I don't have refrigeration on my boat and I hope to sail up to remote anchorages for weeks at a time.
I suppose I could open cans of food and survive on that, but that seems unhealthy and unappetizing to me.
After looking around at various sources of recipe ideas, I put together a few recipes made up of ingredients that do not need to be refrigerated.
The recipes are based on legumes, rice or pasta as a main ingredient.
The basic fresh vegetable ingredients are cabbage, onion, garlic and carrots, and you may always add a vegetable of opportunity, in other words, any fresh vegetable you may be lucky enough to have on hand.
Protein comes from sunflower seeds, eggs and legumes.
The method of cooking vegetables is sauteing them in olive oil, then adding spices and flavorings to taste.
There are three main recipe types: European, Oriental and Indian (as well as basic American pea soup and baked bean recipes). In reality, the recipes probably are not very authentic to the ethnic type, but the goal is to have very different tasting recipes that can be made out of the same basic ingredients. The different combinations of spices allow for some variety in the diet and flavor of the food, even when using the same vegetables.
Putting It All Together
This is a vegetarian recipe plan, but you can add tasty meats as you like them. Don't worry, the recipes taste great and you will enjoy the taste. Some people get hungry after a few days of non-meat meals. If you get really hungry, add a can of tuna or fried egg to the recipes. I add chicken or fish to the recipes as it is available.
To ensure enough protein intake, make sure you have a bean or pea dish available, either as a side dish or as the main dish.
Because you are cooking with fresh vegetables, you will probably have good vitamin intake, however you may wish to take a multivitamin to round out your diet. After eating the recipes for a few days you may decide that they are far more healthy than your normal "at home" diet.
To prepare vegetables for long term storage, soak vegetables in water with bleach (4 Tbs per gallon) for a half hour, let dry and wrap in newspaper.
Cabbage, carrots, onions and garlic should last a month if ventilated and kept out of the sun. Instead of chopping up the cabbage head, peel leaves off of the cabbage, then roll them into a sausage shape, and slice. Slicing cabbage thin makes it easier to cook. Figure one cabbage head per person per week.
When in port, I would suggest eating a variety of available foods. Enjoy local favorites, go out to restaurants, eat fast food if you like it.
For breakfast, I suggest a muesli type cereal. It is easy to prepare, healthy, and tastes great. My favorite mix is 1/3 rolled oats (oatmeal), 1/3 raisins, 1/3 roasted salted sunflower seeds. I mix it in a big plastic screw top container and transfer it to a wide mouth jar and eat it dry from the jar. Thats right, dry, raw, no milk, nothing but the oats, raisins and sunflower seeds. The raisins have enough moisture in them to give it a good texture, and the sunflower seeds have enough salt to give it some flavor. It tastes great.
Saute' means to cook in oil in a pan. It is not necessary to brown the vegetables, just to cook them. In fact, if they are getting brown, you probably have the heat up too high. Just get them tender enough to eat the way you like them.
The measurements shown here are a starting point. Feel free to adjust to your own tastes once you know what the recipe is all about. I usually just throw ingredients in without measuring.
Tbs = Tablespoon, tsp = teaspoon
The recipes should be considered as "themes". Make up your own variations on the themes. I would suggest that at first you do not mix the seasoning groups, in order to maintain foods with a variety of flavors.
I selected these recipes to be made from ingredients that do not need refrigeration. If you learn to cook these recipes so that you enjoy the food and can be satisfied eating this food, there is an added benefit: you will also have learned to make healthy, inexpensive food that is very good for you. Learn to cook these recipes, and you will always be able to eat well for very little money. In addition, you can pack a month's worth of ingredients, utensils and cookstove that you need in a small box (I use a plastic toolbox) and carry it with you whereever you go.
Don't look at this list of ingredients as a limit. This is a base from which you can start, and add additional foods that you like.