Dilly Lemon Roasted Veggie Collagen Bars and A Cooper Spur Snowshoe At Mount Hood

It is a real-to-goodness recipe!!! Maybe this stuck-at-home thing will pay off…

Silently sneaking by a few weeks ago, we celebrated our second anniversary. Wahoo, #2! We took advantage of a kid-free weekend without sports to venture out for a trip to the Columbia River Gorge for a stay to enjoy the trails and local eateries. Who knew things were going to escalate around the world so quickly since then?

After picking up a sno-park pass in Government Camp, we drove back towards Hood River to the Tilly Jane Trail near the Cooper Spur Ski Resort. We were hoping for a snowshoe adventure, so we slung those on our packs and took off up a VERY icy trail. It was a tad bit sketchy in parts due to the steepness of the slope but at least the runout wasn’t too bad.

For some reason I did not have my spikes but we were both too stubborn to put on our snowshoes so the 2.5 miles or so were pretty slow going. Nothing new for us. After some time under the forest canopy, we broke out to an old burn that opened up our views. Blue skies dotted with billowy clouds that had the sun playing peek-a-boo had us soon removing layers.

Most of the trail was wide and easy as evidenced by the selfie above but then we hit a few narrow patches and our work was cut out for us. I may have gotten a wee bit sketched with the snow being too hard to kick sufficient steps into.

We arrived at the campground and took a turn up on the Tilly Jane Trail towards the Cooper Spur. A few skiers were warming up in the hut as we passed by but we turned down an invite to linger inside.

We now had enough snow to strap on our shoes and I stopped at the outdoor amphitheater to put them on.

We played leapfrog with only one other person as we followed the ridge up to intersect with the Timberline Trail and a bit beyond to the Cooper Spur rock shelter.

The snow was hard and crunchy but if we strayed too far of our track to either side it would punch through into powder. Clink, clink, woah!

This turned out to not be the best weather day for views so we could only imagine Mt. Hood looming before us but a day outside is a day outside no matter the weather. I imagine it also was why the crowds were absent other than a few snowboarders that were dropping down into the basin and I’d rather have that any day. Especially right now with everything going on.

The Cooper Spur shelter was unfortunately filled with snow but the backside did offer a windbreak so we gathered there to have a snack and chat. There wasn’t much to take pictures of!

Imagine Mount Hood behind us! I enjoyed a few pieces of this recipe for Dilly Lemon Roasted Veggie Collagen Bars while we rested, along with some kombucha I had picked up for the trip from our local Glorybucha shop in Arlington. That glass bottle is proof that I am not always a gram weenie.

I am super happy with how the “bar” (jerky or leather) turned out. A little chewy and full of flavor, plus all those veggies. If you would like more stats on this snowshoe, check out Tilly Jane Trail to Cooper Spur Shelter!

#carrot#zucchini#parsnips#purplesweetpotato#redonion#sweetbabybroccoli#avocadooil#lemonjuice#drydill#garlicpowder#collagenpeptides

I recently read a backpacking food website article that talked about how hard it is to actually get your recommended dose of vegetables while out hiking or backpacking. So why try, they inferred.

We all know that is not true, right??

This recipe is actually pretty simple and comes out like a thick jerky or leather. I have made several versions and this one is the chewiest so far!

This is because it has a higher carbohydrate ratio, of course. I plan to put out some of the other versions that offer a lower carb ratio, more like tack I guess. However, many of us enjoy not only the sweetness of complex carbs but the energy they provide.

Now if you are stuck at home right now, wanting to make this recipe and thinking, I have everything but [blank] or [blank] and grocery trip opportunities are limited, do not fret! This recipe is very flexible. If you need to substitute a similar vegetable, don’t be afraid to experiment. This is a great way to use up the random vegetables you have in your fridge before they go bad!

Also, if you don’t have collagen peptides you can swap out for your favorite protein powder or gelatin. You could even try a nut flour. What I have found however, is that beef gelatin powder produces a much harder bar and gels too quickly to spread out in the dehydrator so I wouldn’t suggest it.

First, you are going to dice up your veggies and roast them in the oven until soft. Think soft enough to puree, not just soft enough to eat. I drizzled them with avocado oil but you can use olive or another you like. However, if you plan to store these for along time, I would skip the oil part. Oils and fats increase your chance of rancidity.

After roasted and cooled, puree the vegetables in your food processor. If needed, you can add a touch of water to help make it smoother. Don’t worry if you have a few small chunks!

Now, spread it out on a lined tray in your dehydrator. Mine is circular and comes with a plastic jelly roll tray but there are silicone sheets available for square models. The depth was about 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch. Thicker means chewier, thinner means more crispy.

Let dry for about 12 hours on the fruit/veggie setting (about 135 degrees) until you can flip it over. Cutting it now with a pizza cutter is useful for drying, too. Your total time should come to 15-17 hours. You want it to be dry through the center but it may feel a bit tacky until you let it cool completely.

I have stored these in both the fridge and in a jar on the counter for several months. I imagine they will last longer but I tend to eat them faster than that.

Alright, no excuses now. Eat your veggies both on and off the trail!

Dilly Lemon Roasted Veggie Collagen Bars

Prep Time
15 minutes

Cook Time
35 minutes

Total Time
1 hour, 5 minutes

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Autoimmune Protocol, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Primal, Soy free, Whole Food

Servings: 12 pieces

Ingredients

1 large carrot
2 small zucchini
2 medium parsnips
1 medium purple sweet potato
1/2 red onion
1/2 pound sweet baby broccoli
1/4 cup avocado oil (optional)
sea salt
1 large lemon juiced
2 tablespoon dry dill
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup collagen peptides

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Dice the first 5 ingredients into uniform pieces.
Lay them all out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat mat and sprinkle with avocado oil (or other oil of your choice) and sea salt.
Roast in the oven for 35 minutes or until all pieces are soft when pierced with a fork.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let rest to cool for 20 minutes.
Use a food processor to puree the vegetables. This may mean splitting it between two batches depending on the size of your food processor. You want it to be well blended but it can have a few small chunks.
In a large mixing bowl, add the vegetables puree with the remaining ingredients and incorporate well. If it is too thick, you can add a small amount of water to make it easier.
Spread the mixture out on a jelly roll tray in your dehydrator to an even thickness of 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch.
Let dry for 15-17 hours on the fruit/veggie setting (135 degrees).
Check on it half way through and it possible, pick it up and flip to dry more evenly. You can also cut the slices before it is completely dry to aid in drying time.
Once dry (but still a little tacky), remove and let cool completely.
Store in an airtight container and enjoy!