Gourmet Recipes on Short Trips

[BigRing]

I do enjoy a delicious meal on the first night out on a backpacking trip. My favorite is Barille, dried cheese tortellini with spaghetti sauce. I precook the sauce w/ big chunks of sweet italian sausage, peppers, mushrooms, and olives. I spoon it into a ziplock and freeze it, and wrap in aluminum foil to help keep it cold. I also double bag it.....lesson learned. The tortellini gets soaked in water for about 1/2 an hour before cooking...this helps shorten the cooking time. Usually, the sauce is defrosted by dinnertime, so that helps to shorten reheating time.

Anyone else have a recipe to share?

[Slo-go'en]

I do the Barille tortellini's all the time when I can find them. For some reason they don't seem to be too popular down south. Except I don't do the fancy sauce. Usually it's some pepperoni and maybe a soup mix of some kind.

[Spokes]

Have no problem finding them in North Carolina

[moof53]

I am planning a 2013 March start for a thru hike and being here at WB I like to keep up on new equipment, trail notes and food. I have never seen the following on here so I thought I would write about what I found.

Now, I know peanut butter is a staple on the trail, which is good because I love peanut butter. But, while at Disney Land in California last week, the hotel had Smuckers Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches pre-packaged. They were great and what a wonderful idea. Turns out you buy a box of 5 or a box of 10 frozen from the frozen food section and unthaw them when you are ready to eat them.

I bought a box, pulled a couple out of the freezer and put them in my pack when I was going for a hike this week. When I was ready for a snack, I pulled one out of the pack and chowed down. What a wonderful, quick, snack. By the way, it is called "Smuckers, Uncrustables". They come with Grape jelly or Strawberry jelly.

Just thought I would mention it incase somebody else might find it nice. For those on the trail right now, Have A Great Hike! For those waiting, have a Great Hike when you can!

[KristalB]

I HIGHLY recommend the book "Simple Foods for the Pack" which is full of meals you put together at home and pretty much just add boiling water to. I write the directions on the baggie with a sharpie so I don't add more weight with paper or the recipe book. I also have found recipes from the AT Conservancy https://www.atctrailstore.org/catalo...d=326&compid=1 (I have the older version). I've been planning an 8 day hike with my son and these books have been perfect to prepare with!!

Here are links to a few recipes I tried and loved.
Ham/Pea Ramen - http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpa...inner-recipes/
Latte Bars - http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpa...snack-recipes/
Strawberry Sensation - http://www.wildbackpacker.com/backpa...kfast-recipes/

If you are looking for an amazing fruit/nut bar of yummyness try this recipe:
Alice's granola bar recipe - The taste is OVER THE TOP. I know you'll enjoy it.
1 2/3 cups rolled oats
1 cup +2 tablespoons Sticky Bun Sugar*
1/3 cup oat flour (or 1/3 cup quick oats processed in a blender until finely ground)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 or 3 cups dried fruits and nuts**
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or butter if you'd rather)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon water

*I had no idea what sticky bun sugar was, so I used the substitute: 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light corn syrup, 2 tablespoons melted butter. Mix all this together and set aside.

**1/2 cup each: dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pecans, sunflower seeds, and coconut.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 9x13 pan (or bar pan). Line pan with greased parchment paper for easy removal.

Stir together all the dry ingredients, including fruit and nuts. In a separate bowl, whisk together vanilla, oil, syrup, water, and Sticky Bun Sugar mixture. Toss wet ingredients with the dry until the mixture is evenly crumbly.

Spread in the prepared pan, patting down lightly so heat can get to the bottom and the dryin process can begin. Bake the bars 25 - 30 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges. Remove from oven, loosen edges, and cool 5 minutes. Cut them into bar form (12-16 bars). Let cool for another 10 minutes. Remove bars from pan by scooping them into individual pieces of wax paper, molding them into bar form (this is the sticky unfun part). Cool bars on rack before storing.

Have fun planning and good luck with your 2012 hikes!!

[pcasebere]

I HIGHLY recommend the book "Simple Foods for the Pack" which is full of meals you put together at home and pretty much just add boiling water to.

+1 .

[oldbear]

If you want to be a gourmet about this kind of thing then carry two stoves :
Adding something like a MSR Pocket Rocketw/ fuel will add something like 6 oz to your packweight But what you can do with 2 burners is well worth the trade-off
To answer your actual Q
Try a puttanesca sauce w/bow tie pasta