Bombshell Bushcraft

I love to cook and the thought of eating a bunch of prepackaged, freeze-dried or dehydrated store bought meals while camping really didn't appeal to me. I set out to find recipes that would travel well, keep me fueled up, and taste good! All the recipes I'm posting are ones that I've tested, and I've probably made some modifications to suit my tastes. I've done my best to link to the original recipe that I was working from, so you can check that out as well. If it's not good enough to eat at home, it's not good enough to eat in the bush!

Breakfasts

Lemon Poppy Seed Pancakes

I came across this recipe on Pinterest

Makes 6 large or 12 small pancakes

3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt
zest of two lemons
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup poppy seeds

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, blend the wet ingredients together, then fold in the poppy seeds. Add the wet to the dry ingredients, and mix just until combined. DO NOT OVER MIX! Cook on a lightly greased grilled or cast iron pan until lightly golden on both sides.

* I like to portion the batter into two disposable pastry bags, seal up the tops, then freeze them. This recipe would be best for car camping or perhaps the first morning of a back country trip, but it doesn't really travel well once the batter has thawed. It's my favourite pancake recipe though, so I thought it was worth sharing!

Soups

Creamy Mushroom Soup

Recipe modified from the Trail Chef cookbook

2.5 tbsp instant mashed potatoes
1 tbsp full fat milk powder
1 small handful of dried mushrooms, torn
0.5 tsp dried thyme
1.5 tsp beef soup base
1 bay leaf
1 cup water
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients except for the bay leaf and salt and pepper to the pot, stir well, and let sit for 5 minutes. Bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat, add the bay leaf, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with croutons, crackers, or flatbread.

Coconut Curry Soup

Recipe from the Dirty Gourmet

2 handfuls dehydrated vegetables
2 tbsp coconut cream powder
2 tsp chicken soup base
1.5 small handfuls of rice noodles
1 tbsp curry powder
1 pinch cayenne powder
2 cups water

* I've used two methods to make this soup*

Method One: Add all ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for at least 5 minutes, or until noodles and veggies are soft.

Method Two: Boil water and pour over soup ingredients. Cover and let sit until noodles and veggies are soft. *If you are planning to leave this sitting for a few hours (ie: in a thermos), you may want to add less noodles as they will absorb a lot of the broth, resulting in a tasty noodle dish instead of a soup.

Method one blends the flavours of the soup a bit better, and cuts down on the amount of time the soup needs to sit. Method two is a good 'set it and forget it' method... Boil extra water when you make your morning coffee, add the water and remaining ingredients to a thermos and BAM! Lunch is ready when you are!

Main Dishes

Trail Chili

Cooking method based on the Trail Chef cookbook

Makes one (dehydrated) serving

I'm not actually including a recipe for the chili here, because I just sort of make that up as I go along, and I don't think I've ever made the same batch of chili twice. You can use your favourite recipe, or follow the Trail Recipes one linked above. This post is more about the method of dehydrating your chili at home, and re-hydrating it on the trail.

Completely cook and cool the batch of chili. For a single serving, spread approximately 12 oz. (3 ladles) of chili onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Dehydrate in a convection oven at 150 degrees for 8.5 hours, or until the chili is dry and brittle. (You could also use a proper dehydrator, but I don't have one, so... convection oven it is!) Cool completely, then break into smaller pieces and store in a zip top bag.

To re-hydrate: Put the chili and 1.5 cups of water into the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for another 5 minutes until everything is fully softened.

Side Dishes

Easy Back Country Bread aka: Chapati

Recipe from the Trail Recipes website

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp full fat milk powder
1/3-1/2 cup of water
pinch of salt
*optional* dried herbs to compliment your meal
ghee (clarified butter) for brushing/frying

Mix all dry ingredients in a medium-sized ziploc bag. Slowly add the water (I found just short of 1/2 cup was perfect, but better to add less at the start and increase as needed). Seal the bag and knead the dough until smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. Roll or stretch each ball into a thin disc. Pan fry over medium heat, a couple minutes per side, until browned on both sides.

Basic Quinoa

Makes one serving

1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water

Add the water and quinoa to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the water is almost completely absorbed, check for doneness. Add more water if needed, until the quinoa is cooked.

*I covered my pot with a vented lid while it was simmering, but this step isn't required. Just check frequently to make sure your pot isn't boiling dry. There's nothing special or exciting about this recipe, but I have a hard time just making a single serving of anything, so I thought it was useful to note.

Bath and Body Products

Urban Bug Spray

My own recipe, based on assorted posts on Pinterest

To a 100 mL spray bottle, add:

40-50 mL witch hazel (I just filled the bottle about half way)
20 drops rosemary essential oil
20 drops lavender essential oil
10 drops lemongrass essential oil
10 drops tea tree essential oil
water to fill the rest of the bottle

Shake before use and spray liberally on exposed skin