Touring meals

dibbo
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Touring meals

Postby dibbo » Mon May 23, 2011 2:17 pm

Hey guys

Going to do a 4 day ride in a couple of weeks. Just wondering if anyone has any good simple recipes for dinner meals.

Cheers

jemo27
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Re: Touring meals

Postby jemo27 » Tue May 24, 2011 2:58 pm

what are you carrying in terms of cooking gear?

what is your capacity to carry stuff, ie food, equipment?

where are you cycling?, ie will you be staying in town each night or are you going to be no where near towns each night?

it really depends on if you want to carry a stove for 4 nights or use BBQ and caravan parks for your meals?

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jet-ski
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Re: Touring meals

Postby jet-ski » Tue May 24, 2011 4:47 pm

pasta's not bad in a trangia... boil the pasta....take a jar or sachet of pasta sauce and plonk it on, stir in with some heat.... good cheap and fairly quick and easy... it's pretty easy to carry some herbs and spices for extra flavour
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m@
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Re: Touring meals

Postby m@ » Tue May 24, 2011 5:28 pm

The Continental pasta/rice meals make a decent meal with the addition of some dried veggies, canned tuna and/or parmesan, pepper etc. Not as good as just-add-water bushwalking meals, but a fair bit cheaper...
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il padrone
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Re: Touring meals

Postby il padrone » Tue May 24, 2011 6:30 pm

I don't have any specific recipes, I usually muck about with pasta dishes, using pesto or making a sauce, or do Asian stir-fry with a nice sause sachet to kick it off and noodles (easy and quick to cook). Packet soups are good, either as entree or as a base for a main course. For short trips recently I have obtained some pre-cooked rice and 'Taste of India' complete meal sachets from the supermarket. These are not lightweight but simply need heating in boiling water for 3-5 minutes and your meal is ready. As with many of these packet meals, the stated 'serves two' will be enough for one cyclist :wink:

Preferred stove that I use is either a Trangia, or in colder conditions, my Pocket Rocket canister stove. Both are compact and easy to use.

I haven't used any of them but this site has a selection of good easy recipes. US source I think, but most ingredients are pretty common here
Last edited by il padrone on Tue May 24, 2011 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Aushiker
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Re: Touring meals

Postby Aushiker » Tue May 24, 2011 6:47 pm

m@ wrote:The Continental pasta/rice meals make a decent meal with the addition of some dried veggies, canned tuna and/or parmesan, pepper etc. Not as good as just-add-water bushwalking meals, but a fair bit cheaper...
+ 1 and they cook easily with limited fuel demand. Don't forgot the powered milk but for the pasta meals :) Oh you can get tuna in satchels which maybe a better option over the cans.

Andrew

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Re: Touring meals

Postby }SkOrPn--7 » Tue May 24, 2011 7:46 pm

Don't forget to take the necessary goodies to make yourself a brew and some mixed nuts/fruit combo as there great for energy and snacks.

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Re: Touring meals

Postby Baalzamon » Tue May 24, 2011 9:12 pm

Aushiker wrote:
m@ wrote:The Continental pasta/rice meals make a decent meal with the addition of some dried veggies, canned tuna and/or parmesan, pepper etc. Not as good as just-add-water bushwalking meals, but a fair bit cheaper...
+ 1 and they cook easily with limited fuel demand. Don't forgot the powered milk but for the pasta meals :) Oh you can get tuna in satchels which maybe a better option over the cans.

Andrew
+1 I learnt from Andrew on tour :)
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WarrenH
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Re: Touring meals

Postby WarrenH » Wed May 25, 2011 7:49 pm

If I knew this person was coming back, I'd give them a menu and a few preparation tips.

... but I'm getting a bit tired of responding to the non-responding posters, with my apparently invisible replies.

I think that two days is enough time to acknowledge that people had taken the time and concern to post.

dibbo, I'm waiting for your overly pregnant pause to end. I hope your delay results in twins ... then you have an excuse.

Warren.
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Re: Touring meals

Postby Aushiker » Wed May 25, 2011 11:18 pm

WarrenH wrote:If I knew this person was coming back, I'd give them a menu and a few preparation tips.
One thing I have learnt from forums (and Google) is that the poster is not necessary the only one interested in a topic so sometimes with topics such as this I find just sharing one's ideas can be of use to others ...

Andrew

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WarrenH
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Re: Touring meals

Postby WarrenH » Thu May 26, 2011 12:49 am

Andrew, a good gee-up. Cheers Mate.

How does this appeal?

Day 1. When a tour starts, I like to have on the first day, what I like to have at home. I like meat. Two 3cm thick New York /Porterhouse steaks cost about $13-15. Get the butcher to cryovac the two steaks if you can't v-bag them with a food saver. Then freeze them, then wrap them in a thin wet newspaper layer and put them in a Woolies plastic bag. By the the end of the first day they will be perfectly thawed. Take two brown onions sliced thinly, brown nicely and make the best two steak sambos you will have all tour. Feed the man meat, for cell repair. Dont forget to buy two crusty rolls, take some marg or butter, and several pinches of cracked black pepper.

Day 2. At Woolies they have Homebrand French Onion Soup (which serves 4 for about a dollar) add half the packet in two cups of water and add one serving of Surprise peas, one serving of Surprise carrots, and a few dehydrated tomatoes (the dry ones Woolies have, not the ones in brine or oil) and add two large pinches of cracked pepper ... and if this isn't the best and most deliciously filling vegi soup as a main course that you have this year ... I'll pay for it. Let me know if you are disappointed.

Day 3. I dislike the New Zealand made dehydrated/freeze dried back-packers meals. I find them to be both bitter as an after taste, and overly sweet initially and they're very skimpy as a main meal. If you haven't had a freeze dried or dehydrated back-packers meal before, buy one and try it at home. If you can find the US imported meals, like Back-Packers Pantry or Sierra, they are both first class meals and the deserts are an absolute treat, especially the apple pudding. Do avoid the New Zealand stuff it is very ordinary ... unless you try it firstly and like it ... which I doubt will happen.

Il Padrone recommended, the 'Taste of India' Indian curries. So do I. The Punjabi Potatoes and the Jarpur Vegetables are very good meals. They are a lot of food for only $4. Do avoid their lentil dishes, I found them to be very bland and pasty.

When I have bought the dehydrated meals (which I only take for emergencies) I purchase the 5 meal packs (for $30-32) and re-bag them as 3 individual packs ... which works out at only $10 for a substantial meal.

Day 4. Have the rest of the French Onion soup with the additions ... or maybe catch fish or Yabbies. I live in the ACT and have a NSW recreational inland fishing licence. I use a telescopic rod and my lures are, red and gold Celta #2s and Frog Celta #3s. There is no shortage of Trout (Brown and Rainbows), in the high country streams where I like to ride.

I like to cook. I spend a lot of time preparing the food. Six weeks supply and two weeks emergency tucker.

Image

On my last tour (last March and April) it rained nearly every day for 5 weeks ...I ate field mushies every way possible.

Image

Always make the best of what you find naturally ... and if road-kill is still bleeding, and doesn't look diseased don't waste it. My Mates didn't give me the nick-name Wild Wassa from eating 2 minute noodles. True story.

Warren.
"But on steep descending...Larson TT have bad effect on the mind of a rider" - MadRider from Suji, Korea 2001.

"Paved roads ... another fine example of wasteful government spending." - a bumper sticker.

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Re: Touring meals

Postby mitzikatzi » Thu May 26, 2011 9:20 am

WarrenH wrote:...stufff...
WarrenH's posts are always read and his photo's are aways really enjoyed. :)

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jet-ski
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Re: Touring meals

Postby jet-ski » Thu May 26, 2011 10:28 am

WarrenH - again showing we all can learn a lot from him! :)
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redned
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Re: Touring meals

Postby redned » Thu May 26, 2011 11:10 am

I want want he's having!
And I am sure Dibbo appreciates it to, as soon as he has time to respond!

thanks Wassa.

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hartleymartin
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Re: Touring meals

Postby hartleymartin » Sun May 29, 2011 12:34 am

There's plenty of variety in canned fish. Tuna, Salmon, Oysters, Mussels... I cooked all my meals on a stove made from coca cola cans.
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il padrone
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Re: Touring meals

Postby il padrone » Sun May 29, 2011 12:45 am

WarrenH wrote:I like to cook. I spend a lot of time preparing the food. Six weeks supply and two weeks emergency tucker.

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Umm....

I'd love to see the panniers you managed to fit this lot into :? :wink: :P
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WarrenH
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Re: Touring meals

Postby WarrenH » Sun May 29, 2011 6:14 pm

Peter, G'day. My bags and bar box are all Vaude Roadmasters. The bags are 40lts ea. Last trip was my heaviest ever, at 38 kg of cargo when starting out. With camera gear, tripod, snow gear, bike tools and spares, MSR Sweetwater water filter and fishing gear, candle lantern with a dozen candles.

My system is designed for the Bicentennial National Trail, where chances for resupplying can be weeks apart ... and I'm in no hurry, ever. In northern NSW on the BNT it is about 4 weeks between towns. Last trip (this past April and May) into the northern ranges of the Alps I carried snow gear, that is the gear perched on top of the Extrawheel. The green roll is a full length thermarest. The Extrawheel Voyager Solo is only 4.5kg complete. I only saw sleet and a snow shower/flurry twice and had about 4 weeks of rain. The most I ride on a tour is about 30 klicks a day when fully loaded. On many days I'll only ride a handful of kilometres and spend most of the day taking photos, fishing and cooking.

Image

Image

The next two images were taken when I was trying to figure out the best set up for the Extrawheel. Carrying the gear athwart didn't last long.

Image

Image

Image

Warren.
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RonK
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Re: Touring meals

Postby RonK » Sun May 29, 2011 10:25 pm

WarrenH wrote:At Woolies they have Homebrand French Onion Soup (which serves 4 for about a dollar) add half the packet in two cups of water and add one serving of Surprise peas, one serving of Surprise carrots, and a few dehydrated tomatoes (the dry ones Woolies have, not the ones in brine or oil) and add two large pinches of cracked pepper ... and if this isn't the best and most deliciously filling vegi soup as a main course that you have this year ... I'll pay for it. Let me know if you are disappointed.
Wazza, I do believe you have failed to mention what I consider a bushwalker's staple - instant mashed potato. Yes, Deb Instant Mashed Potato with Onions actually tastes good, couldn't be simpler to prepare and packed weight/volume is negligible. There are alway a couple of reserve packets in my tucker bag, along with Vita-Wheat crispbreads, salami, biltong, and Laughing Cow cheese wedges. Most of the instant soups are good, my favourite is Asian Laksa. And my usual breakfast is Uncle Toby's Instant Oats - a couple a sachets puts a lump in my belly.
WarrenH wrote:I dislike the New Zealand made dehydrated/freeze dried back-packers meals. I find them to be both bitter as an after taste, and overly sweet initially and they're very skimpy as a main meal. If you haven't had a freeze dried or dehydrated back-packers meal before, buy one and try it at home. If you can find the US imported meals, like Back-Packers Pantry or Sierra, they are both first class meals and the deserts are an absolute treat, especially the apple pudding. Do avoid the New Zealand stuff it is very ordinary ... unless you try it firstly and like it ... which I doubt will happen.
I don't like the NZ stuff much either. For dehydrated meals, try Chefsway - available from most bushwalking shops. These meals are made in Tasmania and are very good. I have a big appetite but find the double serve really satisfies me. I particularly enjoy the spaghetti bolognaise, and my wife has been known to have the mushroom risotto at home. Like Deb they provide excellent food value for negligible packed weight and volume.
Last edited by RonK on Mon May 30, 2011 9:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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WarrenH
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Re: Touring meals

Postby WarrenH » Mon May 30, 2011 9:28 pm

RonK wrote:Wazza, I do believe you have failed to mention what I consider a bushwalker's staple - instant mashed potato.
Guilty ... but there is an extenuating circumstance. I though that I was the only one (around) who likes Deb instant mashed spuds. In my defense, there are 16 individual servings of Deb in the food photo, stacked just below the olive oil.

Ron I've not had Bittong, although I'm not uninterested in bush meat. In my weaker moments at home, I make jerky.

Have you ever dehydrated a Water Melon? It is the coolest dehydration ever. I took an 8kg Water Melon and peeled it. Leaving just a hint of the white pulp. I removed the seed bands (or tried to) and then I cut it into 3cm cubes and dehydrated it for 36 hours. All up the the 8kg melon was reduced to about a poofteenth of a kilo. That is 10x ͋͋͞͞͞͞¯8 of a kilo, almost weightless. It is so delicious, with the release of the sugars, even from the white pulp ... it you can dehydrate food, do it. You will thank me in the morning ... or when you return from your tour would be OK.

Warren.
"But on steep descending...Larson TT have bad effect on the mind of a rider" - MadRider from Suji, Korea 2001.

"Paved roads ... another fine example of wasteful government spending." - a bumper sticker.

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RonK
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Re: Touring meals

Postby RonK » Tue May 31, 2011 10:34 pm

WarrenH wrote:Have you ever dehydrated a Water Melon? It is the coolest dehydration ever. I took an 8kg Water Melon and peeled it.Warren.
Hehe - I read about the dehydrated watermelon in you CGOAB journal. I had a bit of a chuckle as I considered how to go about peeling a watermelon. Then I wondered how much water it would take to rehydrate - does an 8kg melon require 8 litres of water to rehydrate it? And what it would taste like. But I guess you are saying you eat it as it is. Dried would probably be a more descriptive term, as in dried fruit.

I have often carried dried cooking apples in my tucker bag, they make a nice snack dry or a nice desert stewed and served with a little instant custard.
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Re: Touring meals

Postby gdt » Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:10 am

(Deb potato, oh my lord, let's not ever be hungry enough to go there)

I dehydrate my own. Pretty easy to do, especially with veg (just blanch them then dry them). Although I plan meals I'll generally package the ingredients rather than completed meals, with a little note in the ingredients to say what days/recipes they contribute to. The veg are good for adding crunch to the packet pastas (in which I prefer San Remo to Continental).

A bolognaise sauce made from kangaroo keeps dries pretty well, thanks to the low fat content.
I've recently been introduced to parboiled rice, which is stocked by Indian merchants. Light, cooks quickly, stays fluffy.
I'm not keen on tinned fish for longer trips, simply because the used tin makes the rubbish smell really bad after a week.
For breakfast I have a premix of rolled oats, dried tropical fruit and milk powder. Add water and make porridge.
For lunch early in the trip I love Vitawheat Nine Grains, cheese, salami, dried tomato.

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il padrone
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Re: Touring meals

Postby il padrone » Wed Jun 01, 2011 11:47 am

gdt wrote:I'm not keen on tinned fish for longer trips, simply because the used tin makes the rubbish smell really bad after a week.
But the used tin is really handy for getting a campfire going. Fill with metho, light, then build a teepee of sticks over it. Keep adding gradually bigger sticks. Will light a fire on the wettest of days :wink:

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Use fish in foil packets if the tin really bothers you.
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Re: Touring meals

Postby Aushiker » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:02 pm

il padrone wrote:Use fish in foil packets if the tin really bothers you.
Seems to be getting harder to find; well in the various supermarkets I have tried lately. Salmon has been on the shelves but not tuna.

Andrew

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Re: Touring meals

Postby Aushiker » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:04 pm

il padrone wrote: 'Taste of India' complete meal sachets from the supermarket.
I haven't had much luck finding these here in WA. If anyone in WA has found them can you please post which supermarket they where at and/or what section of the store had them.

Thanks
Andrew

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WarrenH
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Re: Touring meals

Postby WarrenH » Wed Jun 01, 2011 1:33 pm

Aushiker wrote:
il padrone wrote: 'Taste of India' complete meal sachets from the supermarket.
When I wrote that I seconded the Taste of India meals, I actually mean the 'Tasty Bite' Indian curries, like Bombay Potatoes and Jaipur Vegetables. They are $3 a meal at Woolies. Tasty Bite meals (340gms) aren't as light as a back-packer's freeze dried or dehydrated meal. I only take two meals, any more and they get a bit heavy (psychologically) ... http://www.glutenfreeeatingdirectory.co ... a_P$fsL%29

I take precooked and dehydrated rice (that I prepare at home) and make Indian flat breads like Poori and I cook the bread in the Trangia frying pan. I do the rice at home but it takes a long time to process, I think I might try gdt's recommendation for parboiled rice. There is a large Indian specialty supermarket, at Oatley Court in Belconnen in Canberra. If you haven't seen 200 different varieties of poppadoms in the one shop, and would like to, do pay them a visit.

Until last week, I'd not ever been indecisive when buying poppadoms ... but after an hour and a half of total confusion, my brain exploded. I think I'll go back to Woolies to buy poppadoms where they have two types. A big packet or a little packet.

This is no joke; you know when even a tiny little poppadom will blow up to the size of a large dinner plate. In the Indian supermarket they have poppadoms more than 30cm across ... these things could end up being giant beach umbrellas or if half cooked and still pliable, dome tent footprints or a circular camping fly. Then eat it in the morning, then there's nothing to pack away.

Warren.
"But on steep descending...Larson TT have bad effect on the mind of a rider" - MadRider from Suji, Korea 2001.

"Paved roads ... another fine example of wasteful government spending." - a bumper sticker.

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