By desert recipes we don’t mean sweet treats to eat. Don’t read it for tips on healthy ends to nutritious meals either. If that’s what you expect, there is some confusion. Dessert takes place after dinner, while a. desert is usually in the sand. This article is about desert cooking.
The desert has one element that makes it ideal for cooking food. That’s the sun. Temperatures in the desert can top 150°F, that’s good for cooking. If harnassed, it can mean cooking without modern appliances like microwaves, stoves or even gas or charcoal grills.
Solar cookers can be anything from a fancy, modern store bought model to something as simple as a pizza box with insulation and reflective material (such as tin foil). The temperature in such cookers can reach near 300F, which is fine for cooking almost anything that can be found in quick desert recipes. Hotdogs, steaks, soups, even spaghetti can be cooked here. Don’t forget two things, however. Number one this is a slow cooking technique. It’s an all-day affair. As the sun moves you’ll have to realign the cooker. The second is that it doesn’t work at night or on cloudy days – any time there is no sun.
But solar cooking has advantages that make desert recipes a tasty treat. Slow cooking keeps food moist. And it really isn’t possible to burn anything because there are hours of leeway in cooking times rather than minutes or even seconds with other cooking methods. Don’t believe it? Try leaving some French fries in hot oil for an extra 10 seconds after they’re cooked. Another advantage of solar cooking is that it’s a process. Waiting longer for food to cook, doing more while it cooks, adds to the anticipation. Cooking isn’t just cooking and eating, it’s presentation and experience too. And don’t worry about food not browning in a solar cooker. If there’s some fat, the meat will brown.
What are some desert recipes for solar cooking? Try desert spaghetti squash with sausage, spaghetti sauce and Parmesan cheese. Another possibility is a delicious Chile casserole. That’s not Chile with meat and beans, that’s hot Pablano Chiles, by the way. These and others can be found with a quick Google search.
Solar cooking for desert recipes brings a whole new meaning to people wiping their brow and saying “Phew, I’m cooking out here.” Watch out who hears it. Maybe you really are.
