Dinners
Dinner recipes contained within primarily require cooking, or at least boiling
water--that's when we've find we have the most time to prepare the
stove/cooking gear required to make hot water. Dinners with meat are listed in
the following section (VI) Meat Dishes; we've thrown in two dessert
suggestions at the end of this section.
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besides the obvious macaroni & cheese, there is a surprising number of
dehydrated foods in the grocery store. For pasta, there is a company that
sells fancy little pastas in small plastic bags for making soup, but you can
add less water and just make pasta. The packages come with dry peas, carrots,
tomato base, and things like that (depending on the version you choose). A
little overpriced if you were cooking at home, but cheap compared to freeze
dried stuff. Knorr makes all sorts of soups that can be used as sauces or a
source of cheap dehydrated vegetables. Betty Crocker makes dehydrated
scalloped potatoes. You can get packets of brown gravy mix, a Knorr package of
vegetables in a tomato base, add some dry mushrooms from a Chinese grocery
store, and cook them with the potatoes for a yummy stew. One of the nature
food type companies(the one that makes Nature Burger I thing) makes a refried
bean mix and a black bean mix, as well as a polenta mix. For the
cooking-impaired, there are directions on the package and everything. (Try a
health food store, or bread&circus if you have such a place if your local
supermarket doesn't carry them). Take a walk in the grocery store, visit some
unusual ones (Chinese, Italian, health food) for more obscure items, and think
creatively.
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Lipton makes these dehydrated rice and noodle dishes that are pretty good. The
rice ones take 2 cups of water and boil for 10 minutes. The noodle ones say to
use half milk so I add some dehydrated milk.
To make them a little more nutritious I add green beans, carrots, sun dried
tomatoes, or other vegies that will last a while in a backpack.
At around $1.50 for a package that will serve two, they are a hell of a lot
more economical (and almost as good) as the gourmet freeze dried stuff.
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Dumplings
Ingredients: 1 c. biscuit mix
Trail Directions:
1. Mix up by biscuits directions
2. Form the dough into balls the size of ping-pong balls. Set these on top of
a stew or soup and simmer covered for 15 -20 minutes, or until the middle of
the dumplings is dry.
Doughboys
Ingredients:
2 c. biscuit mix
butter or margarine
jam or honey
Trail Directions:
1.Add .5 c. cold water too 2 c. mix. Do not add more water than this or the
doughboy will fall of the stick. 2.Mix and pat the dough around the ends of 4
sticks. Make each doughboy about 4 in. long by .5 in. thick. 3.Hold the
doughboy over the fire to toast them slowly for about 10 min. or until the
inside is done. Turn them as you would a marshmallow you were roasting to
perfection, and occasionally pat the dough to keep it evenly distributed. (If
it gets lopsided, it will tend to crack and fall) 4.Pull the doughboys off the
sticks gently and fill their cavities with butter, jam, or honey; add other
ingredients according to whim.
Lentil Soup:
Trail Information:
time 30 min.
water 3 cups
equipment 1 pot
servings 2 to 3
Ingredients:
1/2 c. lentils
1 tsp. dried carrot flakes
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1/4 to 1/2 tsp.salt
1/4 c. potato buds
1 tsp butter or margarine
or 2 TBL. Parmesan cheese (opt.)
1 c. biscuit mix for dumplings (opt.)
Trail Directions
1.Add 3 cups water to the lentil mix in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil; then
take the pot off the heat to sit for 15 min. 2.Boil again, simmer for 15 min.
Add potato buds and cook a few more minutes. Add 1 tsp. butter or margarine or
cut some Parmesan cheese into the soup. 3.To make dumplings: add 1/4 c/ water
to 1 cup biscuit mix and make stiff batter. Follow earlier directions. Cover
so they steam and cook until done during the last 20 min.
Black Bean Soup
It is possible to use other beans, like navy or pinto, to make this.
Trail Information
time 10 minutes
water 4 cups
equipment 1 pot
servings 4
Ingredients
2 c. dried cooked black beans*
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 Tbl. dried minced onion
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 cloves garlic
2 TBL. each dried green pepper and parsley (opt) 2/3 c. grated
cheese (opt)
1 TBL. butter or oil
Trail Directions
1.Smash the garlic cloves with the flat of your knife to remove their skins.
Cut into bits and cook for a few minutes in 1 tablespoon butter or oil in a
pot.
2.Add the remaining contents of the bean bag and 4 cups water, and cook 10
min. Add grated cheese or cut in a few tablespoons of cheese.
* Dried Canned Beans (or cooked beans): Drain a 16 ounce can of beans of your
choice. Mash or leave whole. Spread beans on a greased flat pan and dry in
oven at 140F with the door propped open, for 6-8 hours, until they are
crumbly. Reconstitute with an equal amount of water.
Kasha (buckwheat groats)
Trail Information
time 20 minutes
water 1 cup
equipment 1 pot, a second pot or frying pan
servings: 3
Ingredients
1/2 c. buckwheat groats
1 TBL. dry egg
2 TBL. dried leeks or onion (opt)
1 TBL. dried green pepper (opt)
generous TBL. butter or margarine
Trail Directions:
1.Boil 1 c. water. 2.Add 1 1/2 to 2 TBL. cold water to the buckwheat mix in
the bag you brought it in and mix it up. 3.Melt 1 generous TBL. butter in a
frying pan or second pot, add the buckwheat mix and stir until the grains are
coated and separate. Add 1 c. boiling water, cover, and simmer 15 min. or
until the water is absorbed.
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This has become a traditional "first night" meal:
1 packet instant marinara mix
1 packet instant tomato soup
1 tube tomato paste
1 packet instant tortellini
Ignore all the directions and just dump it together The next is really
disgusting to even think about, but somehow really hits the spot after a real
death march:
1 or 2 Ramen bricks
good sized handful of instant rice
1 packet cheese soup
whatever else is loose and rolling around the food bag
again, just boil and simmer a bit. The result is very much like glue and might
also be good for sealing seams, but the cheesy starch hits the spot like
nothing else does.
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Two Ideas:
Cheese Fondue
Buy Package; very easy to make. Bring broccoli, bread crackers etc.
Knorr Soup & Pasta
Dissolve soup add lots of pasta (about 2 cups) and boil until past is ready.
Very thick, spice to taste.
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Dinner - we use a lot of grocery store noodle dinners. Lipton makes a variety
of them like "Noodles Alfredo" or "Noodles Parmesan". Of course Macaroni and
Cheese is always good. To get some beef into the menu we dehydrated our own
hamburger and made Hamburger Helper--there are lots of varieties of this--our
favorite was the lasagna.
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FRIED RICE: feeds 4
List of Ingredients:
1 lb rice
1 lb meat - ham, bacon
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp dried onion
2 tbsp corn oil (if ham is very lean)
1 pkg Kikoman fried rice seasoning mix (Soy sauce for additional
seasoning )
Procedure:
1. Cook rice.
2. While cooking rice.
A. Cube ham, or bacon to ~1/4" squares.
B. Heat sesame oil in fry pan.
C. Fry ham and reconstituted onion until ham is slightly crisp
NOTE: Stir ham frequently and rice occasionally.
3. When rice is done rinse with cold water twice.
4. Add the cold rice to the just crispened ham mixture.
5. Gradually add the seasoning mix while stirring continuously over a VERY HOT
fire.
6. Continue cooking until evenly fried.
This meal may be somewhat salty, but after a hard sweaty day on
the trail that should not pose any problems.
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1. Spaghetti Sauce
I have had quite good success with dried hamburger and dried tomatoes to make
a decent spaghetti. The other ingredients - spices, noodles - are easily
backpacked.
In camp, add water to the tomatoes and hamburger several hours prior to
cooking. Close to dinner, the tomatoes will be the consistency of tomato
paste. Combine everything with more water and start simmering.
The result was a very good semblance of kitchen prepared spaghetti sauce. We
had this meal early in the trip and again later. The meat and tomatoes seemed
to keep fine (average temperature during trip was 60F). The only problem was
the noodles. During the trip, the noodles got crushed up. It was like eating
Spaghetti-O's or some other kids meal.
2. Spices
Dried and fresh spices are the easiest, most useful food to pack. Beefing up
(so to speak) any packaged meal with your own personal touch of spices really
makes a difference. It can make the difference between grub and a meal.
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I've found one can replicate the convenience of these package dinners and get
somewhat better culinary results. Don't drain all the water out of a pot of
regular pasta, toss in Milkman powdered milk, clarified butter, and Parmesan
cheese, and stir a bit over low flame. For an easy seafood sauce, drain the
pasta better, dump in a small can of clams or shrimp, Milkman, garlic,
parsley, and olive oil, and again stir over low flame. Fresh or Angel Hair
pasta gives best results at high altitude.
Even easier, just toss pasta with a spoonful of pesto, chopped nuts, and
Parmesan cheese.
One reconstituted food that I've found tastes good, even at home (!), are the
Fantastic Foods' refried beans/black bean products. They make great trail
burritos with tortillas, dry Jack cheese, and salsa from hoarded Taco Bell
packets (the only reason I stop at Taco Bell, by the way).
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Tortellini Supremo
serves 2-3 hungry campers INGREDIENTS - 16 oz dried cheese tortellini - 1
large onion - 1 green pepper - 3 plum tomatoes - 1/2 stick of butter - 1/2 lb.
of cheese - 1 pkg. powdered caesear dressing - 16 oz. tomato sauce - 1 pkg.
ramen noodles PREPARE a 2-1/2 quart pot about 1/3 filled with water and begin
to cook at medium heat (Yeah I know just don't set the stove at max. output).
SLice the onion into chunks and spread in a 2 quart pot in about 1 inch of
water. Put this pot on med. heat. Slice the pepper and layer it on top of the
onion. Put the butter on top of this pile and cover. Add the tortellini to the
water (yes, even if it isn't boiling) Slice tomatoes, set aside. Dice cheese
into small cubes, set aside After the tortellini has been boiling for five
min. add the tomatoes to the other veggies After 3 min., add the tomato sauce
and the caesar dressing stir well, then cover Drain some of the water, leaving
about 1 inch ! of water above the pasta Add the cheese and the ramen noodles,
Serve the pasta and smoother with sauce!! Now you can feast!!! END of water
above the pasta Add the cheese and the ramen noodles, Serve the pasta and
smoother with sauce!! Now you can feast!!!
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Backpacking Burritos
ù1 7oz Box Fantasic Foods Refried Bean Mix ù1 Pkg Backpackers Butter (Available
in Campmor Catalog) ù1 Pkg Cheese from Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese Din Box
ù10 Fajita size flour Tortillas ùOnion Flakes - 1/2" deep in Ziplock
ùDehydrated Jalepenos(Sliced) ùApprox 6-8 10 Taco Bell Taco Sauses ùAluminum
Foil
First, add water to cover onion flakes and jalepenos when arriving at camp. If
possible build a small fire, remove tortillas from plastic and wrap in
aluminum foil. If you can't or don't want to have a fire form a tortilla size
grill out of foil and alternate between keeping beans warm and cooking
tortillas individually on stove. In one sm pot boil about 3-4" water place
cheese pkg inside and set aside. place tortillas in hot coals - approx 10min.
Prepare beans according to pkg directions. When tortilla(s) are done remove
and reseal, add beans, melted cheese, sauce, jalepenos, onoins - enjoy!
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Ramens Anyone?
I know that ramens can get real old real quick out on the trail but being a
college student (nutrition major no less) I have thought of tons of creative
ways to enjoy? them. I usually pack all the blocks for a trip in one large bag
and keep the seasoning packets sealed. What I do is take 3 blocks of noodles
and 2 packets of seasoning, add in chunks of beef jerky or trail meat and then
just enough water to cover the noodles (the less you use the less you have to
pour out i.e. damaging your campsite) as soon as the noodles get cooked enough
to be soft and edible I take thin slices of cheese (alot) and mix in so it
melts. Finally season to taste with paprika and Tabasco. This is generally
filling for my partner and I along with dessert and is pretty nutritious. Its
a little high in fat but putting in heavy miles will account for that.
Nutrition Analysis per person
Calories: 1100 Fat g : 57 47% cal.
Protein g: 64 23%cal.
Carbohydrates g: 80 30% cal.
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Desserts - You can use dry milk to make pudding and it tastes just fine. Along
similar lines - we discovered we could make the instant cheesecakes and
instant chocolate mousse's you can find in most any grocery stores. Of course
we weren't able to make the crusts, but we just sprinkled the Graham cracker
crumbs on top.
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Banana Boats
ùTin foil
ùBananas (if you buy them green they ripen on the way)
ùmarshmallows
ùchocolate chips
Peel banana (bruises are OK, don't worry). Place inside tinfoil and smother in
marshmallows and lots o' chocolate chips. Roast for 10 mins. in the embers of
your campfire (if available).
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Fruit Compote
Dried apples, blueberries, strawberries, or any other dried fruit you have in
your pack. 1 pkg. apple cider mix Water Use enough water to just cover fruit.
Sprinkle cider mix over all. Bring to a boil, then simmer till fruit is
rehydrated. Delicious!!
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Instant Puddings
At home, combine: 1cup dry milk, 1pkg. any pudding.
At camp: Add: Water equivilant to that on which the package says milk. (
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