Become a Backcountry Gourmet
Expert-tested recipes that will spice up your camping cuisine
Compiled by Becky Brun
If you’re like me, you have a kitchen cupboard that’s designated for camping food: Bags of dried beans, powdered milk, granola, pasta, instant oatmeal and (most importantly) chocolate bars the shelves. Maybe it even includes a jar of Tabasco sauce, a film canister-turned-salt shaker and some dried basil for good measure.
Not long ago, I gave my camping food cupboard a revolutionary overhaul. I added many ingredients – pine nuts, Mori-Nu boxed tofu and crystallized ginger to name a few – which don’t weigh much at all, yet add a touch of palate-pleasing ecstasy when in the backcountry.
Read on for expert-tested recipes and helpful tips that will transform you into a backcountry gourmet in no time.
Breakfast
Cowboy Paella
Friends from Spain tell me that paella originated under the stars on open campfires by gauchos. Snails, rabbit, marmots and anything found on the high plateau can be thrown into the pan.
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 one-inch chunk of pepperoni, cut in small cubes
2 cups instant rice
2 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
2 cloves minced garlic
1⁄4 red onion, 1⁄2 green pepper, 1⁄4 fennel bulb coarsely chopped, 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1⁄2 teaspoon saffron threads
2 sprigs fresh thyme – chopped and bagged before leaving home
1 package Chicken of the Sea whole baby clams and juice
1 small jar artichoke hearts (optional)
1⁄4 cup of your favorite Spanish olives
Olive oil (put in Ziploc® at home)
Platypus full of dry white wine
Handful fresh parsley, chopped
Heat olive oil in pan; add pepperoni and sauté a minute. Add rice, sauté another minute. Add vegetable-herb mix and sauté another 2 minutes. Add water and bouillon (or substitute half the water with wine), bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until rice is cooked. Add clams and artichokes and cover until heated. Garnish with olives and diced parsley. Enjoy with the wine you carried! Serves 4.
— Submitted by Dayna Stern, Woodinville, Wash. Each Friday, rain or shine, Dayna and her dogs, Harry and Parker, go off to play in the mountains.
Omelet to Go
Per person:
2 eggs (in shell)
3 slices Canadian bacon (pre-chopped)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (more if desired)
1⁄2 green pepper (pre-chopped)
1 large whole-wheat tortilla
Salt and pepper to taste
At Home:
Prepare and pack Canadian bacon, green pepper and cheese into a baggie. Place baggie and folded tortilla into a small Tupperware® (or other similar) container; use to cushion eggs. (Or carry eggs in an egg carrier.)
At Camp:
Empty the container of all food items. Break eggs into container and add a small amount of water, whisk briskly with a fork. Add Canadian bacon, green pepper and cheese (and salt and pepper to taste) and pour into a heated frying pan or pot. Cook until almost done, flipping once to brown both sides. Slide out of pan onto tortilla. Fold/roll and eat as a sandwich.
— Submitted by Suzanne Girard Eberle, MS, RD, Portland,
Ore. Author of Endurance Sports Nutrition, Suzanne sticks to dehydrated meals or car camping – unless her husband hires a Sherpa.
Mountain Man Breakfast
This recipe is not well suited for backpacking unless you like hefting 80 pounds of stuff into the wilderness, but it is nearly unbeatable for car camping. While hardly heart-healthy, it does provide plenty of energy and nutrients for a morning’s worth of outdoor activities.
2 pounds sausage or soy-sage of your choice, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds hash browns or cubed potatoes
8 eggs beaten with 1⁄4 cup water
2 cups grated organic cheese
You’ll need a Dutch oven, 10-12 inches in diameter. Start by making a fire (having some charcoal helps but is not required). When the flames start disappearing and the coals are red-hot, fry the sausage in the bottom of the Dutch oven. When done, take the sausage out of the oven, leaving the grease. Fry the hash browns in the grease and mix in the sausage from the first step. Pour the egg mixture over the top and close the oven. Cover the lid with hot coals and let bake for 14-15 minutes until the eggs are cooked through. Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.
Serves 8.
— Submitted by Endre Veka, Seattle, Wash. Endre, a former member of Portland Mountain Rescue and an avid climber and cyclist, would eat chocolate bars for every meal if his wife allowed it.
Wicked Hearty Oatmeal
This meal is an excellent source of electrolytes, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. Feeds one wicked hearty soul!
Per person:
1⁄2 cup Quaker Oats (not instant)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon salt
Handful of raisins
Handful of dried cranberries
Handful of sunflower seeds
Handful of almond slivers
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1⁄2 apple cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces
Mix all ingredients (except apple) together into a small Ziploc® bag for travel and portability. Salt, fruit, nuts and spices can be adjusted to taste. Bring 1 cup water in small pot to a boil. Add all ingredients above. Reduce to simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Tastes excellent with sliced banana if you have it with you.
— Submitted by Shane Gibson, Portland, Ore. An avid outdoorsman, Shane is the director of the Wicked Adventure Race series
Lunch
Cream Cheese and Celery Wraps
Per Person:
2 tortilla wraps
1⁄2 cup cream cheese
1 cup fine chopped celery
1⁄2 a cucumber, cut into slices
Pimentos to taste
Bean sprouts to taste
This can be prepared before you leave home to enjoy as a quick and easy snack or lunch during your first day on the trail or during a sea kayak or canoeing trip. The ingredients will keep for a few days so you can also make it while in the backcountry.
Combine the cream cheese, chopped celery and pimentos. Cover the tortilla wraps with cucumber and bean sprouts, then scoop cream cheese mix on top. Roll up each wrap and cover tightly with plastic wrap to retain shape. Eat cold anytime.
— Contributed by Nola Kundu, Marysville, Wash. Nola recommends that every camper carry a tin of ‘Old Bay’ cooking spice – “It’ll salvage the flavor of even the worst camping meal!,” she promises.
Sicilian Bagels
Enjoy this for lunch or a mega-hearty breakfast. Home dehydrators (like the one used to make this recipe) make it possible to bypass bland (and often expensive) backcountry foods. Now if we could dehydrate an empanada or an anchovy, we’d really be cooking.
1⁄2 cup raw, unhulled sesame seeds
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic (or more)
4 large slices roasted red peppers
Hot pepper sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sun-dried tomatoes, to taste
6-8 bagels
At Home:
Toss the sesame seeds in a frying pan over medium heat until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Place toasted seeds in a blender. Add garbanzo beans, 2 tablespoons of their liquid, garlic, red peppers, lemon juice, olive oil, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings and add oil to your liking. Spread the mixtures in a thin layer on a dehydrator tray. Dehydrate until mixture is visibly dry and crumbly; then pulse in a blender until mixture resembles crumbs. Store in an airtight container.
At Camp:
For each person, place a sixth or an eighth of the dried mixture in a bowl. Add chopped sun dried tomatoes. Slowly pour boiling water over the mixture, stirring until desired consistency is reached. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Spread on bagels. Serves 6-8
— Submitted by Craig Romano, Seattle, Wash. Craig is the Trails
Editor for Outdoors NW. He is also the co-author of Best Hikes with Dogs
Inland Northwest and Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington.
Vegan Pseudo Egg Salad
This is a great lunch that tastes wonderful on any kind of cracker while hiking in the backcountry. It is a great source of protein and is well worth the extra weight.
1 box extra firm Mori-Nu Silken tofu
1⁄2 cup re-hydrated humus mix
Dash salt and pepper
Tabasco or other hot sauce – to taste
Other spices of your preference
Mix everything together in a bowl. To avoid heinous flatulence, you may want to prepare the humus first to ensure proper hydration, at least the first couple times. Serves 2-3
— Submitted by Neil Gibson, Portland, Ore. Neil is a long-time Outward Bound instructor.
Dinner
Backcountry Green Curry
Since discovering powdered coconut milk at a local Asian grocery store, curry dishes have become one of my backpacking staples. To guarantee freshness, plan to eat this meal on the first night of your trip.
1 package extra firm tofu (packaged without water)
1 package powdered coconut milk
2-4 tablespoons green curry paste
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1⁄4 cup basil leaves, chopped
2 cups assorted vegetables, cut into 1-inch pieces (try red bell pepper, zucchini, peas or your favorite combination)
2 cups instant brown rice
You’ll need two stoves. Boil 4-1⁄2 cups of water in a medium-sized pot. Pour 1⁄2 cup of water into a 2-quart pot and add powdered coconut milk, green curry paste, salt, brown sugar and basil and bring to a boil. Add rice to the first pot of boiling water and cook according to directions (usually 5-10 minutes). After sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the vegetables and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Serve over cooked rice. Serves 3-4
— Submitted by Becky Brun, Portland, Ore. Becky is the editor of Outdoors NW and learned many backcountry cooking tricks working for Outward Bound and the Student Conservation Association.
Bourbon ‘Grizzly Bait’ Pasta
Per Person:
1 cup rotelli or other favorite pasta
1⁄2 cup sliced beef or chicken pieces
1⁄2 cup green and/or red peppers, cut into diced peppers
1 ounce honey BBQ sauce or peanut Thai sauce
1⁄2 ounce bourbon whiskey
Salt and pepper to taste
At Home:
Boil the pasta and put aside. Grill the meat, then put aside. Combine meat, pasta and diced peppers in a bowl and then pour into a Ziploc® bag. Seal and then place bag in freezer. Combine honey BBQ sauce (if using beef), or peanut Thai sauce (if using chicken) with 1/2-ounce bourbon whiskey and store in a small Nalgene® bottle.
At Camp:
Take Ziploc® Freezer bag mix and boil in water over camp stove for 4 minutes. Then open the bag and pour contents into a small bowl. Marinade with prepared sauce from Nalgene® bottle. Pepper to taste and eat while it’s hot! Serves 4.
— Submitted by Michael Kundu, Marysville, Wash. Michael is an adventure sports addict and freelance writer.
Cheesy Dutch Oven Lasagna
Ken Campbell writes that this recipe has been a favorite on many of the multi-day kayak trips for which he’s been the chief cook and culinary director. You really can’t go wrong with this one, especially on day 5 or 6, when everybody wants filling and fresh cuisine. Combined with garlic bread and a green salad, this is flat-out paddling fuel that will bathe your taste buds in ecstasy.
1 large box of lasagna noodles, uncooked
1 24-ounce can or jar of pasta sauce
1 pound pepper jack cheese
1 pound medium cheddar cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces mushrooms
1 green pepper
1 yellow onion
2 large carrots (and/or broccoli, zucchini or veggies of your choice)
2 pounds sausage or soy-sage of your choice, cut into 1″ pieces (optional)
Grate pepper jack and cheddar. Dice vegetables. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 12-inch Dutch oven with olive oil. Lay uncooked lasagna noodles on the bottom of the Dutch oven and place a layer of cheese, vegetables and sauce on top of them. (Randomly distribute teaspoon-sized dollops of cream cheese along with the other
ingredients.) Add another layer of noodles and repeat. There should be enough ingredients to make four full layers. Save enough cheese to cover the top of the dish completely before putting the lid of the oven in place. Bake for 45-60 minutes using charcoal briquettes. Rotate the oven frequently to avoid hot spots. Cool for 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.
— Submitted by Ken Campbell of Tacoma, Wash. Ken owns and operates Azimuth Expeditions (www.azimuthexpeditions.com) and is currently a board member of the Washington Water Trails Association.
Curry Foil Packet
For each person, you’ll need a piece (12×18 inches) of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Per Person:
Desired protein source, just as tofu, beans or ham
1 potato (either Idaho or sweet)
1 medium-sized onion
1 green bell pepper
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Other spices to taste
Chop or cut ingredients into desired bite-sized pieces. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl; then dump into the middle of a piece of foil. Make sure that the foil does not have any holes. Add about a tablespoon of water. Double-fold top and ends to seal packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Cook on hot coals for about 1/2-hour, turning over every 15 minutes. After cooking, open end of foil packet first to allow steam to escape. Then open top of foil packet and enjoy!
— Lauren Fellows, Seattle, Wash. Lauren, organizer of women’s programs for Seattle Raft and Kayak, is a huge fan of foil packet cooking.
Matt’s Goulash
After backpacking all day with kids who’ve never been on the trail before, this is a nutritious, very fast, one pot meal. It may look gross, but aesthetics aren’t always at the top of the list when you’re with exhausted, hungry kids.
2 12-inch tortillas, torn into wedges
1-inch chunks of cheddar cheese
1 ½ cups dehydrated black bean soup (Fantastic Foods makes a good one)
2 cups instant rice
Taco seasoning, to taste
Pack the black beans, rice and taco seasoning all together. Boil 5 cups water and add bean and rice mix. Simmer until the rice is done the consistency resembles thick soup. Add tortilla wedges and cheese to the pot o’ goodness. Scoop and enjoy!!
— Submitted by Matt Peterson, Eugene, Ore.
A University of Oregon graduate student, Matt has cooked this meal for numerous trail crews while working in Washington, Montana and Alaska for the Student Conservation Association (SCA).
Ramen Alfredo
Per Person:
1 package of Ramen (original flavor is best)
½ cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
Salt to taste
Per Person:
Prepare Ramen according to the (cooking) stovetop directions on the package. When Ramen is fully cooked, season and stir. Drain 1/4 of the seasoned “broth” off and save it; discard the rest. Then add milk and butter or margarine to this broth. Pour the mixture over the noodles and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until it is thick and creamy. Add garlic powder, oregano, parmesan and salt.
— Submitted by Amanda Dill, Indiana; reprinted from http://mattfischer.com/ramen/
Beverages & Desserts
Apple Pie on a Stick
1 Jonathan or Rome apple for each person
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Push a stick or dowel through the apple top until the apple is secure on the stick. Place the apple 2 or 3 inches above the hot coals and turn the apple while roasting it. As the apple cooks, the skin browns and the juice drips out. When the skin is loose, remove the apple from the fire (but leave it on the stick). Peel the hot skin off very carefully.
Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll the apple in the sugar-cinnamon mixture; then return it to roast over the coals, letting the mixture heat to form a glaze around the apple. Remove from coals and let it cool.
— Reprinted from www.recipegoldmine.com/camp/camp.html.
Campfire Chai (Indian tea)
If you’ve never made chai from scratch, a chilly evening around camp is a good time to start. Traditional chai is less sweet and spicier than most Americanized chai that’s found at coffee shops and in grocery stores. Real half and half milk tastes way better than powdered milk, so be sure to try it at home too!
2-1/2 cups water
½ cup powdered milk mixed with 1 cup water or 1 cup half and half milk
3 plain tea bags (Do not use green or other specialized variety)
Spices:
3 pods of cardamom
½ inch cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon dried or freshly grated ginger
1 vanilla bean
2 cloves
Dash pepper
Sugar to taste
Boil everything except tea and sugar for a few minutes. Add tea bags and boil until desires color (i.e. strength) of tea. Remove from heat and add desired sugar. Serves 3
— Submitted by Becky Brun, Portland, Ore. Becky is the editor of Outdoors NW.
Trail Cobbler
2 cups biscuit mix
2 cups sugar
1 cup powdered milk mixed with 2 cups water or 2 cups milk
1 cup butter
1 cup canned or fresh fruit
Mix the biscuit mix, sugar, milk and butter. Add fruit and stir. Pour into a Dutch oven and bake one hour. Serves 8.
— Reprinted with permission from Dutch Oven Cooking by John Ragsdale, Taylor Trade Publishing, 2006.
Stay Fueled For the Trail
Additional resources for camp cooks
Web Sites
Camp Recipes: www.camprecipes.com
Chuckwagon Diner: www.chuckwagondiner.com
GORP’s Online Trailside Cookbook: http://gorp.away.com/gorp/food/recipes.htm
Official Ramen Homepage: http://mattfischer.com/ramen/
Tasty Bites: www.tastybite.com
USDA’s Food Safety While Hiking, Camping & Boating: www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/
Washington Trails Association: www.wta.org – Go to “Hiking Guide” > “Backcountry Kitchen” for a list of tested and rated recipes.
Books
Beyond Gorp, edited by Yvonne Prater and Ruth Dyar, Mountaineers Books, 2005.
Camp Cook’s Companion: A Pocket Guide by Alan S. Kesselheim,
Ragged Mountain Press, 2002.
Camp Cooking: 100 Years by the National Museum of Forest Service History,
Gibbs Smith Publishers, 2005.
Dutch Oven Cooking by John Ragsdale,
Taylor Trade Publishing, 2005.
Leave No Crumbs Camping Cookbook by Rick Greenspan and Hal Kahn,
Storey Publishing, 2004.
Lipsmackin’ Backpackin’: Lightweight Trail-tested Recipes for Backcountry Trips
by Christine Conners, Falcon Books, 2000.
The One Pan Gourmet: Fresh Food on the Trail by Don Jacobson,
Ragged Mountain Press, 1993.
The Well-Fed Backpacker by June Fleming, Vintage Press, 1986.
Camp Kitchen Lingo
Common terms and tools used by backcountry chefs
Camp or “Cowboy” Coffee – Coffee made over a campfire or stove. Place coffee grounds into a pot of cold water. Place the pot on the stove or campfire. When steam rises from the coffee pot, it’s ready to drink. Remove the grounds by pouring a cup of cold water in the coffee pot (this causes the grounds to fall to the bottom of the pot so you can pour the hot coffee off the top).
Dutch Oven – A cast iron pot that has a smooth bottom and three short legs for raising it above the heat source. The lid is not as rounded as a kitchen pan and has a lip for keeping charcoal on top.
Foil Dinner – A meal that is wrapped in foil and cooked or reheated on a grill or next to a campfire.
GORP – an acronym for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts; also a common term for any kind of trail mix.
S’mores – A favorite camping snack made by roasting marshmallows and sandwiching them between two graham crackers, along with a piece of chocolate.
Spork – A plastic eating utensil that is shaped like a spoon but also has prongs; a great all-in-one camping utensil
