View Full Version : Favorite 1 pot meals
badinfluence
11-03-2005, 13:53
Just curious to gather some ideas for next years hikes. What are your favorite 1 pot meals? I only use 1 pot - any more than that, it don't get done. Of course, I boil extra water for tea or coffee :).
So far, my favorite has bee at Baxter State Park with my son this year. I whipped up a pack of Goya spanish rice, added canned chicken - man, it felt like a slice of heaven in the woods! Something so simple can taste so great.
OK, I guess when you've spent a week on the trail, your standards might diminish a little (longest trail hike so far was 10 days).
Thanx for the input in advance,
Jonathan
Whistler
11-03-2005, 14:24
For dinner, I add spicy/ salted nuts, chunks of cheese sticks, and chunks of jerky to just about everything. Couscous are probably my favorite base, but cheesy mac is a close runner-up.
I also like to add those Ramen cup-of-soup things, because it has some cute little mini-veggies. One last tip: if you leave Ramen noodles uncooked [crumble & toss them in to your Lipton noodles or macaroni or couscous at the end], you can add some crunch and texture to your dinner.
-Mark
Kerosene
11-03-2005, 14:36
It's not very original, but it is very good, especially after a week on the trail: Mac & Cheese, tuna or ham, peas, sundried tomato.
Maxwell_Allen
11-03-2005, 14:39
I'm a fan of big mac& cheese dinners, adding stuff to deluxafy it up a bit.
i always started with a box of mac&cheese-boil the noodles with just enough water so you dont need to drain them. then add tuna in the foil pouches, squeeze butter, powdered milk, extra cheese (mozerella for some crazy stringy stuff), more squeeze butter, etc... or for the 1st night out, a can of chilly and extra cheese. Pretty much anything that you'd put on a pizza- mushrooms, pepperoni, beef, peppers, olives, spam, squeeze butter, fishies, salasa, etc. also go well in a pot of mac&cheese.
4-cheese
Footslogger
11-03-2005, 14:56
StoveTop stuffing mix and a foil pouch of chicken chunks. Throw in a little Idahoan 4 cheese (or garlic) potatoes and you've got a simple meal that will really stick with you. Saw something in the earlier post that triggered a memory from my thru. Every once in a while I would stir in a packet of honey roasted nuts/cashews from my snack bag ... YUM !!
'Slogger
Lipton Noodles (stronganof) with a package of chicken or beef chunks (sweet sue, hormel?). i sometimes add powdered milk to make it creamier... simple, filling, hot. cleans up pretty easy too.
Toolshed
11-03-2005, 18:16
Lipton side dish - Cheedar Broccoli and Noodles is my favorite. I add a another chunk of velveeta, some dried peas, some dry pack chicken and some spipces and voila!!!
Either that or Spiral pasta, olive oil, garlic, black olives, romano cheese, dried red peppers and dried peas and a bit of salt and peppa!!
which holds up better over time, velveeta or a block of sharp cheddar? or something else?
which holds up better over time, velveeta or a block of sharp cheddar? or something else?
Think harder cheese..like parmesan or romano....less fat to weep in hot weather.
jackiebolen
11-03-2005, 20:25
Turkey Dinner: Canned turkey or chicken (of in foil pack), mashed potatoes, stovetop stuffing and gravy mix. Just put it all in your pot and pour boiling water on it. Or dump it into your pot of boiling water. Stir and enjoy.
Ramen Supreme: Ramen, mashed potatoes and chedder cheese. Very tasty.
SGT Rock
11-03-2005, 20:56
Zataran's Red Beans and Rice with sliced up summer sausage added. Then add some Alabama Wildfire http://www.alabamasunshine.com/hotsauces.htm
Tastes good with some bread if you can pack some. Sour dough rolls fresh from a restaurant during a town visit makes for great vitals.
Whistler
11-04-2005, 03:52
Zataran's Red Beans and Rice with sliced up summer sausage added. Then add some Alabama Wildfire http://www.alabamasunshine.com/hotsauces.htm
Tastes good with some bread if you can pack some. Sour dough rolls fresh from a restaurant during a town visit makes for great vitals.
That's brilliant, why didn't I think of that? I love Z's rice meals. If I could just find some shelled frozen shrimp to hike in with.
Actually, a po boy sandwich sounds mighty tempting right now. [Leaves computer to scrounge in kitchen...]
-Mark
Ramble~On
11-04-2005, 04:12
My newest favorite one pot meal might be a bit on the "too heavy side" for some but if you are only out for a few nights I think it works great.
If you take some time at home to package some of the stuff it works better on the trail.
Barilla Three Cheese Tortellini 8.0 oz bag = 920 calories, makes four cups
Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Black Olives
Mushrooms (I like Port. and Shiitake)
Stewed or whole peeled tomatoes
Whatever pasta sauce you like including Alfredo
Feta Cheese
At home I combine everything except the tortellini into a container...such as an empty Gatoraide bottle.
On the trail I boil the pasta until it is done, drain the water and set it aside in a gallon size ziplock bag. I dump the pasta sauce and everything else back into the pot and heat it up, once its hot I dump it into the ziplock with the tortellini and shake everything together.
I like it and it serves two hungry people...
If I use Alfredo sauce I only add the roasted red peppers, mushrooms and tortellini. The red peppers pep up the Alfredo nicely.
Another single pot, simple, quick meal is Stove Top Stuffing and chicken
I bring the water to a boil, add 8oz of chicken and then add the stuffing.
I like this one when it's really cold and I don't feel like spending a lot of time cooking.
That's brilliant, why didn't I think of that? I love Z's rice meals. If I could just find some shelled frozen shrimp to hike in with.
Actually, a po boy sandwich sounds mighty tempting right now. [Leaves computer to scrounge in kitchen...]
-Mark
look in the tuna isle - they have cooked shrimp now in the foil pouches :D
SGT Rock
11-04-2005, 09:19
They sure do, and that stuff rocks as well.
HikeLite
11-04-2005, 10:58
Ramen plus salmon pouch
Cookerhiker
11-04-2005, 12:53
At home, grind about 1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts in a blender and place in baggy. Add whatever flavoring you desire - ground black pepper, dried onions, herbs, dried red pepper, etc. On the trail, cook your "starch" - I prefer bulgur wheat which takes about 10 minutes but I also use brown success rice, whole wheat pasta (macaroni, ziti, shells) and occasionally whole-grain couscous. Save some of the cooking water, add the peanut mixture, and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Tasty and protein-packed.
I also bring fresh garlic and use 1-2 cloves per meal.
I posted this on another "Cooking & Food" thread.
badinfluence
11-04-2005, 18:18
Thanx all,
I now have a bit more to go on. I have brought a lot of pasta dishes from Lipton and Barilla. Of course, Ramen. But after hiking for 4 days - that stuff get's kinda "old". I need to give myself that motivation (make it to your next camp site and you can cook up that Zatarians!).
Odd enough, I can still do about 16 miles a day - and I'm a big guy 6' @ 255 lbs. So, obviously, food is an issue!
Good thing is, the more section miles I hike, I still eat the same. But as time goes on, I keep bringing myself down even lower in weight!
Gettin' ready for a few multi state section hikes in '06 or '07!
Thanx again all - now I'm hungry!
Jonathan
I leaned towards either ramen or tortelini with foil pouch tuna when I could find it. One easy to find flavor enhancer is a handful of Cheese Combos crumbled and stirred in until the cheese dissolves.
When weight was a premium and I wanted extra calories and protein I brought a plastic jar of peanut butter and stirred a big dollop of that into the ramen.
I also very much love instant pea or black bean soup or instant vegetarian chile, either one with textured vegetable protein. But on the whole trail I only found those at the outfitter in Hot Springs NC and the food coop at Hanover NH.
I spoke with a local chef / avid hiker last night. He makes Mac and Cheese and adds crumbled Ritz crackers to it.
Oh, Miso soup mix (makes one cup, use two packets) and a foil packet of smoked oysters stirred in. Then, add some greens right before eating...like a dandelion leaf and a plantain leaf...or a little chicory or chickweed. anything for extra vitamins.
Uncle Silly
11-05-2005, 16:41
I loooove the instant miso mixes. I get something called "Miso-Cup" that makes two servings out of each packet. The seaweed variety has something like 900mg of sodium per serving -- one of those a day really helps restore those electrolytes after a sweaty day of hiking!
I dehydrate a few of my own meals and mainly they are left overs, yes left overs, and I have had some success. Here are some that I enjoy and qualify as ONE POT meals:
Spaghetti and sauce
Homemade chili
Pea Soup
General Tao's Chicken & Fried Rice ( from the local resturaunt)
Chipped Beef This is made with powder mik and not a dehydrated from a meal. ( This is poured over a bagel... yum yum!)
Beef Stew
My thought process is that if you like it at your dinner table you most likely will like it on the trail.
SKCM
Rollergirl
11-05-2005, 22:24
I looooove rehydrating some dehydrated refriend beans, taco bell salsa packs, and some pieces of cheese from my Hellava good cheddar block...heat that up, slap in a tortilla, and a nice warm burrito is to be had! Or smoosh a bag of tortilla chips into the mix and just eat as a mexican mash of sorts. Yummmm, SOO good!
badinfluence
11-10-2005, 10:01
Just tried something else.
If anyone has access to a "Whole Foods" store or similar, you might want to check out some of their Indian food.
They have a cultural foods section, in the Indian section I found a brand called "Swad".
The product is packed like Goya foods - in foil packs. I had some great Basmati Rice - all you have to do is heat that up. Baghare Baingan, Dhingri Mutter and a few others - they rocked.
All can be done in one pot!
Jonathan
4 cheese instant mashed potatoes with a tin/foil pack of smoked oysters mixed in
justusryans
11-10-2005, 20:55
4 cheese instant mashed potatoes with a tin/foil pack of smoked oysters mixed in
Damn' that sounds GOOD!!!!:D
Ramble~On
11-13-2005, 04:21
I saw some mention of Zatarain's on this thread somewhere.
A few backpacking friends and I have made this on a couple trips.
I am pretty crazy about the foil packed premium crabmeat but the shrimp which we've used a couple times sucked for the money.
They are itty, bitty, tiny, little, small salad shrimp and when I tried them with nothing else they had no flavor so i gave up on foil packed shrimp.
I am still "crazy" about the premium.
Zatarain's Jambalaya 8oz box ( also comes as Jambalaya with Cheese)
Premium crabmeat (foil pack )
Chicken breast (foil pack)
Summer sausage
block cheese
Hot sauce
"OH YEAH"
Once upon a time we made this and somehow a water bottle full of bourbon got mistaken for a water bottle full of water....
It was Ellijay Craig Bourbon and hence was born "Ellijabalaya" :-?
It was incredible !!!!!!!
Of course that was more of a drinking trip than a hiking trip to begin with which could explain how the bourbon got dumped into the pot to begin with.
rainmaker
11-23-2005, 00:30
My wife and I love to take a package of Millie's Real Italian Garden Soup ( www.milliessoups.com) and add a foil package of chicken. The recipe calls for 8 cups of water but we reduce it to 6. The total weight is 13 oz. including the chicken. Add some margarine or olive oil and parmesan and you have the perfect winter meal for two hungry hikers.
I saw some mention of Zatarain's on this thread somewhere.clip
Zatarin's jambalaya mix, with a foil packet of chicken and some hot sauce, is a dinner for at least one night on every one of my backpacking trips... I get the box for 4, split in 2 (make sure the spices are mixed up), and use for 2 dinners. My brasslite stove, with 2 ozs of fuel, will boil this for at least 5 minutes - I then put it in a pot cozy for 15 (as opposed to the instructions of bringing to a boil and simmering for 20). Biggest problem is waiting for it to finish cooking! A couple of tortilla shells for bread on the side, and it's all good. I usually save the bourbon for after dinner! :D
My picky-eater brother approved of this year's new entree from a backpack cookbook:
Make instant creamy chicken or leek soup with the right amount of water that works for a package of instant rice. After the soup has cooked, remove from heat add instant rice, can (or two) of chicken, nice portion of Monterey Jack Cheese, and a sprinkle of dried onions. Let stand 5 mins and serve. Yummy!
Lipton's Cajun Rice with Beans. Not sure they make this anymore as I can't find it in the Grocery Stores here in New England. It was a staple for me back in '02. Cooks in about 10 minutes, has a good mix of protein and carbs and was spicy enough for my Texas taste buds.
Too Tall Paul
I cannot find foil chicken or ham anywhere around here......just the tuna , shrimp and clams. It's a bummer, but I'm not a big fan of seafood. Does anyone have a link I can go to?
Trailgirl...you can always buy canned ham, turkey and chicken-and dehydrate them :) It works very well, and cuts down on weight. Better yet, is after drying them, if you know anyone with a food vac, seal the dried meat in teh small bags. Lasts a looooong time that way!
Thanks! I do have a sealer..........I will pass that on to my mom ( my trail chef)
Lost Soul
02-02-2006, 00:22
One of my tastiest meals was so simple to make. I cooked a package of spicey ramen noodles and added a big spoon of peanut butter. Instant thai noodles! I still salivate just thinking about it. Try it a home some night to see if you like it, even if you don't you're only out about 50 cents.
I cannot find foil chicken or ham anywhere around here......Don't worry, the foil chicken tastes like foil tuna anyway, just a different texture (bigger chunks, less mushy). Haven't tried the foil ham yet, but I have my suspicions about the taste (tastes like chicken)
Ramen noodles, then throw in a Bumble Bee Tuna steak or cut up fresh potatos and carrot and boil.Then add ramen and flavor packed.It's like a stew.Top it off with cheese if you have any.
LostInSpace
02-02-2006, 14:15
Don't worry, the foil chicken tastes like foil tuna anyway, just a different texture (bigger chunks, less mushy). Haven't tried the foil ham yet, but I have my suspicions about the taste (tastes like chicken)
The chicken and ham probably contain less mercury than the tuna.
I'm going a section hike this summer and have been playing around with various recipes. This weekend I made dumpling and they were delicious and so easy. I tried apple and raisins cooked with butter, brown sugar, and a bit of water and dropped the dumplings (Bisquick and water) on top. The next time I tried chicken gravy with Just Tomatoes brand peas and carrots - you could add chicken if you want. Again delicious and easy. Make Hungry Jack complete mashed potatoes in a freezer bag and you are all set.
boil some thin spaghetti noodles up, throw some olive oil and some of that dried Mccormick's Pesto sauce in with dried sundried tomatoes!
I too like the simple one pot only meals,,,,great recipes in here,,,eagerly writing them down
I just thought that I'd make a post to bring this thread back into sight.....THis is a great thread...anymore ideas?
Salmon Fettucine Alfredo is my favorite.
Easy too: Get the Lipton futtucine alfredo Pasta Side, Nestle Nido powdered milk and Salmon (either the foil pouch, or Salmon rehydrates very well).
Pennsylvania Rose
02-08-2006, 15:58
Chicken and dumplins:
make chicken broth with bullion; in a ziplock, add squeeze margarine and water to biscuit mix; drop globs of the mix into simmering broth; add a can of chicken at the end
You can also make "dumplins" when you cook dehydrated veggie soup - it makes it more filling.
The kids' favorite is instant potatoes with Parmesan cheese, butter, dried onions and bacos.
Chicken and dumplins:
make chicken broth with bullion; in a ziplock, add squeeze margarine and water to biscuit mix; drop globs of the mix into simmering broth; add a can of chicken at the end
You can also make "dumplins" when you cook dehydrated veggie soup - it makes it more filling.
The kids' favorite is instant potatoes with Parmesan cheese, butter, dried onions and bacos.
Our version of the chicken with dumplings is:
Kendall Katwalk Chicken and Dumplings:
1 foil pouch chicken
in a ziploc baggie:
2 1/4 cups Bisquick mix
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
Mark on bag: "Add 2/3 cup water"
In another ziploc baggie:
3 pkts worth chicken broth powder (boullion) (Low sodium is even an option here)
2-3 tbls dried veggie flakes/or onion flakes (freeze dried veggies are also good)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp granulated garlic (or more)
a pinch of thyme
and any herbs you like
Now...if you want thicker broth..toss in the mix 1 tbls flour or cornstarch.
In camp, put in your cooking pan 3 cups cold water and the broth/veggie miz..bring to a low boil..simmering. Also add chicken.
Meanwhile mix up Bisquick.
When liquid is just starting to boil, snip a corner on the baggie and start squeezing out dumplings. Let them simmer (just bubbling) for a couple minutes.
Eat!!
(This recipe can be modified to any amount of broth. If you go up in volume, add more veggies and herbs)
Sarah
I only use my pot for boiling water these days - it saves on cleanup. Everything is 'cooked' in my lexan cup.
My current dinner menu includes:
Thai Green Chicken Curry with Noodles.
Pack of Thai Green Curry Cup-a-soup 50g
Tablespoon of coconut cream powder 10g
Palm full of rice vermicelli pre-broken into short (2cm or less) length 25g
Smoked chicken or turkey 50g
Total wt 135 grams.
Mix the soup and coconut powder in the mug, add water and stir. Add rice vermicelli. Cut chicken straight into the mug with scissors. Wait about 2 minutes and eat.
Thai Red 'Beef' Curry with Noodles
Same as above but with Thai red Curry cup-a-soup and cabanossi, salami sticks, lup chong or pre-soaked jerky instead of chicken.
Pepper 'Steak' and Three veg. with Gravy.
Potato Flakes 50g
Pepper Gravy Powder 10g
Presoaked Dried Veg 10g
Cabanossi, Salami Stick, Lup Chong or pre-soaked Jerky 50g
Total wt 120 grams
Presoak Veg (and if used, jerky) in ziplock bag at lunch time. At dinner time put potato flakes in your mug with enough hot water to make nice thick mashed potato. Add about 2cm or so of hot water on top of the potato and add gravy powder and stir (try to avoid disturbing the mashed potato). Add more water if necessary to get the right consistency. Drain dried veg and add, then cut meat into mug with scissors. Wait 2 minutes and stir until it's sufficiently mixed for your tastes (I like globs of mashed potato still in it).
Mushroom 'Steak' and Three Veg. with Gravy
Same as above but substitute some dried mushrooms for half the veg. :)
Most soup, sauce and gravy mixes can be used this way. Just about any of the Asian varieties are good with coconut and noodles. Some (particularly European style soups) are better thickened and bulked with potato powder (eg potato and leek, vegetable, beef, pumpkin) and some are better with just a lot of rice vermicelli (bisque, tomato, etc.) Use your imagination and experiment. At ~120 grams and a few dollars per meal, it's hard to beat. I haven't eaten a freeze dried 'backpacker' meal in over a decade.
A favourite quick lunch is to pour hot water on (or presoak in cold water) about 75-100g of rice vermicelli (in your cup), wait a few minutes and drain. Cut in around 50g of any kind of meat (fatty is best) and add either soy sauce (pref. indonesian) or dried parmesan to taste. Stir and eat. Just about any sauce would do, but Indonesian soy (ketjap manis) is the duck's nuts.
Any kind of instant noodles will do for these recipes, but I always use rice vermicelli because at a pinch you can make it edible by soaking it in cold water. For uncooked high carbohydrate bulk it's hard to beat for the weight. You just have to break it up into small pieces before you pack it. You can put it in a blender, or just poke holes in the packet, wrap it in a cloth and beat the crap out of it. You want it in lengths small enough to eat it with a spoon.
Ouch - no editing. The 'Steak' meals are supposed to be around 25g of instant potato.
Just play with combinations.
Flavour bases - soup, sauce, gravy and parmesan powders. Liquid sauces like soy or chili. A little goes a long way.
Carbohydrates - instant mashed potato, rice vermicelli, any instant noodles.
Fat and protein - fatty meats like salamis and their Asian counterparts. Smoked chicken, turkey or ham for lighter meals - ie lower fat without scrimping on protein or flavour.
Another tip to add oil and flavour is to get a small eyedropper bottle and put a clove of garlic, some basil and some pepper and salt in it. Top up with olive oil and use to add flavour and slow burning kilojoules to a meal. Goes great with just noodles, parmesan and meat.
wilderness bob
03-14-2006, 23:14
Not a favorite, but not bad for a light weight meal:
Ramin
instant potatoes (re hydrated either mixed or on one side)
cup of soup for more flavor
add extra meat if you have it, tuna, shrimp, chicken packet
Hot sauce for flavor, Frank's is my favorite
Bread, Potato rolls crush and stack well
Amigi'sLastStand
05-30-2006, 17:39
Heaven (too me) in woods
at lunch, put dried veg soup in a ziploc w/ just enough water to recontitute 50%
boil pasta noodle. drain
add veg soup and 4-5 tbls of olive oyl with thyme and rosemary or oregano or whatever you like or have. Tried tabasco once and it worked.
put back on heat for one min
add 4-5 tbls of parm cheese or preferably dried alfredo sauce with a touch of water
heat another min or so.
Add meat if you wish.
Simply heaven.
RadioFreq
05-30-2006, 17:55
StoveTop stuffing mix and a foil pouch of chicken chunks. Throw in a little Idahoan 4 cheese (or garlic) potatoes and you've got a simple meal that will really stick with you. Saw something in the earlier post that triggered a memory from my thru. Every once in a while I would stir in a packet of honey roasted nuts/cashews from my snack bag ... YUM !!
'Slogger
I second this recommendation....I had mine with the garlic potatoes. Ate this meal once last week during a 4-1/2 day trek over a major portion of the Border Route trail along the Canadian border in northern MN. The beauty of Stove Top is that it has so many spices in it you really don't have to season anything you add it to. I always carry extra.
UnkaJesse
05-30-2006, 22:52
For something exotic, hit the ethnic section in the grocery store.
Simply Thai or Simply Asian (I can't remember the brand) had sesame noodles that are the absolute bomb! All the stuff fits in a sandwich size ziplock after you toss the box. If you need the protein, throw in one of those salmon fillets in a foil bag. The only downside to the salmon is that the bag is very smelly. I time this meal near a highway crossing so I could dump my trash before I lured 'ole Smokey in that night.
Another really simple thing is some rotini pasta and a pack of the McKormick's pesto sauce. Super easy and quick clean up.
I used to be exclusively on the freeze-dried. I'm broadening my horizons. Good thread, btw!
Hikes in Rain
05-31-2006, 09:16
One of my new favorites: Bear Mountain brand Clam Chowder. Add some of that packaged pre-cooked bacon or bacon bits. Also one of the foil packs of clams, or the shrimp or crab, or (be bold!) even all three. Shave in some Assagio cheese. If you presoak it before consigning it to heat, cooks in less than the 10 minutes recommended.
Any of the Bear Mountain soups are amazingly good. Lots of potential there!
This might not exactly fit in with this thread, but I noticed a lot of mention of spices. I plan on taking a baggie of Herbes de Provence (you can find it in the spice section)...I use the stuff on EVERYTHING and it would work in most of these recipes. If you're a little lost as far as what spices go with what or you don't want to carry several different kinds, it's perfect. It's a nice, balanced mix of different spices.
:) Mindi
Digger54
06-02-2006, 10:55
I do Footsloggers thing with the stovetop stuffing and a foil pack of chicken. Most recently, I have started adding a small handful of dehydrated mixed veggies that I get from Wild Oats Grocery. I'll let them boil for about 5 minutes before adding the other ingredients. The veggies do a lot to round out the texture, flavor and nutrition.
Footslogger
06-02-2006, 11:23
I do Footsloggers thing with the stovetop stuffing and a foil pack of chicken. Most recently, I have started adding a small handful of dehydrated mixed veggies that I get from Wild Oats Grocery. I'll let them boil for about 5 minutes before adding the other ingredients. The veggies do a lot to round out the texture, flavor and nutrition.
========================================
Next time stirr in some garlic or 4 cheeze potatoe mix ...adds a little thickness and flavor.
'Slogger
Just a quick question here. Is anybody coping all these recipes down or putting them in a file. These are some good recipes. If someone has all of these already put together and willing to share them please let me know.
Lanthar Mandragoran
06-22-2006, 14:48
Just a quick question here. Is anybody coping all these recipes down or putting them in a file. These are some good recipes. If someone has all of these already put together and willing to share them please let me know.
Nah, I just 'bookmark' the individual posts (click the #X of the post) of ones that I like
Johnny Swank
07-15-2006, 21:20
We took two pots down the river. I think the second one got used once just for the heck of it.
I threw this recipe in the appendix on my book. How many times do people in towns ask you what you eat?
The Old Reliable
This was the first meal I ever cooked for Jess. We were helping lead a school trip in the Okefenokee Swamp when I saw what she had brought to eat. Nothing but packages of dried soup, pretzel sticks, wasibi peas, and other unmentionables. That wouldn't do, so I said I would just take care of the food. Since then we've probably eaten this a hundred times. The Old Reliable goes on every trip.
Eyeball measurements are fine. Most of the time I'm lucky if I can find my spoon much less measure anything.
The Old Reliable (serves two)
12 ounces of pasta (any kind, we like the tri-colored twist type)
4 ounces or so of Italian dressing (about half a small bottle)
3 ounces of cheese (whatever you have. We use cheddar and parmesan)
1 small onion
3-4 carrots, chopped
1 small can of pineapple chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
Whatever else you want to throw in (nuts, spices, garlic, chicken, etc)
In a 2 liter or larger pot, boil the pasta until soft. Don't overcook, and watch to make sure it doesn't boil over. Drain the pasta and return to the pot. (Hint: cut the bottom four inches off a one gallon milk jug and stab some holes into the bottom. Voila! Instant strainer!) Dice up the cheese, onion, carrots and dump in. Open the can of pineapple, drink the juice, then dump in. Add whatever else you have on hand. Stir in the Italian dressing. Eat until you see the bottom of the pot. Burp. Go enjoy the sunset.
Does anyone remember the recipe that called for black pepper doritos? i remember seeing it and saying it looked great, but then could never find it when i was going ot make it.
One that I used recently used was Rice-a-Roni and chicken. I discovered that they now make a side that is already cooked, you just heat and eat. The one I like best is Garlic and Herb rice. I cut the top off and dumped 7oz of cubed chicken in with the rice and mixed it up. I then just set the whole thing in my pot of boiling water and let it set for about 5 minutes or so and it was ready to eat. It tasted great and took up hardly any space. Real easy to clean up too.
Fiddleback
08-19-2006, 12:12
Does anyone remember the recipe that called for black pepper doritos? i remember seeing it and saying it looked great, but then could never find it when i was going ot make it.
This might help...see the "Chi Chi" thread; http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3521&highlight=Doritos
With ideas from this and other threads I 'discovered' the easy, great tasting combination of Ramen noodles, pepperoni slices and Black Pepper Doritos. Lots of potential for additional ingredients, e.g., cheese, sauce, etc.
FB
Brrrb Oregon
08-26-2006, 20:38
Quinoa is a nice alternative to rice that cooks in the same manner and in the same amount of time as white rice...you can substitute it into any pilaf dinner recipes you have. I've seen cookbooks that insist it always needs to be rinsed, but I use the stuff from Bob's Red Mill, and it works nicely without that. If you can find it in bulk, it will reduce the sticker shock....and it has a good shot of protein in it, including all 8 essential AAs.
Westbrae makes an angel hair corn pasta that is a change of pace, and it only needs a little parmesan and ghee. (Ghee was invented so we could have butter in hot weather, so why not? I can't think of a nicer emergency fire-starter to have in your pack.) If you go to an Asian grocery, you'll find some other interesting alternatives to Top Ramen.
If you have not heard of dehydrated instant bean flakes (black bean and pinto), they cook up in about 5 minutes. I think they're as good as freshly mashed ones.
Also, I find that a lot of people don't think of having their relatives save those little condiment packets that they send home with you at fast-food places. If you don't make a big deal of never darkening the door of McDonald's, your in-laws or your grandma might be willing to save you some mayo you to have on the trail....it was going to the landfill, anyway. That adds not only soy sauce, but also ketchup, mayo, mustards, syrup, jam, various salad dressings and dipping sauces, and salsa. And if you do go to McDonalds, Taco Bell, and all the rest....you're on your way!
I just returned from Glacier Nat'l Park. I tried packing my meals all as one in ZipLoc freezer bags. 6 days of some pretty good up and down stuff and I wanted as light a pack as possible.
For breakfast I packed cereal with whatever dried fruit and powdered milk and bags of the the ubiquitous oatmeal with brown sugar added. I took your basic cup o' soups, added some dehydrated potato flakes or stuffing, and instead of actually packing cans or foil pkgs of chicken or tuna, I dehydrated those myself and added them directly to the mealbag. At meal time, except for the cereals of course, I heated (didn't have to be boiling) water and poured it directly into the freezer bag.
I also took along a freezer bag of dehydrated tuna, some tortillas and some mayo/relish/mustard packs from my local TigerMarket to do lunch stuff with.
My only dish cleaning at that point was to wash the coffee/cocoa from my "cup". and I didn't have to carry out empty cans or foils.
Fiddleback,
Thanks for the link back to the chi chi recipe. I wont lose it this time
Tinkergnome
08-31-2006, 01:59
My local HEB has a wholefoods/dryfoods section. My fav is to get the dehydrated corn chowder add in a bit of the dehydrated blackbean soup and a foil pouch of chicken. Just add water and stir....
i'm hungry now
Ok, I know this thread is more towards actual "cooking," but as a boil-in-bagger Marrakesh Express Mango Salsa CousCous with a foil tuna packet and a little bit of olive oil is hard to beat in my book. Also there's some thai peanut chicken shake and bake style powder stuff from wal-mart supercenters that's really good on ramen in place of the season packet. Almost makes it taste like pad thai if you add a bit of sriracha paste. Lastly, lime pepper from Costco (I believe it's mccormic brand) makes almost any trail meal taste better. :D speedy
Fiddleback
08-31-2006, 11:15
Topcat --
You're welcome.
Saw a recipe called 'Taco Noodles' that I've tried and liked. It's Ramen noodles (I used the new Caliente Chicken), hamburger, salsa, and cheese. To that, I added crushed Black Pepper Doritos. Mighty tasty.
I haven't tried it yet but it looks like a natural for dehydration and trail use. The Ramen and chips are no problem nor is the hamburger. I imagine the salsa will dry down to a leather as does spagetti sauce. That leaves a baggie of shredded cheese to add to the reconstituted and still hot noodles, hb, and salsa.
Now...if I could only dehydrate Corona...:-?
FB
twosticks
08-31-2006, 13:39
A slight tangent if I may. The proper way to dehaydrate is in the over, door slightly ajar, temp at 120F? Thanks.
A slight tangent if I may. The proper way to dehaydrate is in the over, door slightly ajar, temp at 120F? Thanks.
120-135*, or if you have gas, pilt light. Use a wooden spoon if needed to keep door ajar :)
I imagine the salsa will dry down to a leather as does spagetti sauce.
Now...if I could only dehydrate Corona...:-?
FB
I am going to start carrying the salsa that comes in the small packs from minimus.com. shelf safe and easy.
and as for Dehydrating Corona??? I dont think it is possible. I am waiting for SABAR to figure out how to repackage it into a freezerbag that wont let it go flat...
I love the mac and cheese with some olive oil.
I just recently had the idea of adding some artichoke hearts, but haven't tried it out yet.
Mmmmmmm, that sounds pretty good. Artichoke hearts would probably keep well in the cooler months in a baggie, make it a double baggie.
I am going to start carrying the salsa that comes in the small packs from minimus.com. shelf safe and easy.
and as for Dehydrating Corona??? I dont think it is possible. I am waiting for SARBAR to figure out how to repackage it into a freezerbag that wont let it go flat...
And if I could do that, I'd be on EZY Street :sunlol......
Avacados were the toughest for me to carry. Either too hard, or too soft.
I actually did an experiment where I cut one in half, took out the seed, and duct taped it back together! It weighed less, but turned black faster, had to eat it all at once, decided they were too much trouble to carry for any length of time!
Green Bean
09-01-2006, 02:25
I don't know I found left over tuna from lunch some mashed potatoes and mac and cheese is wonderful combinationfor dinner! ~GB
this is one thread I enjoy looking back at. So many good ideas keep getting posted
Mountain Mike
09-07-2006, 22:32
I take Knoors Veggie soup mix & add about 3/4 of Unckle Ben's Instant Brown Rice required for the water added. Dump in some shrimp in the foil packs or canned. Add a little cayenne powder to taste. It's one my friends always ask for.
Raw one pot meal: sliced avacado with roasted red peppers, sprinkled with flaxseed with a drizzle of tahini and some olive oil for some dressing. High calories :)
Nechochwen
09-12-2006, 12:09
All - This is a great string and is very helpful. I just returned from six days on the AT in Georgia, slackpacking with just the outdoor essentials, lunch, snacks and water. Dinner and overnight at a base camp. I am already sick of tuna kits. You can bet I will spend a considerable amount of time at the supermarket this week and will be investigating many of your suggestions.
I did get a great idea while lugging myself up Blood Mountain . . . . . Dehydrated Water. I will begin the research process this weekend.
Thanks again for all of the great ideas!
Tree-girl
09-13-2006, 15:59
I loved boiling angel-hair pasta, draining the water, dumping in some olive oil, a packet of salmon, and some parmesan cheese. It's hard to beat. :-) Especially if you keep cooking it after adding all the stuff. Yuuuummm...
Chaplain
03-16-2007, 22:21
Be sure to pack a pkg of bagels. They are usually so tough you can almost strap the pkg to the outside of your pack. They only last two days or so when I take them. Peanut butter and onion bagels-wow, they are good. See ya, SunnyWalker
doggiebag
03-16-2007, 22:53
Last summer my boat broke down on the Chesapeake so I was stuck dead in the water for 3 days and Tuna helper (with a can of tuna of course) and a little tabasco was chow heaven. Those were the good days. LOL.
Appalachian Tater
03-17-2007, 20:02
The third ingredient is what makes a one-pot meal satisfying: Carb + Protein + Third Ingredient.
Examples:
Cornbread dressing pouch + pouch of chicken + dried cranberries
Cheese tortellini + pouch of crumbled bacon + sun dried tomatoes
Ramen noodles + peanut butter and soy sauce + mixture of flakes of garlic, onion and red pepper
Chaplain
05-30-2008, 00:45
This is a great thread, but it makes my mouth water to read it!
charlie2008
05-30-2008, 01:37
Zatarain's Jambalaya 8oz box
Chicken breast (foil pack)
Summer sausage
block cheese
Hot sauce
-
AND what takes this over the top you say?
-
Dump a couple of tins of smoked baby oysters
in a ziplock bag oil and all before you leave
AND
a bota bag of your favorite red wine.
-
First night meal......maybe second night too.
charlie2008
05-30-2008, 02:14
Oh, and was reading back a page or two about taking avacado on the trail? I think it was Smile. I take the pre-mashed avacado in vacumm sealed bags frozen. They last for days sealed and I usually use a whole bag with crushed up Dorito's, roasted red peppers in olive oil, some chopped up sundried tomato, stuffed iin pita bread. Yummy.
HippieHiker
05-30-2008, 02:17
beef ramen noodles mmmm mmmm good
Oh, and was reading back a page or two about taking avacado on the trail?
I do! Best trail treat around :D
WalkingStick75
05-30-2008, 20:15
Pre-packaged Cole Slaw with your favorite dressing packet. Top with packet croutons, raisins whatever. Good for 2-3 days even on a hot summer day.
Bulldawg
06-01-2008, 00:28
Wow, what a great thread!!
Hikes in Rain
06-01-2008, 09:24
2 new favorites from last week's hike: Knorr bowtie pasta with four cheese sauce and crab meat. Mac and cheese with hickory smoked tuna.
Bulldawg
06-01-2008, 20:06
StoveTop stuffing mix and a foil pouch of chicken chunks. Throw in a little Idahoan 4 cheese (or garlic) potatoes and you've got a simple meal that will really stick with you. Saw something in the earlier post that triggered a memory from my thru. Every once in a while I would stir in a packet of honey roasted nuts/cashews from my snack bag ... YUM !!
'Slogger
hOW EXACTLY DO YOU MAKE THIS CONCOCTION SLOGGER?
Opps:confused::confused: sorry for the caps, was working on some software for work!!
What I mean is how do you prepare the stove top? Do you make the potatoes a little watery and then add the stuffing or what? I am taking my daughter this coming weekend and thought this might be a nice dinner first night out. Thanks!!!
Bulldawg,
You would probably do better making the stuffing separately from the potatoes. That way each is edible on its own. Stuffing and a pouch of chicken is good combined.
Appalachian Tater
06-01-2008, 20:49
You can prepare the stuffing in the foil-lined bag it comes in. The water does NOT have to be boiling, just hot. Make sure to mix well to avoid dry spots in the corners of the bag.
ShelterLeopard
06-05-2008, 18:59
If you're looking for something a bit more than just something you add to water, gado-gado is really good. And it is pretty easy to make in small portions. Technically, you're supposed to do part of it in a fry pan, but you really don't need to. But if you're looking for a three-minute meal, this isn't really it. But it's really good!
budforester
06-05-2008, 23:55
If you're looking for something a bit more than just something you add to water, gado-gado is really good. And it is pretty easy to make in small portions. Technically, you're supposed to do part of it in a fry pan, but you really don't need to. But if you're looking for a three-minute meal, this isn't really it. But it's really good!
I had to look that up; salad with peanut sauce sounds good. Heres a link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gado-gado)
if it's hot, ranch pasta salad with bacon in it (you can get the packages now of real bacon over by the pouches of tuna and chicken.)
I made this as-hoc in the kitchen before a trip last summer and it turned out surprisingly well. Made it as a dinner for four along with some bakepacker cornbread. The added cornstarch really helps to thicken it up a bit.
Beef jerky and rice
Couple ounces of beef jerky (I prefer peppered)
Instant rice (premeasured)
Corn starch(1-2 tsp per person)
Dried veggies (about 1/3 C per person I use just veggies, but any will do)
Heat water for rice to almost boiling, and jerky and veggies and let sit with heat off for 15-20 minutes. Bring water back to a boil and add rice and cornstarch cooking to the directions for the rice. Stir and enjoy.
I just premeasured the rice and corn starch before the trip into a quart size zip top bag, I kept the veggies and jerky separate.
The pepper and salt from the jerky is all the seasoning I needed for this dish. I tried it once with a bouillon cube, but it was just too salty. It is very easy to make and is a nice change up from Lipton sides. :sun