Buckwheat

A great alternative to oatmeal. Simple to make. Simple to cook. Good eat'n.

Combine in ziplock:

¾ cup Bob's Red Mill creamy buckwheat
1 heaping tablespoon coconut butter
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
dash of cinnamon
handfull chopped dehydrated fruit pieces

At camp, put in pan, cover with water and boil gently for 1-2 minutes.

Oatmeal

For oatmeal fans, this is a good cereal that’s protein packed and easy to make.

Combine in ziplock:

2 packets quick oatmeal, preferably unflavored & unsweetened
¼ cup ground unsalted sunflower seeds
¼ cup ground unsalted walnuts or pecans
1-2 teaspoons honey
1 tablespoon milk powder
¼ cup dehydrated fruit pieces

Hot Nutty Cereal

½ cup Grape Nuts cereal
1 tablespoon instant milk powder
4 tablespoons rolled oats
3 tablespoons non-salted & chopped roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons non-salted roasted sunflower seeds
1-2 teaspoons honey
¼ cup dehydrated apple pieces
3 tablespoons dried cherries or cranberries

Rice pudding with raspberries and no instant milk. This one is with brown rice I precooked then dehydrated at home. Cooks a little slower than minute rice. Healthier than white and tastes better in my opinion. (note the use of the PFD as a windscreen)

Rice Pudding

1 cup minute rice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup dehydrated fruit chopped (I prefer berries)
1 tablespoon instant milk (optional)
1-2 teaspoons honey
½ teaspoon finely ground dehydrated orange peels
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Idaho Spuds

1 cup instant potatoes
2 tablespoons instant milk
2 teaspoons butter buds
¼ teaspoon spike
¼ teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning
sprinkle of black pepper
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion pieces
1 tablespoon dehydrated mushrooms
½ teaspoon chives
1 oz jerky shredded into small pieces (optional)

Granola with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

½ cup rhubarb sliced ¼” thick dehydrated
½ cup strawberries quartered dehydrated
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 cups of your favorite granola
¼ cup chopped unsalted nuts

lunch components

Jerkies

Jerky is an ideal and highly versatile food for lightweight travel. It's equally good for breakfast, lunch or dinner and needs no preparation. It can also be cooked into other foods for a flavor boost, is a source of protein and can last many days with no refrigeration.

Smoked Trout Jerky (makes many servings)

If you have an acquired taste for this type of food, and fish in particular, the following recipe will taste like a delicacy in the wilds. All you need is some boneless trout fillets, brine and a smoker (preferably a Little Chief).

To make the brine (enough for 10 pounds fish), mix the following ingredients in a large non-metal container:

1 quart water
1 cup regular sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup rock salt
1 cup table salt

When brine is finished:

• Rinse thawed fish and place skin side up in your brine.
• Plase a non-metal plate or something similar on top and submerge it with a full water bottle or comparable weight so no fish are exposed to the air.
• Let the fish cure in this solution for 4.5 – 5 hours.
• Remove fish and gently rinse each piece until they no longer feel slippery (approximately 10 seconds per piece).
• Put fish skin side down on a towel and gently pat excess moisture with another towel. Let fish air dry at room temperature for one hour.
• Sprinkle a couple pinches of brown sugar on each piece and rub it in evenly.
• Place fish on pre-heated smoker racks skin side down making sure to allow space between each piece so they will be evenly smoked and dried.
• Plase approximately 1 cup of apple wood chips in the smoker three times spaced 1.5 hours apart starting at the onset. After the last cup of chips burns out, don’t add anymore.

The amount of smoking time will vary with air temperature and type of smoker. I’ve always used a Little Chief smoker with the cardboard carton on in 65 - 75 degree weather. To get the fish to a jerky like state in these conditions, I smoke for at least 12 hours. 10 hours might do it in 90-degree temperatures.

Tofu Jerky (each recipe makes 5 servings)

As bad as it may sound, some tofu jerky is actually pretty decent and adds another source of protein to the vegetarian’s self-support lunchbox. Below are recipes for two types. I prefer the BBQ tofu jerky but if you don't like strong flavors, I'd recommend cutting the ingredients by 1/2 or 2/3rds.

Tofu jerky ready to dehydrate on a glass pie plate.

BBQ Tofu Jerky

1 14 ounce block firm tofu
6 tablespoons Annie's Naturals Organic Smokey Maple flavored BBQ sauce
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion flakes
2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey

• cut the tofu block in half then slice into 3/16" pieces. You should have about 40 pieces when done.
• mix the other ingredients in a bowl and coat tofu
• cover and place marinated tofu in the refrigerator for 2 to 2.5 hours.
• place tofu on a dehydrtor and dehydrate until chewy but not crispy turning every couple hours. Depending on the dehydrator, this may take 8 hours or so.

  Standard Tofu Jerky

1 14 ounce block firm tofu
½ cup soy sauce
1/8 cup water
1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

• cut the tofu block in half then slice into 3/16" pieces. You should have about 40 pieces when done.
• mix the other ingredients in a bowl then include tofu
• cover and place in the refrigerator overnight
• place tofu on a dehydrtor and dehydrate until chewy but not crispy turning every couple hours. Depending on the dehydrator, this may take 8 hours or so.

Hummus

Fresh hummus is heavy. However, when dehydrated, it's super light and reconstitutes almost immediately. I tried it with skeptisism. It now resides in my every lunch. Tastes as good as it did out of the container.

Here's how: Dehydrate 12 ounces of your favorite hummus on fruit leather trays or lightly oiled glass pie pans (the thinner you spread the hummus, the quicker it'll dehydrate). Once fully dehydrated, blend into a fine powder and place equal amounts in four to five snack sized zip locks (one zip lock per lunch). At lunch time, add water, close zip lock and gently knead. Enjoy with your favorite crackers!

My preferred hummus is Emerald Valley Smoked Jalapeno & Garlic. Complentory crackers; Marys Gone Crackers Black Pepper.

Edamame dip dehydrates and reconstitutes just as well. I have yet to try bean dip. I'm guessing it would work great too.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (or sunflower seeds)

An excellent tasting and healthy complement to your lunches. Below are four recipes. Note: Unless you want many leftovers for home snacking or the shuttle vehicle, I recommend sizing down these recipes. Splitting one in to thirds will give you enough to supplement two to three lunches.

herbed

2 cups shelled raw pumkin seeds
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/3 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley, cilantro or oregeno
½ tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoons sunflower or peanut oil

In a large bowl, mix everything with the seeds being last. Spread on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes on 325F.

sweet & spicy

2 cups shelled raw pumkin seeds
2-3 tablespoons honey
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch ceyenne pepper
1 ½ tablespoon sunflower or peanut oil

In a large bowl, mix everything with the seeds being last. Spread on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes on 325F.

mocha

2 cups shelled raw pumkin seeds
2-3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely ground coffee
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, mix everything with the seeds being last. Spread on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes on 325F.

sweet & salty

2 cups shelled raw pumkin seeds
2-3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons melted butter

In a large bowl, mix everything with the seeds being last. Spread on cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes on 325F.

Bars

These bars are the result of wanting something inexpensive, uncooked, wholesome and full of fat with a decent amount of protein. As importantly, I wanted something that didn't rely on a load of added sweetners to make them palatable. I find them quite good but after a full year of tweaking, don't feel they are "there" just yet. You may love them. You may hate them. Use the following recipe as a base for your own experiements.

coconut pecan bars (makes 2-4 bars depending on desired size)

3 tablespoons melted virgin coconut oil
3-4 coconut date rolls
5 tablespoons total finely chopped pecans or walnuts & pecans mixed
2 tablespoons raw rolled oats
¼-½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon coconut flakes
1 tablespoon coconut flour

An earlier more crumbly Coconut Pecan bar. Crumbliness aside, they're tasty and can be made to pack a wallop!

Mix everything thoroughly in a large bowl. Placed desired amount for one bar on wax paper and compact into bar shape. Fold wax paper over, twist ends shut, place in zip-lock then into refridgerator. The refridgeration solidifies the coconut oil which helps lock the ingredients together. In the field, they hold together decently except in higher temps. At that point, they still taste good but can become slightly crumbly.

 

dinners
for a complete meal, combine these with a serving of whole wheat crackers and one of the desserts

Chicken & Veggie Soup

4 envelopes chicken flavored Lipton cup-o-soups
¾ cup freeze dried chicken (optional)
1/3 (heaping) cup minute rice
3 large carrots sliced ¼” thick partially cooked then dehydrated
5 large onion slices dehydrated
1 bell pepper dehydrated
2 big bunches celery leafs dehydrated
2 mushrooms dehydrated
½ teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning
¼ teaspoon salt free Mrs. Dash
sprinkle of pepper

Pasta

Dehydrated pasta sauce & onions ready to have water added.

At home:

• Pour 1 quart of your favorite pasta sauce (and optional 16 oz can of black lentils for protein) on fruit leather trays and dehydrate until sauce looks like a big flake of rust. If it feels sticky to the touch, it is not dry enough. Depending on the dryer, this can take 5 hours or longer. Also, the less chunky the sauce is prior to dehydrating, the more evenly it'll dry (liquify in blender & add 1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil so dehydrated sauce peels easier from trays).
• Remove from tray, crumble into small pieces (or powder in blender to make more compact) and put into a ziplock.
• Pack angel hair spaghetti and dehydrated onion slices in a separate ziplock. If your taste buds aren't picky, you can use the faster cooking Ramen noodles instead of angel hair spaghetti.
• Pack pine nuts, basil, red pepper, oregano and garlic in another ziplock to taste.

At camp:

• Combine all ingredients in pan, cover with water and boil till done (3-4 minutes).

Indian Dhal (combined with rice, makes four main dinner servings)

A simplified yet great tasting Dhal made with common ingredients.

At home:

1 cup small red lentils
1 medium onion
2 large cloves garlic
2-3 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon freshly ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

• Place everything but lentils in a large sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring often.
• Add lentils, cover with water and cook on medium to medium high till lentils are mushy. This will take roughly 20 minutes. Keep a close eye and add water as needed. The end goal is a thick consistency.
• Place finished Dhal on fruit leather trays and dehydrate until thoroughly dry. If it feels sticky to the touch, it is not dry enough. Depending on the dryer, this can take 5 hours or longer.
• Remove from tray, crumble into small pieces, split in to desired servings and put into a ziplock.
• Pack in a separate ziplock desired servings of minute rice or precooked dehydrated wild or brown rice. (I prefer the latter. Cook the rice as one would normally then dehydrate on fruit leather trays. Cook like minute rice at camp)

At camp:

• Place Dhal in pan, cover with water and simmer until hot and reconstituted, adding water as required for a thick consistency.
• Place rice in other pan and cook till done. Pour Dhal over and enjoy!

Asparagus Pesto

"Explore Asian Authentic Cuisine" organic Mung bean fettuccine smothered with dehydrated asparagus pesto. This mung bean pasta is a protein packed, good tasting, & healthier alternative to traditional pasta. Add boiling water and let sit for 10-12 mins, covered.

1 pound cooked fresh asparagus
dash of dry basil
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped pecans
1 small clove raw garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Once blended smooth:

• Pour pesto onto fruit leather trays and dehydrate until dry. If pesto feels sticky to the touch, it is not dry enough. Depending on the dryer, this can take 4-5 hours or longer.
• Remove from tray, crumble into small pieces (or powder in blender to make more compact) and put into a ziplock.
• Pack angel hair spaghetti in a separate ziplock. If your taste buds aren't picky, you can use the faster cooking Ramen noodles instead. My preferance is the mung bean pasta shown in the pic.

At camp:

• Combine all ingredients in pan, cover with water and boil till done (3-4 minutes)...or, if using mung bean pasta shown in pic, add boiling water, cover, and wait 10-12 minutes.

Tostados

Combine in one ziplock:

1 cup minute rice
½ teaspoon taco seasoning
1 ½ cup dehydrated salsa (prepare like pasta sauce above)

Combine in another ziplock:

4 tostado shells
1 cup dehydrated refried beans
2 string cheeses left in packages

At camp:

• Cook rice, taco seasoning and salsa in one pan until done. Cover and sit aside.
• In another pan, cover beans with water and bring to a boil.
• Warm the tostado shells then put other cooked ingredients and shredded string cheese on top.

**Cheese is supposed to be refrigerated. However, some have reportedly carried cheese in their drybags for several days with no ill effects. Use your best judgement.

desserts

Peachy Apple Crunch

1 cup dehydrated peach pieces (or apricots for Apricot Apple Crunch)
1 cup dehydrated apple pieces
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dehydrated orange peel

Cherry Applesauce

¼ cup dehydrated cherries (or cranberries for Cranberry Applesauce or raisins for Raisin Applesauce)
1 cup dehydrated apple pieces
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

At camp, put in pan, cover with water and simmer until tender (approx. 5 minutes). Top with chopped walnuts.

Granola with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce

This is a slightly modified version of the "Granola with Strawberry Rhubarb Sauce" breakfast above.

Combine in one ziplock:

½ cup rhubarb sliced ¼” thick dehydrated
½ cup strawberries quartered dehydrated
1 tablespoon honey
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

In another ziplock:

1 cup of your favorite granola

At camp, put strawberry & rhubarb mix in pan, cover with water & simmer until tender then pour over granola.

Simple Applesauce

This recipe is quite good considering how easy it is to make. It's difficult to screw up so no measuring required.

Combine in one ziplock:

handfull dehydrated apples slices torn in half or quarters
roughly 1-2 teaspoons honey
liberal sprinkle of cinnamon or roughly ¼ teaspoon

In another ziplock: (optional)

handfull of your favorite granola

At camp, put apples and mix in pan, cover with water & simmer until tender then add optional granola if preferred.

sample meals

Sample 1

Breakfast: rice pudding & tea. Lunch: bar, roasted pumpkin seeds, dehydrated hummus, crackers & dried fruit. Dinner: pasta, bread sticks, tea & peachy apple crunch.

Sample 2

Breakfast: oatmeal & tea. Lunch: jerky or tuna packet, crackers, roasted nuts & dried fruit. Dinner: aspargus pesto, bread sticks, tea & cherry applesauce.

Sample 3

Breakfast: Idaho Spuds & tea. Lunch: string cheese, crackers, dehydrated edamame dip, roasted pumpkin seeds & dried fruit. Dinner: Indian Dahl with rice, camp picked greens, granola with strawberry rhubarb sauce & tea

5.25.11