A recent Star Tribune roundup of predicted culinary trends for the new year includes the use of pine needles:

Chefs will experiment with flavors of the forests, using subtle infusions of pine needles, Douglas fir and eucalyptus to flavor sauces, rubs, meats, jus and broths.

Long considered a good choice for survival food, the stuff is loaded with Vitamin C. Possibly the most common way it’s been served has been in the classic brew of pine needle tea. And how does it taste? Well, rather like how pine needles smell (sorry, we know that’s not quite helpful).

Besides the tea, we can’t say we’ve done much more with the stuff, in terms of eating (we did find this tasty-sounding recipe though).

One word of caution, though: Harvesting living plant matter within the BWCA is, uh, not quite kosher. So be mindful of where you cook with the prickly stuff.

We’re curious about you — have you ever cooked with pine needles?

A few that we’ve tried have been dry, chalky or bitter. So we decided whip up a stash of our own. These are soft, crunchy and sweet, thanks to the Medjool date. When we first tasted the dates, we thought, sheeish..this tastes like chocolate and caramel. And while they don’t fully replace the dark stuff, they’re a welcome substitute.

Stash a few in your pack before you head out to ski. Add them to your spring canoe trip menu. Not only do they take about 20 minutes to make, you can also tweek the recipe to fit your needs. Who knows—maybe they’ll even help you go faster.

1.5 cup pitted Medjool dates
.5 cup dried apricots
.5 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

.5 cup salted peanuts
.5 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup sliced almonds
1/8 cup chia seeds

4 oz sesame seeds
dash cinnamon
dash nutmeg

-Place dried fruit in food processor and pulse until combined. Dump into medium mixing bowl and set aside.
-Place nuts and spices in foot processor and pulse until combined.
-Kneed fruit and nuts together until combined.
-Form into 1 inch balls and roll through sesame seeds.
-Place in fridge in a covered container for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts
24 Servings

Amount Per Serving
Calories 112.9
Total Fat 7.2 g
Saturated Fat 0.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 12.4 mg
Potassium 180.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 11.2 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5 g
Sugars 7.1 g
Protein 3.1 g
Vitamin A 2.3 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 4.8 %
Vitamin C 1.5 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 13.5 %
Calcium 6.8 %
Copper 13.5 %
Folate 4.6 %
Iron 6.8 %
Magnesium 10.4 %
Manganese 20.0 %
Niacin 5.9 %
Pantothenic Acid 3.2 %
Phosphorus 9.8 %
Riboflavin 3.7 %
Selenium 4.1 %
Thiamin 4.7 %
Zinc 5.1 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Recipe adapted from WholeLiving.

We’ve taken some of our favorite, semi-instant meals from the store shelf- doctored ‘em up with ingredients that are familiar to most of us- and made them more flavorful. They’re all easy to do. Can you boil water? Good. Then you’ll be fine.

Indian Delight
Serves 4

What you’ll need.
2 pkgs Tasty Bite Channa Masala
2 pkgs Tasty Bite Jaipur Vegetables
2 pkgs Trader Joe’s Pre-Cooked Brown Rice
1 jar Trader Joe’s Mango Chutney (repackage in small plastic container)
1 pkg Trader Joe’s Garlic Naan Bread (comes with six naan)
fresh cilantro (dried works ok)

In camp.
Drop pouches into boiling water.  Heat for 3-5 minutes.  Open pouches. Wrap naan in foil and heat over fire. Fill plates with brown rice, top with Channa Masala and Jaipur Vegetables.  Dollop with mango chutney and sprinkle with as much cilantro as you’d like.

Beans + Rice Tortillas
Serves 4-6

What you’ll need.
1 pkg Vigo Rice + Beans
1 cup Salsa Lisa (or your favorite brand, repackaged in plastic container)
1 pkg Tyson chunk chicken breast in foil pouch (no refrigeration needed)
4oz  Sargento Mexican cheese mix
fresh cilantro (dried is ok)
Taco Bell mild/hot sauce packets
1 pkg small flour tortillas, 8 count

In camp.
Heat beans and rice according to directions. Remove chicken from pouch and mix with rice and beans until heated. Mix in salsa. Scoop beans and rice mixture into tortilla shells. Top with cheese, cilantro and hot sauce.

Wild Chantrelle + Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza
Serves 4-6

What you’ll need.
1 Boboli pre-cooked pizza crust (any pre-made crust will do)
1- 5oz Boboli pizza sauce (comes in box with 3 packages, one will do)
shredded mozzerella cheese
2- 1oz packages of Melissa’s dried chantrelle mushrooms
3 oz. packet California sundried tomatos
red pepper flakes (optional)
pepper

In camp.
Have a good batch of hot coals going under your grill before you begin this. Dump chantrelle’s into boiling water for 3-5 minutes, remove from water. Lay pizza crust on foil (foil acts as a pan). Spread pizza sauce on crust. Add chantrells and sun-dried tomatoes. Top with mozzerella cheese and sprinkle with pepper. Place pizza on the grill, over the coals. Top pizza losely with foil and cook anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Check often so you don’t burn it.

How about you? Do you have any good trail dinner hacks to share?

Note: We were not paid to endorse these products, they’re just what’ve worked for us. Feel free to substitute if you can’t find the exact same thing at your grocer.

Remember those processed cheese squares that we wedged between heavily-salted crackers for a quick lunch? Ok, so maybe you were luckier, but we suffered through some nasty meals. Now there are much better versions, plus the options and quality have come a long way.

GoPicnic ready to eat meals caught out attention. They offer single-serving boxes, packed with options like chili lime salmon, olive oil and sea salt crackers. Sides, such as dry roasted edamame or ginger fruit and nut mix, make for a filling meal. And because we grown-ups like something sweet, each meal is packaged with sweets like almond roca buttercrunch toffee or a double chocolate cookie. Those choices have got our stomachs grumbling.

Not into stuff too green or gourmet? They also make classic, deli-style meals, but made better for you. The turkey pepperoni slices with Asiago cheese spread sound hearty. Good ol’ Wisconsin beef sticks will satisfy meat eaters (and picky kids).

These non-refrigerated meals would be a great option for day hikes or weekend getaways when you don’t want to spend time preparing a big meal. We’d use them when we’re skiing backcountry all day. We like that they have great options for diets that are gluten-free, kosher, vegan and vegetarian. When there are plenty of crummy offerings out there, its nice to see a company that doesn’t pack their products with additives or preservatives. Meals have at least 9 grams of protein and as much as 25. Good fuel to take you many more miles.

How about you? What tasty options would you choose?

Have you been racking your brain about what to get your outdoorsy friend for the holidays? Need ideas for the newbie who is planning a 5-day excursion to Agnes next year? Want to complement dad’s spring camping outfit? Looking for a treat for your vegan hiking partner? Fear no more! We’ve got you covered.

Cooking.

Vargo Hexagon Backpacking Woodstove $39.95
We’re happy to find an backpacking stove that is light on your pocket book and light to carry. The hexagonal design is made up of hinged panels that snap into place. No fussing with tippy parts. Heat is concentrated upward, limiting heat loss. One hinged door on the side provides immediate access for adding more wood fuel, so you don’t have to remove your pot. Stove unfolds to 4″x5″, just enough to hold a 1.5 liter pot. Perfect for 1-2 people. Comes in either titanium or stainless steel. Weight 4.1 oz.

Eating.

Hail Merry’s Miracle Tarts, 4 Pack $19.96
After a long day of skiing, we’d love to bite into some chewy, sweet goodness. Hey, we all need survival food. Hail Merry has a delicious pack of 4 tarts that you’ll want to give. Maybe. The flavors of chocolate, almond, mint and lemon will make it hard to choose. Made with organic ingredients like, coconut oil ganache, raw blue agave, lemon zest, raw almond butter and dark cocoa, you don’t need to fret that your filling yourself with crud. These would be a great option to take camping for your friend with dietary needs. All tarts are raw, vegan and gluten free. We’ll take one more, please.

Sleeping.
Big Agnes Sleeping Giant Memory Foam Pillow $29.00
We all know that shoving your fleece under your neck at night ends with disastrous results. You can sleep better than that. We like Big Agnes’s Sleeping Giant Memory foam pillow. It’s been a staple of our sleep system for over a year. We’ve had no more neck pain or shoulder soreness. We’ve found it to be incredibly comfortable and gushy. The insert is made of an inflatable air pillow with a memory foam liner and nylon zip cover. Just use mouth valve to inflate up to your liking. Comes with stuff sack and compresses down to 7.5″x3″. Worth adding to your pack. Weighs 8.5oz.

Washing.
Seattle Sports Pocket Shower + Towel Combo $29.95
We like a shower system that is a simple, straight-forward design, and light to carry. This 3.5 gallon shower lets you scrub down away from the lake and leave no trace. Warm the water by leaving the urethane coated, nylon bag out in the sunshine. Twist valve shower head lets you control the flow. Complete the set with a 20×36 microfiber towel. It packs small and dries quickly. Your campmates will thank you. Weighs 16oz.

Covering.
REI’s Sahara Tech Long-Sleeve Shirt $33
Everyone knows a loose, dry-wicking shirt makes camping life more tolerable. What makes this the one to give? First of all, it is made of lightweight nylon that breaths and drys quickly. No need to stay sweaty and wet all day. Integrated mesh ventilation on your back and under your arms keeps the breeze moving when it’s humid out. SPF 50+ fabric will keep you from becoming a crispy critter out in the middle of the lake. Rolled shoulder seams reduce rubbing from the portage pack. Cargo style pockets with rip and stick enclosures keep your candy bar handy. So well designed, you should get two. Similar style made for women as well.

Navigating.
SealLine Map Case, Medium $16.95
This is a great option for your buddy who is starting to assemble his own outfit. Not only does the map case protect your maps, it can hold your permits, licenses and other important documents safe in one, accessible place. The double-zip enclosure will keep things watertight. We’ve like SealLine’s medium map case. At 12″x16″, you’ll be able to keep a large section of your paddling route visible without having to change the map often. D-rings give you options for attaching to your canoe, kayak or pack. Weighs 5oz.

Reading.

Water and Sky: Reflections of a Northern Year $15
Have a buddy who is dreaming of paddling a long, northern river? Need something to pass the wintery cold nights? We were gripped by author Alan Kesselheim’s account of his and his girlfriends two year paddling expedition over a good chunk of Canada. They begin their journey in Alberta and paddle north, roughly 1000 miles to Lake Anthabasca. There they scrounge up winter employment as the lone caretakers of a lodging camp. The following summer they paddle 1000 miles further north through the Dubwant and Kazan River systems, to Baker Lake in Nunavut. They have chair gripping encounters with bears and rapids. They are awestruck by the migrating Beverly caribou. They paddle past ancient Inuksuk carins built by native paddlers. The book is full of detailed maps and engaging stories of their two year journey.

Paddling.
Wenonah Super Seat $39.95
Give your Dad some comfort. The Super Seat provides back support in the canoe, lessening paddling fatigue. Choose from two seat designs. One that is compatible with bucket style seats, and another that works with bench-style seats. When you’re done paddling, use it to sit on around the campfire. Made with adjustable straps.

Kidding.
Nature Watch Knot Tying Kit $17.99
When it comes to camping, kids are pretty adaptable with activities. They love to participate and are good at learning a new skill. This kit comes with supplies for learning 16 different knots. Kids can practice their knot tying with the colorful, easy to follow instruction booklet. Next time, they can tie up the canoe.

Recording.
Assorted Journals $12 or less. Journals are a great way to document your trek. Have a haiku challenge, sketch the lone red squirrel or just document the miles and portages. Either way, you’ll come back with the best keepsake of all. We couldn’t decide which small journal we liked best. So, we’re giving you a variety to agonize over here, here and here.

Strapping.

Sea To Summit’s Tie Down Neoprene Buckle Covers. $19.95
Make sure the boat doesn’t fly off your buddies volkswagen. Everybody likes good, simple straps to tie down their canoe or kayak with. Give Sea to Summit’s Neoprene Tie Down’s. Sturdy rigid webbing feeds through heavy duty buckles. Neoprene casings slip over buckle and protect a vehicles finish. Lashing capacity will tolerate over 600 pounds. Color coded straps come in 12, 15 and 18 foot lengths. Guess you’ll have pick up a boat to complement the gift.

This week we have something tasty to give you for your next winter camp out!

We’re giving away Outdoor Herbivore’s Dried Meal Pack. Three mouthwatering, dehydrated meals that are healthy and satisfying. We have taken many of their meals on our trips and have been very happy with what we’ve eaten. They are full of flavor and generous in portions. Outdoor Herbivore’s meals are easy to make, simply requiring hot or cold water.

So what sort of grub will you get?

Start off your morning with the Denver Veggie Scramble. Made of organic ingredients like dehydrated eggs, red and green bell peppers, onions, and carrots . But it doesn’t end there. Hashbrowns and white cheddar cheese round it off for a hearty, filling meal. Plenty of energy to jump-start your day. This was a great substitute when we didn’t want to bring fresh eggs along.

After you’ve snowshoed around the lake, come back to camp for some good, ol’ fashioned, Cheddar Mac. But this isn’t the “mac” of your childhood. Made of whole wheat pasta, sun-dried tomatoes and parsley, it’s so good, you won’t want to share. Don’t tell your buddies, but it’s dairy-free. Nutritional yeast provides a creamy, cheesy flavor. When we had it, we couldn’t tell the difference.

Finish off your day with some spice! Blackened Quinoa takes tex-mex to a whole new level. Organic quinoa provides a rice-like base. The mix is filled with black beans, corn, carrots, celery and onion. Smokey spices like chili pepper and cumin give the flavor depth and interest. We really enjoyed the texture of this meal and it was very gratifying.

Just to make it merry, Outdoor Herbivore will even package your three meals in a gift wrapped bag with a caribiner tag.

How to enter for your chance to win.

Are you getting hungry? Us too! Visit Outdoor Herbivore’s web site and check out their other selections. Then, let us know what meal you’d pick, in the comments area below. Don’t miss their great dessert and snack options.
Check back Friday when we announce the winner!

Spice up your campfire meals with salsa!

This fall we tried out Packit Gourmet’s Happy Hour Pico de Gallo Salsa. This dehydrated salsa mix is made up of raw ingredients like vine-ripe tomatoes, sweet onion, picante peppers, lime juice, cilantro and chipotle seasoning.

Mouth watering now?

It’s a cinch to make. Just add water and wait a few minutes for everything to plump up. We were impressed by how fresh the salsa tasted. Tangy notes of lime and chipotle shined through. The flavors were bright and reminiscent of homemade salsa fresca. We brought along a few extra tortilla shells, toasted them on the fire grate and creating our own backwoods chips. Makes two generous 3oz servings, but we suggest bringing more. Really, who wants to share?

Salsa is a tasty way to doctor up a campfire meal. Add Happy Hour to scrambled eggs, beans and rice, or fresh-caught fish. Vegetarian/Vegan/Gluten Free.

Buy here.

We usually take along a few desserts on our trips. To boost morale, of course. We gobbled down Packit Gourmet’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust. The whipped cheesecake filling has a slightly tangy flavor that blends wonderfully with the sweet flavors of pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon. The dessert is topped off with a handful of crumbled gingersnap. By golly, it was good. The best we’ve had in a while. The single serving packet was generous and we we’re quite content to eat our share. All it requires is a little water added to the dry mix… and about 10 minutes of patience while it sets. That’s just enough time to stoke the fire and grab your favorite evening read. Delicious!

Buy here.

We enjoy making some of our own camping food from scratch. There is such a satisfaction in pulling out your own bag of home-baked goodness. We mixed up a pile of granola for our recent Canadian trip. Yes, we could have done the power bar thing, and we did consider them briefly. But isn’t homemade so much better? We’ve got a tried and true granola recipe that is hearty, chewy and flavorful. Enjoy.

UpNorthica’s Ginger-Orange Nutty Granola
Serves 12
egg + dairy free

3.5C rolled oats
1C Bob’s Red Mill Seven Grain Hot Cereal (uncooked)
1/2C chopped dates
1C orange marmalade
1pkg/12oz raw soy protein powder (add more if you wish)
1/2C agave syrup
1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4C chopped hazelnuts
1 Tbs arrowroot
1/2 Tbs cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
handful of unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)

1. Preheat oven at 350°. Mix all ingredients. Cover cookie sheet with parchment. Spread mixture on top. Bake for 35 minutes. Let cool, then seal in a zip lock bag. Add campsite-fresh blueberries for a real treat!

Our trip to Wabakimi Provincial Park is almost upon us! Since we’ll be covering lots of territory (rather unfamiliar territory at that), our preparations have seen us re-thinking our menu. We usually carry some fresh food with us, but for the most part, we’re traveling light this time. Meals for the trip are dehydrated, freeze-dried and quick to make. That doesn’t mean blasé, though. Our choices are based on calories and weight, but also tasty enough for a couple of food snobs like us.

Below is our menu, all for the stealing. We’ve also added ways to ‘make it gourmet’ for many of the dishes, if you want to kick things up a notch.

A couple of our morning meals are heated, the rest are cold prep. We’ve brought along some dehydrated fruits, like mango to add to our meal. This allows us to get on the water early, yet eat something filling at the start of our day.

Outdoor Herbivore Denver Veggie Scramble
Why we’re eating it: Scrambled eggs, assorted veggies, hash browns and cheddar cheese will make for a nice, hot breakfast. Comes dehydrated with either 1.5- or 3-serving options. Vegetarian.
Make it gourmet: Roll eggs into a tortilla shell, top with fresh cilantro, or add dehydrated salsa. Shelf-stable bacon bits are also a great add-in for the meat lover.

Outdoor Herbivore Chia Oat Crunch
Why we’re eating it: The chia seed is a natural energy booster and retains water, which will aid in keeping us hydrated longer… a little bit, at least. Made with banana, sunflower seeds and walnuts, which are great for protein and muscle recovery. Comes dehydrated with either 1.5- or 3-serving options. Vegan.
Make it gourmet: Toss in some dehydrated blueberries or milk-chocolate chips.

Orange-Ginger Nutty Granola
Why we’re eating it: Because we crave a little something homemade, we whipped out a batch. This oatey granola is infused with orange, ginger, agave, cinnamon and hazelnuts. Vegan.
Watch for the recipe coming soon!

Our lunches are usually on-the-go and we’ll stop at the end of a portage for our mid-day meal.

Journey Bars
Why we’re eating them: We’d like something more savory for our lunches, versus all the sugary energy bars out there. We’ll test out the tasty flavors of Coconut Curry, Parmesan Romano, Mesquite Barbeque and Wasabi Ginger and let you know how good they are. It’s appealing to us that they’re made of organic whole grains and natural ingredients like black strap molasses, Romano cheese, and unsweetened coconut. All flavors, except Parmesan Romano, are vegan.

Packit Gourmet Cheese
Why we’re eating it: Chunks of Tomato & Basil and Wisconsin Chipotle Cheddar will add protein and variety to our lunches. The cheeses are a desirable shelf-stable alternative to the default Laughing Cow brand. They come in 2oz packages and serve two travelers – or one extra hungry one. Vegetarian.

Justin’s Nut Butters
Why we’re eating them: When the afternoon munchies hit, we’ll have Justin’s Nut butters to grab. Small, light, high-calorie packets that are sweet, but not too sweet. Justin’s offers yummy flavors like Chocolate Hazelnut, Honey Almond and Maple Almond. All can be eaten right out of the packet or spread on your favorite bread. Vegetarian.

The best part of the day after you’ve paddled for miles and have a crackling fire going. Most of our dinners just require hot water. For once, it’ll be nice to not have to bring half the pantry and spice rack.

Backpackers Pantry Lasagna
Why were eating it: Ya gotta have a little comfort food, even in the woods. Made with vegetarian beef (meat replacement) and vegetables like mushrooms, bell pepper and onion, it just might taste like mom made it. Vegetarian. Apologies to mom.
Make it gourmet: Add grated Parmesan, bits of fresh basil or some toasted pine nuts.

Backpackers Pantry Parmesan Vegetable Pasta
Why we’re eating it: Pasta equals carbs. But carbs flavored with carrots, bell pepper and parsley equals tasty.
Make it gourmet: Add cubed and toasted french bread pieces, fresh basil leaves or foil-pack chicken.

Outdoor Herbivore Basil Walnut Pasta
Why we’re eating it: We’ve enjoyed this meal Outdoor Herbivore in the past. Whole wheat penné pasta tossed with walnuts, milled flax and basil make for a filling dinner. Portions are generous and will feed the ravenous. Options for 1.5, 3 or 6 servings available. Vegan.
Make it gourmet: Toss in sun-dried tomatoes, olives or sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Outdoor Herbivore Cheddar Mac
Why we’re eating it: Because everything tastes good when you’re camping. Grown up mac and cheese for us with the inclusion of sun-dried tomatoes and parsley. We’re adding foil packed smoked salmon for the protein. Plus, if we don’t catch a fish, at least we’ll still eat some. Vegan.
Make it gourmet: Mix in foil-pack salmon or crab.

Fire-Grilled Pesto Pizza
Why we’re eating it: Shoot – we just can’t help but make something from scratch. We’re bringing along pizza dough mix, vegan mozzarella, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto. We only need to mix the dough in camp and cook over the fire. Better than delivery and easy to make. Watch for our full recipe later. Vegetarian.
Make it gourmet: Everyone knows that anything can be tossed on a pizza.

What better way to boost morale, than dessert? There’s plenty of water everywhere and we have some great ways to doctor it up.

Mountain House Raspberry Crumble
Why we’re eating it: Raspberry sauce and chocolate chip cookies will be a nice finish to a hearty meal. Comes freeze-dried and serves 4. We won’t have to share.

Packit Gourmet Pumpkin Cheesecake
Why we’re eating it: Our fall like weather needs to be enjoyed with the tastes of pumpkin pie, creamy cheese and gingersnap crust. Topped off with a hot mug of cider will make things pretty perfect. Comes in single or double servings. Vegetarian.

Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate & Pistachio Toffee
Why we’re eating it: This is chocolate. Do we need a reason? Plus, there’s gotta be a little protein in those pistachios, right?

Backpackers Pantry Chocolate S’mores
Why we’re eating it: Because every camping trip should have s’mores. Bringing the real thing is too bulky and fussy this time. But this adaptation of chocolate pudding, mini-marshmallows, topped with graham cracker crumble will be almost as good. Should serve two, we hope. Vegetarian.

Propel Zero Powder
Why we’re drinking it: Although the lake water is refreshing, it’s nice to mix it up once in a while. Propel makes single-serving packets of zero calorie, flavored powders. We’re taking along kiwi-strawberry. Enhanced with vitamins E, C and B, we’ll benefit from the extra bit of nutritional value.

True Lime
Why we’re drinking it: Small packets of crystallized lime taste like the fresh squeezed stuff. We like flavoring our water with these when we want refreshment, sans the sweet.

Good Earth Tea
Why we’re drinking it: It’s nice to have something hot to drink in the morning or at the end of the day when you don’t want caffeine. Our favorite flavors are Original Sweet and Spicy or Matcha, Sencha and Orange Green Tea.

Hungry yet? So are we. And hungry for adventure, too. Soon, Wabakimi…

Much to the joy of our palates, savory flavored energy bars the latest trend to hit the sports market.  Granted, most everyone loves chocolate, but its nice to see the variety.  We tested out Pro Bar’s Sweet & Savory line of whole food meal bars.  After ripping open the package, we noticed they actually looked homemade.  No finely ground bricks here.  You could see sesame seeds, pistachio bits, almonds, whole raisins, and pretzels, just to name a few.  They are dense, but not so stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth dense.  We like that they aren’t sickly sweet.  That gets old fast, especially when you rely on bars day after day during a long trip.  Our favorite flavors are the Cherry Pretzel and Cocoa Pistachio.  Overall they taste nearly homemade and would be a tasty alternative to many of the bars we’re used to.  With 10 grams of protein, they’d keep you going all afternoon.  100% vegan (although you wouldn’t know it).

Buy here.

Outdoors enthusiast, Savante Freden has been camping in his native Sweden for years. He’s always enjoyed cooking using an outdoor oven, but found them cumbersome. So, he created his own, lightweight, fold-able version and now he produces it for the masses.

We’d cook with the Savante Freden Reflector Oven. Made of aluminum, it’s light at 1lb 13 oz. Folding flat, it will pack nicely with your kitchen gear. Large enough for a batch of biscuits, its 10x13x5 frame should adequately fit all sorts of yummy goods.

Buy here.

Need some recipes to get you going?  Drool over these here.

We tested out, (oh, the sacrifices) Komforte Chockolate bars. Could the merger of Tortilla Lime + Salt with chocolate be the newest odd couple?  Maybe we could knock off breakfast and dessert with a piece of French Toast.

So, how did these bars measure up?  Decadent, creamy and full of surprise.  The Tortilla Lime + Salt had bits of crunchy, salty, tortilla shell that added pleasing texture.  While the chocolate melted in our mouth, we caught the tartness of lime. The contrasts of salt, tart and sweet made for a great combo.  This flavor made the top of our picks and we’d be happy to stuff it in our packs.

Who wouldn’t want chocolate for breakfast?  Ok, maybe.  We were wowed by the rich texture of French Toast.  Picture globs of maple syrup and butter and you get the idea. We thought the added bits of bagel chips would be an unusual mix, but they were not, and it was pleasant to break up the intense flavors with some crunch.  Sorta reminded us of the crust on french bread.  The French Toast is decadent.  It is something we’d probably nibble on over the course of a few days.

Chocolate is tasting pretty good these days.  Made in Seattle in small batches with natural ingredients.

Buy here.

We recently tried Outdoor Herbivore’s Blackened Quinoa. With ingredients like black beans, dried quinoa, corn and cumin, we were curious if this dish would pull off the tex-mex flavor we were hoping for.

The meal cooks up in about 5 minutes. The beans, corn and quinoa re-hydrated well and tasted fresh. The flavors of garlic, chili pepper and cumin are also a part of the mix. Gave off some nice heat, but we’d describe the intensity as medium. The package also includes packets of olive oil, salt and pepper to add.  The texture was a blend of chewy and cruncy without being gritty. This would make a light lunch for two people or dinner for one. This dish was tasty! We’d be happy to include it on our next trip.

Serving Size: 1-2
Net Wt: 4.5 oz
Cook time: 5 min.
Calories: 520 per serving
Vegan/Vegetarian/Organic

Take it up a notch! Scoop Blackened Quinoa into a flour tortilla, top with your favorite salsa.
Meat lover? Add shredded chicken or fish.

Smoking salmon is not hard to do. With some easy-to-follow directions and a bit of down time, you can make your taste buds say howdy-do with this recipe. Give yourself two days, with prep, to smoke the fish.

Buy fresh salmon.
This recipe should be enough for 4-6 pounds of salmon.

Prepare a brine.
4 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 stalk sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped fennel
1/2 chopped onion
2 smashed garlic cloves

Mix all the ingredients and pour over the salmon fillets in a non-reactive container, like plastic or glass. Let the fish cure overnight or at least 8 hours.

Air dry your fish.
Don’t skip this step. Remove the fish from the brine and set on a rack on your counter. Drying forms a pellicle or lacquer-like surface for the smoke to stick to. We keep our air temp below 65 degrees and place a fan on a low setting near the fish. Allow the fish to air dry for 2 hours. The salt in the brine protects the fish from turning nasty.

While the fish are air drying, prepare your smoker.
You will need wood lump charcoal and wood chips. We like hickory or apple chips, but other kinds of fruit wood would also work. Prepare a nice pile of charcoal in your smoker and light ‘er up. Soak the hickory chips in a bowl of water and set nearby. Once the wood lump charcoal has some good coals going, watch your temperature.  You don’t want the smoker too hot.  After the coals have been burning for about an hour, drain the hickory chips and add a couple of handfuls to the coals.  Toss in a couple more handfuls throughout the smoking process, or when you see they have burned down.

Smoking the salmon.
Add your salmon fillets. Smoke them until the internal temperature of the fillet reaches 140 degrees. This can be anywhere from one to four hours, depending on thickness. When the fillets are finished, wrap them up and store them in the fridge up to 10 days.  They can also be frozen for up to 6 months. We vacuum seal ours before a trip.