Backpacking "Omelettes"

[Navy Salad]

I really like a hot breakfast when backpacking and my favorite is a sort of omelette/scrambled egg dish inspired from two different sources:

• The book "Backpack Gourmet" ("BG") by Linda Yaffe (my favorite backpacking recipe book, even though it doesn't have pictures); and
• The Youtube video series by the Hungry Hammock Hanger ("HHH") (that you can read about here).

This isn't going to be one of those detailed step-by-step recipes, but rather a general process you can follow to suit your tastes. Although it may look a little complicated, that's mostly because I show lots of potential add-ins, where I assume most people won't include all these. But this recipe assumes you want to do most of the prep work at home. On the trail, all you need to do is add water, heat to a simmer, then slip into a cozy for maybe 20 minutes and then eat.

There are two different approaches. In a nutshell, the BG approach is to use whole eggs, where you lightly cook them first (to kill off the bacteria inherent in almost all eggs, even organic) and then combine with your lightly cooked favorite additions, then dehydrate everything. The HHH approach is to assemble all your ingredients except for the eggs, lightly cook them, dehydrate them, then add powdered eggs (such as Ova Easy) at the very end.

I've tried both, and to me, the above alternatives taste pretty similar. The advantage of the BG method is it's less expensive and the mix doesn't seem to be as eager to stick or burn on the bottom of your cooking pot as the HHH method. The advantage of the HHH method is it's a little quicker (no need to pre-cook eggs) and there's about zero risk of contamination. You decide what works for you.

Step 1: Gather your favorite additions. I usually start with about what I would want in ONE serving, then multiply that by however many servings I'm making. I usually shoot for around 4-6 servings, otherwise the quantity of raw ingredients you'll be working with is a little unwieldy. Here are some sample additions to consider, depending on what you like (in no particular order):

• Sliced Mushrooms (about 3 mushrooms per serving works for me)
• Misc greens (such as spinach, kale, etc.). Obviously this won't appeal to everyone, but they add valuable fiber to your meal.
• Jalapenos -- I use canned and put in about 1 ounce/serving (but note I like it spicey!)
• Sliced red bell peppers (great, although a little pricey!)
• Sliced green bell peppers
• Canned green chili peppers
• Misc herbs or spices, such as cilantro, parsely, salt and pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
• Grated or mashed sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes, but I like sweets better). One or the other highly recommended.
• Grated parmesan (I like about 1/4 cup per serving, but note this ingredient may make for more cleanup in camp since it likes to stick)
• Vegetarian sausage (I used to use chicken or turkey, but they don't rehydrate very well, especially for breakfast where you probably don't want to spend a lot of time waiting for them to rehydrate -- but even with the veggie sausage, you'll probably want to slice them thin, like 1/8" to 3/16")
• Garlic (I use about 2 cloves per serving)
• Onion (I use about 1/2 onion per serving)
• Tofu -- This is better than you might think, and as long as it's mashed up, seems to rehydrate fine. I use about 1/4 pound per serving.
• Salsa verde (!) I learned about this from the HHH approach and he has won me over!
• Regular salsa, if you prefer
• Hot sauce -- if you like your eggs spicey, you may want to put in as much as double what you would normally use, since it tends to mellow out during the dehydration/rehydration process
• Canned chopped tomatoes, drained (I get about 3 servings from one can)

Step 2: Precooking the eggs (skip if using HHH method, except for the part about sauteing the onions/garlic): Mince any garlic or onion you're including and saute for around 4 minutes, then add any sliced bell peppers and continue sauteing for another 4 minutes, then add beaten eggs (I figure 3 eggs per serving) and any spices (I like maybe 2 teaspoons fresh Cilantro(!) or basil or parsely, plus maybe 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes per serving.

You want to cook the eggs till they're just set (which happens at 165 degrees). Be careful: if you undercook them, you risk not killing all the nasties like Salmonella; if you overcook them, they'll turn rubbery (or worse!). The goal I have is to get the eggs to 160-165 degrees for one minute. But if you're worried about it, the baking in the oven step (see below) should somewhat reassure you; also, you can dehydrate at 160 degrees for the first 30 to 60 minutes. Or you can just use the HHH method with powdered eggs.

Step 3: Pre-cooking any veggies. If you're using potatoes or other non-canned veggies, you need to pre-cook them. For the potatoes, the easiest way is to just peel, quarter, then either simmer until fork-tender or, if you have one, pop the quartered potatoes into a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Once cooked, mash them -- but avoid adding any liquid. Another option is to grate them, but you'll have a mountain of grated potatoes that will still need to be pre-cooked. If you proceed this route, be sure to immediately plunge the cooked, grated potatoes (don't need to peel them) into cold water to halt the cooking process, then drain as best you can. I've done it both ways and it's much easier to cook the quartered potatoes than deal with all the grated stuff.

Step 4: Saute the sliced mushrooms (if using). I prefer the taste of sauted mushrooms, so I saute them in a non-stick frying pan. You could probably do this as part of step 2 if you're careful about timing.

Step 5: Combine all ingredients and mix well. If using the BG method, put into a suitable size casserole dish and bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for 10 minutes to add one more measure of safety.

Step 6: Dehydrate everything. If using the BG method, I start at 160 degrees for 30' to 60', then reduce to 145 degrees until dry (the time will vary depending on how soupy it is from adding things like canned chopped tomatoes or green chilies, but probably will range from 6 to 12 hours). If using the HHH method, just keep at 145 degrees the entire time. Once it's all dehydrated, divide everything into individual servings (a scale that can weigh to tenths of an ounce is handy for this). I like to vacuum bag and seal each serving, and just to be extra careful, I store them in the freezer.

In camp, be careful with how much liquid you add! I suggest starting with less than you think it will take, then gradually add more as it is absorbed. Once I get the liquids right and fully up to temperature, I take my pot off the stove and slip it into a cozy and just let it sit maybe 15' to 20'

Enjoy!

PS: Referring to this as an "omelette" or even "scrambles" invokes a certain amount of poetic license!

[Alligator]

Sounds good, I will revisit this post next time I am dehydrating. I have dehydrated tofu before and I have found that the less firm textures rehydrate softer. Also a factor is how finely the tofu is chopped/mashed/diced.

[RaslDasl]

How long does this mixture (with the dehydrated eggs) usually stay good for? Could you keep it frozen longer do you think?

[ADK Walker]

I look forward to trying these omelets.

I used the Ova Easy egg crystals this summer on a trip. They are the best tasting fresh egg alternative that I've found. We made great tasting breakfast burritos with Ova Easy eggs, Tortillas, pre-cooked bacon, cheese and spices. Covered in hot sauce. So good.

[Navy Salad]

How long does this mixture (with the dehydrated eggs) usually stay good for? Could you keep it frozen longer do you think?

To be honest, I don't really know how long the version with the dehydrated eggs keep. If you follow the above steps where they are pre-cooked, you at least get rid of the inherent bacteria. I usually store them by using the 3-fold combination of dehydration, vacuum packing, AND keeping them in the freezer. I've never heard of any studies to indicate how long food prepared this way will last, but I can tell you I've eaten them after more than a year and it was totally fine. And I've rehydrated other meals (without eggs, but with cheese) that were over 3 years old and was pleasantly surprised how well they turned out.

Alligator: Thanks for the tofu tip! I once tried making tofu jerky using firm tofu and it turned out like leather. But I didn't give up and tried again letting it marinate longer and not quite dehydrating them so long and they STILL turned out like leather! But as you say, when it's mashed up, you can hardly tell it's there except for adding body to the mix.

[ChristianMackenzie]

Looks delicious as well as nutritious at the same time. My mom says I should never look for recipes and tutorials on cooking for they never worked for me.
But definitely, I'm going to try this. Hope this works. Thanks for this one.