Getting Creative in the Galley

Have you ever faced the challenge of cooking on a boat with limited supplies?

I'm not much of a cook. Honestly, I used to let Chris do most of the cooking. But we've done a bit of job-shifting lately, so I've been in charge of many more meals.

We're in the Bahamas right now on a Great Loop side trip. In the Bahamas, grocery stores aren't as plentiful, and the shelves are a bit more sparse, especially if the shipping barge hasn't made it into town that week. Prices for certain items are astronomical ($16 for cornflakes, $20 for a watermelon!).

So, I find myself having to get a little more creative.

I have a decent amount of canned goods and have found those little Jiffy boxes helpful. The Jiffy website (jiffymix.com/recipes) has a lot of great ideas if you feel stuck and tells you which Jiffy mix to use. This has helped me develop a few simple meals with the ingredients I have on hand. (I'm not sponsored; I just like those little blue boxes!)

Here are a few things I've been making from our shelf-stable provisions:

• Curry Chicken Salad (this is a favorite!)

• Chicken Pot Pie

• Jiffy Joes (Sloppy Joes when you don't have buns!)

• Chili

• Pho (using canned chicken, dried rice noodles, and pho cubes)

• Fruit Cobblers (these are a hit when you need something sweet!)

• Pizza (this is a ubiquitous meal from our mostly shelf-stable items!)

• Stovetop Popcorn with Old Bay seasoning

If you'd like to see a 60-second video of me throwing together the Chicken Pot Pie, check out this short on YouTube.

I hope this encourages you to make real meals on a boat, even when supplies are low! It pushes you to get a little creative, and talking with other boaters might inspire you with a few different meal ideas!