Monday, February 25, 2013

Onion Apple Tuna Bake

This is a delicious, simple, 4-ingredient lunch, although it takes a little time to cook so it might be best for rest days or short, leisurely days. And again, it requires fresh ingredients which makes the pack a little heavier. But the sweet and savory taste of this dish makes it worth it for me to tote around heavy food (it only makes you stronger anyways, right?). I think this dish is best slow-cooked in a bed of coals but can easily be done on a stove as well. I'll make this on trail when we have time for in-camp lunches, nestling my pot in our ever-present giant coal-and-ash pit and waiting about 20 minutes until the apples and onions have softened and all the flavors meld. You can use salmon instead of tuna for an equally tasty meal.

Coconut oil
Half an onion, chopped
Half an apple, chopped
One packet or can of tuna (or salmon)
Sea salt

Put lots of coconut oil in a pot (a couple tablespoons - this is where you're getting most of the calories in this meal since none of the other ingredients are particularly calorie-dense) and heat it until it melts.
Add the onion and apple and sauté, stirring for about 5 minutes.
Add the tuna (or salmon), and mix well.
Cover and nestle in a coal pit. Leave for about 15-20 minutes, stirring every once in a while if you can (not necessary). If you're using a stove, turn the heat down (as much as you can) and continue stirring until it is cooked to your liking.
Season with sea salt.

Hot Dogs

Grass-fed hot dogs roasted on a fire in the morning are one of my preferred breakfasts. I'll have two dogs, some flax and almond crackers, and maybe some sliced cucumber (if it's not sub-freezing in the field) and that will hold me for quite a while. If you don't have a fire, you can put a little water in a pot and boil them. I get Applegate Farms hot dogs which are already cooked, so you don't need to worry about cooking them all the way through, which is nice. Also they have never gotten too frozen that I can't stick a sturdy whittled roasting stick through them, so that's a plus when camping in sub-freezing temperatures.