Month: September 2017

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Roasted Tomato Dip

Roasted Tomato Dip

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Dehydration Time: 5 to 7 hours
Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

1 small red onion
1/4 cup white onion
1 clove garlic
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried mild chili
1 teaspoon fresh coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon lime zest (optional)
1 cup cooked beans

Directions:

At Home: Preheat oven to 180ºC. Mince the shallot and onion. Cut the garlic and tomatoes in half. Put the shallot, onion, garlic and tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for 45 minutes stirring occasionally. The tomatoes will start to brown and become very soft. Remove from the oven and let the mixture cool.

Process the tomato mixture in a blender or food processor with the rest of the ingredients and pulse until well mixed. Place the blended mixture on a solid sheet on a dehydrator and dehydrate for 5 to 7 hours. When dry, crush to powder with a food processor then store in an airtight container or a ziploc bag.

At Camp: To reconstitute, add 1½ parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 or 10 minutes and then add a little more water if necessary. Mix thoroughly and enjoy with your favorite bread or cracker.

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Minestrone

Dehydrated Minestrone

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Courtesy of A Fork in the Trail

Dehydration Time: 7–10 hours

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 potato, peeled and cubed
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 tablespoons celery leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups canned tomatoes (with juice)
1 tablespoon parsley
1 sprig fresh rosemary
30 grams Parmesan cheese rind
450 grams Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
3 cups low-sodium beef or vegetable stock
2 cups tinned beans
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

At Home: Add the onions, carrots, potatoes, and celery to a large the pot and stir. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add the celery leaves and garlic and sauté for another minute. Add the tomatoes, parsley, rosemary, and cheese rind and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add the Swiss chard and 2 cups of the stock. Purée half of the beans with 1 cup remaining stock in a blender or food processor. Pour into the pot and simmer until the potatoes are cooked. Then add the remaining whole beans to the pot and heat through. Remove the cheese rind and the rosemary sprig. Allow the soup to cool.

Measure the soup and write this measurement on a sticky note. Pour the soup onto lined dehydrator trays and dry for 7 to 10 hours or until no moisture remains. Put the dried soup in a ziplock freezer bag along with the sticky note.

At Camp: Add enough boiling water to the soup mix to equal the measurement on your sticky note. Do not add the water first or you will have too much liquid. Once the soup has rehydrated, heat it through and serve. Garnish the soup with some shaved Parmesan.

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Tuna Bagel with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

Tuna Bagel with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

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Tuna Bagel with Black Bean and Corn Salsa

courtesy of A Fork in the Trail

Bagels survive well in a backpack. The hint of lime in the salsa complements the tuna; chicken would also work well in this wrap.

Ingredients:

½ cup frozen corn, thawed

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ cup salsa

¼ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can tuna

2 multigrain bagels

Directions:

At Home: Mix corn, lime juice, salsa, and black beans together. Spread the mixture on lined dehydrator trays and dry for 5 to 10 hours. Place the dried salsa in a ziplock bag. Pack your can of tuna separately. Wrap and pack two bagels in plastic wrap and place them in the ziplock bag with the other ingredients.

At Camp: Take out your tuna. Add warm water to the salsa mixture, using a little less water than dried mix. Once rehydrated, add the tuna to the salsa mixture and place ¼ of the mixture on each half of the bagel. Serve open faced.

Tip: If you are planning to have this for lunch on the trail, add cold water to the salsa mixture at breakfast, and it’ll be ready by the time you stop for lunch.

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Sunny Garlic Hummus

Sunny Garlic Hummus

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courtesy of A Fork in the Trail

Hummus is one of the easiest things to make for a trail lunch, and this one has the sunny flavor of oranges.

Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas – rinsed and drained
¼ cup orange juice
½ teaspoon lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1 heaping teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons tahini
Pinch pink Himalayan salt
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

At Home: Combine and blend all the ingredients using a food processor or blender until you have a thick paste. Spread evenly on lined dehydrator trays, keeping the mixture about 6 mm thick. Dry for 5 to 7 hours or until the mixture crumbles and is thoroughly dry. Store in a medium ziplock freezer bag.

At Camp: Rehydrate the hummus using a formula of 1 1/2 parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 to 10 minutes and then add a little more water if it’s too dry. Serve as a dip with Greek pitas or your favorite crackers or use as a spread in a wrap.

Tip: If you need to increase your fat intake for cold-weather hiking, drizzle a little olive oil on the hummus just before you eat it.

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Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad

Mediterranean Garbanzo Bean Salad

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courtesy of A Fork in the Trail

Dehydration Time: 8–12 hours

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
¼ cup shallots, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red chilies (optional)
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Segments of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cups canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
½ cup green olives, pitted and chopped
½ teaspoon mixed spices
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
A pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

At Home
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shallots and sauté for a few minutes. Add the crushed red chilies, orange zest, orange juice, and orange segments. Cook for a few more minutes and then add the lemon juice, chickpeas, olives, and spices. Simmer for a few minutes and then remove from the heat. Stir in the pepper and salt.

Allow the mixture to cool and then measure the amount you will dry. Write this measurement on a sticky note. Spread the salad on lined dehydrator trays to dry and dry at 50 – 55 degrees for 8-12 hours. When the salad is dry, package it in a ziplock freezer bag along with your note.

At Camp
Rehydrate the salad by adding enough boiling water to the mix to make it equal to the measurement on your sticky note. Be sure to account for and add your dried ingredients to the rehydration container prior to adding the water. You can always add more water if you need to. Once the salad has rehydrated, reheat it if desired.

Tips

If you’d like to have this recipe for lunch, you can add cold water to the mixture at breakfast and let it rehydrate in your pack as you travel.

This is also good for dinner served on couscous or quinoa that has been cooked with a little vegetable stock or orange juice or with pitas that have been toasted, drizzled with a little olive oil.

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Citrus Lentil Salad

Citrus Lentil Salad

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courtesy of A Fork in the Trail

Dehydration Time: 5 to 7 hours
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Salad Mixture
1 cup of canned green lentils – rinsed and well drained
1 small carrot – coarsely grated
2 cloves garlic – minced
3 tablespoons celery leaves – chopped
⅓ cup roasted red pepper – chopped in 1/4 inch pieces
⅛ cup fresh chives or scallions – chopped
⅛ cup fresh parsley – chopped
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon zest
salt and pepper – to taste
3 tablespoons of crumbled feta cheese

Dressing
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried sweet basil

Directions:

At Home: Combine all of the salad ingredients except for the dressing in a medium bowl. Spread out the salad mixture on lined dehydrator trays and dry for 5 to 7 hours. Time will depend on the type of dehydrator that you have. If your unit has a temperature control, set it for 57°C. Place the lemon juice and olive oil in a leak proof container. Pack the cayenne, cumin and sweet basil in plastic wrap or a small zipper bag. Place the salad, bottle and spice packet inside a medium zipper bag and seal, making sure to remove as much air as possible.

At Camp: Rehydrate the salad using a formula of ⅕ parts dried mix to 1 part water. Wait 5 or 10 minutes and then add a little more water if needed. If you accidentally use too much water, be sure to drain the salad well before adding the dressing. Combine the contents of the spice packet to the bottle containing the olive oil and lemon juice mixture. Shake vigorously and then pour the dressing on the hydrated salad. Stir gently to combine.

Serving Suggestions: Serve the salad on its’ own, with lightly toasted Greek pitas, or use as a filling for a pita pocket.

Notes
Storage: If you plan to make this well ahead of a trip then do not make the oil and lemon mixture until closer to when you will leave. You can store the dried ingredients in the freezer for 6 months. Place the name and date on the outside of the freezer bag, using an indelible marker, and do not forget to put a comment about adding the dressing on the bag.

Roasted Red Peppers: to roast peppers place them on a baking sheet in a 170 C oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool before peeling off the skin. You can also grill them until the skin starts to blacken and peel. You can buy roasted red peppers, packed in oil, at the supermarket. Just give them a little rinse first.

Celery Leaves: Many people do not realise that the leaves found on the celery stalks are good for use in salads and other dishes. Celery leaves impart a mild celery flavor. Most often, the leaves are at the top of the celery; however, if you look closely you will sometimes find them hidden in the centre of the stalks.