Travel Challenge
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pdworkman
Posts: 1,342 Member
Okay, my friends, here is my next challenge! Please forgive me if I post it to multiple lists that we share.
I need to compose a meal consisting only of foods which can be found in a small-town supermarket, no cooking, soaking, or dehydrating required, no food processors or equipment, which will appeal to "normal" eaters (okay - worse - elderly rednecks). It needs to be:
- grain free
- dairy free
- vegetarian
- nuts limited and on the side
Since it will also be eaten by a teenager and post-half-marathon runner, so it needs to be able to be hearty; no rabbit food here.
How's that?
Some of the things that I am thinking of are:
- bean salad (can of mixed beans + dressing)
- marinated salad (pre-cut veggies + dressing)
- green salad (pre-washed greens/veggies + dressing + seeds to top)
- fruit platter
As you can see, one of the problems is going to be dressings. Normally I would use an Italian dressing for all three of these, but I don't want them to all taste the same. I hate to have to buy three separate salad dressings and I'm not sure I would find three "safe" ones at a small town grocery store (no dairy, no corn syrup). So I need some ideas for dressings/toppings.
I'd like to work potatoes and hard boiled eggs in there, but I may not be able to confirm ahead of time if there is a deli anywhere that would have them prepared. I like lentils, and maybe I'll bring a can of lentils along since I'm not sure the grocery store will have any. I'd like to add quinoa, but since I can't cook it, and the store isn't likely to have a prepared quinoa salad, that's probably out.
Maybe I should make some sort of cracker ahead of time to bring along, as they should travel fairly well.
What are your creative ideas, my friends?
I need to compose a meal consisting only of foods which can be found in a small-town supermarket, no cooking, soaking, or dehydrating required, no food processors or equipment, which will appeal to "normal" eaters (okay - worse - elderly rednecks). It needs to be:
- grain free
- dairy free
- vegetarian
- nuts limited and on the side
Since it will also be eaten by a teenager and post-half-marathon runner, so it needs to be able to be hearty; no rabbit food here.
How's that?
Some of the things that I am thinking of are:
- bean salad (can of mixed beans + dressing)
- marinated salad (pre-cut veggies + dressing)
- green salad (pre-washed greens/veggies + dressing + seeds to top)
- fruit platter
As you can see, one of the problems is going to be dressings. Normally I would use an Italian dressing for all three of these, but I don't want them to all taste the same. I hate to have to buy three separate salad dressings and I'm not sure I would find three "safe" ones at a small town grocery store (no dairy, no corn syrup). So I need some ideas for dressings/toppings.
I'd like to work potatoes and hard boiled eggs in there, but I may not be able to confirm ahead of time if there is a deli anywhere that would have them prepared. I like lentils, and maybe I'll bring a can of lentils along since I'm not sure the grocery store will have any. I'd like to add quinoa, but since I can't cook it, and the store isn't likely to have a prepared quinoa salad, that's probably out.
Maybe I should make some sort of cracker ahead of time to bring along, as they should travel fairly well.
What are your creative ideas, my friends?
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Replies
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Quinoa srouts quickly !.. How about a Taboule?0
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Hmm, overnight? Would that be long enough? I'm seeing possibilities . . .0
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Maybe I can sprout lentils, too. They're usually pretty quick, and we don't need long tails, just nice to eat . . .0
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Sprouted Salad with mixedVegs (carrot,below,zukes, bellas,onion )Fresh Herbs, olives.
A Rainbow Salad (take Arame,just soak it 30 min )add carrot,red cabbage,green onion,ginger , sqeezed,lemon juice, ACV,agave,stevia or honey & red flakes.(take with to change up dressings )
TAKE a mix of seeds to top.... I mix hemp ,pepitas, ground flax,sunflower)..there is always a jar in my frig. Just add T.or 2
.Pack a Baggie also of Chia for your run, mix with water for your gel. .its lighweight, tuck in,bite a corner off & sip for instant hydration & energy.
Hope this helps a little. There's alot of Raw Salad ideas.0 -
Yes,on the quinoa,!!Super Easy, I do it all the time, 6-8 hr.On a trip,. ...I just thought of. .an Empty CoveredContainer( like a used coffee thingy,?.. simply add hot H2o & Q. B4 going to sleep.!!!!!..a.m.Tails!
Google your area of respite & find out if there is a Traders near! Their Steamed Lentils are a God Send for. ...&$6°Π√… stop me now Ha!
I'm sooo excited for your run! ...you've planned and prepared constantly. Where is it btw?0 -
No Traders around here, LOL. I'd have to go over the border for that.Yes,on the quinoa,!!Super Easy, I do it all the time, 6-8 hr.On a trip,. ...I just thought of. .an Empty CoveredContainer( like a used coffee thingy,?.. simply add hot H2o & Q. B4 going to sleep.!!!!!..a.m.Tails!
Google your area of respite & find out if there is a Traders near! Their Steamed Lentils are a God Send for. ...&$6°Π√… stop me now Ha!
I'm sooo excited for your run! ...you've planned and prepared constantly. Where is it btw?0 -
How about an Orange Ginger Vinegerette? .. lil flax or Seasme Oil
Or a Tahini Dressing!0 -
Are you travelling by car or plane? Can you take food with you?
We are doing a 10-day road trip this summer. I have made sure that our hotel stays all have mini fridges and microwaves. And we will likely eat out sometimes, but this will be tricky (I made note of where all the Chipotle restaurants are along the way so we can get fresh salads!).
When we have to go somewhere (like my MIL's house), I try to take food and keep it simple. I take Amazing Meal shakes (don't need a blender, just boxes of rice milk and ice if possible, put in a water bottle and shake), homemade crackers and energy bars, and lots of fresh fruit (mainly apples, bananas, pears, oranges -- things that come pre-wrapped by nature, lol) for breakfast, lunch and snacks, and then we improvise dinner. Mexican restaurants are always a good option for beans and rice, etc.0 -
So, with last-minutes changes, it ended up just being hubby and myself for this meal. Which is one of the reasons I wasn't buying anything until the last minute! You never know how many you are preparing food for! Of course, two people is also challenging because you can't prepare as wide a variety, as all of the extra food either has to go in the garbage or be refrigerated and carried home.
We had:
- bagged green salad, grape tomatoes, sweet onion dressing (bottled) and hard boiled egg (one of our usual travel foods, so we already had with us)
- bagged coleslaw with peanut sauce (sauce: peanut butter, one of our usual travel foods, water, soy sauce, and Club House Asian Sesame spices)
- chickpeas with salsa and avocado
- fruit salad for dessert - grapes, banana, and apricots
Those Club House recipe inspirations are great for travel! Of course they are officially designed for meat dishes, but you can use them for salads, beans, tofu, whatever. You get six little spice packs that go together nicely, without having to transport bottles or baggies of spices with you. Just throw a few in your backpack and pair them with whatever is on sale at the store.
I do need to find a way to transport sauces and liquids more easily. My soy sauce container leaked badly. Good thing I put my sauce containers in a ziploc bag! Maybe some travel shampoo type bottles might do the trick.0
