View topic - Wife's 1st Trip Help me plan a menu

In August I'm taking my wife on her first wilderness canoeing trip.

We will be out for a long weekend, leave early am on Thursday and return pm on Sunday. I would like her to have a very enjoyable time, so help me plan a menu that will be something that she will remember as a positive.

I have a few ideas, but nothing is set in stone and if someone has a great idea, I'd love to give it a try.

We are not picky eaters, and spicy food is certainly in. I'd like to keep the preparation time reasonable, as I'd rather not be cooking all day!!

Let's here some ideas.

J

do you want fresh or dried? The advantage to dried is that you can prep it now, and impress her later!

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

Fresh for the 1st night and then dry after that.

This is a nice one that we just dried up:


I will give you the regular recipe - made with cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, and than anything in brackets is how you can modify this for drying. When I make up a regular batch for dinner, I make up the batch for drying at the same time. It is very quick to do.

BTW - freezes well. It won a million dollars in a Pillsbury bake off. When I did a search for it, I found that people had gone on and modified it further by adding frozen cut spinach.

Million Dollar Chicken (also known as Salsa Couscous Chicken)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup (30g) almonds, coarsely chopped (if use roasted no need to toast, just chop and add later)
2 cloves garlic peeled- I use store bought pre-chopped, 2tbsp
2 lb whole or cut up chicken-boneless skinless (for drying use ground chicken, or turkey, or canned shredded)
1 cup bottled salsa (increase to 1 and 1/2 cups if drying)
1/4 cup of water
2tbsp of currants (or raisons)
1tbsp honey
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon

In large heavy skillet, heat 1tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup almonds and cook 2 min, stirring occasionally until golden brown. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon.

Add 2 cloves garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add 2lb of chicken. Cook about 5 min until brown. (If using ground, make sure it is all cooked before going on)

Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together 1 (1.5) cups of salsa, 1/4 cup of water, 1tbsp of honey, 3/4 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Add to skillet, stirring. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook about 20 min, or until chicken juices run clear when thickest part is skewered.

Stir in almonds.

Makes 4 servings

Nice with/on rice, couscous, noodles


Our kids (teen too) love it!

Spicy Chicken Stir Fry on Noodles - for 2

Cook in oil: 2 tbsp Vietnamese garlic chili sauce (we get ours at Loblaw)
3 clove garlic, diced
2 tbsp ground ginger

Then add: 6 green onions, slices
1/2 each red and green pepper

Stir fry and then set aside.

Mix together sauce # 2: 3 tbsp soya sauce,
3 tbsp cooking wine
2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp sugar
Set aside

Stir fry 2 cut up chicken breasts, and then add sauce # 2. Cook until it starts to thicken. Add Vegetables Sauce # 1 and mix.

Dries well, but you must be very careful to check the chicken regularly or it will either be under dried or tough as leather. My husband keeps meaning to try this with canned or ground chicken or turkey.

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

edited above

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

Bake and take some of these along.

http://community.indigo.ca/posts/The-Qu ... 38391.html

They have precluded many a frayed domestic dilemma.

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Time's but a golden wind that shakes the grass...

Those sound really good.

Craig, chocolate is a necessity.

Cheryl, I am assuming you prepare the dish then dry it. Don't dehydrate much myself, but describe how you dehydrate these and I'll give it a shot.

J

Thinking of the end of the trip, when it matters most and toughest to impress, cause you don't want the last impression to be cup o soup and pringles--

I think the Tuna steak in foil are the fanciest thing going at the end of a trip. They are spicy so plain rice or noodles help, and cut up whatever is left over in way of onions, peppers zuchinni etc.

Or just noodles boiled, then fried at the end with olive oil mixed with sundried tomatos and garlic. Light and easy. a bit of bannock baked with dried cranberries...she'll either want to return or atleast think it wasn't all bad.

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Midway 'twixt earth and heaven....
Above, below
Drift with my drifting, dim and slow,
As twilight drifts to even.
- Pauline Johnson -

I agree with the Tuna Steaks, especially the lemon spicy thai. Simple, easy, quick and impressive!

Yes, we always prepare and then dry. If you don't have a dehydrator, just make it up, line a cookie sheet with cooking parchment (or thick plastic -like the type you would staple over insulation), spread the mixture thin (feel free to use 2 cookie sheets), and then put it in the oven at hmmmm 120 F. Put a knife in the door so that the oven stays open a bit so the humidity can escape.

Not as impressive, but filling and yummy, is mock shepard's pie. Buy a liptons intant potatoes and gravy, layer it over TVP soaked in beef boullion, and onion soup mix (or can dry ground beef cooked in the same), and top with shredded cheddar.

Lots of advice in the in the forums under dehydrating. We have a harvest food works- my camera is in it right now drying out

for lunch:
chicken salad sandwiches in pita or B (no L) T for lunch , instant re-fried beans or black bean and salsa ; babaganoosh and cucumber slices on tortillas or pita's; salmon (in foil pouches) sandwiches on rye;

breakfast -granola, porridge, Alpen with dried fruit, english muffins, jam; pancakes (can cook them at home, leave them out over night to dry out a bit, put them in a zip lock, freeze them until you are ready to go, and you can keep them for days. You just drop them in the fry pan to reheat them)

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

Come on Jerry, show the little misses your fishing and collinearly skills! Lake trout pizza, lake trout tacos, etc. Also, don’t forget the wine and candles.

Just don’t push the bread sticks! And show your manners!


Jerry in the middle with his son on a trip in WCPP 2006. awesom trip!

Bman

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It's all about forward progression!


"Preservation of our waterways comes from those with little voices, big paddles, strong backs, weak minds and thick hides with which to ignore the bug bites." Organizer of "The Wabakimi Project"

Barry,

I was planning on the wine and candles.

Craig was right on with the choc. chip cookies too.

Cheryl had a couple of very tasty sounding dishes too.

I was really looking for the WOW kinda meal, particularly in the side dish catagory to go with the fish. If we are lucky enough we will have fish two of the three nights and I would like to go to Oyster Lake and catch that lake trout.

A nice red squirrel fajita might do the trick.

J

Hey there Bub! Pick on someone your own size!


Jer, you know Pake and I hold the rights to that recipe

Bman

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It's all about forward progression!


"Preservation of our waterways comes from those with little voices, big paddles, strong backs, weak minds and thick hides with which to ignore the bug bites." Organizer of "The Wabakimi Project"

Oh Jerry, jerry, jerry.....

food eh.

Yeah I've got a few recipes in the bag somewhere....lemmee look.

I know you know a few good ones too, but for ease, if you like pasta, it's hard to beat totellini. It doesn't crush like spaghetti, preps fast and takes a variety of sauces without complaint. All of the ingredients travel well and compactly. I distinctly remember hearing the bman say that one we whipped up with Alfredo sauce was "the best meal he'd ever eaten!"; and his beautiful wife is Italian. (those shooters of Yukon Jack during preparation might have had some effect too though.)

And this one works well for breakfast or supper,
cranberry french toast, made with an artisan loaf. It's sweet enough that you don't need syrup. Soak it in your basic egg drench but add some orange juice to the mix too.



There's so many more. I'll look.

But you know, she'll enjoy whatever you do. Keep her warm and dry, and you'll be fine. A hero maybe

pake

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"...I've heard the Pipes of Pan"

Lake Trout Sushi!

Lake Trout Shushi, wouldn't produce the desired results I'm afraid.

My wife is slightly squeamish about baiting her fish hook, let alone eating something closly resembling the bait!!!!!

Back from the Albany???

J