The basic idea came from:
http://heatherlovesapples.com/trail-food/dinner/
I dehyrdated these two things separately:
I had made essentially this soup from PaleoPot in the crockpot.
Can of Salmon
Purchased some dried coconut cream powder from a local asian market. Similar to this. It came a little two-serving bag.
As a test-rehydrate, combined everything in a freezer zip-lock bag, added hot water, let sit 10 minutes. It's good, but it needs more spices. Maybe I'll try dehydrating some curry paste, too.
Scooter
Showing posts with label Backpacking meals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Backpacking meals. Show all posts
Monday, March 18, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Backpacking food!
Will update this post when I've test-rehydrated some stuff.
3 trays of salmon, 1 can of the bear-and-wolf brand per tray
1 tray of celery, 3 stalks, diced
3 trays of frittata, + salsa verde sprinkled on top
2 trays of 2 chicken-and-apple sausages. (I heated up the sausages in the microwave, then tried to get the pork casing off, more-or-less unsuccessfully. I then whirred these in the food processor, then spread them out on the trays. The idea, if these re-hydrate in a freezer bag well, is too add dried sweet potatoes, and have a kind of hash in the mornings.)
1 tray of Wholly Guacamole (the pico-de-gallo kind). The internet says guac can be dehydrated and then rehyrdated on the trail. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I'm trying it.
2 trays of blended chile verde.
Chile verde recipe:
Saute 2 onions, diced small, in chipotle olive oil
After a few minutes: Add 1-2 cloves garlic
After a few minutes: Add 1-2 bell peppers, diced small
After 5-10 minutes: Add a bunch of either diced or shredded sweet potato, some pepper, and cumin.
After 5-10 minutes: Add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of green chiles, and 2 (16 oz.) jars of salsa verde.
Simmer until sweet potatoes are done. Add 2 (larger) cans of chicken. Simmer until desired consistency.
Blend for dehydrating.
Scooter
(P.S. - I used the canned chicken specifically because it supposedly rehydrates better, since it has been pressure cooked. I read it on the internet, it must be true!)
Update 3/11/13:
Rehydrating test! (At work, not on the trail). Put the various recipes into a freezer-quality quart bag from Ziploc. (It's worth noting that Ziploc officially says that their freezer bags are not meant to withstand boiling. So, throw your dice where they may fall. I add hot water, not boiling, and have not had problems. I'd recommend keeping it in another container (mug, bowl, etc) while it's rehydrating just in case of leaks or whatever. However, if it doesn't work for you, you've been warned. See also FreezerBagCooking.com )
Chile Verde: Rehydrates well, delicious. Win.
Guac: Rehydrates pretty well. The texture is, of course, somewhat different. I am more than pleasantly surprised (I didn't think dehydrating something with so much fat in it would work that well). Should be an interesting addition on the trail. Be careful not to add too much water.
Sausage and some pieces of dried sweet potato puree as an experimental breakfast: Added way too much water. However, the sausage rehydrated well and quicker than expected, so we'll call it win. I think this will be a good change from the eggs for breakfasts.
Next up:
Need to dry:
More guac
Beef Jerky
Chili
Blueberries
Other fruit?
3 trays of salmon, 1 can of the bear-and-wolf brand per tray
1 tray of celery, 3 stalks, diced
3 trays of frittata, + salsa verde sprinkled on top
2 trays of 2 chicken-and-apple sausages. (I heated up the sausages in the microwave, then tried to get the pork casing off, more-or-less unsuccessfully. I then whirred these in the food processor, then spread them out on the trays. The idea, if these re-hydrate in a freezer bag well, is too add dried sweet potatoes, and have a kind of hash in the mornings.)
1 tray of Wholly Guacamole (the pico-de-gallo kind). The internet says guac can be dehydrated and then rehyrdated on the trail. I'm not getting my hopes up, but I'm trying it.
2 trays of blended chile verde.
Chile verde recipe:
Saute 2 onions, diced small, in chipotle olive oil
After a few minutes: Add 1-2 cloves garlic
After a few minutes: Add 1-2 bell peppers, diced small
After 5-10 minutes: Add a bunch of either diced or shredded sweet potato, some pepper, and cumin.
After 5-10 minutes: Add a can of diced tomatoes, a can of green chiles, and 2 (16 oz.) jars of salsa verde.
Simmer until sweet potatoes are done. Add 2 (larger) cans of chicken. Simmer until desired consistency.
Blend for dehydrating.
Scooter
(P.S. - I used the canned chicken specifically because it supposedly rehydrates better, since it has been pressure cooked. I read it on the internet, it must be true!)
Update 3/11/13:
Rehydrating test! (At work, not on the trail). Put the various recipes into a freezer-quality quart bag from Ziploc. (It's worth noting that Ziploc officially says that their freezer bags are not meant to withstand boiling. So, throw your dice where they may fall. I add hot water, not boiling, and have not had problems. I'd recommend keeping it in another container (mug, bowl, etc) while it's rehydrating just in case of leaks or whatever. However, if it doesn't work for you, you've been warned. See also FreezerBagCooking.com )
Chile Verde: Rehydrates well, delicious. Win.
Guac: Rehydrates pretty well. The texture is, of course, somewhat different. I am more than pleasantly surprised (I didn't think dehydrating something with so much fat in it would work that well). Should be an interesting addition on the trail. Be careful not to add too much water.
Sausage and some pieces of dried sweet potato puree as an experimental breakfast: Added way too much water. However, the sausage rehydrated well and quicker than expected, so we'll call it win. I think this will be a good change from the eggs for breakfasts.
Next up:
Need to dry:
More guac
Beef Jerky
Chili
Blueberries
Other fruit?
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Another version of Chicken Chile for Backpacking
So, this time around, I mostly followed this recipe.
But, I used turkey breast that I sauteed with the onions instead of canned chicken.
Added parsnips and sweet potatoes. Didn't add celery. (For no particular reason). Which I now realize wasn't in the original recipe anyway. Whatever.
Pureed it with the immersion blender, slammed it into the dehydrator, will test dehydrate soon!
Scoot
But, I used turkey breast that I sauteed with the onions instead of canned chicken.
Added parsnips and sweet potatoes. Didn't add celery. (For no particular reason). Which I now realize wasn't in the original recipe anyway. Whatever.
Pureed it with the immersion blender, slammed it into the dehydrator, will test dehydrate soon!
Scoot
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Backpacking Tuna Salad Idea
So, here's an idea for a lunch while backpacking.
A) I bought some freeze-dried sweet potatoes. When I test re-hydrated these by just adding hot water, they took a loooong time to re-hydrate. Hours. Decided that would not be ideal for dinner, b/c it would either take too long, or take too much fuel.
The madness:
Dried some celery and a can of tuna (as well as a can of salmon, to see how they compare and re-hydrate). It only took like 7 hours to dry. Cool.
The method:
I am going to combine some celery, sweet potatoes, and tuna in a container in the morning, add hot water, and let it re-hydrate until lunchtime. I'm thinking I will eat it on a coconut wrap.
Depending on how this goes, I will also try it but with adding some dried coconut milk powder. (Not paleo - it does have casein in it.)
Update tomorrow-ish!
Scooter
Update 4/17/12: Worked beautifully. I added about 1.5 cups hot water to 1/4 cup dried sweet potatoes, 1/8 cup dried celery, and 1 can dried tuna. Let it re-hydrate for about 3.5-4 hours. I didn't add any spices, but sprinkled a little salt on, it could use more. I think this will work really well on the trail.
Next try I will also add a little bit of dried coconut milk for a curry-ish taste.
A) I bought some freeze-dried sweet potatoes. When I test re-hydrated these by just adding hot water, they took a loooong time to re-hydrate. Hours. Decided that would not be ideal for dinner, b/c it would either take too long, or take too much fuel.
The madness:
Dried some celery and a can of tuna (as well as a can of salmon, to see how they compare and re-hydrate). It only took like 7 hours to dry. Cool.
The method:
I am going to combine some celery, sweet potatoes, and tuna in a container in the morning, add hot water, and let it re-hydrate until lunchtime. I'm thinking I will eat it on a coconut wrap.
Depending on how this goes, I will also try it but with adding some dried coconut milk powder. (Not paleo - it does have casein in it.)
Update tomorrow-ish!
Scooter
Update 4/17/12: Worked beautifully. I added about 1.5 cups hot water to 1/4 cup dried sweet potatoes, 1/8 cup dried celery, and 1 can dried tuna. Let it re-hydrate for about 3.5-4 hours. I didn't add any spices, but sprinkled a little salt on, it could use more. I think this will work really well on the trail.
Next try I will also add a little bit of dried coconut milk for a curry-ish taste.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Backpacking Chili Attempt
So, this post will be in a work in progress.
Chili:
Chop one large onion, saute in some chipotle olive oil. Add 2 lbs. ground beef. Do your best to break it up into small pieces. Add chili spices as desired - I added smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin. After that is all done, add another onion and 2 bell peppers. Let that all saute for a while. (5 minutes.)
Pulled out a little bit of the food and put in a different container for eating tonight.
Add 1 large can (28 ish oz.) and 1 small can (14 oz ish) diced tomatoes of desired flavors.
Bring to a simmer for 15 minute or so.
Puree with an immersion blender (to make the pieces smaller and more uniform for both dehydrating and re-hydrating purposes.) Make good looking chili look like dog barf.
Peel and shred 2 smallish sweet potatoes. Add to the mixture. Makes it look even more unappetizing with the orange intrusions.
I'm letting it simmer for a while, then will cool and dehydrate. We'll see!
Scooter
Update 3/28/12: Actually measured and dried these - dried one cup per sheet. After drying, I put 2 sheets in ziploc bags, and smushed them around to make the pieces smaller again.
Rehydrating test: Added one bag to 2 cups warm water, brought to a boil, turned the stove off and put the lid over the pot, let sit for 5 minutes. It rehydrated really well, was still delicious, and was easy. We'll call this one a win.
Chili:
Chop one large onion, saute in some chipotle olive oil. Add 2 lbs. ground beef. Do your best to break it up into small pieces. Add chili spices as desired - I added smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin. After that is all done, add another onion and 2 bell peppers. Let that all saute for a while. (5 minutes.)
Pulled out a little bit of the food and put in a different container for eating tonight.
Add 1 large can (28 ish oz.) and 1 small can (14 oz ish) diced tomatoes of desired flavors.
Bring to a simmer for 15 minute or so.
Puree with an immersion blender (to make the pieces smaller and more uniform for both dehydrating and re-hydrating purposes.) Make good looking chili look like dog barf.
Peel and shred 2 smallish sweet potatoes. Add to the mixture. Makes it look even more unappetizing with the orange intrusions.
I'm letting it simmer for a while, then will cool and dehydrate. We'll see!
Scooter
Update 3/28/12: Actually measured and dried these - dried one cup per sheet. After drying, I put 2 sheets in ziploc bags, and smushed them around to make the pieces smaller again.
Rehydrating test: Added one bag to 2 cups warm water, brought to a boil, turned the stove off and put the lid over the pot, let sit for 5 minutes. It rehydrated really well, was still delicious, and was easy. We'll call this one a win.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Backpacking Frittata
Continuing with some backpacking meals experiments. Got this recipe (mostly) from my sister:
Peeled and grated about 4 medium sweet potatoes. Heated these with water in a bowl in the microwave for a while. (I'll say 5 minutes, although I don't remember at all.)
In a cast iron skillet, heat up some coconut oil, finely chopped onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Add as much of the sweet potatoes as you think will fit. Add 1 lb. of un-frozen spinach. Add 10 eggs. Realize that the ridiculous amount of veggies you put in is overwhelming the eggs. Add more eggs. Probably up to 16. Cook on the stove for a while, then cook at 350 until the eggs are set.
Break it up into small bits, spread on dehydrator trays. Took 24 hours on the small spinny one.
Review on re-hydrating:
Added too much liquid to the freezer ziploc bag. Very edible. Needed more spices.
The experiment continues.
Peeled and grated about 4 medium sweet potatoes. Heated these with water in a bowl in the microwave for a while. (I'll say 5 minutes, although I don't remember at all.)
In a cast iron skillet, heat up some coconut oil, finely chopped onions, garlic, and bell peppers. Add as much of the sweet potatoes as you think will fit. Add 1 lb. of un-frozen spinach. Add 10 eggs. Realize that the ridiculous amount of veggies you put in is overwhelming the eggs. Add more eggs. Probably up to 16. Cook on the stove for a while, then cook at 350 until the eggs are set.
Break it up into small bits, spread on dehydrator trays. Took 24 hours on the small spinny one.
Review on re-hydrating:
Added too much liquid to the freezer ziploc bag. Very edible. Needed more spices.
The experiment continues.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Backpacking Dehydrated Curry - at 100 posts!
Decided it was time to get serious about testing some potential backpacking dried meals. Found one for Thai Curry at Brett on Stuff and decided to follow it a little bit. Sort of.
So, instead of getting coconut cream, I thought I'd take coconut milk, and try to get the cream from it. You can do this by opening the can, and letting the cream solidify on top. I tried to do it fast by putting the entire can in the fridge, which basically makes solidified coconut milk, not coconut cream. Ah, well.
Put about 1/2 cup in a dish over medium high heat and let it bubble away for a while. Added some green curry paste and similarly let it bubble away for a while, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, open and drain two cans of chicken. (Costco-sized cans).
Peel and shred a sweet potato. Put it in a microwave safe bowl with some water, cook for about 3 minutes. Drain as best you can, press some of the water out.
Open a bag of frozen veggies. I did the "spring mix" from Smiths.
Pull out your dehydrator and make additional "screens" for it with parchment paper. Spread all ingredients out on screens, parchment paper, or trays.
2 trays of chicken, 1.5 of veggies, 1 of sweet potato, and .5 of curry paste. This still left over some chicken, some sweet potato, and about half the bag of veggies. Huh.
And you might be thinking that the veggies seem giant. You are correct, but I was too lazy to try to chop them down more. And everything in general might be a little crowded. Whatever.
The idea for this recipe is to add some dried minced garlic and onions, some spices like turmeric and ginger, and see where it goes when I re-hydrate it. We'll see. Stay tuned for updates.
Scooter
24 hours later: The sweet potatoes seem to be dry, the chicken is getting there, I'm not sure the paste will ever actually be dry, and I was right about the veggies being giant. They are close. I will let it spin overnight just to make sure on everything.
36 hours later: I put everything (dried stuff, some dried garlic, dried minced onions, turmeric, ginger, and salt) in a gallon ziplock bag, and tried to smush it all together to break down some of the bigger pieces. Will taste test tomorrow.
Taste Test: Added the dried mixture (which came to 9.4 oz in the bag) to 6 cups boiling water. Covered, let simmer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes the chicken was still a little chewy. At 20 minutes it was a still a little chewy, but we called it good. And called the whole thing good overall. Super spicy. Like, really, nose-blow-inducing-make-you-fan-your-mouth-spicy. Next time, less curry paste. And that's a long simmer time for backpacking. Might try chopping the chicken into much smaller pieces to see if that helps the re-hydrating process. Made about 3 servings.
So, instead of getting coconut cream, I thought I'd take coconut milk, and try to get the cream from it. You can do this by opening the can, and letting the cream solidify on top. I tried to do it fast by putting the entire can in the fridge, which basically makes solidified coconut milk, not coconut cream. Ah, well.
Put about 1/2 cup in a dish over medium high heat and let it bubble away for a while. Added some green curry paste and similarly let it bubble away for a while, stirring occasionally.
 |
| Delicious Curry Paste! |
 |
| Bubbling milk. |
Meanwhile, open and drain two cans of chicken. (Costco-sized cans).
Peel and shred a sweet potato. Put it in a microwave safe bowl with some water, cook for about 3 minutes. Drain as best you can, press some of the water out.
Open a bag of frozen veggies. I did the "spring mix" from Smiths.
Pull out your dehydrator and make additional "screens" for it with parchment paper. Spread all ingredients out on screens, parchment paper, or trays.
2 trays of chicken, 1.5 of veggies, 1 of sweet potato, and .5 of curry paste. This still left over some chicken, some sweet potato, and about half the bag of veggies. Huh.
And you might be thinking that the veggies seem giant. You are correct, but I was too lazy to try to chop them down more. And everything in general might be a little crowded. Whatever.
The idea for this recipe is to add some dried minced garlic and onions, some spices like turmeric and ginger, and see where it goes when I re-hydrate it. We'll see. Stay tuned for updates.
Scooter
24 hours later: The sweet potatoes seem to be dry, the chicken is getting there, I'm not sure the paste will ever actually be dry, and I was right about the veggies being giant. They are close. I will let it spin overnight just to make sure on everything.
 |
| Trays after drying. |
 |
| Rehydrated spicy goodness! |
 |
| The bag o' dried stuff. |
36 hours later: I put everything (dried stuff, some dried garlic, dried minced onions, turmeric, ginger, and salt) in a gallon ziplock bag, and tried to smush it all together to break down some of the bigger pieces. Will taste test tomorrow.
Taste Test: Added the dried mixture (which came to 9.4 oz in the bag) to 6 cups boiling water. Covered, let simmer for 10 minutes. At 10 minutes the chicken was still a little chewy. At 20 minutes it was a still a little chewy, but we called it good. And called the whole thing good overall. Super spicy. Like, really, nose-blow-inducing-make-you-fan-your-mouth-spicy. Next time, less curry paste. And that's a long simmer time for backpacking. Might try chopping the chicken into much smaller pieces to see if that helps the re-hydrating process. Made about 3 servings.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)