Backcountry Gourmet
By Mike Schiller
You’ll be happy to scarf down these SPAM-enhanced quesadillas after a long day on the trail.
Feeds: 4 Hawaiians or hungry mountaineers
Prep time: 40 minutes, preparing one at a time
By Mary Reed
Think of these as blueberry pancakes minus the wide skillet and spatula – easier for backcountry cooking.
Feeds: 2 morning people
Prep time: 10 minutes at home, 15 minutes at camp
By Mary Reed
This recipe is very lightweight and quick. The taste is good and you get some protein from the cashews.
Feeds: 2 non-cooks
Prep time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup instant rice
1 cup water
By Mary Reed
This ethnic-food-turned-mainstream dish is a good source of protein, it's easy to make and it has a lightweight backpacking version.
Prep time: 10 minutes
By Mary Reed
This quick and tasty lunch or side dish is also fairly lightweight to pack. If you’re car camping, just bring all the fresh ingredients.
By Mary Reed and Attila Horvath
The beauty of making homemade granola is twofold: you save money and you use exactly the ingredients you like. Consider this recipe a starting point – make changes as your tastes dictate.
By Laurie Ann March
This delicious Indian meal is really not hard to make; get ingredients from your local grocery store or Asian food market and plan time to dehydrate it.
By Laurie Ann March
Rye bread or rye crisps are the perfect accompaniment to this flavorful spread; it’s also a nice condiment for wraps.
Prep time: 1 ½ hours
Dehydration time: 7–10 hours
By Mike Schiller
Get in touch with your inner caveman/woman. This meal is simple and way more satisfying than a trip to Outback.
By Mary Reed
No, these aren’t the psychedelic snacks popular among hippie stoners at Grateful Dead concerts. These goo balls are the homemade alternative to Power Bars.
Prep time: 30 minutes
By Mike Schiller
Yet another way to breathe new life into this canned meat sensation while feeding and entertaining your fellow campers.
By Mike Schiller
Even if you hunted for the meat at the grocery store, this meal baked on hot coals will give you mountain cred when you serve it to your campmates.
By Mary Reed
While a brush with stinging nettles on your skin is to be avoided, this highly nutritious wild edible makes an excellent pesto. Be careful when collecting them and steam the nettles to take out the stinging effect.
By Laurie Ann March
This is another one of those make-at-home recipes where the bars seem to disappear before the trip.
Prep time: 1 ½ hours
Feeds: 10–12 sweet tooths
1/2 cup butter, softened
By Mike Schiller
This Italian cornmeal is becoming more popular in America and especially among campers due to its light weight and great taste and texture.