Hydrating Spring Rolls

A pressing issue with spending time in a dry, arid desert is keeping your body hydrated. In addition to bringing an abundant supply of water, here is another tip for when you’re out exploring: eat your water! Fruits and veggies such as watermelon, lettuce and cucumber have over 90% water content, which is absorbed by your body when eaten. Water-rich fruits and vegetables also provide you with natural sugars, amino acids, mineral salts and vitamins that are lost in exercise.

High Water Content Fruits

Watermelon and strawberries contain about 92 percent water per volume. Other fruits with high water content include grapefruit with 91 percent, cantaloupe with 90 percent and peaches with 88 percent water. Fruits containing 87 percent water by weight include pineapple, cranberries, orange and raspberries. Apricots hold 86 percent water, while blueberries and plums contain 85 percent water. The water content for apples and pears is 84 percent. Cherries and grapes contain an average of 81 percent water. And, a banana’s composition includes 74 percent water.

High Water Content Vegetables

On top of the vegetables list are cucumber and lettuce, consisting of 96 percent water. Zucchini, radish and celery are comprised of 95 percent water. Ninety-four percent of tomato’s weight is water, and green cabbage is 93 percent water. Vegetables that contain 92 percent water include cauliflower, eggplant, red cabbage, peppers and spinach. Broccoli is 91 percent water by weight. Additional healthy hydrating foods include carrots with 87 percent water and green peas and white potatoes with 79 percent water.

Watch video on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/Ti7Eeahuw3Y

Dining on Spain's Camino de Santiago

In the fall of 2014 my dad and I undertook the journey of walking the Camino’s most popular route, Camino Frances. When we started walking, I was surprised by how different this journey was compared to any other type of backpacking I had done.  I had a bed and a hot shower at the end of every day, the trail was well marked, and there was drinkable water everywhere.  But, the most luxurious part of the Camino was the food!  I was spoiled by the easy accessibility to great food along this route.  Restaurants and cafes were everywhere.  The furthest I ever walked without seeing food for sale was five miles.  Five miles!  The Camino is a foodies dream.

On the Camino we were able to experience a wide range of regional Spanish cuisine.  Soups, cured meats, cheeses, local bread, wine, fruit, everything we ate was indicative to the various parts of Spain we visited.  A day in the life of a pilgrim revolves around eating, walking, and eating again.  A pilgrim walking the Camino has many options when it comes to dining.  Depending on your budget and the amount of time you have to complete your journey, you can find a Camino dining option that works best for you. 

Here is a quick overview of the tips you will find in this episode of Adventure Dining Guide's "Walking the Camino: A Culinary Journey"

7 tips overview:
1: Budget
2: Pilgrim's Dinner
3: Tapas
4: Plan Ahead
5: Relax
6: Try Everything
7: Sundays

Watch the episode to learn how to make your Camino experience more gourmet:
http://www.adventurediningguide.com/project/caminodesantiago/

Buen Camino!!!

Camino de Santiago: A Culinary Journey

Watch video on YouTube here: http://youtu.be/yz9QtmbbEEc
via CHANNEL TITLE

Hot Pocket Cooking: A Failed Attempt

A few months ago I had what I thought was a great idea: what if there was a way to use Hand Warmers to heat food.  I wanted to take a common item found in most ski shops, and re-purpose it to create a mini-oven in my jacket pocket.  My thinking behind this madness was that I could eat a warm quesadilla on a chairlift, thus making my friends jealous of my ingenious creation and allowing for more time spent on the hill and less in the lodge.

Test quesadilla #1

I started to research Hand Warmer cooking.  I wanted to make sure that the Hand Warmers were non-toxic (which they are) and search for any other information on Hand Warmers and food. I found a few videos and gear reviews that suggested using the sticky boot warmers on the outside of a mug to keep liquids warmer longer, or to use hand warmers to warm propane stoves when winter camping.  However, no luck finding any information that would help with my makeshift pocket oven.

Since there was no information on this revolutionary concept, that meant that I had to go out and do some field testing.  On a snowy Tahoe day I opened a package of Hot Hands hand warmers and put the pair in my jacket pocket.  I had discovered online that most cheese melts at 90 degrees fahrenheit, so my goal was to see how many hand warmers it would take to make my pocket 100 degrees (just to be safe).  I started off with two, then went to four.  However, I quickly learned that the porous lining in my pocket was no help for holding in heat.  Duly noted.  I needed a way to trap heat in my pocket, or I had to use a different jacket with thicker pockets.

Placing the quesadilla with hand
warmers on each side into my
jacket pocket.

Before switching jackets I decided to try a direct approach.  I made a quesadilla using brie cheese (I wanted to test a soft cheese that melts easily) and wrapped it in a thin layer of aluminum foil.  I placed a hand warmer on each side of the quesadilla and placed the food and heat back in my pocket.  After 45 minutes I removed the quesadilla and used a thermometer to test how much the cheese had melted.  In the spots where the hand warmer was directly against the quesadilla the cheese warmed to 93 degrees, and did in fact melt.  However, the distribution of heat throughout the quesadilla was uneven, and the part that was not directly against the hand warmer was only 68 degrees.  I definitely don't want a blotchy quesadilla, I'm on the pursuit of gooey, cheesy perfection!  Back to the drawing board....


Be sure to read the next installment of "Hot Pocket Cooking", where I will hopefully find a way to enjoy warm quesadillas while riding a chair lift.  And in the meantime.... check out www.adventuredindingguide.com for outdoor recipes and series episodes!

Homemade ENERGY Goo with Tori Sowul from Spread Stoke

Tori Soul taking a break on the trail to fuel up
with her homemade energy goo.

Tori Sowul is a force of energy!  She is a passionate outdoors woman who spends a great deal of time ripping along Utah's mountain bike trails.  In addition to being a ski and bike enthusiast, Tori is also co-founder of the action inspired website, spreadstoke.com.  

As you can imagine, Tori is a busy woman with a hectic schedule, which is exactly why she shared a recipe for her homemade energy goo.  She often needs a boost of energy when she's out on the trail, and this recipe has just that.  There are both simple and complex carbs for quick and sustained energy, along with a vitamins to support tired muscles.  And, the best part about Tori's Goo is that it can be made at home using common, inexpensive ingredients.  Heres how to make Tori's Goo, and be sure to visit spreadstoke.com to join an awesome community of outdoor enthusiasts!

Makes 15 servings:

3 tbsp Honey

3/4 tsp Black Molasses

1 tbsp Peanut Butter

1 cup Cooked Quinoa

1 pinch Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Coffee

Mixing up a batch of Tori's homemade energy goo.

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients. Mix everything together.
2. Put 2 tbsp. goo into individual serving plastic bags. *Make sure you use a reliable container to hold the goo, otherwise you will have a big sticky mess to deal with.
3. Consume goo on the trail for simple backcountry energy. Store goo in refrigerator when waiting to be used, to ensure food safety.

For more trail friendly recipes visit: http://www.adventurediningguide.com/recipes