Rice
Commercial instant rice is easy to use, cheap and can be found almost
everywhere. So what does it lack though? Simply a deep taste and as well the
texture that good quality rice has. Sadly with commercial instant rice you do
have a major trade off. In burritos or used in soups on the trail it isn’t so
noticeable. But if your rice is the focal point it can come up very lacking.
Drying your own rice can open up a vast array of choice from Jasmine, sticky
rice, brown, black, red and even wild rice. If you can buy the rice at the store
you can dry it up!
In most cases you will want to double whatever is the “serving size” on the rice
package. That is often 1/4 cup dry rice. Figure 1/2 cup per serving of uncooked
rice for trail appetites.
Cook your rice how you prefer making sure you don’t add in oil or fat. For white
rices I often bring 3 cups water to a boil and add in 1 1/2 cups rinsed rice,
bring it back to a boil, stir well and put the lid on. Turn it down to low and
let it simmer gently for 20 minutes. When done fluff the rice up well.
Spread the cooked rice on prepared dehydrator trays - if you have fine mesh
screen use them, if not line your trays with parchment paper. 1 1/2 cups
uncooked rice takes up about 2 trays when cooked. Dry at 135 to 145 degrees F.
If you are drying using your kitchen oven spread the rice on cookie trays and
set the oven to it’s lowest setting. Put the trays in the oven and prop the door
open a tiny bit with a wooden spoon.
Either way, check on your rice every hour and stir it breaking up any clumps. As
the rice gets dry it will become very easy to get single grains.
The time depends on the humidity and if your dehydrator has a fan to help move
off the moisture. Expect to take 4 to 12 hours (this isn’t an exact science!)
For rehydrating use a ratio of 1:1. For 1 serving from above add 3/4 cup boiling
water to the 3/4 cup dried rice. Stir well and put in a cozy for 15 minutes.
Serve as usual!
Submitted by: Darlene
Quinoa
While Quinoa it is a very fast cooking grain (10 to 20 minutes) it usually
requires rinsing and draining it well before you cook it on trail, as the seeds
have a bitter natural coating that must be rinsed away. It can be used in place
of rice or couscous in many dishes.
A standard serving is 1/4 cup dry uncooked. For trail use I would recommend 1/2
cup uncooked. This provides roughly 240 calories, 6 g fat, 10 g protein and 6 g
fiber.
To make the quinoa:
Take a fine mesh colander and pour 1 cup uncooked quinoa in it. Rinse it well
with cold water and drain. Add it to 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring it
to a boil, stir, put on the lid and lower the heat to Low. Let simmer gently for
10 to 20 minutes. It may need up to 20 to absorb all the water.
Once done fluff up and spread on a lined dehydrator tray. Quinoa is very small
and will fall through most mesh liners. I would recommend that you line your
tray(s) with parchment paper. Dry at 135 degrees F. till dry. As with rice be
sure to check every hour and break up any clumps with clean fingers.
Serving sizes, weights and volume:
1/2 cup raw = 3 ounces
Cooked = 1 1/2 cups
Dehydrated = 3/4 cup and 3 1/2 ounces
You might think “well, now it is more volume and weighs a tiny bit more, how am
I saving anything?”. The beauty of it is you don’t need to cook it (saving fuel
and time) and all you need to do is add a 1:1 ratio of boiling water and let it
sit in your cozy for 10 minutes. No cleanup or burnt on messes. Ready to go when
you are!
Use it in any of your favorite recipes. It is nice added to vegetable soups in
winter.
Submitted by: Darlene
Pumpkin Flour
Description: Pumpkin flour is a great substitute for use in just about any
recipe that uses flour. Pumpkin Flour is rich in minerals and vitamins, many of
which are believed to have several medicinal benefits (see below).
Pumpkin Flour most likely originated in Mexico, the origin of pumpkins. It is
popular there today. But, Pumpkin Flour is most popular in Japan and in Asian
countries. We have also found reference to it’s use in Nigeria, Thailand, and
Brazil.
Potential and real medical benefits include:
* Aids gastrointestinal ailments
* Cancer avoidance and treatment
* Kidney ailments
* Diabetes- both helps in deterring the onset of Diabetes, as well as treatment.
* Heart ailments.
Note: If you’d like to try pumpkin flour, but do not want to make it fresh, it
can be hard to find. Try local health food stores, and Asian and Chinese
groceries.
Ingredients:
There’s just one ingredient..........one or more pumpkins.
Preparation Directions:
1. Select one or more fresh, ripe pumpkins. Sugar pie variety makes a good,
slightly sweet flour.
2. Cut open the pumpkin, remove and discard seeds and strings.
3. Remove the skin from the pumpkin. Use a sharp knife for hard skins. A potato
peeler may work on soft shelled varieties.
4. Slice pumpkin into thin slices and set out to dry. A food dehydrator is
helpful.
5. Allow pumpkin to completely dry.
6. Place slices into a food processor and grind into a flour-like texture.
7. Place pumpkin flour into an airtight container, and store in a cool, dry
place.
Using Pumpkin Flour:
Pumpkin Flour can be used in any recipe that calls for flour. Most recipes
suggest substituting pumpkin flour for up to 1/4 of the amount of regular flour.
Submitted by: Darlene
Pasta
Dry at 135 degrees F. for 8 to 12 hours till brittle hard. Smaller types of pasta
dry fastest and re cook in bags at a faster rate. Rehydration is equal amounts of
water to pasta. As a tip, under cook your pasta by one to two minutes, as it will
finish cooking while being rehydrated.
To use: Place in boiling water, and let sit in a cozy for 5 to 15 minutes.
Submitted by: Darlene
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