Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Distanced dinners around an open fire

This has been the year of dining alfresco.

The great outdoors have become the safest place to visit with those we don't live with, and with warmer weather and gatherings under 10 allowed outside, many of us are finding ways to safely see friends and family face-to-face.

Fire pits in backyards and at public picnic areas allow for natural distancing around a focal point not unlike a dinner table.

If you find yourself sitting around the fire, there are plenty of ways to utilize the hot coals and flame to cook — or at least heat up — something to eat.

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Open fire pits are great for cooking, though the heat source is not as accurate or easily controlled as a gas barbecue.

Heavy metal grates can be set inside or over your fire pit to use as a cooking surface or support for pots and pans. You can also set a couple of bricks in your fire pit to stabilize cast iron pots and skillets.

Cast iron is great for cooking over the fire because it will withstand high temperatures, and can go from grill to grate or be nestled into hot coals.

Coals are also the best heat source. If you wait until the fire is well-established, you can move the coals around and under your cooking area accordingly.

If you're more into visiting than monitoring your food, an open fire is great for warming saucy dishes you'd normally heat up on the stovetop or in the oven: cheesy baked dips, stews, curries, baked beans, saucy pastas, or chili.

These are all dishes that tend to taste better after some time anyway, and are easy to divvy up into disposable foil containers from the dollar store.

And if you have more than one family group around the fire, each could get their own container to share — cover them with aluminum foil to trap the heat and prevent ash from flying in.

Having some extra moisture in a dish will help conduct heat and warm them through without drying out, and will also help them stay warm while you're eating outside. Something stew-like won't cool down as quickly when it's chilly out.

If you do want to add an element of cooking to your meal, all kinds of flatbread dough are perfect for cooking over a hot fire.

Roll the dough thin and cook them right on a hot metal skillet, or add a drizzle of oil to the skillet to help cook and crisp it up.

Mac & Cheese (for the stovetop or fire pit)

Any mac and cheese can be warmed until bubbly over the fire — cover it with foil to prevent ash from getting in.

This is a simple version you can make on your stovetop; it may seem too saucy at first, but will thicken up as it sits.

You could use only 1 cup of cream if you're going to eat it right away, straight from the stovetop.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry chunky pasta (it doesn't have to be macaroni)
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 4-5 cups grated aged cheddar (or about 300 g of meltable cheeses like gouda, mozzarella, fontina or cheese curds)

Instructions:

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the cream and cheese (hold back some of the cheese, or aim for extra to sprinkle on top, if you like) and stir, placing the pot back over low heat on the stove until the cheese melts.

Don't worry if it looks too saucy — it will thicken, and the pasta will absorb more of the liquid, as it sits.

Divide into aluminum containers if you want to cook it over the fire. Otherwise eat it straight from the stovetop, or spread into a baking dish to bake in the oven.

Scatter with a little extra cheese, cover with foil and and heat until bubbly over the fire, or bake in the oven at 350-400 F for 20-30 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

Serves 6.

Dough for Pizza or Flatbread

This is a great basic dough you can use to make pizzas or chewy flatbreads to serve with saucy stews, curries or cheesy baked dips.

It will make two pizzas or about 8 flatbreads, and the recipe is easily doubled if you need more.

For even better flavour, make it up to 24 hours ahead of time and let it slowly rise in the fridge overnight.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp. dry yeast (or 1 package)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp. olive or canola oil
• 1 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Put the water in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast overtop; let it sit for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve. (If you're worried about the age of your yeast, watch for it to get foamy; if it doesn't, it's likely inactive and you may need fresh yeast.)

Add the flour, oil and salt and stir until the dough comes together. Turn it out onto the countertop and knead it for a few minutes, until smooth and elastic, or let the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer do the work.

Put the ball of dough back in the mixing bowl, drizzle it with oil and turn to coat it all over, then cover with a tea towel and let it sit on the countertop for at least an hour.

If you want to make it well ahead of time, put it in the fridge overnight (or for the day), and pull it out about an hour before you want to use it.

To make flatbread, pull off pieces of dough about the size of two eggs, roll out very thin on the countertop, and cook either on a preheated grill or in a hot skillet, drizzled with oil or with a melted chunk of clarified butter or ghee.

Wait until the dough turns deep golden on the bottom and bubbles start to form on top, then flip with tongs and cook until golden on the other side.

To make pizza, divide the dough in half and roll each piece out as thin as you like.

Place directly on a hot grill (you could brush the dough with oil first, but it's not necessary).

Cook until golden on the bottom, then flip and quickly top with your choice of toppings. Turn the heat down and close the lid until the bottom is golden and the cheese has melted.

To make a pizza in the chiminea, assemble it in a large cast iron skillet — sauce, toppings and cheese — and place directly on the hot coals.

You could also place on top of a couple of logs, or a brick or two set in the fire to stabilize the skillet.

Move the coals around to ensure it's not burning on the bottom, and the heat in the enclosed chiminea should cook the pizza through and melt the cheese.

Makes enough for 2 pizzas or 8 flatbreads.

• Check out Julie Van Rosendaal's full interview on the Calgary Eyeopener below:

• If you cook over a fire pit this spring, we'd love to see what you make! And if you have a recipe request, let us know! Tweet  @CBC Eyeopener or email [email protected].