I picked up some of the Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, in the always convenient single serving packs. What is nice is it takes less kneading than the traditional nut butters require, it is also more fluid so it comes out of the packet easily with no ‘left behinds’. Justin’s is a ‘natural’ style product meaning that it will separate over time.

As I opened the packet I wondered what the texture would be like compared to a certain other chocolate hazelnut spread. What one notices right away is that they are not at the same. Justin’s has texture, a pleasing finely ground nut texture. It is also nowhere as sweet. I have always used Nutella© as a dessert item, perfect for topping cupcakes and going between cakes, or dipping fruit into it. Where as the Justin’s I could see it on sammies or on wraps. The lower sweetness makes it easier to eat bigger amounts. It is also dairy free, which Nutella© isn’t and also is gluten free. It is good stuff, it would be great on a wrap as mentioned, with a sprinkling of granola and a sliced banana. It is also wonderful stirred into rice pudding (hot or cold).

And best of all the packets are slowly but surely showing up in mainstream grocery stores making it easier to find.

~Sarah

The vegan friendly meal is a powerhouse: Cal: 870  Fat: 28g  Sodium: 465g  Carbs: 95g  Protein: 35g – it boasts whole wheat pasta and plenty of chunky walnuts. Easy to make and ready to eat in under 15 minutes. I have found for best results with the whole wheat pasta to add the oil packet and dry ingredients to the water and then bring to a boil. Gives the pasta a little extra help (the directions state to add the dry ingredients to boiling water).

The single serving bag is huge and will easily fill up even the hungriest man. If you have a smaller appetite you can easily split it between two with maybe a nice hunk of bread with it. The flavor is robust and not of the normal ‘commercial meals’ type. If you like organic non-dairy foods you will like this one. And beyond that – the sodium level on this meal is stellar!

~Sarah

Sun-dried Tomato Basil Mozzarella? It is fantastic melted into rice and coating pasta. Really really really GOOD.

Queso Fresco & Chipolte? Spread it on tortillas, then add your rice and beans for an amazing trail burrito! It is mildly spicy, just enough to jazz up a boring dish but not overpower it.

They also added a new Blue Cheese flavor which I haven’t had the chance to try out yet. Hopefully soon, it looks like it would be a great addition to creamy soups.

~Sarah

I tried out the Chickpea Sesame Penne:

The packaging is very minimal – just a thin outer bag. If you like no excessive packaging this is a good choice. It reminds me of Packlite’s packaging. The bag is a shy 6×4″ and 6.5 ounces in weight. Fair warning: the bag is extremely thin. It is thinner than name brand sandwich bags. If you abuse your food in your bear bag/Ursack you could have a fail. So treat them carefully.

The meal prep is very straightforward: boil water, add dry ingredients and included organic oil  to pot, stir well, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Suggestions: Let it sit for 15 minutes. The whole wheat pasta was a bit chewy still at 10 minutes but at 15 was perfect and still piping hot. If you are in cooler weather or above a couple thousand feet use a pot cozy. You could also speed it up by adding everything to the pot and bringing it to a boil, then following the directions for sit time. Or personally? Dump it into a quart freezer bag or a bag from PackitGourmet and do it FBC style. Everything in the meal is dehydrated so it works fine. Just give it 15 minutes sit time in the cozy at minimum.

The meal makes a lot. This is a “fill you up” meal, big enough even for a thru-hiker’s appetite.

Taste? Texture? The whole wheat pasta is nice, it doesn’t have the strong flavor that some types get (which I call the ‘cardboard’ flavor). It is pleasant and has a firm texture. The sauce is plentiful, covering the pasta in a creamy glaze. You won’t miss it not having dairy in it. The sauce for me tasted great but a warning: this may be a little too “granola” for some. If you enjoy salads and other dishes at say Whole Foods deli’s you will love it. If not…well this may not be the company for you. The side bonus is the majority of the ingredients are organic and they do not contain any artificial coloring/flavors or preservatives. I am looking forward to trying out the Basil Walnut Penne next!

~Sarah

See here for the recipe for Honey Mustard Pasta Salad.

Everything ready to go:

The gear used:

Boiling the pasta:

Olives, dressing and pasta being mixed:

Lunch is ready:

Walker asking if we are done yet with lunch?

The recipe can be done either one pot or FBC style, both directions are included.

~Sarah

Up first is the Garden Veggie Couscous which we created as an alternative to a commercial freeze-dried meal. It can be made either with organic or traditional ingredients and is vegetarian friendly.

The meal we based it on ran about $7.50 for a one serving meal. Ours is the one on the right, the commercial meal on the left and cost considerably less.

One Pot Chicken and Pasta is an easy (one pot) recipe that has no draining. It is a hearty meal that will fill up even the hungriest guy!

~Sarah

It is important for it to work that you follow the directions carefully on the yogurt powder. We tried it two ways to see what would happen and if you stray…well, it isn’t pretty. Lumpy is the key description You will also want to consider packing a tiny whisk for best results.

Package the dry yogurt powder in a quart size bag. In a small bag pack the guar gum. You will also want to pack sugar. Add the warm water as called for to the yogurt powder. Whisk until fully mixed, then slowly whisk in the guar gum. You must do it in this order – if you add the guar gum to to yogurt before the water it clumps and lumps up. Keep whisking until fully mixed up and then let sit for at least 5 minutes – it will thicken up nicely. Whisk in sugar to taste.

Fair warning: this isn’t yogurt like many are used to. If you are used to super sweet yogurt that is pudding thick you will want to pass. But if you like Euro style yogurt it could work out great for you!

~Sarah

Chocolate Pudding – an easy to make dessert for one. You can even whip it up in a small Titanium cup!

Fruit Punch Shake – it isn’t for everyone but can be a fun drink.

~Sarah

We prepared the recipe two ways: FBC and one pot styles. The FBC method bag is on top of the FBC Cozy, the sandwich bag for the one pot method is to the right. We used a GSI Soloist pot and a MSR Windpro canister stove for both versions. Add in a lighter and a long handled spoon and off we went. Dry weight of the meal below is 2 ounces.

Cheddar Cheese Soup

3 Tbsp cheddar cheese soup mix

2 Tbsp freeze dried potatoes

1 Tbsp freeze dried tomato chunks

1 Tbsp instant rice

1 tsp dried parsley

1 cup water

The FBC version tucked into the cozy, waiting for hot water. (With FBC use very hot water, just below boiling)

Stove and pot in action.

Once the water was added, it was stirred and sealed tightly. It needed about 10 to 15 minutes and then was ready to eat.

Ready to eat:

For the one pot version we brought the water to a boil, added the dry ingredients, stirred well and turned off the stove. Cover tightly and let sit for 10 minutes. A pot cozy is a good idea for cold temperatures.

Soup is ready to sip on.

Inspired? Want to make more soup recipes? Head on over to Trail Cooking for more! One nice thing about soup in the off season is it helps keep you hydrated which can be an issue in cold temperatures – when you don’t feel thirsty but are.

~Sarah

The Health Bowl was an inspired ‘re-do’. Another hiker sent me his recipe that he cooks in the traditional way (simmering raw rice and red lentils). This version takes a lot less time and fuel to whip up.We didn’t salt it heavily, so if you try this vegan friendly option out, do salt to taste. We used on of my favorite lower sodium veg friendly bouillon’s by Vogue Cuisine.

I noticed there was an older recipe on our blog that had never been put up on Trail Cooking so it was added today.

Corn Salsa Rice and Beans – A vegetarian friendly dish that uses dehydrated corn salsa.

~Sarah