I love backpacking! Backcountry camping while carrying everything you need to survive on your back is so freeing! I'm beyond excited for hikes this summer and have started prepping lightweight dehydrated food.
Essential to dehydrating your own food is a dehydrator with a fan & heat control. Cheaper dehydrators without a fan take too long... the food will spoil before it's fully dehydrated. And don't even think about dehydrating meats without being able to set the correct temperature on your dehydrator.
Today I made Lentils with Rice and Apples. While I haven't tried this recipe re-hydrated, it sure tasted good fresh!
First cook 1/4 cup wild rice mixture for 40-50 minutes (according to instructions). Be sure not to add any butter, as fat does not dehydrate well.
In the meantime, cook 1 cup dry red lentils for 10-15 minutes with vegetable broth instead of water. Chop 1/4 of an onion and peel 1 clove of garlic. Chop 1 cup of Fuji apples into 1x1cm cubes or smaller. Add 2 TB of fresh lemon juice and some lemon zest to the apples.
Then heat 1 tsp of oil in a large frying pan and add chopped onion. Saute until the onions are turning golden. Then add minced garlic. Now add the apples with lemon and spices: 3/4 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin. Cook until the apples are tender.
Mix in the cooked rice and lentils. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Dehydrate at 135° until the mixture is crisp.
