Whos Hungry - Part 2 Thai Peanut Noodles

D.I.Y. Meals For The Trail

To start I must reiterate, these are not my meal creations, they come from sources that I found on the internet.  I will attach links to where I found them.

My second recipe again comes from one of Andrew Skurka's 5 Favorites.

Andrew Skurka’s Favorite Recipies #2

Thai Peanut Noodles

Key Stats

• Recommended meal weight: 5.7 oz
• Total calories: 717
• Caloric density: 126 calories/ounce

Ingredients

There are several dry ingredients:

• 3.00 oz || Ramen noodles (one package)
• 0.75 oz || Raisins or crushed peanuts (your pick: some sweetness or some crunch)
• A sprinkle of green onions are a nice addition but unnecessary
• Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

But the meal’s crux is the sauce:

• 1.20 oz || Peanut butter (if sugar-added, do not add more sugar)
• 0.20 oz || Olive oil
• 0.05 oz || Garlic
• 0.20 oz || Soy sauce
• 0.10 oz || Turbinado sugar
• 0.05 oz || Lime juice
• 0.10 oz || Sriracha chili sauce

At-home preparation

Ramen noodles have their own packaging, and Andrew normally leaves them that way. The exception is a short solo trip, when at home he crushes up the noodles and re-bags them with the raisins or crushed peanuts. One package of Ramen per meal per person.

The raisins or crushed peanuts are bagged separately and divided in the field.

The sauce should be made at home. Andrew recommends making big batches with a kitchen mixer. Since a few of the ingredients (e.g. soy sauce, lime juice) require refrigeration for long-term storage, keep the leftovers in the fridge or freezer.

Note: For field transport of the sauce, use a plastic food storage container with a secure lid. In the event that oil seeps out, storing the container inside a plastic bag is recommended. Do not store the sauce in a narrow or wide-mouth bottle, or else you will struggle to get it out.

Cooking instructions

Andrew likes his meals soupy. To each their own, it comes out great either way:

1. If you prefer smaller noodle pieces to long, stringy ones, crush the noodles before opening the package. Be careful — the package can rip open.
2. Remove the MSG-filled “flavor” packet, discard.
3. Bring to a boil at least 1.25 cups (10 oz, 300ml) of water. For a soupier meal, however, you can use at least 2 cups.
4. Add the Ramen and the raisins, turn off the stove or let it burn out, and let the noodles sit for 5 minutes.
5. Add the sauce.

If you use more than the minimum 1.25 cups of water, everything can be added at the very beginning, since the extra water will prevent scorching the ingredients.

Note:  Other than boiling water, all of this does work in a Zip Lock Freezer bag if that's how you prefer to do it, be sure to use a cozy either way to hold in the heat.

My Finished Product

My Measured Ingredients

My Rating

• 5 out of 5

What I liked:

• Tasted great. 
• Very filling. 
• Easy to make. 
• Fast cook. 
• Spice level perfect for me. 

What I disliked:

• The wet ingredients may be a little challenging on the trail, but with good planning shouldn't be too big a deal.

What my fellow tasters thought:

• Everyone thought this tasted great, including my peanut allergy sensitive sons, oops. Dad may want to keep that in mind when camping. 

My thoughts and recommendations:

• I think this will be a favourite for me, I may try a bit more peanut butter but I really liked it as is. 
• Thank you Andrew Skurka.