Backpacking Recipes

  1. Food Suggestions
    1. Breakfast
    2. Lunch
    3. Dinner
  2. Recipes
    1. Pasta
      1. Fettucini Alfredo
      2. Mega-Calorie Pesto, Chicken and corn
      3. Pesto Sauce
      4. Lazy Man's Grubbing Pesto and Orza Pasta
      5. Pasta and Tomato Sauce
      6. Spaghetti and White Clam Sauce
      7. Spaghetti Carbonara
    2. Chicken
      1. Curried Couscous with Chicken
      2. Dehli Chicken with Rice
      3. Red and Green Chicken
      4. Chicken a la King
      5. Sticky Chicken
    3. Others
      1. Poor Excuse for Mexican Burritos
      2. Refried Beans and Tortillas
      3. Fry Bread
      4. Omelet/Crepe
      5. Sierra Adare's Baking Mix
      6. Cream of Peanut Soup
      7. Dumplings
      8. Cashew Rice Curry
      9. Black Beans and Rice
      10. Parmy Shrooms 'n' Noodles
      11. Basic Cooked Bugs
      12. Baked Sliced Potato

Food Suggestions

Breakfast

Lunch and Snacks (2 zip lock bags per lunch)

Dinner

Recipes

Pasta Dishes

Fetuccini Alfredo

by Stan Cindrity; serves 2-3

Melt butter, stir in flour - gradually add half and half, stir until thickened and bubbly over medium heat. Add cheese, cook until cheese is melted. Toss with noodles, add parsley. You can make the sauce prior to the trip, freeze, toss in a pack (in zip-lock bags) and mix with pasta for a great dinner.

Mega-Calorie Pesto, Chicken and Corn

by Jeffrey Papen and Mark Gilmore; serves 2-3

Heat the chicken and corn (w/ or w/out corn juice) while the spaghetti boils. Add the pesto, chicken, corn, and pepper to the pasta when done and stir it up well. Use some bread to wipe your bowl when you're done - it'll make cleanup much easier. This will keep you warm through the night on those cold winter trips.

Pesto Sauce

by Stan Cindrity; serves 2-3

Place basil, parsley, cheese, nuts, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender. Cover and blend until smooth, until it forms a paste. Add oil and blend until the consistency is like soft butter. Toss with pasta and pine nuts. You can refrigerate or freeze pesto sauce.

Lazy Man's Grubbing Pesto and Orzo Pasta

by Jason Ballas; serves 2-3

Simply cook the pasta, and throw everything in! It's better than you would expect.

Pasta and Tomato Sauce

The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking, Gretchen McHugh; serves 2-3

Pack into 2 bags with the trail directions: 1. garic, tomato paste, dried vegetables, flavoring; 2. pasta. Carry in general provisions: butter or oil, parmesan cheese.

  1. Smash garlic cloves with the flat of your knife, slip them out of their skins, and chop them. Cook in 2 tsp. butter or oil for a momemtn but don't let them brown.
  2. Add teh rest of the tomato bag, and 1 cup water with tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 15 min. Add more water if the sauce is too thick. Cover and set aside.
  3. Cook pasta by adding it to a pot of boiling water, bringing it back to a boil, and cooking 5 min. or until done. Drain it and serve with the sauce and cheese, either grated or cut up on top.

Spaghetti and White Clam Sauce

The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking, Gretchen McHugh; serves 2

Put into 2 small bags then package with the can of clams and the trail directions: 1. garlic, parsley, and flour; 2. pasta. Carry margarine separately.

  1. Open the can of clams. Cut garlic cloves into pieces.
  2. Melt 2 tsp. margarine in a pan. Add garlic and cook a few min. over low heat. Add parsley and 1/2 tsp. flour; cook for 3-4 min. but do not brown.
  3. Add the clams and juice, increase heat to boil the mixture, then simmer, stirring a few min. until thickened.
  4. Set aside while you cook the pasta. Drain pasta and serve with clam sauce, reheated if necc.

Spaghetti Carbonara

The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking, Gretchen McHugh; serves 3-4

Put into 4 baggies with trail directions: 1. pasta; 2. garlic, bacon and parsley; 3. parmesan cheese; 4. dry milk

  1. In a cup mix 1 tsp. dry milk w/ 1/2 cup water. Have the flour handy.
  2. Boil a pot of water, cook the pasta 5 min or until just done, drain, and keep warm if possible.
  3. Chop garlic cloves. IN a frying pan heat 2-3 tsp. oil, cook the garlic a min over medium heat. Add the bacon, parsley, and 1 tsp. flour. Cook about 2 more min. Be careful not to burn. Add the 1/2 cup milk and stir.
  4. Add the drained pasta and 1/2 cup grated cheese and toss. Season w/ salt and pepper.

Note: to use a raw egg, omit the milk and flour. Add the egg to the cooked drained pasta along with the bacon mixture, and toss. Then mix in the cheese.

Chicken Dishes

Curried Couscous with Chicken

by Marcia Moriarta; serves 3-4

Follow directions on the Near East box or: bring water to a boil (check the box for amount of water); add the couscous, chicken and raisins; let stand for 5 min before serving.

Dehli Chicken with Rice

The ONe Pan Gourmet, Dan Jacobson; serves 2-3

Heat oil in pan. Add onion and saute until brown. Add chicken and brown. Sprinkle flour, giner,m and curry powder into pan and stir. Add honey, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, and water. Simmer for 5 min. Add rice and carrots. Stir and simmer uncovered for another 20-25 min. if using fresh chicken, or 5-10 if using canned chicken and quick rice.

Red and Green Chicken

The ONe Pan Gourmet, Dan Jacobson; serves 2-3

Over medium flame, heat pot. Melt margarine and brown onions. Add paprika and chicken and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes (or heat canned chicken through for a few mintues). Add water, salt, pepper, and remaining veggies. Cover and cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add cream cheese, a lump at a time, until it melts and mixes into the sauce. Serve with chunks of sourdough or other heavy grain bread. IT really goes well with pasta, which you can precook at home.

Chicken a la King

The Hungry Hiker's Book of Good Cooking, Gretchen McHugh; serves 4-6

  1. Boil 2 1/2 cups water, add the noodles, and cook 5 min or until just done. Stir in chicken with juice; add peas, 1/2 cup dry milk, and a pinch of thyme and parsley. Take off the heat.
  2. In another pot, melt 3 tsp. margarine. Add 3 tsp. flour and cook over low heat for a minute. Add contents of rist pot and stir vigorously. Cook a few minutes until thick, adding a little water as needed.

Sticky Chicken

The One Pan Gournet, Dan Jacobson; serves 2-3

Combine all ingredients in pan and cook over medium flame until chicken is cooked.

Others

Poor Excuse for Mexican Burritos

Jun Sunserir; serves 2-3

  • 1 can straight chicken chili
  • 1 can Trader Joe's no fat black beans
  • grated cheddar or Monterey Jack (pepper jack for spicy version)
  • chopped green and red bell peppers
  • choppped onion
  • whole wheat tortillas
  • as a side, 1 package instant Spanish rice
  • Refried Beans and Tortillas

    The NOLS Cookery; serves 2-3

  • 1 1/2 cups dried black bean flakes
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 tbs. tomato powder
  • chesse cubes
  • 1 tbs. dried onions
  • chili powder, salt, pepper, and cumin for taste
  • tortillas
  • oil or margarine for frying
  • hot sauce or picante
  • Put bean powder, tomato powder, rehydrated onions and water into large pan. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook until thickened. Add seasonings. When beans are done, you can add cheese, cover and set aside, or add cheese later as you make up individual servings. Fry tortillas on both sides in a small amount of oil or margarine; the longer you fry them the crispier they get. Spoon beans onto tortillas. Add sunflower seeds or cooked red and green peppers if desired; sprinkle with hot sauce or picante.

    Fry Bread

    The NOLS Cookery; serves 2 (if you double this portion, cook half at a time)

  • 1 3/4 - 2 cups flour (a mix of wheat and white is good)
  • 2 tbs. yeast
  • 1 tbs. salt
  • 1 tbs. sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • oil for frying
  • Mix all ingredients except flour. Let stand 5 min. Add flour and knead until smooth. Let rise. (To use next morning, put dough into plastic bag, squeezing out air, tie knot in bag; put into another bag left untied. Sleep with dough overnight to keep it warm.) Heat oil in fry pan. Flatten dough into a fat tortilla 1/2 inch thick. Fry bread on both sides. Serve with a spread of honey/brown sugar, margarine, and cinnamon. How much oil you use for frying determines the crust and texture of this bread. Real fry bread uses a lot of oil, but it is not necessary and cuts down on fat to just oil the pan.

    Omelet/Crepe

    The NOLS Cookery; serves 1

  • 2 tbs. powdered egg
  • 1 tbs. powdered milk
  • 1 tbs. baking mix (see below)
  • about 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tbs. potato pearls
  • 1 tbs. dried onions
  • 1 tbs. soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup cheese, cubed or grated
  • 1 tbs. margarine
  • In a bowl mix dry egg, milk and baking mix together. Add water gradually, stirring to keep it from lumping. Pour a small amount of hot water over onions and let rehydrates. Melt 1 tbs. margarine in hot frying pan. Pour in egg mixture and swirl around so it covers the entire bottom of pan. Cover and cook over medium to low heat. It will set quickly. In a bowl mix potato pearls, drained onions, and cheese with enough hot water to make a smooth mixture. Stir in the soy sauce. Spread this over half the omelet. Fold other side over potatoes and cook a minutes to heat up. Try this with a few drops of hot sauce or picante.

    Sierra Adare's Baking Mix

    Cream of Peanut Soup

    Dumplings

    Cashew Rice Curry

    Black Beans and Rice

    Parmy Shrooms 'n' Noodles

    Basic Cooked Bugs

    Baked Sliced Potato