Backcountry Gourmet? Any must-have Recipes for the trail?

[Al]

Sorry for the minor thread tangent but I can't resist a chance to express how much I LOATHE that store! Why? Because it's a hoax (they sell a lot of overpriced, crap food there) and the attitudes of the regular clientele and employees SUCK. I've given this place many chances over the years, as recent as last Sunday, and I'm always disappointed. 

I can find great prices on healthy foods at my local H-E-BUTT. 

Me too, BUTT there are certain items that require periodic trips to WF or Central Market.

Al

Remember Central Market is HE-BUTT, but just expensive. Great bakery though. Their pepper-jack bread is killer!

Yup, Central Market is H. E. BUTT's answer to Whole Paycheck.  It always amazes me when I see someone using CM to buy normal grocery items considering you can buy the exact same stuff much cheaper at HEB.  (I also find it interesting that one must always show their drivers license to write a check at CM unlike HEB) BUTT you are absolutely right about their bakery.  We love their breakfast and nine-grain with honey breads.

Al

[Homer67]

I dig the Buda HEB!  I do dig the Bear Creek dehydrated soups...I was surprised at how ok they are.

The couscous sounds like a good idea! I dig fajitas, but that's what we go to Terlingua for.  We do carry eggs!  Good, wholesome yummy eggs!  I dig a fried egg on some toast with some fried spam and a big slice of tomato for breakfast.

Spam is trail gourmet for me, I do not know why.

[Al]

Back on topic:  Tabouli Mix:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sadaf-Tabouli-Mix-9-oz/10801644 *

bring some oil and a lemon.  Hydrates in cold water.  No heating.

Use the stove to fry some veggie burgers and jalapenos.   

Al

* Even available from Walmart!

[championbaum]

pack it gourmet. its an austin, tx company, seriously good food. not tolerable, really good. they have a burger wrap that is great, and the chicken and dumplings was so good i was licking the bag. best dehydrated/freeze dried food i have had. they also have individual ingredients, dehydrated vegetables, freeze dried meats, individual packs of humus, olive oil, A1, etc.

plus 1 for couscous.

[chisos muse]

Champion is right....I have heard nothing but good things about Packit Gourmet. I know that you're trying to be creative, Reece....but sometimes one becomes tired and starving and just doesn't want to fuss. You may want to take one along just in case! 

[Cookie]

pack it gourmet. its an austin, tx company, seriously good food. not tolerable, really good. they have a burger wrap that is great, and the chicken and dumplings was so good i was licking the bag. best dehydrated/freeze dried food i have had. they also have individual ingredients, dehydrated vegetables, freeze dried meats, individual packs of humus, olive oil, A1, etc.

plus 1 for couscous.

Champion is right....I have heard nothing but good things about Packit Gourmet. I know that you're trying to be creative, Reece....but sometimes one becomes tired and starving and just doesn't want to fuss. You may want to take one along just in case! 

We tracked down some Packit gourmets at Good Sports in SA. We were hoping to  get some dinners for our trip coming up in February, but they mainly had breakfast items in stock. We did buy the larger 7.6 oz American Burger.
ChampionBaum-was this the size you bought to eat, and was it plenty of food? It says 2 servings, did that make 2 tacos for ya? I guess I am wondering if it is worth it for the price. If that size is really only for 1 person to eat two tacos, and it cost us $12, is it really worth it to pay twice as much as a mountain house?

~Cookie

[mule ears]

I too must insist on real food for dinner or at least better than prepackaged like Mtn. House. 

I like to use the Lipton/Knorr Sides packages for the rice or pasta with veggies and then amend with foil packaged meats (chicken, shrimp, tuna, etc.) or canned meats if I can't find the foil pouches.  Generally it's bring them to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or so.  Have to have a stove that will simmer.  A "side" and a package of meat is two generous servings.

Several favorites are:
1. Chicken Curry-  Chicken flavored vegetable/rice side with pouch of chicken, curry and dried milk powder add chopped peanuts at the end before serving/eating. That would be this one (this was a lot for 3 people using two "sides" packs)



2.  Mahatma Red Beans and Rice with some summer sausage chopped up in it, this one takes supposedly 20 minutes to simmer but you can go for less and let it sit while rehydrating.  This is a lot of food especially for two and I usually save it for the last meal when we are really hungry. 

3.  Lipton/Knorr Asian Chicken fried rice with package of Teriyaki flavored Tuna.

4.  Different brands of a Risotto mix with a can of chopped green chiles and either turkey or chicken.

A little pita bread (doesn't crush or crumble as bad as most breads and is very compact) is used to swab the inside of the pot out and then just boil the water for the evenings hot drink and the dishes are done!

[dprather]

My backpacking buddy makes "Gritty Gravy."  He takes a package of instant grits and adds some instant gravy mix along with some bacon bits.  Just add boiling water.

[dkerr24]

Some great ideas here, guys! 

I know most of the MH dinners are pretty lame, but a couple of the Mountain House dinners that actually are pretty good is the Spaghetti and the BBQ beef.  I just bring along some flat bread to make 'sloppy joes' with the BBQ beef.

Darin

[TexasAggieHiker]

I like the Mountain House meals.  There's a lot of different flavors and almost all of them taste really good.  Plus where water is an issue like the desert they are great.  1.5-2 cups water and eat them right out of the pouch with a long handle spoon.  No dirty dishes or pots for clean up!

[TedMT]

Taste Adventure Soup. It's available at most bulk and health places. I buy it in 10-pound boxes at www.tasteadventure.com. It's not "backpacker food" per se, but is ideal for the purpose.

On the trail, I find myself reaching for the food in my pack that is easiest to prepare, and this stuff is a snap.

They have Black Bean, Split Pea, Curry Lentil, and Corn Chowder (which is actually yellow-split pea based). Whole food, no unpronounceable ingredients, no MSG, and it's ultralight. You don't need to simmer it, just add it to hot water, cover it and let it sit.  In a pinch you wouldn't even need to heat water -- just let it sit long enough to absorb. You can add other things (although you *would* then need to heat it) like couscous, instant brown rice, pasta, and dehydrated soup veggies. It's low-fat, so if you want to make it a heavier meal bring Crisco or something [ulp!].

[Homer67]

We did the Mahatma Red Beans and rice with summer sausage!

[steelfrog]

As someone who, when we went 5 days hiking in Yosemite high country, as eating flour tortillas with whey protein powder wrapped inside (Ugggg!), the MH dinners can be great!  Especially hot--they have a pouch that you pour water into that has a chemical reaction causing the water to boil; you put the MH meal in there and it gets essentially boiled.  No pots, etc.  The boil bags are re-usable.