Hitting the trail with Trail Maven's 'Chief Maven'

Sasha Cox is a seasoned outdoors woman who knows a thing or two about cooking outside.  When leading groups of women on her Trail Maven excursions Sasha is in charge of teaching her crew the art of cooking in the backcountry.  This is no easy feat, especially since many of her clients are urban women with limited outdoor cooking experience.  Spending time with an expert like Sasha is inspiring because she knows what it takes to make great food with limited supplies.

Although this recipe is Sasha's favorite backpacking meal, we chose to prepare it in a campground.  The location where we filmed this episode was drought stricken with fire bans outside designated camping areas.  Even small propane stoves can ignite a fire, so we chose to be safe and do our cooking on a camp bench.  While watching this episode you might notice bees buzzing around each shot.  The campsite was filled with bees, and there was nothing we could do to avoid them.  This episode is a perfect example of overcoming the challenges of cooking in the outdoors and making a wonderful meal despite the limitations!

Follow the link to Adventure Dining Guide's site for Sasha's Nutty Veggie Couscous recipe:

http://www.adventurediningguide.com/nuttyveggiecouscous/

Trail Mavens Couscous Episode

Watch video on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/jCcboIVIccw

Trail Maven’s CEO and Chief Maven, Sasha Cox, knows what goes into making a great meal in the backcountry. Watch the episode to learn how to prepare her Nutty Veggie Couscous!

5 Way to Cook Using Your Backcountry Snow Shovel

Grab your shovel and get creative with these 5 tips for cooking with your backcountry snow shovel:

#1:  Fire Starter! 

Use your shovel to build a fire when the ground is wet or covered with snow.  First line thin, dry pieces of timber along the base of your shovel and spread a Vaseline soaked cotton ball over the timber.  Next make a pyramid of timber around the base.  Light the cotton ball and let the flame build.  When the flame is steady and you’re ready, slowly pull the shovel from the fire and try not to disturb the structure (think of a magician pulling a table cloth from a set table).  When the shovel is free and clear, add additional timber and larger dry wood pieces to build your fire. 

#2:  Grill Tool!

Speaking of fires and shovels, your backcountry shovel makes a great tool for flipping and grabbing food from your fire pit.  There’s no need to carry extra tools for cooking on a backcountry fire, your shovel does it all.  You can also use the shovel to fan the fire to build the flames.

#3:  Pot Cover! 

Who needs a lid when you have a shovel to throw over your pot! The light “u” shape molds perfectly to any size pot. 

#4:  Cooling tray! 

Use your shovel as a cooling tray to make backcountry treats, like these “Bear Scat Cookies”. You can heat and bind your ingredients with a backcountry stove and then cool your goop directly on your shovel’s non-stick surface to make delicious cookies without an oven.

#5:  Freezer!

Cool leftovers and make dessert with a shovel and snow.  Dig a shallow hole in the snow.  Lay shovel with leftovers on shovel surface in the snow, and cover with aluminum foil.  Cover the shovel with a light layer of snow, and remove when food reaches your desired temperature.  This is especially great for making desserts when you’re staying in a warm hut.  Try ice cream, pumpkin peanut butter bars, or frozen fruit treats!

For more creative backcountry recipes visit www.adventurediningguide.com