Photo courtesy of Virginia Trudeau (Emily's Mom)
Last weekend, I was sucked in yet again to “snowstorm backpacking.” We planned another snowshoeing trip, but knew ahead of time that there was going to be a storm- again. I was really the only one against it this time. Everyone who had avoided the trip to Yosemite was now itching to get out, and used my success as an even bigger reason to go. I tried to get myself out of it, threatening to spend my weekend cuddled up with my chihuahua in my living room. But I couldn’t let the other Dirty Girls have fun without me, especially when I didn’t have any real excuse. I grumbled a good amount; all the way to Aimee’s house, and then all the way to Mt. Abel.
It ended up being a fabulous weekend. There were three people who had never used snowshoes before, and then me who had only done it once. Then there were the two “manly men”. They had the experience/age, whiskey, and the GPS. Aimee’s dad wins the prize for the manliest. He showed up with the hugest backpack I’ve ever seen! And after putting on his pack cover, I swear it looked like he was going to hang glide right off the side of the trail into the Carrizo Plain! I felt bad for him, but I was pretty happy about everything he brought. And I (secretly) didn’t even end up sore after the trip thanks to the things I didn’t have to carry.
Our dinner consisted of three recipes- one from each Dirty Girl. My recipe was Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce. I made it the first time in Yosemite, and couldn’t believe what an easy camping recipe it ended up being. I cut and measured everything at home, which allowed my frozen fingers to remain hidden in their gloves longer. Plus, it was once again nice to have ingredients that are usually already around for snacking. The peanut butter gives it that stick-to-your-ribs feeling, and the spiciness gives you some heat on a cold night. Most peanut sauces that use peanut butter suggest creamy, but I find chunky to be much more satisfying. The first time I made this, I added canned chicken. Aimee added broccoli, and my mom used only half a chili. Improvise away.
Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce
Yield2 servings
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Activity GuideBike Touring, Backpacking, Car Camping
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and chopped
- 1Thai bird chili chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 cup peanut butter, preferably chunky
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Tools
- 2 Quart Pot
- Skillet
- Fork
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Strainer
Method
- Boil water and cook noodles until al dente, about 10 minutes. For small backpacking pots, you may need to break noodles in half first.
- In a skillet on medium-high, saute garlic, ginger, and chili in the sesame oil until fragran, about 1 minute.
- Add soy sauce and peanut butter, and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. You may need up to 1/2 cup of cooking liquid if the sauce ends up too thick, so set this aside before draining noodles.
- Strain noodles, and mix with the sauce.
- Stir in fresh cilantro and make sure noodles are fully coated in sauce. Serve hot.
Thanks for your comment, Jen! Glad to hear you liked it
I just made this recipe while car camping up in Acadia National Park and it turned out wonderfully. I had made some variations of this in the past from other recipe guides, but your addition of cilantro took it to another level. Thanks!
Thanks so much for the feedback! Chow mein noodles are a great choice for this recipe. Let us know what other feasts you come up with for your adventures
My boyfriend and I opted to go for a short backpacking/snowshoeing trip up to Blue Ridge to camp out for the new year. I seized the opportunity to remind him of this site, and we quickly decided to prepare this recipe for our new year’s eve dinner. It was a hit!
We made a few small changes, though. We used chow mein noodles (since we had some at home already), and prepared them the night before, as well as all of the seasoning. It made a fast and convenient dinner, and hit the spot in the below-freezing weather. We’ll definitely be referring to this site some more. Thank you!
Hey Jill,
Glad you tried it and made it your own. The sauce is definitely meant to go on whatever you like, and I’m impressed to hear you were in the wilderness with fresh vegetables.
Em Trudeau, I’ve confirmed that your recipe is internationally translatable (and delicious!) to wilderness areas of South Africa! On a hectic backpacking trip to the Groendal Wilderness, I nabbed this recipe and it was a hit with my hiking mates! I kept the sauce basics the same, but added a lot of vegetables that we sauteed in another pot – broccoli, butternut squash, celery, onion, carrot, peppers, and spring onions on top.
Thanks for the sweet recipe ideas, keep it up! This site keeps me longing for the woods and forthcoming excursions!
We love hearing when people make our recipes. Thank you!
I finally got around to making this (at home) tonight… this is definitely an easy and *filling* meal – I’m sure it would be perfect after a long day outside. And the chili peppers add some serious kick to help keep you warm.
Great work gals, this site is very well done!
nice. thx
let us know how it turns out when you make it! – Emily