Yacht Snack Ideas for Long Sailing Days
Snacks onboard must be quick to prepare, easy to store, and suitable for swim stops or sailing passages.
Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients
- ½ small red onion, finely chopped
- 8 medium tomatoes (about 500g), coarsely chopped and drained
- 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6-8 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
- 30ml balsamic vinegar
- 60-80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 loaf crusty bread
Recipe
- In a large bowl, mix the onions, tomatoes, garlic and basil, taking care not to mash or break up the tomatoes too much. Add the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix again. Cover and chill for at least an hour. This will allow the flavours to soak and blend together.
- Slice the baguette loaf diagonally into 12 thick slices and lightly toast them until they are light brown on both sides. Serve the mixture on the warm slices of bread. If you prefer the mixture at room temperature, remove from the fridge half an hour before serving.
Red Pepper and Feta Bruschetta
Ingredients
- 6 thick slices crusty bread
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
- 1 garlic clove, halved
- 200g (7oz) roasted peppers, sliced into thick strips
- 200g (7oz) feta cheese
- few sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Recipe
Brush one side of the bread with the oil. Toast the bread then rub each slice with the garlic. Arrange the peppers on the toast and scatter with the feta, some parsley and seasoning. Drizzle with olive oil.
summer rolls with peanut sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ounces rice vermicelli or maifun brown rice noodles*
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup torn lettuce, ribs removed
- 1 cup very thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 small cucumber
- 2 medium jalapeños, ribs and seeds removed, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
- ¼ cup roughly chopped fresh mint
- 8 sheets rice paper (spring roll wrappers)
Peanut Sauce
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed
Serving size: 8 Summer Rolls
Recipe
- To make the spring rolls: Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles just until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, rinse them under cool water, and return them to the pot. Off the heat, toss the noodles with the sesame oil and salt, and set aside.
- Fill a shallow pan (a pie pan or 9″ round cake pan works great) with an inch of water. Fold a lint-free tea towel in half and place it next to the dish. Make sure your prepared fillings are within reach. Combine the green onion, cilantro and mint in a small bowl, and stir.
- Place one rice paper in the water and let it rest for about 20 seconds, give or take. You’ll learn to go by feel here—wait until the sheet is pliable but not super floppy. Carefully lay it flat on the towel.
- Leaving about 1 inch of open rice paper around the edges, cover the lower third of the paper with a few pieces of butter lettuce, followed by a small handful of rice noodles, some cabbage, and a few strips of carrot, cucumber and jalapeño. Sprinkle generously with the herb mix.
- Fold the lower edge up over the fillings, rolling upward just until the filling is compactly enclosed. Fold over the short sides like you would to make a burrito. Lastly, roll it up. Repeat with the remaining ingredients
- To make the peanut sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, rice vinegar, tamari, honey, sesame oil, and garlic. Whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons water, as needed to make a super creamy but dip-able sauce.
- Serve the spring rolls with peanut sauce on the side. You can serve them whole, or sliced in half on the diagonal with a sharp chef’s knife.
Courgette flatbreads with ham, peaches and burrata
Ingredients
- 350g self-raising flour
- 300g natural yogurt
- 1 small bunch basil, roughly chopped, plus a few leaves for serving
- 1 large or 2 medium courgettes, thinly sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve
- 2 peaches, halved, stones removed and sliced
- 12 slices parma ham or prosciutto
- 2 burrata/mozzarella balls
Servings: 4
Recipe
- Heat the oven to 210ºC fan/gas 8. In a large bowl, mix the flour, yogurt and chopped basil with a pinch of salt. Knead for about 5 minutes to form a soft dough, adding a few tablespoons of water if the mixture feels dry. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Roll out each piece of dough to a rough 20cm circle or slipper shape. Transfer to the baking sheets once rolled.
- Top the flatbreads with the sliced courgettes and onion, drizzle over the olive oil, then bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Put on a wire rack to cool.
- Divide the peaches, parma ham slices and burrata/mozzarella evenly among the flatbreads. Scatter with basil leaves, drizzle with a little extra olive oil, then season with salt and pepper to serve.
Plum, Burrata, and Balsamic Flatbread
Ingredients
- 4 naan flatbreads
- olive oil, for brushing
- 8 ounces burrata cheese (2 4 oz balls)
- 4 ripe plums (or fruit of your choice).
- pitted and sliced
- handful or two of fresh baby arugula
- a few large basil leaves, torn.
- balsamic glaze
- coarse sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Recipe
- Preheat grill or grill pan. Lightly brush naan with olive oil on both sides. Grill for 2-4 minutes, flipping once part way through, or until grill marks are nicely defined and bread is heated through. (Tip: if using a grill pan, try placing a weight on top of the bread, such as smaller sized skillet or a brick wrapped in foil, which will press the bread firmly into the grill pan and produce more defined grill marks).
- Cut burrata into chunks, and spread onto warm flatbread. Top with sliced plums, baby arugula, and torn basil.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle liberally with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Servings: 4
Caprese skewers
Ingredients
- 12 cherry tomatoes
- 12 fresh mozzarella balls, 1/3 oz. cherry size
- 12 large fresh basil leaves
- 12 grape tomatoes
- extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
- balsamic vinegar, for drizzling
- salt and freshly ground pepper
Recipe
- Thread 1 cherry tomato, 2 mozzarella balls, 2 basil leaves and 1 grape tomato on a wooden or bamboo skewer or toothpick. Repeat to make the remaining skewers.
- Arrange the skewers on a platter and drizzle with the olive oil, follow by balsamic vinegar. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve.
Serves: 12 skewers
Loaded Beef Nachos
Ingredients
- Taco Seasoning (or you can use one packet/ serving of store-bought taco seasoning)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 2 bags tortilla chips (16 ounces each)
- 1 can refried beans
- 16 ounces shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar and Monterey jack)
- 3 roma tomatoes diced
- 2 to 3 green onions sliced
Recipe
- Preheat the oven at 400 degrees.
- Meanwhile on the stovetop, brown the ground beef and diced onions over medium-high heat until fully cooked (about 8 minutes) and drain.
- Return the beef to the pan, and sprinkle on the taco seasoning.
- Stir in 3/4 cup water, bring it to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid mostly evaporates, about 5 minutes.
- While the beef is cooking, add a generous layer of chips to two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Spoon on refried beans, half on each pan. These are thick, but I just add spoon fulls all over the chips. (The spoon fulls will spread with the heat of the oven.)
- Spoon on half the ground beef to each pan of chips.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese on top.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and sprinkle on diced tomatoes and green onions.
- Serve immediately.
Italian Chicken Wrap
Ingredients
- 1 extra large tortilla flatbread or lavash bread
- 2 red peppers
- 5-6 slices cooked chicken breast about 3 ounces
- Handful of arugula or spinach
- 2 slices provolone cheese
- 3-4 thin slices of tomato
- 10 sliced black olives
- Sliced red onion
- Balsamic glaze
Recipe
- Lay the tortilla or flatbread on a flat surface. Starting on the edge closest to you, layer a stripe of red pepper bruschetta about 1/2 inch inside the outer edge. Place the chicken slightly overlapping the bruschetta, then add a strip of arugula, then the cheese and the tomato. Top with the artichoke bruschetta then the olives and sliced red onion and drizzle lightly with the balsamic glaze.
- Starting from the edge closest to you, fold the portion of the tortilla with the red pepper and chicken into itself, and fold the outer edges of the sides inward, then continue to tightly roll and wrap the sandwich. Slice the wrap in half and server, or cut the halves into even portions to serve as pinwheels. Make the day before or refrigerate for 2-3 days.
PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL ENERGY BALLS
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup peanut butter can use any nut or seed butter of choice
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup can substitute agave nectar, brown rice syrup
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips of choice
Recipe
In a large mixing bowl, add your rolled oats and ground flaxseed and mix well.
In a microwave-safe bowl or stovetop, combine your peanut butter with your maple syrup. Heat until warm and melted. Whisk together.
Combine your wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Fold through your chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips). Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes, to firm up.
Remove from the fridge and form 20 balls.
Cucumber sushi
Ingredients
- Cucumber
- Cream cheese
- Avocado
- Prawns/salmon
- Roquette
- Carrots
- Sesame seeds
Recipe
- Cut the cucumber with a peeler and dry them with paper towel.
- Lay out the strips partially on top of each other.
- Layer with cream cheese, salmon or shrimp,avocado, carrots, roquette.
- Roll the whole thing up and cut in small pieces.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds !
Puff pastry pizza
Ingredients
Basic Pizza
- 2 Puff Pastry Sheets
- 1 cup Pizza Sauce/Passata
- 1.5 cups Mozzarella or Fontina, grated
Optional Toppings:
- 1 cup Ricotta
- ¼ cup Pesto + more for drizzle
- 1 cup Pepperoni
- Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish
- Red Pepper Flakes
Recipe
- Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place puff pastry on the baking sheet and top evenly with desired toppings. A tip! Finish the uncooked pizza with a drizzle of pesto to add to the presentation (+ it’s pretty tasty). Make sure to leave a border around the edges so a crust forms.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is starting to brown.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan and optional red pepper flakes.
Shrimp ceviche
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp cooked, peeled, and deveined
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 large avocado diced
- pinch of salt
- Tortilla chips to serve
Recipe
- Cut the shrimp into 1/4 inch pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in lime juice and lemon juice. Cover and let marinate 30 minutes.
- Stir in cilantro, red onion, tomato, and avocado. Season with a pinch of salt, or to taste. Serve chilled with tortilla chips
Serves: 4
FAQ – Cooking on a Charter Yacht
What does a yacht host cook during a charter week?
Yacht hosts typically prepare breakfast, light lunches, and in some cases simple dinners, depending on charter structure and crew setup. Meals must be adaptable to guest preferences and dietary requirements.
How do you provision for 8 guests on a charter yacht?
Provisioning requires structured 7-day meal planning, awareness of galley storage limits, and flexibility for dietary needs. Efficient ingredient overlap and clear menu planning reduce waste and simplify service.
What meals work best in a compact yacht galley?
Meals that balance preparation time, ingredient reuse, and presentation efficiency work best in 40–60ft yacht environments. Simple structure and clear timing are key.
Can I use these recipes to prepare for Host Academy?
Yes. This cookbook reflects real charter meal structures and galley conditions. If you’re planning to apply to Host Academy, practicing structured breakfast service, light lunches, and 7-day menu planning using these recipes can help you prepare for onboard expectations.