The Constraints Of A Sailing Kitchen

Cooking on a 43-foot sailboat is very different than cooking in the palatial kitchen of our old 2,200 sq-ft house.

When under sail, things slosh and roll around. Glass bottles and jars smash, so everything has to be plastic.

But there's always room for Srirachi!

But there’s always room for Srirachi!

The fridge is tiny and the freezer is itty bitty. The stove is tiny and only heats up to about 350F.

Tiny and everything all jumbles together so meat has to be in well-sealed  tupperware or vacuum packed via Foodsavr.

Tiny and everything all jumbles together so meat has to be in well-sealed tupperware or vacuum packed via Foodsavr.

Storage space for dry goods and kitchen utensils is limited.

It could be worse.

It could be worse.

Yay for stackable pots and pans.

Yay for stackable pots and pans.

Most kitchen stuff (slow cookers, blenders, electric knife sharpeners) suck down too much electricity and would kill our batteries.

All hale the might pressure cooker!  It uses way less propane, cooks faster, and the sealed lid keeps food from sloshing around when the boat is a-rockin'.

All hale the might pressure cooker! It uses way less propane, cooks faster, and the sealed lid keeps food from sloshing around when the boat is a-rockin’.

Also, our access to grocery stores is severely limited.

The solution:
Easy, quick meals that can be made in a pressure cooker or with minimal utensils using cheap ingredients that don’t spoil quickly.

Some meals we like:

  • Bean burritos or fajitas – (homemade or store bought) tortillas, grated monterrey jack or cheddar cheese, beans/meat, tomato, onion, lettuce, avocado
  • Sausage, cabbage, and potatoes in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Leftovers can be fried up in a little butter i.e. bangers and mash
  • Taco salad – lettuce, tomato, onion, beans, spiced chopped chicken or beef, olives, monterrey jack or cheddar cheese, avocado, crunched up tortilla chips or Doritos
  • Curry – chicken/shrimp/pork/tofu, onions, can pineapple, and bell peppers cooked in a sauce of coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, cilantro and lime juice over steamed rice
  • Burrito bowl – chicken/ground beef/beans, grated cheese, canned corn, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado over steamed rice with lime juice
  • Pizza – mini pizza crusts (homemade or store bought) with feta/parmesan/mozzarella, canned mushrooms/artichokes/olives/spinach
  • Pasta – chicken/shrimp, onions, canned mushrooms, zucchini, parsley, lemon juice, canned peas maybe with linguini tossed with butter and garlic
  • Bacon, eggs and toast
  • Bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwiches or peanut butter & honey sandwiches. We tried deli meat and cheeses for sandwiches but they go bad quickly.
  • Teriyaki – chicken/pork/tofu/shrimp/fish with mushrooms, onions, and broccoli with teriyaki sauce (ginger, garlic, soy, honey, Srirachi) over steamed rice and sprinkled with sesame seeds
  • Appies/Cheese plate – super simple. Olives, dill pickles, tomatoes, goat/gouda/whatever cheese (best to have 3 kinds for variety) with crackers and maybe walnuts or almonds. This is what we eat when we are too tired to cook.
  • I am looking forward to being down in the islands. What food will we be able to get? What foods won’t be available? I am so interested. Also, I’m hoping it involves seafood, lots more seafood.