Classic risotto either vegetarian or not, all in one pan
Ingredients – serves 4
500 grams butternut squash or 500 grams of chicken breast – cubed 1 large white onion chopped 1 red pepper sliced 1 cup of sliced mushrooms 1 stock cube vegetarian or chicken 500 grams risotto rice 150ml white or red wine 1 tsp Herbes de Provence or other mixed herbs Some olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onions, mushrooms and pepper on a medium heat until soft then add the squash or chicken and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until nicely coloured or softened. Add the herbs. Add the wine and simmer for a further few minutes. Now add the risotto rice, stock cube and water. Leave it simmering with the lid on, until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is nicely tender.
Now that you have a delicious dinner, you can enjoy it with another glass of that wine!
The next edition of the club magazine has been finished by our Editors and looks fantastic. It should be arriving through your door soon! If you are enjoying the club magazine and have a story about a trip, an upgrade, a restoration or just a tip, send a contribution to our Editor at editor@vwt2oc.co.uk.
A variation to the Mechanic this time as so many people at club events ask Malcolm and/or Nick about solar. If you want to be off-grid / not using expensive hook up on a site or when that is simply not an option, you can keep your leisure battery topped up with a solar panel.
To help members, Nick got in touch with Just Kampers (owned by one of the club founders Mark Reynolds) to ask about their Solar Charging Screen, to see what it does and how it works. Josh from the JK Team got back to us straight away and told us the following.
He says:
“I’m a big fan of the JK Solar Charging Screen, after getting involved with bringing it into the range and having put it through its paces at VW shows and photoshoots for Just Kampers. For anyone who hasn’t seen one, the charging screen is a solar panel array which folds out from tote bag size to give you twelve solar panels for capturing that elusive sunlight to turn it into electricity. There’s a power outlet hidden away on the back of the screen, which has three USB outlets for charging up phones, as well as a DC outlet you can use to charge up your main vehicle battery or leisure battery.
The kit also comes with six really strong suction clamps, which you can use to mount it to the inside or outside of your vehicle’s windscreen. We designed it to fit the inside of a VW T6’s windscreen, but it’ll go onto any vehicle, and it’s just as useful when you just spread it out over the ground or hook it onto your windbreak.
We took one on a JK photoshoot last summer to keep our phones topped up, and it worked really efficiently. It’s definitely something I’ll take next time I’m camping, to keep our tablet charged up (and therefore my kids quiet while we drive!), and to ward off a flat battery. I usually work on the theory that you’ve got spares and tools and stuff for a breakdown, you’re somehow less likely to actually have one!
If you’ve got some epic adventures or road trips planned for your camper, a JK Solar Charging Screen is definitely worth taking a look at, especially if you’ve got a fridge, interior lights, laptop, camera, etc. on board.
If you do take one on a cool adventure, we’d love to see some photos!
You can read up on the technical specs and other information (like what a monocrystalline solar panel is) at justkampers.com/jk-solar-screen/ or scanning the QR code here.”
This is a variation of my lovely mother-in-law’s excellent phrase, “Don’t put it down, put it away” (thank you, Millie!). Most marked when you first start campervanning and take far too much stuff, this tip helps reduce frustration. How? Well, when you inevitably need to move stuff around to get to the item you’re looking for, at least you only need to move one trayful of twenty items, instead of twenty individual pieces!
One pot sauce and make the spaghetti first in that pan to keep the washing up to a minimum!
Yum!
Serves 2
Ingredients 200 grams minced beef or quorn mince 1 large white onion chopped 1 cup mushrooms chopped 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 beef or vegetable stock cube 2 large garlic cloves chopped or minced 1 tsp Herbes de Provence or other dried mixed herbs Olive oil 200 grams Dried spaghetti
Cook the spaghetti until just soft enough to eat. Drain and set to one side with a few tablespoons of water from the pan. Into the same pan fry the onion until nicely soft. Add the mince and on a medium heat cook it until brown, removing the oil or water as you go. Stir in everything else and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid slightly off.
Add the cooked spaghetti and stir it all together, adding any of the reserved water to thin as required.
You now have only 1 pan to clean and you can even use some crusty bread to wipe around the edges!
Join us for a full day of entertainment at Moorhampton Park Farm, the home of Gwatkin Cider in Herefordshire. Golden Valley Classic Show will be exhibiting hundreds of vehicles including classic cars, engines, motorbikes and tractors. Taking pride of place will be the John Fowler general purpose engine. VF 2984 – owned by David Williams.
There will also be falconry, archery, medieval re-enactment, farm animals, gun dog demonstration, clay pigeon shooting, dog trick training, tug of war and a range of country stalls selling produce, crafts and more, with lots of fantastic food and drink to enjoy too.
The next edition of the club magazine has been finished by our Editors and looks fantastic. It should be arriving through your door soon! If you are enjoying the club magazine and have a story about a trip, an upgrade, a restoration or just a tip, send a contribution to our Editor at editor@vwt2oc.co.uk.
Just a week away is the ABC, our annual AGM, BBQ and Club Camp – are you going?
Get together with members and hear what’s happening in your Club at our short AGM. The Barnstones site has served us really well over the last several years, and is located in Great Bourton, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX17 1QU, just a couple of miles off the M40.
Scene of our earliest club BBQs, which are free for members, we’re very much looking forward to going back. We will be using a local hall to host the AGM part of proceedings, along with light refreshments. Just bring your membership card with you.
Price per night is about £15 for a pitch (van with or without awning), but electric hook-up prices cannot be quoted at the moment, due to uncertainty in the market. I’ll share this information as soon as we have it, but please be reassured, we will be able to power the BBQ food storage safely.
I will be making all the bookings, just let me know your dates, how many adults, children and dogs, whether you need electric, and whether you’re bringing an awning. Places are limited so contact me soon to reserve your spot! Please do not book direct as there may be insufficient space on the rally field.
The site itself says, “Barnstones is a very attractive 4 star AA award winning site situated on the edge of the pretty village of Great Bourton. 3 miles from the historic town of Banbury, other attractions nearby are Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick Castle, Oxford, Blenheim Palace and the very beautiful Cotswolds area all within a 20 mile radius of the site. The site is very mature with beautiful landscaped grounds, full serviced pitches and hard standing pitches are available, all pitches have hook-ups provided, the high quality toilet block provides free showers, dishwashing facilities and a full laundry room. Wi-Fi and a children’s play area are available. A local pub serving very good food is 200 yards from the site.”
