2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 onion, chopped Pepperoni stick, sliced
18 small whole-wheat pittas
1 (16-ounce) can tomato or pizza sauce
1 pound Cheddar cheese, sliced
In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of margarine and sauté the green peppers, onion, and pepperoni slices until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl. Slice a 4-inch-long opening along the edge of each pitta. Fill each one with sauce, cheese, onion, and green pepper. Fry each pitta individually in margarine (added to the pan as needed) over medium heat until the pitta is browned and the insides are warmed.
Serves 6
QUESADILLAS
Quesadillas are a wonderful excuse to use up any leftover cheese and tortillas you’re carrying around. The longer your trip, the more you start fantasizing about fresh vegetables. Spinach is a good solution because it’s light and full of vitamins and fiber. Make sure it comes prewashed so you don’t use up water washing off sand and dirt.
3 tablespoons margarine
1 pound pre-washed spinach
2 green bell peppers
2 onions, chopped
1 cup chopped Cheddar cheese
6 tortillas
In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the margarine and sauté the spinach, green peppers, and onions until the spinach is wilted and the onions are browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside in a bowl. Fill a tortilla with one-sixth of the spinach mixture, sprinkle with cheese, and fold in half. Reheat the frying pan and cook each quesadilla over medium heat until the cheese melts, adding margarine as needed. This can be a very sloppy procedure, but the meal is so delicious it’s worth the mess.
Serves 6
MACARONI AND CHEESE
Mac and cheese is a meal that I don’t think to fix at home, but after a long day on the trail, even something this simple tastes good. Must be all those carbs.
2 pounds elbow macaroni or rigatoni noodles
1 pound cheddar cheese, chopped (using various cheeses adds to the flavor)
4 tablespoons margarine
1 garlic clove, minced
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles, and cook over medium heat until tender, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the type of noodle. When the noodles are tender, pour the water out (see “Noodle Water,”), leaving enough water in the pot to just barely cover the noodles. Add the cheese, margarine, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and stir until the cheese melts. Serve immediately.
Serves 6
Variation: You can spice this meal up by stir-frying some veggies (broccoli, green peppers, etc.) in a separate pan with a little margarine until tender, and adding them in at the cheese-melting stage.
PESTO SAUCE
Make a batch of pesto before your trip and you’ll have a quick and easy meal for those long days when you’re too tired to cook.
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 teaspoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and grind until smooth. Store the pesto in a Tupperware container (tape it closed all the way around or you’ll find oil and basil all over your pack). Serve over your favorite pasta, fish, or chicken.
Makes 21/2 cups, to serve 6
CHICKEN FAJITAS
16 ounces refried beans
30 ounces canned/packet chicken, drained
3 tablespoons margarine
2 green bell peppers, sliced
2 onions, sliced
12 (10-inch) flour tortillas
16 ounces salsa Grated cheese (optional)
In a large frying pan, heat the refried beans over medium heat until warm, then set aside in a separate bowl. Drain the chicken (save the juice to add to your frying pan as needed). Add 1 tablespoon margarine to the frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, lightly scorch the peppers, onions, and chicken until brown but still tender. (For easier frying, cook only 1/4 to 1/2 of the filling at a time, storing the finished filling in a separate covered pot.) If desired, warm the tortillas in a large frying pan; fry 2 tortillas at a time over medium-high heat, adding a small amount of margarine to the pan as needed. Fill the tortillas with the beans and chicken mixture. Cover with salsa and grated cheese, if desired.
Serves 6
DHAAL-BHAT (SHERPA RICE)
Dhaal-bhat, or curried rice and lentils, is a staple for the people of the Himalayas. I grew to love this simple dish while trekking in Nepal.
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup barley
Salt
3 cups instant rice
1 onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers,
