This is one of our favorite camping meals. Simple to make, easy to dehydrate and gives you a restaurant quality meal in the forest.
We had two short trips planned this summer so we made this “meal for 4” and vacuum sealed it into two packages. It is so yummy you don’t mind eating it two or three times a summer.
The first time I made it I cut the veggies by hand so the pieces were much larger. I now use a food processor so the texture is different. With a food processor this recipe is ready for the dehydrator in no time.
Recipe for 4 servings – original recipe from the 2nd edition “Backpack Gourmet” by Linda Fredrick Yaffe.
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, minced or grated
1 bell pepper, minced
10 fresh mushrooms, minced
4 cups of stock (chicken or veggie)
4 1/4 oz can black olives (sliced or chopped)
15 oz can small white beans, rinsed and drained (white kidney beans work but navy beans are smaller)
2 tbsp lemon juice (one lemon)
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cups whole wheat couscous
Steps
Step One: Heat the oil over medium low, in a Dutch oven or a large pot. Add the minced onion and garlic; cooking for about 3 minutes.
Step Two: Add the carrots, bell pepper and mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes; stir often.
Step Three: Add stock, olives, beans, lemon, honey, salt, oregano, red pepper and black pepper. Bring this to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step Four: Stir in couscous and cook for 3 minutes.
Dehydrating: Let mixture cool and thicken four about 30 minutes if you have time. Spread it on the dehydrator trays and set the temperature for 145. In our dehydrator it takes about 12 hours, but check on in the progress – it could be done anywhere between 6 and 20 hours.
In Camp
Cover with water 1 1/2 inches above the level of the food in the pot. Bring to a boil, stir, test and serve.