Pancakes are a staple camp breakfast in our family, and our love of pancakes has led us to experiment with many different recipes. We’ve made banana pancakes, pumpkin pancakes, chocolate-filled pancakes, and even crepes on our camp grills. We’re such pancake lovers that we decided we needed to make the perfect birthday pancake, and this recipe stemmed from there!

Deep dish pancakes, also known as Dutch Baby pancakes, are a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a breakfast, brunch, dessert, or even a birthday cake. They’re made with a batter that contains a higher ratio of eggs, flour, and milk compared to traditional pancakes. This results in a thicker batter that rises significantly during baking, creating a puffy and airy texture. Unlike their relatively flat counterpart, deep dish pancakes are thick like a cake and hold up well to a variety of toppings and fillings.

We’ve found that baking deep dish pancakes in a Dutch oven is a great way to achieve a perfectly cooked and evenly baked pancake with a crispy exterior and a soft and fluffy interior. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Even heat distribution is made possible by the thick walls of the Dutch oven, which guarantees that the pancake will cook without any hot spots. This is crucial for deep dish pancakes because they are thick and take longer to cook.
2. Holds heat: A Dutch oven holds heat very well, so the pancake will continue to be warm after you take it off the grill. This is especially helpful if you are serving pancakes to a crowd and need to keep them warm while preparing other dishes.
3. Versatility: A Dutch oven is a multipurpose cooking vessel that can be used for both indoor in an oven and outdoor cooking on a grill.

This deep dish pancake recipe combines lemon and blueberries, adding a bright and refreshing burst of flavor to the rich and indulgent pancake base. Here’s how each ingredient contributes to the overall flavor profile:

1. Lemon zest: The zest of a lemon is the outer layer of the peel, which contains flavorful oils that add a bright, citrusy aroma and taste to the pancake. The zest is grated finely and mixed into the pancake batter, where it infuses the entire pancake with a tangy lemon flavor.
2. Lemon juice: Lemon juice is mixed with the blueberries in this recipe, with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. This creates a sweet but refreshing flavor that lightens the dish and makes it perfect for a warm summer day.
3. Blueberries: Blueberries are a classic pancake topping, and they pair particularly well with the lemon in this recipe. Their sweet and slightly tart flavor complements the tangy lemon and sweet powdered sugar.

The lemon and blueberry in this deep dish pancake work together to create a balanced and refreshing flavor that is perfect for a summertime brunch or dessert. The lemon adds a brightness and zing to the rich rich and fluffy pancake base, while the sweet and juicy blueberries provide a burst of flavor and texture. Overall, this is a versatile, delightful dish that has become our favorite birthday breakfast cake whether we’re at home or at the campsite.

Deep Dish Blueberry Pancake

A refreshing dish for a satisfying and filling breakfast, brunch, or dessert!

*This recipe for a 8” diameter / 2 quart Dutch oven.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Total time: 35 minutes

Servings: 4

Course: Breakfast, Brunch or Dessert

Grill type: Otzi Ember Dual-Person Grill in Stainless Steel

Ingredients (4 servings, using a 8” diameter / 2 quart Dutch oven):

3/4 cups flour

4 eggs

3/4 cups milk 

Zest from one lemon

Pinch of salt

2 Tbsp butter 

2 cups blueberries

2 Tbsp powdered sugar 

1 Tbsp lemon juice 

Instructions: 

1. Place Dutch oven on grill with the lid on to begin heating up.
2. Mix blueberries and lemon juice together and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest together. 
4. Add flour and salt and whisk together until blended.
5. Add butter to Dutch oven and allow to melt. Once melted, pour batter into Dutch oven and replace lid.
6. Cook for 25 minutes, rotating 1/4 turn every 5 minutes so the batter cooks evenly.
7. Remove from heat and cover with blueberries. 
8. Replace lid and allow blueberries to warm for 3-5 minutes. 
9. Remove lid and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Cut into 4 slices and enjoy! 

If you try this recipe, be sure to let us know! We’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a rating and comment below, and tag a photo @otzigear on Instagram for your chance to be featured on our page!

Outdoor grills are often considered a tool for cooking main courses only, such as steaks, hot dogs, or burgers. But cooking on a charcoal or wood-fueled grill adds such a delicious smoky flavor, that our family just can’t get enough. We’ve experimented with making everything from clams to pasta skewers, apple pie, and even funnel cake! 

We decided to make this salsa recipe to add some extra flavor and excitement to our camping trips. We replaced store-bought salsa and chips with this recipe, and we haven’t looked back since. This smoky salsa is perfect for cooking on our flat pack camping grills, as it requires minimal prep and can be cooked quickly over high heat. The combination of char-grilled sweet peppers and tangy tomatoes will make your mouth water and keep you coming back for more!

Salsa has a long and varied history, with numerous adaptations and variations coming from different parts of the world. The word “salsa” itself is derived from the Spanish word for sauce, and it is believed that the salsa originated in Central and South America, where prehistoric peoples like the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas produced hot sauces with chiles, tomatoes, and other ingredients. These sauces were frequently used to intensify flavors or add a little heat to dishes.

Early in the 20th century, the United States developed salsa that is familiar to us today. Mexican-American communities in Texas and California started infusing regional produce like bell pepper and corn with traditional Mexican ingredients like chiles, onions, and tomatoes to create a new kind of salsa that eventually became a cherished staple of American cooking.

We combined a few of our favorite things for this salsa recipe; sweet peppers, heirloom tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and jalapeños. The sweet peppers add a mild, slightly sweet flavor to the salsa, which compliments the acidity of the tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes, with their juicy and flavorful flesh, add a rich, fruity taste that is both tangy and sweet. Grape tomatoes, on the other hand, have a slightly more intense sweetness and firmer texture, which provides a nice contrast to the softer, juicier heirloom tomatoes. 

The jalapeños give the salsa a spicy kick that helps balance out the sweetness of the other ingredients. Jalapeños are the ideal choice for adding a little heat to this dish without overpowering it because of their mild to medium heat level. As a result, the salsa tastes even more vibrant and delicious. The heat from the jalapeños also helps to bring out the natural flavors of the other ingredients.

Red onion and garlic are also included in this recipe, two ingredients that are crucial for giving this charred sweet pepper and tomato salsa flavor depth and complexity. Red onions are renowned for their subtle sweetness and crisp texture, which gives salsa a nice crunch. It also adds a light sharpness that helps balance the sweetness of the tomatoes and peppers.

On the other hand, garlic gives the salsa a strong, earthy flavor. When garlic is cooked, aromatic compounds are released that give the salsa depth and a more savory taste.

All of these components come together to make a salsa that is both savory and sweet, with just a hint of heat. The combination of textures, from the soft tomato flesh to the crunch of the peppers and onions, also contributes to the salsa’s allure. So this salsa is sure to be a hit, whether you use it as a topping for grilled meats or a dip for tortilla chips!

Charred Sweet Pepper & Tomato Salsa

Spice up your outdoor cooking with this irresistible char-grilled salsa that strikes the perfect balance of sweetness, savoriness, and spiciness!

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 2

Course: Snack or Condiment

Grill type: Otzi Ember Dual-Person Grill in Stainless Steel

Ingredients:

3 heirloom tomatoes (halved) 

1-2 jalapeños 

6-8 sweet peppers

8oz grape or cherry tomatoes 

1/2 red onion

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbsp salt (or to taste)

Instructions:

1. Place veggies on grill top and cook to desired doneness. Remove and allow to cool.
2. Add tomatoes to a large mixing bowl. Mash with fork. 
3. On a cutting board dice jalapeños, sweet peppers, red onion, and garlic. Combine with tomatoes in the mixing bowl.
4. Add salt and mix well.
5. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

If you try this recipe, be sure to let us know! We’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a rating and comment below, and tag a photo @otzigear on Instagram for your chance to be featured on our page!

 Making a meal outside has its own unique charm, as anyone who enjoys camping or outdoor cooking will attest. While there are many traditional camping meals to pick from, nothing quite compares to the aroma of freshly baked bread filling your campsite. That’s where Dutch oven bread comes in. This rustic loaf is easy to prepare, tasty, and great for sharing. We'll show you how to make Dutch oven bread on our flat pack camp grill in this blog post so you can have delicious homemade bread no matter where your adventures take you.

The beauty of Dutch oven bread is that it’s relatively simple to make, with just a few basic ingredients: flour, water, yeast, and salt. But despite its simplicity it has a rich, complex flavor. It’s also much healthier than store-bought bread, which is full of preservatives and added sugars. At its core, Dutch oven bread is a hearty, comforting bread that pairs well with soups or stews. It’s also a great way to impress your family and friends with your baking skills!

To make Dutch oven bread on one of our Otzi Ember flat pack grill, you’ll need an 8” diameter Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a cast-iron pot with a tight-fitting lid that’s perfect for baking bread as it helps to create a steamy, moist environment inside the pot that allows the bread to rise and form a crispy crust on the outside. 

The key to making this recipe is allowing the bread dough enough time to rise. This is essential for creating a light, airy loaf with a good texture and flavor. When bread dough is allowed to rise, it undergoes a process known as fermentation, which is when the yeast in the dough breaks down the sugars in the flour and produces carbon dioxide gas. 

As the carbon dioxide gas builds up, it causes the dough to expand and become lighter and more porous. This is what creates the characteristic air pockets and fluffy texture of bread. The fermentation process also helps to develop the flavor of the bread and give it a complex, tangy taste.

But it’s not just about the flavor and texture. Letting bread dough rise also makes the bread easier to digest. During fermentation, the yeast breaks down complex carbohydrates in the dough, making them more easily digestible. This is why some people who have trouble digesting bread or gluten can often tolerate sourdough bread, which has undergone a longer fermentation process.

This recipe requires two rises, for a total of approximately 1.5 hours - 2.5 hours. Scroll down to the recipe for the full instructions. While it can be tempting to rush through the rising process in order to get your bread cooking faster, it’s important to give the dough the time it needs to ferment properly. Skipping or shortening the rising time can result in a dense, heavy loaf that doesn’t fully rise or have the same flavor or texture as a well-risen loaf. But if you follow our instructions, you’ll end up with a light, fluffy loaf with a good texture and delicious flavor!

Dutch Oven Bread, 1948 Jeep Willys style

A rustic, crusty bread with a rich and complex flavor. Simple to make and perfect for sharing!

*This recipe for a 8” diameter / 2 quart Dutch oven.

Prep time: 1.5 - 2.5 hours

Cook time: 45 - 50 minutes

Total time: 2.5 - 3.5 hours

Servings: 4-6

Course: Snack or Side Dish

Grill type: Otzi Ember Dual-Person Grill in Stainless Steel

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour 

1 tsp active dry or rapid rise yeast

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 cup warm water

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 Tbsp rosemary 

Instructions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl mix together flour, yeast, 2/3 of the salt and 1/2 the rosemary. Add warm water (make sure it’s not hot). Stir until well combined. 
2. Cover with towel and let sit at room temperature until the dough doubles in size. This typically takes 45-90 minutes. 
3. Add 1 tsp canola oil to the Dutch oven, drizzle 1 tsp on the dough, and rub remaining oil on your hands. Gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl and shape into a ball. 
4. Place dough in oiled Dutch oven and cover with towel. Let rise until full of air, this takes 30-60 minutes.
5. When dough is close to being full of air, get grill started with either charcoal or wood. Place grill plate on grill.
6. Score the dough with an X in the middle and sprinkle dough with remaining rosemary and salt. 
7. Place cover on Dutch oven and set on heated grill. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until browned. (Optional- add hot coals on top of the covered Dutch oven to brown the top of the bread).
8. Remove from grill and allow to cool for one hour. Slice, serve and enjoy!

If you try this recipe, be sure to let us know! We’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave a rating and comment below, and tag a photo @otzigear on Instagram for your chance to be featured on our page!