Backpacking Burritos
- ktsveggielife
- Aug 17, 2016
- 3 min read
We love to explore and go new places. However, I hate those backpacking meals you buy at REI. They are just not good. And rarely can I actually eat them. That is why I invested in a dehydrator about 4 years ago. I use it for everything. I make dried fruit, fruit leather, dried herbs, meals, and my husband has even made jerky in it. It is awesome. I highly suggest purchasing one. I have the NESCO Food Dehydrator and you can find it anywhere, Bed Bath Beyond, Target, Walmart, etc.
Anyway, the thing I love most about owning a dehydrator is it gives me the ability to eat ANYTHING on the trail. Which makes being out in nature all the better. Our mantra was always this, 'Eating well is worth the extra weight.' And when it was just the two of us and we each carried our stuff and split the food and shared gear, that was fine. Then baby boy came along.
Now I carry him, his clothes, diapers, wipes, food, and whatever else we can fit in the baby carrier, we have the Deuter Kid Comfort III and it is A-MAY-ZING. There is tons of storage space, a sun shade, a place for a water bladder, it is comfortable. I love it.
Anyway, now I carry baby and his gear, which means hubby gets to carry his stuff AND my stuff, plus tent, stove, food, etc. So now, we dehydrate everything. But that still doesn't mean we can't eat well and this recipe proves it.
(I warn you now, the pics aren't awesome)
Ingredients
1 c quinoa, uncooked
2 c water
1 c black beans, uncooked (or 1 can)
1 c fresh or frozen corn
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
1/2 c zucchini, diced
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp paprika
dash of salt
cilantro, roughly chopped
tortillas
salsa, optional
avocado, optional
Directions
1. In a sauce pan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa is soft. Fluff and set aside.
2. If using dry beans, they require a pre-soak for 3-4 hours. Or, you can be lazy like me and combine 1 c dry beans with 4 c water in your pressure cooker. Seal, lock, and bring to pressure and cook for 30 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally, do not use quick release method. If you are using canned beans, skip this step.
3. Dice onion and place in a large skillet with olive oil over medium heat. Saute until soft and transparent. Meanwhile, mince garlic and dice zucchini. Once onion is soft, add garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
4. Add zucchini, corn, and spices and saute until zucchini is soft (4-5 minutes). Once zucchini is soft, add beans and stir to coat in spices. Taste and adjust spices to taste.
5. In a large bowl (or the saucepan if it's big enough), combine bean mix with quinoa and stir to mix well. And chopped cilantro, taste and adjust spices as needed
5. Cover dehydrator trays with fruit leather trays or plastic wrap (make sure to not cover the entire tray so the air can circulate) and evenly spread mixture over trays. Dehydrate at 135 degrees F for 10-12 hours until dry and crunchy. Store in Ziploc bags.
6. Spread any store bough salsa over dehydrator tray (with a fruit leather tray or plastic wrap) and dehydrate 10-12 hours at 135 f as well until dry and can be broken into strips. Store in a Ziploc bag and smash into small pieces.
7. Put everything in your pack along with some tortilla and an avocado (worth the weight) and hit the trail.
HOW TO REHYDRATE
1. Pour quinoa mix into your pot and cover with 1-2 inches of water. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Pour salsa pieces into a bowl and barley coat with water, let sit 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Once food has soaked up some water, light your stove and cook quinoa, stirring constantly and adding water as needed. I just taste it every few minutes to see how the beans are softening.
3. Once heated through, serve desired amount onto a tortilla and fold into a burrito. Top with rehydrated salsa and avocado.
4. ENJOY
댓글