By Liz Voosen
I like nothing more than a good meal, and the PW kitchen set up makes it easy to have tasty meals in no time while on the road. Follow me in the kitchen today as I cook simple and delicious food on our drive up the California coast.
I’ve been writing for PW for a while now, but what I haven’t shared with you yet is that in my day-life I’m a nutritionist. It’s work I love, that I do primarily from home in Los Angeles, but also can take on the road with me. (Yes, I have met with clients virtually from the back of my van all over the US!). I also have a passion for cooking. And as the main cook in my family, know that food is best when it’s colorful, flavorful and made with love! With that in mind, know that I spend a lot of time thinking about food, food prep, and lifestyle. And van life brings some unique challenges and opportunities to meal time.
Dirty dishes are my nemesis, so care is put into reducing these as much as possible! Plus, fewer dishes while cooking means we use less water, and that’s a win for us and the environment. Being efficient with space is always a consideration. But I always have space in my pantry cabinets for extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a variety of spices, plus any other flavorings I want for planned meals.
Finally, being efficient with my time is also important. Who wants to spend the whole day cooking? (Admittedly, me sometimes, but not when the beach beckons or the road is open!) So having meals that are fast to prepare rank high for me when we’re traveling in our Pleasure-Way.
My husband and I tend towards low-carb eating for keeping our energy and fitness level up, but you’ll see we enjoy a variety of foods. Here’s what a day of home-cooked meals look like for us, when we are traveling in our home-away-from-home van.
Breakfast: Overnight Oats
Overnight oats are one of my go-to breakfasts, because they are delicious, fast, and filling. They’re perfect for mornings when we want to explore the beach at low tide or get an early start on driving. This no-cook breakfast of rolled oats, thick yogurt, and (optional) vanilla, topped with fresh fruit, nuts, and low-sugar chocolate, is a great start to the day.
How to make overnight oats:
- The night before, combine oats, yogurt (dairy or non-dairy), and water in a bowl or jar, cover it, then store it in the refrigerator.
- In the morning, it’s ready to eat. You can eat it cold, or pop it in the van’s microwave for 30 seconds to warm up. I like it both ways.
- Add toppings like fresh or dried fruit, crunchy nuts or nut butter, honey or syrup (if it needs sweetening), or any other topping you have on hand – vanilla, cinnamon, granola, coconut, chocolate chips. I change it up to suit my mood and what’s in my pantry. I love when I can add local, fresh fruit picked up at a farmstand! But if I’m out in the desert for week, dried fruit works great too.
Tip for fewest dishes: make this in the bowl (or jar) you intend to eat from in the morning.
Sometimes I add a hardboiled egg on the side (pre-made at home, or cooked on site) for extra protein.
Health benefits: these oats are high in fiber and probiotics. Soaking oats in yogurt makes them easier to digest and more nutritious as well. Adding nuts increases the protein and healthy fat content.
Lunch: Tilly Salad
After a morning exploring the beach, we came back to the van and made Tilly Salad. This is a flavor-packed, low carb, salad bowl with tangy vinegar, creamy tzatziki, and crunchy bell peppers. I like a robust salad (meaning it’s got protein and healthy fats too), because it is filling and nutritionally complete. The only extra dishes that get dirty are a cutting board and knife (or use a knife and disposable paper plate).
How to make Tilly Salad:
Tilly Salad is easy to make.
- Grab a cutting board and cube some pepper-jack cheese (or your cheese of choice) and slice up ½ each of red and yellow bell peppers and ¼ onion.
- Layer into a bowl: mixed baby lettuce, peppers, onion, cheese, and canned chicken breast (drained).
- Then top with a large dollop of tzatziki sauce, a splash of balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt.
Tip for newer van owners: use the rainfall feature on your kitchen faucet sprayer for gentle but thorough veggie washing.
Health benefits: high in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
Dinner: One-skillet Sausage, Potato & Veggies
I often have more time and I’m more inclined to cook a bigger meal, though sometimes I’ve got more leisure time at lunch, and then I might switch up lunch and dinner. For dinner this night, I made a home-style sausage, potato, and veggie meal. And it used up the rest of the peppers from lunch!
How to make One-skillet Sausage, Potato & Veggies:
- Cut small potatoes into ¼ inch wide slices, which allows them to cook quickly and absorb flavor.
- Add them to a cold skillet, cover them with water, put the lid on mostly and cook them til tender (10-12 minutes).
- While they cook, chop up bell peppers and an onion, and get from the fridge two sausages (I used Niman Ranch Sweet Italian Sausages which are fully cooked and nitrate free.)
- Drain the water from the potatoes, set the potatoes aside on a plate, and wipe the skillet with a paper towel to dry it a bit.
- Add olive oil and the sausage to the skillet and cook the sausages til brown on each side (about 3 minutes each).
- Then add the peppers and onion to the skillet and partially put the lid on.
- When the onions and veggies are beginning to brown (about 5 minutes), add back in the potatoes, add a little more oil if needed, and cook a few more minutes until potatoes turn golden and a little crispy on the edges.
Serve up and enjoy! (I used the potato-holding plate also to eat from. Fewer dishes!) This is a great meal by itself. Or add microwavable green beans-in-a-bag for extra veggies.
Health benefits: good protein, healthy fats, fiber, low-carb if you keep the potatoes minimal and add extra veggies or side veggies.
I have to mention that the Pleasure-Way’s induction burner stove has been a big upgrade for me. There’s no need to open the windows and run the fan like I used to with a propane stove, which means that in cool evenings I can stay warm in my van while I cook. On this chilly winter evening, I was quite content to do just that!
In sum, van-life brings unique challenges to mealtime, but the Pleasure-Way OnTour 2.2 kitchen makes healthy eating on the road not just possible but joyful for me. With basic pantry staples, a few flavorful ingredients, and simple cooking methods, home-style nutritious meals can be had anywhere we choose to travel in our van.
For complete recipes mentioned in this article, visit my nutrition website: