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Quick, Easy, and Good: Convenience
Foods for the Offshore Sailor
Of course, we'd all like to be accomplished galley chefs, amazing and delighting the crew
by whipping up delicious meals regardless of the boat's angle of heel. But let's face it:
sometimes, just being in the galley while underway is a monumental effort, and often, the
crew will be as satisfied with a simple but hearty meal. This is particularly true if you are a
short-handed crew with little enthusiasm for elaborate meal preparations between round-
the-clock watches.
What follows are our tried and true tips for tasty, convenient meals during offshore pas-
sages. Don't worry - we're not talking ramen noodles here! Nowadays, there are many
high quality foods available in well-stocked supermarkets in North America and abroad.
Compact and long-lasting, these supplies make fine meals or snacks in their own right, and
can be downright delicious when enhanced with a fresh ingredient or two.
I usually start by exploring the exotic food aisle of a large supermarket. Our favorites are
the boxed kits made by Simply Asia, such as Thai Peanut or Sesame Teriyaki dinners.
These come with soy noodles and sauce, feed two to three people, and can be embellished
with vegetables and chicken (fresh or canned). Cooking time is a mere eight minutes. What
else can the crew (and the cook) wish for the first night out on passage? Simply Asia,
Kikkoman, and other brands also produce small pouches of sauce mixes that will spice up
any meal with minimum effort.
Another convenience food I stock is a quality powdered soup mix made by Cugino's. We
love their “Chicken Noodle Knockout,” with “Chicken Enchilada” and “Baked Burgundy
French Onion” soups running close second and thirds (all are sold in midsize pouches). The
mixes provide a great meal, especially with extra vegetables or canned chicken. Compared
to other soup mixes, this brand can seem a little pricey, but considering that one pouch
feeds four adults with leftovers makes it a done deal. To conserve propane, I cut the sug-
gested fifteen minute cooking time down to ten with another five minutes standing covered
with a lid. If you can't find Cugino's, look for any up-market powdered soup mix, such as
Bear Creek Country Kitchens. For variety, we make clam chowder by mixing a potato soup
package with powdered milk and a can of clams (try Laurie's Bistro potato soup as a base).
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