PCT Planning - Tonight we dine in hell.

So as I hinted at in previous posts, Chris and I are making all of our own food. My Mom has offered to throw a couple things into later boxes, but primarily we are doing all of it ourselves. As things get closer we are starting to get some of the food stuff,
or are dehydrating and vacuum sealing at home. So it seemed like a good time to try out our recipes and make any last minute adjustments.

In a previous post on food I wrote a little bit about making sure you had enough calories and enough variety. Chris and I have planned few dinners and we may throw in one luxury dinner per box (instant Indian/Thai food etc. for some variety).

Also, Chris and I are soaking our dehydrated veggies during the day as we hike, if you use dehydrated veggies and are planning on soaking them make sure to use the water you soaked them in, that way you don't lose any nutrients. We also are dyhdrating our chicken and tuna, if you do this you need to add the tuna/chicken at the same time as the starch and with a little extra water.

Recipes under the cut.  Click the link below.



Dinner Recipes:

Beefy Asian Noodles
1 serving

3 Tbsp shredded beef jerky (Chris and I are dehydrating our own using this recipe from Art of Manliness, with less liquid smoke)
1 Package Beef or Oriental Ramen Noodles
1 Oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)
1/4 Tsp Onion Powder
1/4 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
1/2 Tsp Dried Cilantro
1/2 Tsp Dried Chives
2-3 drops sesame oil

Combine all dry ingredients into a quart size zip lock bag (the freezer type bag is best since they tend to have better seals, but as long as it seals correctly do what you want).
Boil 2 cups of water, add to bag, re-seal and let sit for 5-10 minutes until noodles and veggies are soft.
Add the sesame oil at the very end.

Variation: Get dried sea food from your local Asia Mart (dried shrimp, squid etc.) Make the Oriental ramen with dry seafood.
2nd Variation: Instant onion soup instead of the Ramen flavoring packet might be a good addition for variety, though Chris and I won't be doing this.

Notes; This recipe is delicious, but quite salty, make sure you're not doing this on a section of dry trail or you might get dehydrated real quick.

Chicken/Tuna Couscous
2 Servings (math is hard for this one if you make one serving)

1 cup dry couscous

1 1/3 cup water

1 Oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)

1 6-ounce can or packet of tuna in oil
8 slices (sun)dried tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Optional: 2 tbsp powdered butter
At home: Mix the basil, oregano, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder  and butter (if using) in a zip lock bag. Store other items separately.

On the trail: Soak tomatoes in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes or until rehydrated. Remove the tomatoes from water and bring to a boil. Add couscous to the boiling water, cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 10 minutes. Add tuna, tomatoes, and contents of the cheese and spice bag. Stir well.

Herbed Lemon Chicken Rice

1 serving

1/2 cup instant rice

1 oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp dried chives

1 packet of True Lemon

1/4 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1 3-once foil packet of chicken

Note: True Lemon is also available atwww.truelemon.com or some grocery stores. You can also substitute 1 teaspoon citrus juice or zest per packet.

At home: Combine everything, except chicken, in a quart size freezer zip lock bag. Carry the chicken separately.

On the trail: Bring 1 cup of water to boil. Add the instant rice and spices. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until quinoa is tender. Add the chicken, toss and serve.

Bacon Polenta

1 serving

3/4 cup instant polenta (if you can't find instant polenta DO NOT use normal polenta it's cooking time is too long, I'd recommend instant mashed potatoes)

4 Tbsp shelf-stable bacon

1 oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp dried onions

3 tbsp butter powder

1.5 tsp chicken or vegetable broth powder

heaping 1/4 tsp paprika

2 tbsp Parmesan cheese

At home: Combine everything, except the Parmesan, bacon and butter powder, into a quart size freezer zip lock bag
On the trail: Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the polenta and simmer until cooked and creamy. Top with the Parmesan cheese, bacon mixture.
Makes 1 serving

Curried Rice

1 cup instant rice

1 oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)

1/2 Tbsp curry powder

1 Tbsp dried onion flakes

3/4 Tsp sugar

1/2 Tbsp chicken or vegetable bouillon

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp ground turmeric

Chopped cashews (optional)

Salt to taste

Combine everything in a quart freezer zip lock bag. 

On the trail: Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add to rice mix and steam inside bag for 1-2 minutes or until the rice is tender. Serve topped with chopped cashews.

Steak, Bean and Cheese burrito
1 serving

This is dependent on if you can get bulk dehydrated refried beans

1 oz torn up jerky

1 oz Dehydrated vegetables (about 2 Tbsp)

1 tbsp powered cheese

We're also taking couscous, bulk cheese sauce and making tuna mac'n'cheese with veggies.

Follow directions on making the refried beans, add everything else and wrap in a tortilla.

A lot of these recipes were originally taken from this website, and then played around with.