What does a vegan cookbook have to do with trail cooking? Well maybe something…..and it can be delicious! Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Survival Guide is an easy to use cookbook that while aimed at those on the go, emergency planning and car camping can be also adapted to backpacking. The recipes rely on canned items and such items as vegetable broth, all of which can be adapted as mentioned. A can of beans dries easily, lower sodium bouillon powder for broth and there you go. A recipe with non-dairy milk one can use soy or rice milk powder. And many of the recipes call for dehdyrated vegetables up front. And if you are car camping or doing a road trip? Well with very little effort you can eat well! And even for the meat lovers out there, if you are planning an emergency box/bin for home or car, there are very good and long term shelf stable ideas here…and don’t forget – in most cases food without meat or dairy lasts a LOT longer. And is quite delicious. And cheaper.

One recipe that is ready for use for backpacking is a potato peanut soup using easy to find items for a quick dinner. I adapted the recipe a bit to make it a one pot meal with only one pot to dirty.

Flaky Potato-Peanut Soup (page 120)

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp vegetable bouillon (regular or lower sodium)
• 1 cup instant potato flakes (instant mashed potatoes, plain type)
• ½ cup peanut butter (preferably natural style!)
• ¼ tsp celery salt
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Directions:

In a large pot bring 4 cups water and the bouillon powder to a boil, stir in the potato flakes until well blened, turn the stove down to a low flame. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth, add the seasonings to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes over a very low flame.

Divide between 2-3 people, sprinkled with nuts on top.  – Add some biscuits or bread to dip in and you have a meal!

PS: The author, Jon Robertson, also has a blog to check out.

~Sarah

That has spilled over into hiking – once you make your own raw “energy” bars you won’t want to buy another overpriced (and semi-stale) bar unless you are lazy or have run out of time! There are good commercially made bars but finding them is a real issue – especially when they run $1 to 4 a BAR.

I buy the majority of the ingredients I use at home and on trail at Costco – something I never thought I would be using my membership for. Nuts and fruits are not cheap but at least more affordable there – and they are way more cheaper than buying premade bars!! Not only that, but they tend to be fresher, due to the high rate of turn-over. Once home I store the nuts tightly sealed in the refrigerator till needed. The other items I use vary from the grocery store to Whole Foods or similar for getting them. Make just what you need, right before you need them for the best results (and freshness) and keep tightly wrapped and sealed. (PS: Costco has the best juiciest Medjool dates in the produce department. They are beyond good.)

The one downside is you need a food processor to handle the ingredients. The food processor that sat collecting dust in a cupboard is now being used almost daily in our kitchen. If you don’t have one see if you can borrow one!

Ideas to get you going:

Date Walnut Energy Bars

Raw Chocolate Cherry Brownies

Flourless Chocolate Cake

These Easy Nut and Chocolate Truffles can be adapted to be healthier:

Chocolate Energy Balls

Raisin and Almond Bars

Chocolate Chia Energy Bars

There will be more coming – it is an interesting way of eating to say the least.

~Sarah

From Scratch Biscuit Mix

- no shortening, can be made vegan friendly with dry soy milk powder added. Use it as the base for both savory and sweet recipes. It is not only easy to make but fab tasting!

Pecan Chicken Noodle Soup

- This recipe is FBC, Insulated mug and One pot method friendly. It can be made without the pecans for a light, lemony soup (very tasty!) or heartier (the nuts add 200 calories!) with the pecans.

~Sarah

Vegetable Rice Soup and Veggie Soup.

~Sarah

This meal serves 2 massive portions. If having it for breakfast it really could serve 3. It would also make a nice lunch and could be done no-cook if you add the water an hour or so before to soak.

For long hiking by all means drizzle in a Tablespoon or packet of extra virgin olive oil for a bit more fat – though this recipe does have a good hit of nutrients from the almonds.

For two servings total the stats for each person is:

445 Calories / 9 grams Fat / 13 grams Protein / 15 grams Fiber / 1,100 mg Sodium. (Sadly, due to the boxed mix is why the sodium is so high. You can see why we left the extra salt out!)

The recipe dry weighs in at 8.6 ounces.

Cranberry Almond Tabouli.

Ingredients used: Fantastic Foods Tabouli mix, dried cranberries and unsalted almonds. You can also find other brands such as Casbah in many grocery stores. Often hidden in the “ethnic” aisle or with couscous.

Packed and ready to go, I diced the nuts up in my mini food chopper, making them easier to eat as they blend into the meal:

Easy to cook, it is ready in 10 minutes sit time with just boiling water:

The recipe is archived on TrailCooking.

For the cranberries I used Sun Maid brand. They are big, soft and very tasty!

~Sarah

Veghead Couscous Pilaf.

Tomatoes, mushrooms, seasoning and couscous ready to go:

It only takes 10 minutes to prepare!

We have included the 3 methods of preparing it on TrailCooking.

~Sarah

We parked outside the main gate on the road there and road walked to the “trailhead”, crossing the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River.

The “trail” is the old logging road not that it resembles anything of a road in most parts. Narrow and very steep it shoots for the top. It is mostly a stream bed, highly eroded – the “one rock to a boulder to a rock” hiking. This bridge is over a stream. Two planks left – choose your wobbly one to cross on.

We found the turnoff for the “balcony” but decided to not go up the trail. It isn’t well marked (there is a rusty piece of logging equipment next to it) but the side trail was snow covered and we didn’t know what the trail would be like. So instead we stayed on the main “trail” and went up higher into an open area where the sun was to have lunch. We found a wide spot to take a break.

I worked on a recipe that had come to me the night before, a one pot pasta and vegetables dish.

Getting the water boiling in my Soloist Set:

The mix gently boiling:

Ready to eat – Ford ate his half and was wondering why I wouldn’t give him mine…..

The view across the way. Down below would be I-90 though you couldn’t hear it.

Dicentra cooking her lunch:

Ford getting ready to head back down. The clouds were starting to come in, the weather change was pretty obvious by 2 pm or so. It had also started to get colder.

Road walking back to the car near the end, the ridge way far across, looking South.

And the recipe?

One Pot Pasta and Vegetables

In a sandwich bag:

4-ounces small pasta (7 minute cook time)

1/4 cup freeze-dried or dehydrated crumbled mushrooms

1/4 cup freeze-dried green beans

1/4 cup freeze-dried sliced zucchini

2 Tbsp diced sun-dried tomatoes

2 tsp Mushroom Truffle Hunt seasoning mix

1/4 tsp diced dried garlic

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Also take:

1 Tbsp Italian style dry bread crumbs

1 Tbsp or packet extra virgin olive oil

Shelf stable Parmesan cheese

One pot method:

Bring 2 cups water and the oil to a boil. Add in the bag of dry ingredients and return to a boil. Lower the heat and gently boil for 7 minutes, stirring often. You will want to keep the pot’s lid at an angle to prevent splattering.

Turn off the stove and let sit covered for a couple minutes. Add in the bread crumbs and toss, then add in as much cheese as you like and toss again.

Serves 1 normal appetite or two small ones for lunch. To serve two, consider adding in a 7-ounce pouch of chicken breast with the water/oil at the start.

~Sarah

You really have to love mushrooms for this soup – a bonus is that you can use any type from white to whatever exotic dried ones you might have around.Many grocery stores now carry a wide range of dried delicacies in their produce department.

This isn’t a super filling soup, rather it works better as a starter or as a light lunch. In winter though you need to stay hydrated and this soup will encourage you to drink up.

You can make it more filling by using it as a sauce over rice/couscous and adding Parmesan cheese if you like. The recipe itself is very low sodium so add salt to taste!

Mushroom Soup

In a sandwich bag:

1 cup dried mushrooms, slightly crumbled (pre-sliced)

In a snack bag:

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tsp low sodium bouillon (vegetable, chicken or beef)

1/2 tsp dried lemon zest

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp diced dried garlic

Also take:

1 packet or 1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Add cool water to cover the mushrooms. Seal bag tightly and let sit for at least 5 minutes, though 15 to 30 minutes is better. When ready drain off the remaining broth into a mug and set aside.

Heat the oil in your pot over a low flame, add in the mushrooms and cook for a minute or so, constantly stirring. Add in the flour mixture and stir till combined.

Add in the mushroom broth and stir till smooth. To that add in about 1 1/2 cups cool water. Stir well, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower to low flame, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir periodically.

Turn off the stove, season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool if needed.

Serves 2 as a starter or small lunch.

~Sarah

This recipe is archived at Trail Cooking.

Cheezy Rice and Vegetables

In a quart freezer bag:
1 1/2 cups instant rice
1/2 cup freeze-dried vegetable blend
1/2 tsp Italian herb blend
Pinch salt if desired

In a sandwich bag:
2/3 cup dry soy milk powder
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp granulated garlic
Ground black pepper and salt, to taste

In a snack bag:
3 Tbsp cornstarch

Directions:
Bring 2 cups water to a near boil. Add to freezer bag rice. Stir well, seal tightly and put in a cozy for 15 minutes.
Add 1/4 cup cool water to the cornstarch bag and dissolve (seal and shake the bag carefully). Set aside.
Add 1 3/4 cups water to your pot with the dry ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring until dissolved. Add the cornstarch mix, stirring constantly, let it cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens.
Serve the sauce over the rice.

Serves 2.

~Sarah

The “cheese” mix will work for topping a number of items from pasta to rice to using as a ‘gravy’ for other items.

The recipe will be archived in the Trail Cooking pages.

‘Cheese’ Sauce Base
Ingredients:
3 cups organic raw cashews (broken pieces work fine)
2 cups nutritional yeast
1 tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp granulated garlic
3 Tbsp onion powder (not onion salt)
1/2 cup organic cornstarch
Directions:

In a dry blender whirl the nuts till they are very fine.  Add everything else and blend well.

Store tightly covered in your refrigerator for up to 2 months.

To use:

Add 1/2 cup mix to 1 cup of water in a small pot, whisk over heat till thickened. Salt to taste as desired.

Vegan One Pot Mac & Cheese

In a snack bag pack:

1/2 cup ‘Cheese’ Sauce mix

In a sandwich bag:
8 ounces small pasta

Directions:
Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2L pot. Cook pasta for time on pasta package. Turn the heat down to low and drain pasta carefully. Stash the pasta in a bowl.

Add 1 cup water to the ‘Cheese’ mix in your pot. Turn up the heat on your stove and whisk till the sauce thickens up. Toss the pasta with sauce and serve.

Serves 2.

~Sarah