Campervan Cooking - Nordic Tasting Plate

I love the challenge of campervan cooking, especially when I'm parked up in the quiet Spanish countryside. This Nordic tasting plate is one of my favourite ways to enjoy a three-course meal on a single plate. If you are solo cooking campervan style like me, you'll know that keeping things simple but elegant is the key to life on the road.

There’s a moment in the evening when the campervan becomes its own little world. The dogs have been walked and fed and are now stretched out in their favourite spots, gently snoring. Outside, rural Andalucía settles into its night time hush. Inside, I turn on the soft light above the kitchen counter, and the space shifts instantly into something warm and calm — the perfect setting to cook something simple, clean, and quietly elegant just for me.

Cooking for one in a campervan isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about intention. It’s about taking a few good ingredients and letting them shine. Tonight, I leaned into a Nordic mood: cool flavours, minimal cooking, and a sense of calm on the plate.

And because I only have one medium‑sized white plate in the van, I turned the whole thing into a single Nordic tasting plate — three small elements arranged with space, colour, and quiet confidence.

My Nordic Tasting Plate Menu

Avocado Stuffed with Langoustines (Starter Element)

I start by chopping a few langoustines and folding them into a lemony mayo dressing with a pinch of dried dill and a whisper of red onion. The mixture gets spooned into half an avocado, the green and pink sitting together like they were always meant to be. A few olive slices on top add just enough contrast.

This becomes the cool, creamy anchor of the plate — clean, simple, and elegant.

Mini Greek Salad with Whole Langoustines

A Greek salad is one of the easiest things to make in a campervan — no cooking, just assembling. Tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, olive oil, lemon, dried oregano, and feta, if I have it.

I make a small mound of salad on the plate, then arrange two or three whole langoustines leaning against it. They’re shorter than my thumb when peeled — delicate, sweet, and perfect for this kind of composed plate.

Tips for Solo Cooking Campervan Style

A Little Note on “Langoustines” Here in Spain

One curiosity of cooking in Spain is the naming of shellfish. The packet in my fridge is labelled langoustines, but they’re actually much closer to large prawns — plump, sweet, and ideal for quick campervan cooking.

In Scotland or Norway, the word langoustine refers to a very specific cold‑water species: long, slim, pale‑orange, with claws — the classic Nephrops norvegicus. But here in Spain, “langostino” (and sometimes “langoustine” on English-language packaging) is used far more loosely. It often means:

• large prawns
• king prawns
• or warm‑water shrimp

Nights like this always remind me how endlessly adaptable a Greek salad can be. I’ve played with the idea in so many ways over the years – including this Langoustine and Feta Cheese Salad with Greek Dressing, a brighter, slightly more indulgent cousin of tonight’s plate.

Smoked Trout with Sautéed Potatoes & Beetroot

This is the warm, earthy finish — the grounding element of the plate.

Potatoes are sautéed in a small pan until golden. Beetroot warms gently with a splash of vinegar. The smoked trout needs almost nothing — just flaking it into large pieces and letting its natural richness speak for itself.

I arrange the potatoes in a small crescent, tuck the beetroot into the curve, and lay the trout on top. A light drizzle of lemon-mustard dressing ties everything together.

It looks like something from a Nordic bistro, but it’s made on a two‑ring hob in a van parked under the Andalusian sky.

Why I Love Meals Like This

Cooking for one is often misunderstood. People imagine shortcuts, compromises, and “good enough” meals. But for me, cooking for one is a kind of meditation. It’s a way of marking the end of the day, of grounding myself in small rituals.

The dogs sleep. The van is warm. The plate is simple but thoughtful — three small dishes sharing one white plate, each with its own character and each part of a quiet, satisfying whole.

And I’m reminded — again — that good food doesn’t need a big kitchen. It just needs a bit of care, a sense of curiosity, and the willingness to make something lovely for yourself.

This recipe is also part of my growing Campervan Cooking Recipes collection — real van life meals cooked on a two-ring hob, no proper kitchen required.

This recipe is featured in my Inland Fish and Seafood Hub, a collection of resourceful ways to prepare the sea's bounty from the heart of rural Spain.
Footnote: Wonky park-ups, proper adventures, genuine freedom. For more one-pan recipes, travel tips, and dog-friendly routes, explore my comprehensive guide, Vanlife in Spain: A Guide to Cooking and Travelling with Dogs. — The Flexible Chef