We arrived Thursday night to Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the first stop on our 7,000+ mile road trip, towing Dorothy (aka Dot) behind us (we named her!).
Not much, if any, research went into our camp spot, so we were stoked at the beauty of this campground. Some of the sites were right on the Little River, which rushed by pleasantly. Trees towered overhead and though there were a good amount of other campers, we felt private. There weren’t hookups, but at $17 per night, fire pits, trash receptacles, and the fact we are more than set up to live off grid, we were happy campers.
The loop was about six miles total after getting back to our campsite. We were both pooped, but Justin made a fire and I started dinner, what I’m calling Campfire Curry (recipe below). We talked into the night about what it means to finally feel a wild nature awakening in us. In short, it is liberating and exciting and relieving.
We talked into the night about what it means to finally feel a wild nature awakening in us.
I love when we can use as few dishes as possible because we won’t always have full hookups (actually we prefer it, since that usually means fewer people and more nature). Cue Campfire Curry. This “one-pot” meal is super easy and you can have fun with it by adding your own favorite veggies or a different protein. Cooking it over the fire adds a subtle smoky flavor to the dish, which is amazing with the sweet creaminess of the coconut milk and slight spice of the curry.
I threw our deep cast iron skillet over the fire (on a grate) after the fire was nice and warm, but the flames weren’t too high. I put a couple tablespoons of coconut oil in the pan and let it heat up while I chopped the chicken breast tenderloins into bite-sized pieces. I added the chicken to the skillet with some salt + pepper and let it cook for a few minutes, stirring evenly. I added the broccoli and sugar snap peas, mixing up with the half-cooked chicken (you could even add the veggies earlier, as I learned since I overcooked the chicken a bit once all was said and done).
I covered it with foil and let the veggies cook a bit (10ish minutes). Try to keep it away from the flames at this point, as to not overcook the chicken. Add the red curry paste and coconut milk with about a half can of water, mixing thoroughly. Continue cooking, covered. In a few minutes, add the shredded carrots and cauliflower rice, mixing together. Cover again and cook for another 10ish minutes, stirring occasionally and rotating the skillet if necessary, depending on how your fire shifts. A good way to tell if it’s ready is by stabbing your broccoli to test its tenderness. Test the flavor and add salt if necessary.
Serve in a bowl topped with sesame seeds!