CAMPFIRE COOKING: ROCK CHICKEN RECIPE

Campfire Cooking: Rock Chicken Recipe...

One of the best things about being in the wilderness, in my opinion, is eating a tasty meal around the campfire. Maybe it's the feeling of being primitive, or the open air, or maybe even a little dirt that always seems to find its way into the food, but for some reason food just tastes better in the bush.

One of my favorites is "Rock Chicken". it is a great meal when prepared properly. The use of hot rocks allows the chicken to roast slowly and the meat is quite tender and succulent. In cold weather, you can even prepare it and toss it into your backpack and it will help keep you warm on your trek... a warning for this though, DO NOT carry it in your backpack in areas frequented by bears!!! The last thing you need is to get mauled by a bear while hiking through the woods.

Here is my recipe for Rock Chicken...

It is an easy recipe that you can start and forget about for several hours. Here’s how it’s done, and yes, it’s primitive cooking.

 

1. Find three good-sized rocks about the size of softball, and place them in the campfire to get hot. Sometimes you get a rock that will crack when heated so it is wise to place a couple of extras in to heat, just in case. The rocks have to get very, very hot.

2. While the rocks are getting hot take a whole chicken and clean inside and out, then rub it down with salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. Stuff 2 whole celery sticks and 1 whole onion into the chicken.

3. After the rocks are HOT, stuff one of the rocks into the chicken with the celery and onion. Place the chicken on a large sheet of tinfoil and take the other two rocks and place one under each wing.

4. Now wrap the chicken in several layers of tinfoil. If you don't use enough foil the rocks may burn through and you will lose too much heat to cook the bird.

5. Then take wet newspaper and wrap it around the tinfoil. Also make sure you wrap at least 10 to 20 layers of newspaper around it, the more the merrier. This will hold the heat of the rocks in extremely well.

6. Let the chicken cook. The heat of the rocks will cook the chicken in about 3 to 5 hours.

NOTE: it might be best to try this recipe at home before going into the wilderness... you want to make sure you have it right.

We hope you enjoy it!

Nutrition For Adventurers... Pt. 2 - Fruit for the Trail

Photo courtesy of KitchenStewardship.com

As we mentioned in the last article, Nutrition for Adventurers... Pt. 1, fruits and vegetables are a very important source of energy-giving carbohydrates that are much needed when on the trail. Problem is, fruits don't keep well in the heat, they take up space, they weigh a lot when in abundance, are messy, and attract ants, bugs, and even bears.
The best way to take fruits and some vegetables with you is to dehydrate them before you go. Dehydrating your fruits has many benefits when you get down to it. They weigh less and take up less space because they are no longer water-filled. They will keep longer for the same reasons. They retain their nutritional value. And finally, they will give you the much needed energy boost that you will need when the day gets long and you are tired. The only real drawback is that they no longer serve as a method of hydration.

So get yourself a dehydrator before your next adventure and get ON it... your body will thank you.

Next: Protein on the trail

Nutrition For Adventurers… Pt. 1 – Pre-Adventure Nutrition…

Copyright 2012 - Human Spirit of Adventure

Proper nutrition is essential for any adventurer. Spending hours, days, or even weeks on the trail can take a major toll on the body. Hiking, backpacking, skiing, climbing, and many other adventure sports require the body to spend its reserves to keep pushing through the tough times.

In this series, we will be discussing various ways to keep the body nourished both prior to your adventure and during.

Proper nutrition and body preparation starts at home long before your adventure begins. We all know that exercise and keeping the body conditioned is essential, but most of us lack on the proper diet. Eating right, if not your everyday thing, should become a priority during the months leading up to your adventure.

To gear your body, you should take in the proper amounts of protein, carbs, and fats… yes, fats. Fat is what you want your body to feed from when it goes into the reserves. If your fat content is too low, the body will begin to burn its lean muscle (after all, muscle is nutritious).

One area where people have a common failing is getting the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diets. The old adage of “5 cups of fruits and vegetables a day” is no longer adequate says the medical guru’s. According to the CDC, Adults need anywhere from 7-13 cups of produce daily to get all the health benefits of fruits and vegetables -- including possible protection against obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

I know what you’re saying… “How am I going to fit 7 to 13 cups of fruit or vegetables into my diet?”

The best way that I have found to do this is to drink my fruits and eat my vegetables. That’s right… I eat my vegetables like cucumbers, squash, carrots, etc. as their regular chunky and crunchy selves, but I drink my fruits. No, I’m not talking about buying expensive fruit juices, loaded with extra sugars either… I make non-dairy smoothies.

Smoothies are an easy way to get the servings down because it is far easier to drink than to eat. Now I’m not talking about buying those wallet-draining, calorie-loaded, sugar-filled, smoothies from Whole Foods or somewhere like that. I make mine right at home using whole fruits bought from the local market, tossing them into the blender, adding a little water, and viola… a perfect non-dairy smoothie.

Copyright 2012 - Human Spirit of Adventure

Here is one of my favorite recipes:

½ cup of blueberries

½ cup of raspberries

½ cup of blackberries

1 cup of grapes

1 large banana

1 large orange

3 cups water

Blend or puree to desired consistency. Leave in the pulp for needed fiber

It's important to eat a rainbow of colored fruits and vegetables every day. The pigments act as antioxidants -- helping to rid your body of "free radicals," that can damage cells.

This blended smoothie yields about eight servings of fruit… if you drink half today, along with the hard veggies at your regular meals, then you have it made and didn’t have to overstuff your gut to do it.

So in your preparations for your next adventure, remember to eat right, get all of your fruits and veggies, and get strong. So go make yourself a smoothie and enjoy!

Next: Fruit on the trail