Rise And Shine
Eggs on the trail,
stove less oatmeal, and other breakfast miracles from readers.
May 2000
Sunrise and a bowl of
sweet maple-and-brown-sugar oatmeal. Or a cup of steaming java. How about pancakes
brimming with fresh blueberries? Every camper has a favorite morning meal that
cranks up his engine for a rigorous day on the trail. We gathered readers'
favorite breakfast recipes and tips, through the mail and online at
backpacker.com. Read on to learn how to make the first meal the best meal of
the day.
EGG OPTIONS
Salmonella doesn't show up
on the list of things to experience in the backcountry, which is why
backpackers have always been wary of taking fresh eggs along for the ride. Now
a company called Davidson's has found a way to pasteurize eggs, heating them
ever so slightly to kill the nasty bacteria that cause food poisoning. Although
Davidson's eggs are now safer to pack along than other fresh eggs, company
spokesperson Gerry Mullally warns that pasteurization won't prevent egg
spoilage. Davidson's pasteurized eggs can still spoil in as little as 5 or 6
days, says Mullally, especially when it's hot, so eat them fast. Davidson's
pasteurized eggs were rolled out in the East this spring and will be available
at most supermarkets nationwide by the end of the year. For more information,
call (603) 528-3042.
If you can't find
Davidson's Pasteurized Eggs in your store, there are other egg-cellent options:
Break
fresh eggs into a zipper-lock bag and freeze. The package should thaw by the
time you're ready to scramble up breakfast the morning after you hit the trail.
Powdered
eggs, available from AlpineAire (800-322-6325) and Adventure Foods
(828-497-4113), have always been a backpacker's companion. Use them as you
would fresh eggs.
Egg
Beaters, found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, are the
healthy, low-cholesterol version of whole, fresh eggs.
Freeze
a container of Egg Beaters and they'll be defrosted by the first day's breakfast.
Recipes
Breakfast Entree
Backpacker Rice Pudding
Recipe Ingredients
2/3
Cup powdered milk
1 Cup
instant rice
1/2
Teaspoon cinnamon
1
Pinch nutmeg
1/2
Cup instant vanilla pudding
1 Cup
raisins
2
Cups water
Serves: 1
At Home: Place the powdered milk, rice,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and pudding in a zipper-lock bag.
In Camp: Combine all ingredients in a pot
and bring to a light boil over medium heat. Remove from stove, cover, and let
stand for 5 minutes.
Calories: 336
Carbohydrates: 79
Cholesterol: 2
Dietary Fiber : 2.3
Fiber: 2.8
Protein: 6.6
Saturated Fat: .111
Sodium: 469
Total Fat: .260
Breakfast Side Dish
Chocolate Breakfast Bars
Recipe Ingredients
1 1/2
Cups honey
4
Tablespoons butter
2
Ounces white chocolate
1
Tablespoon vanilla
1 Cup
sunflower seeds or nuts
1/2
Cup wheat germ or shredded coconut
2/3
Cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Cup
dried fruit
5
Cups quick-cooking oats
Serves: 24
Boil the honey, butter,
and chocolate for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Mix together
the remaining ingredients and stir into the chocolate mixture. Pour the dough
onto a cookie sheet and flatten it into one large rectangle about 1 inch thick.
Let cool, then cut into bars. Yield: 24 bars.
Calories: 257
Carbohydrates: 39.1 grams
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Dietary Fiber : 2.3 grams
Fat: 9.5 grams
Fiber: 2.9
Protein: 6.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.27 grams
Sodium: 62 mg
Breakfast Entree
Couscous and Fruit
Recipe Ingredients
1 1/2
Cups couscous
1/2
Cup ground dried berries
1/4
Cup ground dried bananas
1/2
Cup dried pineapple bits
1/4
Cup raw sugar
1/2
Teaspoon cinnamon
1/4
Teaspoon salt
3
Cups water
2
Tablespoons clarified butter
Serves: 1
At Home: Couscous and Fruit Calories 478 Protein
9.1 grams Carbohydrate 96 grams Fat 6.2 grams Cholesterol 15mg Package the
couscous, berries, and bananas in a zipper-lock bag and the pineapple, sugar,
cinnamon, and salt in a second bag.
In Camp: Couscous and Fruit Calories 478
Protein 9.1 grams Carbohydrate 96 grams Fat 6.2 grams Cholesterol 15mg Bring
water and butter to a boil. Add the contents of the couscous bag, stir, and
then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the
couscous with a fork, and then stir in pineapple mixture.
Calories: 478
Carbohydrates: 96 grams
Cholesterol: 15 mg
Dietary Fiber: 4.3 grams
Fat: 6.2 grams
Fiber: 4.9
Protein: 9.1 grams
Saturated Fat: 3.66 grams
Sodium: 204 mg
Breakfast Side Dish
Daniel Bars
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Recipe Ingredients
2
Cups rolled oats
1/2
Cup melted margarine
1/2
Cup brown sugar
1/4
Cup honey
1 1/2
Cups raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped nuts
Serves: 8
Mix all the ingredients
and press into an 8 x 8-inch microwaveable pan. Microwave on high for 5 to 7
minutes, or until the mixture starts to turn brown. It should be soft to the
touch when you take it out of the microwave. Cool, cut into squares, and wrap in
plastic. Yield: 8 to 9 bars.
Calories: 313
Carbohydrates: 42.94 grams
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Dietary Fiber: 1.78 grams
Fat: 14.79 grams
Fiber: 2.2
Protein: 4.3 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.67 grams
Sodium: 140 mg
Breakfast Entree
Eggs Bandelier
Recipe Ingredients
1
Tablespoon butter
1
English muffins
2
Canadian bacon
2
fresh eggs
2
slices cheddar cheese
10
Ounce-packages hollandaise sauce mix
1
Tablespoon butter (or as called for on sauce mix)
2
Teaspoons lemon juice
1
Dash salt
1
Dash pepper
Serves: 2
Melt the butter in a
nonstick skillet. Cut muffins in half-length wise and toast. Set aside in
covered bowl. Fry Canadian bacon until slightly brown. Set the bacon and then a
piece of cheese on half of a muffin in covered bowl. Fry eggs or scramble-powdered
eggs, then place eggs on top of cheese. Make the Hollandaise sauce according to
the package directions and pour over eggs. Season with salt and pepper and top
with remaining half of muffin.
Calories: 588
Carbohydrates: 37.9 grams
Cholesterol: 318mg
Dietary Fiber: 1.3 grams
Fat: 36.95 grams
Fiber: 1.6
Protein: 26.48 grams
Saturated Fat: 20 grams
Sodium: 1559
Breakfast Entree
Oatmeal, Without The Heat
Serves: 1
Oatmeal is a backcountry
staple that has one flaw: You have to cook it to enjoy it, right? Not so, say
readers Steve Cash of Andeson, Indiana, and Jim Edgren of Chicago, Illinois,
who've discovered ways to whip up a hearty breakfast that requires no cooking.
Scottish oatmeal: Traditionally, Scottish soldiers
on march dipped a fistful of oats in a stream to make a paste or dough for a
quick meal. To battle morning hunger on your next trip, place 1/2 cup oats in a
bag and add enough water to make a paste. "Although not as tasty as maple
and brown sugar, it does the job when you can't take the time to cook,"
Steve says. Underager’s oatmeal: Instant oatmeal for infants and
toddlers is formulated to be made with cold water on the spot. "There are
many types," says Steve, "from oatmeal, rice, and barley, to those
flavored with berries." Apple juice oatmeal: Add 1-cup water to a
packet of powdered apple juice or cider, and then pour the liquid over 1Ú2 cup
of quick-cooking grain, such as rolled oats, barley, and rye. Let the mixture
sit for 20 minutes and by the time you take down your tent, you'll have "the
best low-tech oatmeal" Jim has found.
Breakfast Entree
Omelet in a Bag
Recipe Ingredients
2 egg
1/2
Cup cheese (grated)
1/2
Cup salsa
1/2
Cup ham
1
Pinch salt
1
Pinch pepper
Serves: 1
If you're determined to
have fresh, whole eggs but not so eager for yolk-covered fleece, follow the
advice of reader Tim Griffith of Chehalis, Washington, who solved the problem
by leaving nature's fragile packaging at home and premixing his omelet in a
zipper-lock bag. His boil-in-the-bag cooking tip: "I've successfully used
zipper-lock freezer bags and heat-sealed bags, but avoid sandwich bags, which
melt too easily."
At Home: Crack the eggs into a pint-size
zipper-lock freezer bag and beat slightly. Add the cheese, salsa, ham, and
seasonings and, Tim suggests, "anything else that sounds good."
Double bag the mixture "to prevent a sleeping bag-and-headlamp
omelet."
In Camp: Bring a pot of water to boil and
drop the bag in the pot. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the eggs pull away from
the sides of the bag.
Calories: 237
Carbohydrates: 2.9 grams
Cholesterol: 445 mg
Dietary Fiber: 1 gram
Fat: 14.7 grams
Fiber: 1
Protein: 21.36 grams
Saturated Fat: 5.8 grams
Sodium: 701 mg
* High
Protein