' preferences.

Buffet style with prepared ingredients so that diners

 may choose their own combinations.

Ingredients

Meatballs, beef, chicken or shrimp

Rice vermicelli 

Crunchy sliced veggies( radishes, cucumbers, peppers, coleslaw)

Pineapple chunks in cornstarch slurry (can add jelly)

Peanut sauce

Crunchy rice (optional topping)

Peanuts or Almonds (optional topping)

Sweet Corn and Green Chile Baked Flautas

 This is  a vegan recipe but Jenny and Sadie like to add:

Shredded Cheese

Guacamole

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Salsa

The Lewises usually serve the flautas with Carne Asada that is basically

 a seasoned sirloin steak that is served thinly sliced.

This recipe makes about 12 flautas using standard flour tortillas

Ingredients

Cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow or white onion (about 1/2 onion)

2 tsp chili powder

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

4 to 5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 cups cooked pinto beans

1 -4 oz can mild green chiles

juice of 1/2 lime

1 cup sweet corn kernels

12 flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 400.  Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

Heat up the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and throw in the onion.  Cook until the onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic and cook for another 30 seconds and then turn off the heat.

Throw the beans, chilis, and lime juice together in a big bowl.  Mash them up using a potato masher or a spoon until a paste forms.  It's cool if there are some whole beans left here and there: you don't need to spend the whole day mashing.  Fold in the onions and corn and stir.  Your filling is ready.

Using a griddle, your oven or the microwave, warm up the tortillas.  Grab about 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling and spread that in a nice line toward the edge of the left side of one of the tortillas from top to bottom. Then roll that up nice and tight from left to right.  You could even put a small smear of beans toward the other end of the tortilla to help it stay shut.  Place the flauta seam side down on the baking sheet about an inch or two away from its flauta brethren.  Make sure the filling got all the way to the ends and then adjust how you distribute the filling the next time.  Keep going until you run out of tortillas or filling.

Lightly coat them all with cooking spray and bake for 10 minutes.  When you pull them out the bottoms should be golden-if not stick them in for another couple minutes.  When the bottoms look good, turn them over and bake until golden and crispy on both sides, another 5 to 7 minutes.  Serve warm topped with your choice of toppings.

Lady Finger Dessert

Sadie recreates one of Mom's recipes 

on Grandmaman and Papa's summer visit 2025.

 

Noodles with Poached Egg, Bok Choy and Mushrooms

 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 scallions, trimmed whites and greens separated and thinly sliced

8 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

kosher salt

1 medium bok choy (about 4 ounces cut into bite size pieces)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, plus some for drizzling

3 bundles (about 7 ounces total) somen noodles or any thin wheat or rice noodle

2 large eggs

1.  Bring a large saucepan of water to a simmer.

2.  Heat the vegetable oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the scallion whites and        mushrooms season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 5 to 6 minutes.

3.  Add 3 cups water to the pot with the mushrooms, increase the heat to medium high and bring to a simmer.  Add the bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 1 minute.  Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and season to taste with salt.  Turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

4.  Meanwhile, cook the somen in the large saucepan of simmering water according to the package instructions.  Using a slotted spoon, divide the noodles among bowls, leaving the simmering water in the saucepan.  Crack each egg into its own small bowl, discarding the shells.  Swirl the simmering water in the saucepan, creating a vortex by stirring with a wooden spoon.  Add the eggs, one right ofter another, and cook over medium-low until the whites are set, about 3 minutes.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs the bowls of noodles.

5.  Ladle the hot shittake broth into the bowls.  Top with the scallion greens, drizzle with sesame oil and serve.