RECIPES

DINNERS
Some of these are make-at-home recipes that can be easily dehydrated (refer to dehydration section – a proper dehydrated with leather trays works much better than in an oven) and then can then be used for backpacking. There are also meals that use separate dehydrated ingredients that you package separately at home, rehydrate on the trail and prepare in camp. There are many more recipes in Kayaking Meal Plans, Recipes.
Dehydrated hamburger. Lightly brown breaking up all the chunks. Dehydrate (leather sheets work best), bag and store in refrigerator.
Dehydrated chicken. Use ground chicken and do same as hamburger.
Just Tomatoes is a great, sometimes quite cheap source of already dehydrated vegetable.

1. Hot Pot. Great with instant mashed potatoes. This is my best meal. Make at home and dehydrate. Brown 1 lb hamburger, remove and place in large casserole dish. Cut ½ lb bacon into ¾ inch pieces and fry. Using a slotted spoon remove from the fat and add to the casserole. In the bacon fat, sauté 1 medium onion ch, I green pepper ch, 1 red pepper ch, 1 jalopeno diced and 3 cloves of garlic minced.
Add to casserole.
Add 1 can kidney beans, 1 can black beans and 1 can of another kind of bean (lima, black eyed peas, broad beans or your choice), ½ c ketchup, ½ c dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp mustard and 1 cup vegetable broth. Season and stir it all together.
Bake uncovered in oven 50 minutes at 350. Dehydrate (one serving per sheet) on leather sheets. Place in sandwich bags and store in freezer (because of the fat).

2. Chili. Your recipe – make at home and dehydrate. Serve with grated cheddar, bread.

3. Hamburger/rice skillet. Prepackage at home.
½ lb dehydrated hamburger, 1 tbs onion, ¾ c minute rice – cook rice / saute onion, and add rehydrated hamburger, rice, curry powder, salt and pepper to taste. Cover with thinly sliced cheese, melt and serve.

4. Hamburger stew. Quanities are for Just Tomatoes dehydrated vegetables. Package at home, rehydrate hamburger and dehydrated vegetables.
½ lb dehydrated hamburger. 2 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp each carrot, red pepper, green pepper, celery, peas, mushrooms. Garlic to taste. add onion or mushroom soup mix, salt, pepper, beef buillion
Serve with instant mashed potatoes.

5. Curry. Prepackage at home. Use Just Tomatoes rehydrated vegetables.
½ lb dehydrated chicken (rehydrate at breakfast), 2 tbsp onion, 1 tbsp each green pepper, red pepper, carrot, peas, coconut powder, curry powder, salt, pepper

6. Gingered Stir-fry. Prepackage first row at home.
½ lb dehydrated chicken or pork – 2 tbs onion, 1 tbs red pepper, green pepper, peas, carrot, ginger, garlic to taste
add 25 ml oyster sauce, 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp chili garlic oil
serve with rice or rice noodles.

7. Andean Quinoa Stew
Quinoa is a “supergrain” by because of its high protein content, is a perfect backpacking food staple.
Rinse 1 cup quinoa + 1 cup water boil, then simmer covered 10-12 minutes until liquid absorbed. Quinoa should be translucent. Fluff with fork off heat. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, juice 1 lime, 1 cup dehydrated corn kernels, rehydrated, 2 tbsp. diced sun dried tomatoes, or
2 tbsp. dehydrated onion, 1 tbsp. Chipotle Seasoning mix (Dan’s)
Garnish: handful coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, 1 sliced avocado
Serves 2.

8. Bangkok Noodles
At home: Vegetables: matchstick 1 carrot, dice 1 red pepper and strip strings of 1 c snow peas – store in a zip close bag.
Sauce: Mix 1 cup smooth peanut butter, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp. fish sauce, 1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbps. brown sugar, 1 tsp. fresh grated ginger, 1 tsp. curry powder, Black pepper to taste. Carry in Tupperware or zip lock bag.
Topping: 1 bunch scallions, sliced diagonally 1 inch lengths, 1 cup fresh coriander, chopped, 1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped. Place zip lock bag.
In camp: Prepare 1 pound angel hair pasta per directions on package—may take longer to cook at altitude. One minute before they are done, add the pepper, snow peas and carrot. Drain pasta and vegetables. Toss in sauce. Top with your choice of scallions, coriander, and/or mint.
Serves 6

9. Cascade Stew
At home: In a food dehydrator, dry potatoes (1 pound, boiled, diced), carrots (1 lb boiled matchsticked), and roma tomatoes (1 pound, diced). Dehydrate 1 (4 oz) jar Armour Sliced Dried Beef even further; when stiff, break it up into small pieces. Mix all of these ingredients together with 3 tbsp onion flakes – store in a zip lock. Carry 1 cup potato flakes separately.
In Camp: Add stew mixture to 5 c water and boil about 1 minute or till vegetables fully hydrated. Stir frequently. Add potato flakes and stir. Serves 2.

10. Cashew-Ginger Chicken and Rice
At home: toast 1 cup cashews (or almonds), zip lock. Mix 1 cup instant brown rice, 2/3 cup freeze-dried corn (or home-dried savoy cabbage and carrots), 1 cup thinly sliced dry shiitake mushrooms, ½ cup onion flakes, zip lock.
Also pack: 1 (10-ounce) can of chicken, 2 (1-ounce) packets of Thai Coconut Ginger Soup Mix paste
In camp: place dry mix, chicken, and 1 packet seasoning in pot and cover with
water; mix well. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes; taste; add more seasoning?

11. Chicken with Chinese Ginger Lemon Sauce
At home: bag dash of Five Spice powder, granulated, garlic, black pepper, 1 tsp. powdered ginger, 1 tsp. dry onion, 1 cube chicken bullion, crushed, 1 tsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. lemonade powder, 1 tsp. cornstarch
Also take: 7 oz. pouch chicken, 1 pkg. soy sauce
At camp: combine all but meat with 1 cup boiling water and shake to mix well.
Add meat and put in a cozy for 10 minutes.
Serve over instant rice, or instant mashed potatoes.
Optional: For a real treat, replace powdered ginger with a chunk of candied ginger, diced. Also, 1 cup of dry sherry is nice to add. Serves 1-2.

12. Cowboy Paella
At home: 1 red onion, 1 green pepper, 1 medium fennel bulb coarsely chopped, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp red pepper flakes, 1 tsp saffron threads, 2 sprigs fresh thyme—chopped and bagged
Also pack: 1 package Chicken of the Sea whole baby clams and juice, 1 small cup Spanish olives, handful fresh parsley, pepperoni, rice, bouilion, Platypus full of dry white wine.
In camp: Saute 1 inch chunk pepperoni cut small dice in olive oil in pan a minute. Add 2 cups instant rice, sauté another minute. Add vegi/herb mix and saute another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and 2 chicken bouillon (or substitute half the water with wine), bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until rice is cooked. Add clams and artichokes and cover until heated.
Garnish with olives and diced parsley.
Serves 4

13. Doctari’s Tuna Casserole
At home: Make casserole ready for dehydrating.
Boil 3 cups water, 1 tsp. salt, add 1 cup basmati rice covered for about 45 minutes or until tender. Add two 6-oz. cans water-packed tuna drained (or salmon), 1 (10 . oz.) can of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup, 1 can sweet peas, drained, 1 (10-oz.) package frozen chopped broccoli. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp. dried parsley, 1 (13.2 oz.) can mushrooms, chopped with juice. Simmer 10 additional minutes. Stir in 1 cup shredded cheese until
melted. 1 tbsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
Dehydrate one serving or 2 cups of casserole on each tray. When dry, store each serving in zip lock.
In camp: for each serving, bring 1 cup of water to a boil, then add one
package of casserole. Stir frequently. For a bit more flavor, carry an extra can of tuna and add toward the end of the cooking time. Serves 2.

14. Oriental Takeout
At home: chop 1 pound shallots, 1 pound bok choy, 1 pound Asian eggplant, 1 pound carrots, 1 pound spinach. Dry in dehydrator. When dry, combine with 3 cups jasmine rice, 3 ounces dried mushrooms, chopped small, 4 ounces pork sung (Asian-style dried pork, or use beef jerky), 2 (1-ounce) packets Noh Oriental Stir-Fry Seasoning. Divide into four separate plastic bags of 3 cups each. Each bag represents one serving.
In camp: For each serving, bring 3 cups water and contents of one bag to a
boil. Cook until rice is soft. Add more water if needed.

15. Preservative Stew
1 Landsjaeger sausage
At home: mix together 1 cup dehydrated potato flakes, 1 c minute rice, 1 c dehydrated vegatables and assorted dried seasonings (1 tsp each of salt, paprika, oregano, thyme and rosemary is good).
In camp: Boil 2 cups of water, dump in the dried stuff. Dice 1 Landsiaeger sausage and add. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring well, then turn off the torch and let sit for 5 minutes or so.

16. Spring Family Pasta
1 pkg. pasta, 1 pkg. dried pesto sauce, 1 pkg. (small) sun dried tomatoes, olive oil
Cook pasta until tender and prepare the pesto sauce according to instructions
on package. Drain and add pesto sauce, sundried tomatoes and olive oil.

17. Tofu with Peanut Sauce
This recipe is elaborate by backcountry standards, but will make herbivores and carnivores equally happy.
At home: bag 1 cup dried shitake mushrooms (at home, cut into smaller pieces), bag 4 squares of dried tofu, 2 tbsp. oil, bag 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1-1/2 tsp. garlic powder, bag 1-1/2 cups couscous, bag 1 cup freeze dried peas
In camp: Rehydrate 1 cup dried shitake mushrooms chopped in hot water, set aside to soak for 30 minutes. Discard water. Rehydrate tofu by placing in ample hot water. Allow to steep for 5 minutes. Once rehydrated, squeeze out excess water. Tofu can be cut into chunks for easier handling. Heat oil and fry tofu until outside is crisp. Remove from oil and dust with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and pepper. Set aside.
Boil 2-1/2 cups water, add couscous and pinch of salt. Return to boil then remove from heat and set aside.
Make peanut sauce (1 package dried) per instructions, adding in 1/2 cup additional water. Add shitake mushrooms and 1 cup freeze dried peas. Add coconut powder and fresh basil if available. Let simmer 4-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper according to taste.
To serve, place tofu on top of couscous and top with peanut sauce. Garnish with peanuts.

18. Trail Sushi
In a quart freezer bag put: 2 cups instant rice
Also take: 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar, 1 package nori (seaweed sheets, about 10), 1 cucumber, 1 avocado, 2 ounces sesame seeds, 1 can or preferably, pouch of shrimp or crab meat. Soy sauce packets or prefered dipping sauce. Ginger and wasabi in tubes (Get at an Asian food store or online.)
In camp: Add 1 3/4 or so cups boiling water to rice, and let sit in a cozy for 10
minutes. Add vinegar to the rice to make it sticky. Let the rice cool completely before rolling sushi. Place a nori on top
of a sushi mat, and layer rice, veggies, sesame seeds, and seafood on top, then roll and cut to your desired length. Serve
with soy sauce, reconstituted wasabi, and ginger. Serves four as an appetizer.

19. Tree Frog Soup with Rattlesnake
4 serving-size cups Near East Split Pea Soup (at home bag)
1 (12-oz.) tin of Spam
On the trail: chop the Spam into small pieces. Heat 4 cups water in a pan. Add soup mix and Spam to pan and eat when soup is hot.

20. Beef & Bean Chili Serves 3-5
Ingredients
• 1 to 1¼ Pounds lean ground beef or turkey
• ½ cup Bread crumbs, finely ground
• 1 Large onion
• 1 – 2 Cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp Chili Powder
• 1 15 oz. Can kidney or red beans, drained
• 1 10 oz. Can tomato puree
• 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
In the kitchen: Work bread crumbs into ground meat with your fingers and set aside for a moment. I add bread crumbs because dehydrated meat infused with bread crumbs rehydrates better on the trail. Also, the bread crumbs absorb and lock in more of the chili flavour. If you are not planning on dehydrating this chili recipe for backpacking, there is no need to add bread crumbs to the meat. You can make your own bread crumbs by dehydrating bread.
Saute onions and garlic in a little olive oil using just enough to coat the pan. It really helps to use a non-stick pan.
Add ground meat and cook for about ten minutes until browned, stirring continuously. Add chili powder and cook for one more minute. Add tomato puree, diced tomatoes and drained beans. Cook until bubbling and then reduce heat to a simmer for one hour.
Dehydrate: Have a taste and put the rest in the refrigerator overnight. The extra time enhances the flavour. Spread chili out on the dehydrator trays covered with non-stick Paraflexx® Sheets or parchment paper. Dehydrate at 125° for 8 – 10 hours. After about four hours in the dehydrator, break up any meat and beans that might be stuck together with a spoon or your fingers to expose pieces to more air circulation. Once dry, divide dehydrated chili into one cup or larger servings and pack in plastic zip-lock bags. Yield: Five cups weighing about 12 ounces dry.
On the Trail: Combine one cup chili with one cup water and let sit for about five minutes. If you are cooking a larger serving, just add an equal part of water to your dried chili. Bring to a boil and continue cooking for one minute. Remove from stove and place pot inside insulating pot cozy for ten minutes.

21. Chicken Gumbo Serves 2.
• 1 cup Instant brown rice
• 1/4 cup Onion, dehydrated
• 1/4 cup Bell pepper, dehydrated
• 1/4 cup Corn, dehydrated
• 1/2 cup Okra, dehydrated
• 1/4 cup Tomato sauce leather
• 1/2 cup Chicken or sausage, dehydrated (shredded or ground chicken dehydrates the best)
• Spices: 1/2 tsp Garlic, 1/2 tsp Basil, 1/4 tsp Thyme, 1/2 tsp Pepper, 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper, 2 Bouillon cubes
At home: Combine all ingredients in a 2-quart ziplock bag.
On the Trail: Combine all ingredients with the 3 cups of water in pot and soak for five minutes. Light stove, bring to a boil, and continue cooking with the lid on for one minute. Remove pot from stove and wait ten minutes. Insulate pot if possible.

SNACKS
1. Beef Jerky
What’s not to love about a delicious combination of seasonings and dehydrated meat that provides a protein boost?
No matter the season, jerky can be a staple in our daypacks. But, in the winter, it has the added bonus of being a snack easily consumed on the trails without having to take off gloves or mittens.
• 4-5 lbs sliced meat – You can use deer, elk or beef. We like to use flank steak and get it pre-sliced from our local butcher.
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1-2 tbsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp liquid smoke
• A dehydrator
Mix all of the items except for the beef together to form a marinade. Combine the marinade with the beef. You can use a couple of plastic bags or a plastic bowl with a lid. Refrigerate 12-24 hours. Place strips of beef onto dehydrator trays, and let dehydrate for 6-8 hours. Jerky will be done when it feels dry but you can still bend it with your fingers.
Store the beef jerky in a plastic bag or plastic container with a tight sealing lid.
One of the wonderful things about jerky recipes is that they can easily be adapted to individual taste, so feel free to use this recipe as a base and then go wild with your own modifications.

2. Energy Bars
Nothing provides a good pick-me-up any time of year like homemade energy bars. Packed with nuts, dried fruit and maple syrup, these energy bars will provide you with good, healthy fats and replenish those calories lost from keeping your body warm.
Ingredients
• ½ lbs Chopped dates
• 3 tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 tsp Fresh orange zest or Grand Marnier, or
• ¼ tsp Orange extract
• ½ tsp Sea salt
• ¼ tsp Allspice
• 1/4 tsp Cardamom
• ½ cup Dried currants or other dried fruit
• ½ cup Chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds
• ½ cup of your favorite granola or toasted oats
Chop the dates and combine them with the maple syrup, vanilla, orange, salt and spices. Stir in the currants, nuts and granola until you have a firm consistency.
On a lightly oiled baking sheet, roll out the mixture to a uniform thickness of about ½ inch.
Chill in freezer for 15 minutes, then cut into bars.

3. Candied Ginger
Fresh ginger root, to be stridently pedantic, is a rhizome, or underground stem, And the smell is as distinctive as the appearance, a pungent but not unpleasant aroma attributed to a number of volatile oils, many of which have demonstrated physiologic properties.
Of course, most of us know ginger by taste, rather than smell. What would gingerbread or ginger cookies be without this versatile spice? But ginger is good for a lot more than just making gingerbread men. Sailors drink ginger tea to prevent or allay seasickness, and back in the day, Farwell found that chewing candied ginger root helped to settle his stomach during short but memorable forays in assault boats (aka “rubber duckies”). He also made use of the selfsame remedy when dinghy sailing on the Neuse River Inlet and Pamlico Sound, and he still keeps a supply on hand for times when the wind and the waves join forces to upset his internal equilibrium. That said, it would be neither wise nor prudent to assume ginger will work the same magic for you. A good summary of the relevant literature, including the evidence bearing on safety and efficacy, can be found in the Wikipedia article on ginger.
OK. Are you satisfied that nothing prevents you from taking your ginger straight? Then you might want to give it a try, particularly if you often make long open‑water crossings — or like to engage in a bit of canoe or kayak sailing — and you sometimes find that the state of your stomach mirrors the state of the sea around you. There is another way of being sure you get what you pay for, however. Buy fresh ginger root and …make your own candied ginger.
Candied ginger — it’s also called crystallized ginger — is a chewy, toothsome confection, with a pleasant flavor that’s simultaneously tangy (gingery, in other words), tart, and sweet.
And while you can buy candied ginger readymade, it’s less expensive to make it in your kitchen at home. Homemade also tastes better. In fact, it doubles as a delicious snack, and if you store it out of the light in a tightly closed container, it will keep for several weeks — several months if it’s dried.
You’ll need some fresh ginger root, of course, and you’ll likely find it in the produce aisles of your local grocery store. Simply break off what you need. Don’t get too much, however. Buy just what you’ll use immediately — the fridge is fine for short‑term storage — or plan to freeze it.

1. Rinse about ½ pound of ginger root. Dry. Then slice the root crosswise into coin‑sized rounds. You needn’t scrape off the ginger’s papery peel before cutting it up — I don’t bother — but if you notice any discolored or hard bits, or if the peel simply doesn’t appeal, go ahead.
2. Place the rounds in a single layer in a skillet. Cover with water. Now simmer gently until the ginger is fork‑tender.
3. Lift the ginger from the skillet and put it in a bowl. Drain the cooking water into a drinking cup and set the cup to one side.
4. Weigh the cooked ginger, make a note of the weight, and return the ginger to the skillet. Now measure out an equal weight of granulated sugar into the bowl. Don’t worry if the sugar is lumpy. It’s the weight that counts.
5. Add water to the sugar. Use just enough to make a thick syrup. (I used 3 tablespoons of water for 6 ounces of sugar.) Mix.
6. Pour the sugar water over the candied ginger in the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently.
7. Before long, the fluid in the pan will develop a frothy “head.” Continue simmering until almost all of it has boiled away. The sugar has now candied. It is extremely hot. Do NOT let any water drip into the pan at this point. If you do, the molten sugar will sizzle and spit, inflicting nasty burns on any unprotected flesh. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the ginger rounds out on a plate or baking sheet.
8. Decant any remaining fluid into the cup of cooking water. Squeeze in some lime or lemon juice and enjoy a cup of real ginger tea while you …
9. Allow the ginger to cool. Once it’s reached room temperature, coat the pieces with granulated sugar. At this point, you have a decision to make. You can store the candied ginger as is, in a tightly sealed container, or you can dry it first. Dried crystallized ginger will keep better, but it also has a chewier, more leathery texture. I don’t bother to dry ginger I plan to use in the next week or two, but if I expect that it will linger longer on the shelf (or in the pack), I pop the sugared rounds — still on the baking sheet — into the oven (or use a dehydrator) and dry them at the lowest setting for 30 minutes or so, in much the same way that I home‑dry fruits and vegetables.

BREAKFASTS
1. Granola
The following are suggestions. Individualize according to personal preferences.
10c Old Fashioned rolled oats
1 c rolled or flaked rye, wheat or barley
1-2 c wheat bran (great as bowel stimulant)
½ – 1 c ground flax
½ c Quinoa (uncooked) for crunch
½ c each nuts: pecans, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, walnuts, mixed nuts
½ c each raw seeds: pumpkin seeds, sunflower, millet, sesame seeds
1 c coconut big flakes
1-2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Spices: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom, Even savory herbs like rosemary
MIX well and add
1 c oil – canola (neutral flavor), olive oil (more bitter), or melted coconut oil
Egg white (whisk in small bowl until foamy) – for a lighter, healthier granola, helps bind the ingredients and makes it crispy.
1 c honey (heat in a microwave first to make it easy to mix in) or maple syrup, agave or brown rice syrup
BAKE oven at 300° until right texture. I use a large soup pot that can go in the oven, stir every half hour till done, (most people cook on a cookie sheet at 300 for 45 minutes. To chunk it up, don’t stir while baking, when cooled break it into chunks) then after baking and cooled down, ADD
Dried fruit 1 c: dried apricots, goji berries, dried figs, apples, pineapple, mango, raisins, currants, cranberries, cherries, blueberries (chop larger pieces up). I personally like cranberries and currants
Citrus zest: lemon, lime or grapefruit
Chocolate: ¼ c cocoa powder or 1 c chocolate chips (adds sweetness)
PARFAIT: Crumble granola on top of plain Greek yoghurt or homemade chia seed pudding and fresh fruit

2. Turbocharged Oatmeal Serves 1
A hearty breakfast to provide the energy for keeping warm and for hiking during the day. It’s an easy meal to prepare in the morning, but its benefits last well into the day.
• 2 pkt Oatmeal
• 1 tbsp Dried cranberries
• 1 tbsp Golden raisins
• 1 tbsp Pine nuts
• 1⁄3 cup Powdered milk
• 2 scoops Muscle Milk® “chocolate caramel pecan” flavored drink or similar
At home: combine all ingredients into a quart sized freezer bag.
On the trail: if you are using the freezer bag cooking method: Add 1 cup near boiling water and stir well. Add more water as needed. If you are cooking with one mug: Add 1 cup boiling water and stir well. Add more water as needed.

DESSERTS
1. Backcountry Cheesecake
At home: bag 1 packet Jell-O instant cheesecake pudding/pie filling, powdered milk
1 tsp. lemonade crystals
Dehydrated sliced strawberries or fresh huckleberries
1 package graham crackers
In camp: While getting dinner ready, add 1 cup water (according to package directions) and let sit if it’s a cool evening. If weather is warm, put cheesecake mix a water bottle and float it in a creek (make sure to tie it down first!). Top with dehydrated strawberries or fresh huckleberries and scoop up the mix with the graham crackers.

DRINKS
1. Chocolate Milk Shake
instant milk, 2-4 pkg instant cocoa mix, Clean snow.
In a 1-liter wide mouth polyethylene bottle place Milkman, cocoa mix and as much snow as you have the patience to scoop in – leave a bit of shaking space. Shake it up well. Get yours first!

2. Vasquez Tea Mix
At home: mix 1 cup Nestea (with sugar), 2 cups powdered Tang, 1/2 cup powdered lemonade mix, 1 . cups sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ground cloves, 1 cup water per serving
In camp: To make one serving, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. of mix to a mug and pour in water. Stir well. Makes 70 servings.

3. S’mores Cocktail Serves 1
Before turning in, a s’mores cocktail is a delicious drink. Adding a little whiskey doesn’t hurt either when relaxing and keeping warm by the campfire before bed –
• 1 tbsp Cocoa or carob powder. A packet of hot cocoa mix can be substituted for cocoa/carob and milk powders
• 3 tbsp Dry milk
• 1⁄2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 oz Chocolate liqueur, Kahlua® or Amaretto liqueur
• 2 tbso Mini marshmallows
Pack the mini marshmallows in a small bag. In another small bag, add in the cocoa and dry milk, seal tightly. Take the liquor in a small bottle.
Add 1 cup hot water to the cocoa mix, stir in the liquor and top with marshmallows.

GROWING GREENS ON THE TRAIL
Materials: Plastic 1- or 2-liter wide-mouth bottle, 2 x 2-inch swatch of cheesecloth or mosquito netting, rubber band, 1 cup dried beans or lentils, or radish or alfalfa
seeds
Step 1: Wash the beans or seeds, place in the bottle with enough water to cover. Screw on cap and keep in a warm, dark place until they begin sprouting, usually one to two days.
Step 2: Once the beans have sprouted, drain the water and cover the bottle opening with the cheesecloth or netting; secure with the rubber band. Keep the
bottle in the sun on the outside of your pack if you can.
Step 3: Twice a day, rinse the sprouts by pouring water into the
bottle, shaking gently, and then draining.
In about three days the sprouts are ready to eat. Rinse and drain every day, and your sprouts will last up to a week.

PREPACKAGED MEALS – Quick and Easy Chow
We sampled nine prepackaged backpacking meals. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly. Freeze-dried foods are definitely an easy choice for their convenience and light weight. The downside of them is the high cost, and if you normally cook from scratch, you will want more flexibility.
1. Mary Janes Farm Couscous and Lentil Curry (Vegetarian). A good all-around meal with a nice curry flavor (but not too strong or spicy) and a good mix of textures.
2. Backpacker’s Pantry Katmandu Curry
3. Mary Janes Farm Santa Fe Pasta (Vegetarian). Results were mixed on this one — one tester thought this was her favorite of all
the meals we tested. “It scored big points for just being good, simple, cheesy pasta.” We all agreed there wasn’t much southwestern
about the dish, but it was very edible, and the noodles were tender.
4. Alpine Aire Santa Fe Beans and Rice. The jalapeno spice only served to cover up what was essentially “just rice
with dried peas, corn and peppers.”
5. Inferno Self-Heating Chicken Pasta Parmesan. This was a novelty: you heat this meal by pulling the “rip-cord” and letting
the mysterious chemicals heat things up. The Inferno was heavy and the food wasn’t exactly piping hot. Taste was bland. A can of Chef Boyardee warmed in your coat pocket would give you about the same taste experience.
6. Natural High Thai Shrimp. Do not buy this product. The mushy spaghetti noodles were bathed in a glue-like sauce that was extremely fishy.
7. Backpacker’s Pantry Pad Thai (Vegetarian). This meal comes with some neat additions: real peanut butter and peanuts get
added to a mix of Thai noodles. But that’s where the authenticity ends. Unfortunately, the veggies in this prepackaged meal are the usual suspects: corn and carrots. It did, however contain textured vegetable protein (TVP) which helped the meal seem filling.
8. Backpacker’s Pantry Katmandu Curry (Vegetarian). This was a winner all around: we liked the range of textures, the complex curry
flavor (but not too strong) and the authenticity of the dish. The spiced lentils and firm potato chunks provided a great break from the usual rice-or-noodle backpacking fare.
9. Cajun Salmon Inferno. This rice-based dish included a foil packet of salmon, which was flavorful and not too fishy. This dish is not for those who can’t handle a little heat—it’s got quite a spicy kick, and also a tasty, complex mix of flavors and textures.

MORE IDEAS
The Asian section and the pasta aisles are good places to start. Second, pick up a book or two on the subject, at least to use as a starting point.
Recipes can be as simple as a package of instant noodles with sauce, dried milk and a bit of real butter, with maybe a handful of pine nuts, to something more complicated that might require pre-soaking dehydrated foods. Let your normal food tastes be your guide. If you’re partial to Mexican food, try something with dried corn, ground beef, and beans, tortillas and maybe a little cheese and taco sauce packages. Curry makes a great addition to even the blandest of dinners, and olive oil adds body and richness when you need the calories the most.
Asian specialty stores (such as Seattle’s Uwajimaya) offer a wide array of lightweight and dried ingredients that add variety to your backpcacking meals. Soup mixes, dried mushrooms and dehydrated coconut milk are just a few.
Top five favorite grocery store foods for the pack:
1. Shin Yum Spicy Ramen. Best ramen ever. Noodles have a wonderful texture, and the spicy broth hits the spot.
2. Idahoan Loaded Baked Flavored Mashed Potatoes
3. Jello. A cup of hot Jello will warm you and pep you up.
4. Minute Rice. Add this to any meal to “stretch” it. Also available in brown rice.
5. Mexicali Rose Dried Refried Black Beans. Tough to find, but hands down the best refried beans out there. Great foundation for backcountry
burritos.
6. Or, there’s always that enduring classic: mac and cheese.

About admin

I would like to think of myself as a full time traveler. I have been retired since 2006 and in that time have traveled every winter for four to seven months. The months that I am "home", are often also spent on the road, hiking or kayaking. I hope to present a website that describes my travel along with my hiking and sea kayaking experiences.
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