Winter allows stuff that summer doesn't
Winter provides the chance to cook things that you can't do during the summer. When we go, we plan nice dinners. Lunch and breakfast are quick things, but dinners are events.
Usually one person in the group is responsible for each dinner, that way they can prepare the "at home" prep stuff. Once it's prepared, we may distribute the weight of it out to equalize with other group equipment like tents, cookware, etc.
Note that some of these require a stove that can simmer, or at least run on fairly low heat.
Here are some of our favorite recipes:
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Chicken Stroganoff
1 lb. chicken breasts
1 – 10 oz can of cream of mushroom soup
1 – 8 oz container of “rondele” brand Garlic and Herbs flavored Gourmet Spreadable Cheese (usually in the upscale cheese section at the store)
1 ¼ cups milk
1/8 cup garlic powder
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 – 10 oz can of mushrooms
1 – 12 oz bag of egg noodles
2 tbsp. soy sauce
ground black pepper
At Home:
Cut chicken into small pieces and sauté until brown. Add mushrooms, garlic powder, pepper (to taste), and soy sauce.
Simmer 10 minutes.
Add “rondele” cheese spread, milk, and cream of mushroom soup.
Simmer 25 – 30 minutes. Don’t let sauce get too thick, use milk to thin if necessary. It will thicken when reheated on trip.
To prepare it for trip: Cool and package sauce, put parmesan cheese into separate package
On trip:
boil egg noodles
Put stroganoff into pot and heat
Drain egg noodles when done, stir in parmesan cheese, then serve egg noodles, and put stroganoff on top.
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Gado-gado noodles
Ingredients:
3 packages ramen noodles (throw away the flavor packets)
1 lb. chicken breast – cubed and pre-cooked
3 tbs. Peanut butter
3 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs diced onion
1 chicken bullion cube
3 tbs butter
¼ tsp garlic powder
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs sunflower seeds
½ cup cashews
3 tbs vinegar
Green onions (optional)
Serves two hikers.
Prepare at home:
Put sunflower seeds, diced onion, butter, cashews (if desired) and pre-cooked chicken into container/Ziploc #1
Mix bullion cube with brown sugar, garlic powder, ¾ cup water, vinegar, and soy sauce – put into container/Ziploc #2
Chopped green onions (if desired) in container/Ziploc #3
At camp:
Boil ramen noodles (about three minutes).
At the same time, in a frying pan, heat the contents of ziplock #1. Cook medium heat for two minutes. Add peanut butter and stir, making sure not to burn. When warm, stir in package #2. Pour over the hot noodles. Sprinkle optional green onions (ziplock #3), if desired.
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Sweet and Sour Curried Couscous - serves 2
1 cup couscous
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp. dried green and red peppers
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup other dried, chopped fruit
4 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp margarine
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp dried onion
3 tbsp soy sauce
3-5 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts and seeds
at home: mix everything except the couscous, and heat enough to melt the margarine and dissolve the brown sugar then package in ziplock bags (double bag).
At camp: cook the couscous per the box. Separately, heat the contents of the ziplock bags. When both are done, serve a scoop of couscous and top it with a scoop of the mixture.
