To me, cooking is a lot like carpentry—the old adage, “measure twice, cut once” becomes “measure twice, cook once.” Once, when I was on a hiking skiing trip, I read a biscuit recipe too quickly and added too much water. In order to salvage the batter, I had to make enough biscuits to feed a small army for a week. By the end of the trip we were all very tired of eating biscuits. In the sample recipes below, you should adjust the quantities to fit the size (and appetites) of your group. Don’t be afraid to invent your own recipes, or check out some of the excellent hiking cookbooks available (see the Bibliography).
Most meals will be one-pot meals. These are often based on pasta, rice, or other grains. Here are the basic cooking directions for pasta and rice:
Pasta Use two parts water to one part pasta. Bring the water to a boil. Add salt (1 teaspoon per quart of water). Add the pasta and boil it gently for 10 to 15 minutes or until done. You can use the drained water for soups or carbo-loaded hot chocolate.
Instant Rice Use equal amounts of rice and water. Bring the water to a boil, add margarine (as desired) and salt (1 teaspoon per quart of water). Stir in the rice. Cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork and serve.
HOUMOUS
This chickpea spread is a great energy food full of protein and calories. You can make it before the trip or on the trail and pack it in a Ziploc or Tupperware, where it will easily last a week. It makes a great lunch food on pitta or crackers or a nice appetizer before dinner.
2 (12-ounce) cans chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons sesame tahini
Juice of 3 lemons
4 garlic cloves, minced
Mash the chickpeas with a fork. Add the olive oil, tahini, and lemon juice. If the mix is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water. Add the garlic. Mix until smooth. Serve with slices of pitta bread. If you want to carry less weight, bring dry houmous, which can be mixed with water on the trail.
Serves 6
TUNA MELTS
This is a great hot lunch or appetizer for the days when you’re feeling lazy and don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking.
1 tablespoon margarine or oil
6 (10-inch) tortillas or pitta bread
2 (8-ounce) cans/packets tuna fish, drained
1 cup diced Cheddar cheese
Melt the margarine or heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and top with a thin layer of the tuna and cheese. Fold in half and cook over medium heat until the cheese is completely melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Serves 6
Note: If you prefer, you can use pitta pockets instead of tortillas. Slice the pocket open before placing in the frying pan, and follow the recipe, closing the pitta when the recipe tells you to fold the tortilla.
TRICKS OF THE TRAIL
What to do with the remains:
Tuna juice Buy tuna packed in water rather than oil. Depending on how you eat the tuna, you may be able to just pour the water into your pot. However, if you are eating tuna straight out of the can for lunch, you should properly dispose of the tuna juice. Pouring it over the tuna on sandwiches is best. Tuna and chicken are available in foil packets with no juice. It is also easier to pack out the foil pouches than the cans.
Noodle water Anytime you cook pasta, you are left with noodle water. If possible, use this for something else later in the meal, such as hot chocolate. The chocolate will hide the pasta flavor, and you’ll get the benefit of the extra carbs in the water. This is much better than putting the water in a sump hole (see “Wastewater,”).
BURRITOS
Packed with protein and carbohydrates, burritos are another great energy meal. Repack the beans and salsa into water bottles before your trip, or use instant beans, so you aren’t lugging cans around. The cumin makes a huge difference in flavor; don’t forget to include it in your spice kit.
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 (4-ounce) cans/packets chicken
2 (12-ounce) cans refried black beans
2 (12-ounce) cans salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 tortillas
Cheddar cheese, sliced, for topping
In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the margarine and sauté the onion for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the green pepper and chicken, and continue to sauté, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beans, salsa, and cumin, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Divide the mixture among the 6 tortillas, sprinkle each with cheese, fold, and serve immediately.
Serves 6
PITTA PIZZAS
This meal takes a while if you have to cook one pizza at a time, but it’s lots of fun to make. This recipe makes 18 small pizzas.
