Recipes for a two-ring hob.

Cooking campervan recipes on a two ring hob

Most campervans have a two-ring gas hob, and a lot of newer builds have a single or double induction hob instead. Either way, you are cooking with less space, less power and less water than at home. These are the campervan recipes for a two ring hob that we come back to most. They are our own, written the way we actually cook them: short ingredient lists, things you can buy in a village shop, and as few pans as possible.

A few habits make two rings feel like plenty:

• Chop everything first. There is rarely room to chop while things cook, so get it all into bowls or onto a plate before you light the hob.
• Use the big ring for the main pan. The small ring is for the kettle, toast in a dry pan, or keeping something warm.
• Put a lid on it. A lid brings a pan to the boil faster and saves gas. If your pan has no lid, a plate or a sheet of foil works.
• Keep a window open. Gas hobs produce steam and combustion gases. Open a roof vent or window every time the hob is on, and have a carbon monoxide alarm fitted.

Quantities serve two hungry people. "Tin" means a standard 400 g tin.

Chorizo and chickpea stew

One pan, one ring, about 25 minutes. Everything except the chorizo keeps without a fridge, and cured chorizo lasts well in a cool cupboard until opened.

You need: 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 100 g cooking chorizo or cured chorizo, 1 tin chickpeas, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tsp smoked paprika, a handful of spinach (optional), bread to serve.

1. Slice the chorizo and fry it in a dry pan for 3 minutes until the red oil runs.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes, then the sliced garlic and paprika for 1 minute.
3. Tip in the tomatoes and the drained chickpeas. Simmer with the lid half on for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
4. Stir in the spinach until it wilts, season, and eat with bread straight from the pan.

One-pot tuna and tomato pasta

The pasta cooks in the sauce, so there is no draining and no second pan. About 20 minutes on one ring.

You need: 200 g dried pasta (penne or fusilli), 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 tin tuna, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano, 400 ml water, a handful of olives or capers (optional), grated hard cheese.

1. Put the pasta, tomatoes, crushed garlic, oregano and water into a wide pan. Add a pinch of salt.
2. Bring to the boil, then simmer, stirring often so it doesn't stick, for 12 to 15 minutes until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has gone.
3. Add a splash more water if it looks dry before the pasta is done.
4. Stir in the drained tuna and olives, warm through, and finish with cheese.

Coconut chickpea curry

One ring for the curry, the other for rice or warming naan in a dry pan. About 25 minutes. Vegan if you skip the yoghurt.

You need: 1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, a thumb of ginger (or 1 tsp ground), 2 tbsp curry paste, 1 tin chickpeas, 1 tin coconut milk, a handful of spinach, 1 lime, rice or naan.

1. Soften the chopped onion in a little oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and curry paste and fry for 1 minute.
2. Add the drained chickpeas and coconut milk. Simmer for 15 minutes until it thickens.
3. Meanwhile, cook rice on the second ring, or warm naan in a dry frying pan at the end.
4. Stir the spinach into the curry, squeeze in half the lime and season.

Van shakshuka

Breakfast or lunch, one frying pan with a lid, about 20 minutes. Eggs poached in a spiced tomato sauce, eaten with bread.

You need: 1 onion, 1 red pepper (or a jar of roasted peppers), 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 4 eggs, crumbled feta (optional), bread.

1. Cook the sliced onion and pepper in oil for 6 to 8 minutes until soft.
2. Add garlic and spices for 1 minute, then the tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens.
3. Make four hollows with a spoon and crack an egg into each.
4. Put the lid on and cook on a low heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the whites are set. Scatter over feta and serve from the pan.

Garlic butter prawn rice

Quick and a bit special, using a pouch of ready-cooked rice so it is one pan and about 10 minutes. Buy the prawns on the day.

You need: 25 g butter, 3 cloves garlic, 150 g cooked or raw king prawns, 1 pouch ready-cooked rice (250 g), a handful of frozen or tinned peas, 1 lemon, a pinch of chilli flakes.

1. Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the sliced garlic and chilli for 1 minute without browning.
2. Add the prawns. Raw prawns need 3 to 4 minutes until pink all the way through; cooked ones just need warming.
3. Squeeze the rice pouch to break it up, then add it with the peas and 2 tbsp water. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until piping hot.
4. Finish with lemon juice and season.

Smoky lentil and carrot soup

One pan, about 35 minutes, and it makes enough for lunch the next day. Red lentils cook down without soaking.

You need: 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp ground cumin, 150 g dried red lentils, 1 tin chopped tomatoes, 1 stock cube, 800 ml water, bread to serve.

1. Soften the chopped onion and grated or finely chopped carrots in oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the spices for 1 minute, then the rinsed lentils, tomatoes, crumbled stock cube and water.
3. Simmer with the lid half on for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have broken down.
4. Mash roughly with a fork or potato masher if you like it thicker. Season and serve.

Frying-pan apple crumble

No oven needed. The apples soften in the pan and the crumble is toasted separately, then piled on top. About 20 minutes.

You need: 3 eating apples, 30 g butter, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 60 g oats, 2 tbsp plain flour (optional), custard or yoghurt to serve.

1. Toast the oats, flour, half the butter and 1 tbsp sugar in a dry frying pan over a medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes until golden. Tip onto a plate.
2. Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then the sliced apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until soft.
3. Spoon the toasted crumble over the apples and serve warm with custard or yoghurt.

Questions

What can I cook on a two-ring campervan hob?

Almost anything that doesn't need an oven: stews, curries, soups, one-pot pasta, stir-fries, fry-ups, eggs and even a pan crumble. Plan meals that use one pan on one ring and you have a spare ring for the kettle or rice.

Is induction or gas better for a campervan hob?

Gas works anywhere and doesn't touch your batteries. Induction is easy to clean and adds no moisture from burning gas, but it draws a lot of power, so most vans use it on hook-up or with a large battery and inverter. Our solar and battery calculator shows what your system can carry.

How do I stop food burning on a van hob?

Van hobs are often fierce at full and hard to keep low. Use a heavy-based pan, turn the flame down sooner than you would at home, stir often, and add a splash of water if a sauce starts to catch.

How do I save gas when cooking in a campervan?

Use a lid, cut ingredients small so they cook faster, boil only the water you need, and pick recipes like pouch rice or quick pasta that spend less time on the flame.