Birthday Backpacking

I recently moved to Jackson Hole to be able to more easily pursue an outdoor lifestyle. Which basically means that I am out playing more than I am blogging. The good news is that I have some new recipes and adventures to share now that we are in the off-season.

I turned 30 this past week and my boyfriend, Dan, took me backpacking in the Wind River Range. He also bought me some really awesome collapsible wine glasses to bring on the trip.



They are sturdy and lightweight and pair well with my platypreserve wine storage system or the awesome eco-friendly Bandit wine cartons. Pretty sure we'll be getting a lot of use out of these.

apple curry couscous

(serves 4)

I've adapted this recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers at 101 Cookbooks. Check out Heidi's original recipe to make at home!

4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 medium apple, cored and chopped (or 3 Tbs reconstituted dried apple)
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup couscous
1 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt

*melt 3 tablespoons of the butter, and add the curry powder, garlic powder and cook for a minute or until the spices are fragrant.
*stir in the chopped apples and pine nuts and cook just long enough time for the apples to soften and absorb some of the curry (2 minutes). *scoop the apples from the pan and set aside in a separate bowl.
*add the remaining tablespoon of butter, water and salt to the pan
*bring water to a boil, stir in the couscous, cover and remove from heat
*steam for 5 to 10 minutes and then use a fork to fluff up the couscous
*stir in the apples, pine nuts, and serve!

PRO-TIP: If you have leftovers, you can reheat with a little more butter and cinnamon and eat for breakfast. You could even throw it into some pancake batter. Be adventurous!

Pro Tips: Cold Weather

On cold weather trips pack between 3500-4000 calories or roughly 2- 2 1/2 pounds of food and 1/4 a liter of fuel per person per day.

Take a Hot Water Bottle to bed with you (see the recipe for Sierra Ice Tea).

One-dish meals make clean up easer.

A 0.5 liter nalgene bottle fits well in a beer coozie to double as a thermos. This also tuck nicely inside you jacket as a hand warmer.

To melt snow for water, you need to start with a mix of snow and water in your pan so that you don't scorch anything. And be sure to boil water if you are traveling somewhere were you would normally treat your drinking water.

You'll need to make sure to drink lots of fluids, so pack drink mixes (like gatoraid or emergen-c), soup mixes, as well as coffee, tea, and cocoa. Aim for 3-4 liters a day.

Pro Tips: COFFEE!

Weather its an Alpine start or not, no morning is complete without coffee. There are several options depending on your tastes, space requirements, and hard core factor. I've listed them in order from plush to bare-bones

1. Go really gourmet with fresh ground coffee and the GSI Outdoors Java Press

2. You can make drip coffee using a collapsable drip coffee maker

3. I like to mix up a concoction of instant espresso, powdered milk, and hot cocoa (2:1:1 ratio) in a zip lock baggie before the trip and add a few tablespoons to hot water in the field for camping mochas

4.Starbucks Via instant coffee isn't a bad option (especially with a coupon)

5. cowboy coffee: you can brew coffee by adding grounds to hot water right in your mug or nalgene. makes for some thick drinking so beware!

Quinoa Curry

(Serves 4)

The ancient Aztecs believed that quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wa) was the food of the gods. It is also high in protein and other great nutrients so make it when you need god-like powers for your next outdoor adventure.

2 cups quinoa
2 carrots, sliced thinly
20 snow peas or green beans, cut in thirds
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Tbs chopped ginger
1 cube vegetable bouillon
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the quinoa, bouillon cube, ginger, garlic and carrots in 6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the quinoa has begun to soften and the vegetables are cooked through. Stir in the snow peas or green beans and curry and cayenne and cook a few more minutes over low heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

Pro tip: A wise friend of mine once told me that quinoa is hard to overcook, you will know that it is done when the little tails detach from the heads...

Kickin' Mac n' Cheese

(serves 4)
So good, you might make it at home.

2 cups twirly pasta
1 cup diced pepper jack cheese
4 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
4 Tbs powdered milk
1/4 cup dried sun dried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

*bring 4 cups of water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente ~ 10 minutes
*while pasta is cooking rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes in a little bit of the pasta water
*add 1/4 cup water to the powdered milk
*when the pasta is done cooking remove from heat and stain the water (you can save it in a thermos for Hot Drinks or soup)
*melt the butter in the frybake over medium heat and slowly add the flour, stirring continuosly, add the milk to make a roux (tell your friends this is what you are doing and they will be really impressed)
*after the milk mixture has a chance to get warm slowly add the cheese allowing it to melt while stirring vigourously
*once all the cheese has been added, throw the pasta and sun dried tomatoes in and mix to combine the cheesey goodness
*cover and cook for two more minutes

Approximate nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 475
Carb (g): 50
Protein (g):15
Fat (g): 25
Fiber (g):2

Sierra Iced Tea

(serves 1)

Great for spring and fall in the Sierras, when the days are sunny and warm and the nights are pretty chilly.

1 liter boiling water
2 tea bags with strings detached
2 tsp honey (optional)

*add tea bags to Hot Water in nalgene bottle at night before bed
*make sure the cap is closed tightly
*snuggle with you nalgene for added warmth in your sleeping bag
*on the trial the next morning you have a refreshing treat to wet your whistle!