Camping recipes: Easy ideas for your long weekend cookout

I have a confession to make: I'm not a camper. Not currently, anyway. While I have camped many times in the past, the last time I actually went camping was at least 10 years ago. And in fact, even when I was a kid, I was always more enthusiastic about having sleepovers in tents in my backyard rather than camping out in the woods. 

So how does this make me an expert on camping food? Well, it doesn't, but I have many friends who enjoy camping and ask me for meal ideas. And despite my current non-camping status, there is still something magical and nostalgic about sitting around a bonfire, cooking up meals and toasting marshmallows.

Here are some recipes that will fire up your campsite meals:

BBQ: Toasting up some burgers and hot dogs for dinner over the campfire? Jazz them up with these delicious toppings: ginger relish, pickled radishes & carrots, spicy sweet-potato cream, peach salsa, tahini sauce and tex-mex salsa.

Canned goods: Canned foods are great to bring along camping - just remember to bring your can opener! Set up a buffet lunch with canned artichokes, chickpeas, tomatoes and tuna.

Snack time: It's a breeze if you take along some hummus, a batch of maple-ginger granola or pecan-cranberry granola.

For food safety information while camping (picnic-ing and hiking), visit CFIA and USDA.

Follow me on Twitter @IreneNgo for more tips, tricks and recipe ideas!