Dehydrated, cold recipes

“I would like to thru-hike the AT VERY light and VERY fast. I doubt I will break any records, but I would like to push myself physically yet still enjoy myself. I don't mind eating cold meals and will send the food to myself along the way. Breakfast, snacks, and lunch are pretty much taken care of. Dinner is a different story. I am vegan and want to make sure I eat enough and eat healthy.
I figured dehydrated meals are the way to go, but I have read reconstituting the dehydrated vegetables takes heat and therefore more time (getting more fuel, heating the food, cleaning up the baked-on stuff, etc.) and weight (fuel, stove, pot). Water can be easily replaced on this trail.

Let me know if anyone knows of any recipes that use dehydrated foods and require no heat.

I do still plan on carrying a lighter for an emergency.

Thanks”

“I've heard of people soaking veggies all day in their packs, like beans and such, but i've never tried it.

going without any meat on the AT you'll have to really be careful of your protein intake.

Why the rush? I think I'd get really bored with the food not having any hot meals. Hot meals have a tremendous restorative effect.”

“I may have do several test runs in the next couple weeks. If I can't find enough recipes that would satisfy my hunger and nutrition needs, I will cancel doing the AT quickly and just break out the stove and enjoy it slowly.
Oh, I didn't mention. I am an endurance athlete (ultramarathons), and I thought the AT would provide the ultimate test. I also thought about doing adventure racing in the future, but don't worry I am very careful about my protein intake, as well as my vitamins and nutrients.

Thanks for your input”

“ah, i see - something of a 'training hike'.

Theres a couple of peeps on here that do some adventure racing.

Good luck with it. You might could do a couple of weeks at a stretch on the 'fast and light' method and then pick up different food for the next couple of weeks.”

“you an eat ramen noodles cold (throw packet away), just add dehydrated veggies and let the both soak for a while 1-2 hrs, then drain and add ranch or some other type of dressing. Reminds me of a pasta salad.”

“It's been around for awhile, but check out the book, "The Well-Fed Backpacker." The authors put together a number of recipes--many veggie--not necessarily vegan--not necessarily light weight--but may give you some good ideas.

Best.

PS. I think that's where I got a recipe for dehydrated salad, that worked fairly well.
last edited: 2/18/06 11:52:17 PM”

“Cool. I will try looking for that book and try that ramen thing. Thanks everyone. Anyone got any ideas?”

“I know that this thread is kind of old, but I have some pretty good recipes that Thinkbubelz and I concocted when out west a few weeks ago... It was so hot that we didn't really want to eat hot foods....

I found a product called "Mori-Nu" Silken Tofu-- it comes in a little box, and although it's not a dehydrated food, it is vegetarian.

Here's what I made with it:

Take 2 packs of Ramen Noodles,
discarding the packet of MSG-laden soup mix...

Soak the 2 pkg of Ramen Noodles in 2 quart-sized Ziplock baggies (I crunch the noodles up first before putting in the bag--add just enough water to barely cover the noodles and you won't have to drain too much off.)

Some dehydrated "Just veggies" will also give extra flavor and texture. ** For an extra taste and texture treat, if you happen to have a few fresh veggies such as carrots and celery, you can add them, too. ** (You will want to add the Just Veggies while soaking the noodles.)

After the noodles (and veggies) have soaked up the water, drain off any excess water (or leave a little if you plan to keep the noodles overnight--they will continue to expand--and you won't be wasting water that way)

Instead of the flavoring packets, I add some dried leeks, garlic and a little salt & pepper (you could probably add some cayenne if you want something spicy). If I do happen to use the flavoring packets, I only use 1/2 per pack of ramen to cut down on Sodium and MSG....

Next, Open the box of Mori-Nu Silken Tofu--We used the "Chinese Spice" or the "Miso" flavored ones-- the benefit to this is that you don't have to add a lot of extra spices because either type is quite flavorful
Drain off the small amount of excess liquid (or add it to the noodles if you wish)

Cube or Mash up the Tofu split it between both bags and add to the noodles.

Note that this recipe is really for 2 people, or 1 really hungry hiker!

Enjoy! :-)

I'm usually not a huge fan of Ramen, but created in this manner, it tastes surprisingly delicious!

I haven't attempted to dehydrate the tofu, so I'm not sure how that would taste (or what kind of texture it would have--I have a feeling it might be a bit rubbery or leathery unless you make the pieces very small....)

If you can stand the extra pack weight, however, the nice thing about the Mori-Nu is that it is packaged so that it can be stored at room temperature AND you don't even need to season it! ;-)”

“Mountain House sells a breakfast meal called Granola and Blueberries. You just add some cold water and it's like a cereal. I can't remember the calories, but it is high in protein and carbs. I've had it a few times and really liked it. That coming from someone who is not crazy about cereals.”

“Hey Pink, that is good tofu :-) And yep, don't dry it. It gets hard, rock hard! While it will come back, it will take hal;f a day of soaking the &^%$ stuff! Better to take the shelf stable tofu :-)”

“i've eaten it also mds...i liked it..and i hate most cold breakfasts”

“Hey Sarbar, I had a feeling that it would become like a concrete block if dehydrated! ;-)
It's good as is, though, and I didn't mind eating it cold. :-) (I'm sure it's even better if warmed up).

There's also a kind of Tofu that's "dried" (you can get it at an Asian Grocery store). --It's a darker brown on the outside, and spongy inside.

However, it's texture may take some getting used to--It's a little like eating a rubber eraser--it's good in stir fries, but I'm not sure I'd want to eat it plain while backpacking--the flavor can be a bit strong as well...

**************

Some other good food finds at the Asian grocery stores--They have instant coffee that already has the cream & sugar in it (in single serve packets).

They also carry a variety of dried fruits, veggies and even dried fish or pork (shredded, so it's like a fluff--easily rehydrated.) All light weight and portable.

Recently, I found some single-serve Salsa Packets by 505 Swouthwestern (and it's certified organic) I'ts about 1-1/2 fluid oz of salsa-- just enough to throw into a cold ramen noodle salad and add a little kick. :-)”

“Here's the link for the 505 salsas.
[url]
http://www.505chile.com/catalog/[/url]

An added bonus is that some flavors are made WITHOUT onion, so those who are sensitive to onions can eat it! :-)”

“Cool, a chili pepper site. That ought to keep me occupied for a while.”

“Hey Pink, at my work we have both instant Thai coffe (3 in 1 style) and instant Thai Iced Tea that is 3 in 1 also. Good stuff :-D All my moochie friends have me bring them the packets.
If ya ever want to try some, drop me an email and I'll send you some packets!
(I work for an Asian importer)”

“Another cool thing --- a portion of 505's sales goes towards breast cancer research!

The ones we tried were pretty tasty and added just enough punch to the ramen to whet our appetites. :-)”

“Hey Sarbar-- I just bought some, and haven't tried it out yet.

What I like, however, is the Rice Vermicelli noodles vs. the Ramen. ;-)

One cool kind of ramen I found at an Indian / Pakastani grocery--they have "Smoodles" which are Ramen noodles with a curry sauce (and I'm talking spicy!)”

“What I love using are Soba noodles (think really thin, and packed kind of similar to ramen). Just no seasoning and they are not fried :-)
Though I do get the Vermicelli noodles at work. Wai Wai brand. One package lasts a year!

What I truly love though are Knorr soup packets from Japan. Think "Cup A Soup" style. They make creamy mushroom, Creamy corn, etc, etc. They are thick and rich. Why we can'thave stuff like that in the US I don't know!”

“sarbar - About every other year my wife and I find we have time to "make" some Christmas presents for our family in addition to the purchased gifts. This year I am thinking of making up some "freezer bag lunches" using some of your recipes. My idea is to make an assortment of meals, package them up and label them very nicely. People could use them at home or take the assortment to work and use as needed.

I will look through your book again, but are there any favorites your would recommend for including in the assortment? One of my daughters is a vegan, so I will especially be looking for some vegan recipes.

Thanks!

Phil”

“Phil, hit my other site for the vegan :-)
http://www.freewebs.com/healthytrailfood/vegan.htm

My favorite of course is Cranberry Rice with chicken :-)
The other one I eat a lot of is the Spring Rice (or whatever I called it!) It is teh one with Knorr Spring Vegetable sou mix, rice and dried hamburger. Yum!”

“sarbar - Thanks!! Nice recipes!! Appreciate the help!”

“Sarbar--
I have to be very careful with packaged soups--my hubby is really sensitive to onions, and we try to avoid MSG as well, so most pre-packed soups are out...

I do love the Trader Joe's instant Miso soup, though-- it even has little cubes of freeze-dried tofu and scallions. Very yummy! ;-)”

“Yeah, I cannot eat them anymore for the most part, but I still love them ;-)
I did come up with a homemade instant soup recipe that i could eat, low in sodium :-)”