After spending time in Central Oregon near Stinkingwater rockhounding, we drove to Burns, OR and towards Glass Butte in the afternoon. The rain held off, thankfully, and we were able to stretch our legs out a bit. Due to COVID, we didn’t visit many businesses other than to get gas and hopefully we will one day return to explore more of the natural attractions in this high desert of Southeast Oregon.
Glass Butte is a popular Bureau of Land Management rockhounding site and you can read more information on the Deschutes National Forest website. A volcano formed almost 5 million years ago, the area draws those looking for interesting rocks (mostly obsidian of various forms) but also dispersed campers. We were a little of both on this trip.
A dirt road lined with grassy pullout campsites leads up to Glass Butte and a trailhead where you can dig for obsidian or just find it laying around on the ground everywhere. We found a lovely spot with a view of the summit brightened with sunshine peeking through the clouds. There may have also been evidence of wild cows typical of BLM areas as a warning.
I got to see some of the pretties my husband found back at Stinkingwater and explore some nearby “trails” up from our camp. It felt good to be outdoors somewhere new after the last few months of being cooped up in the house or close to home. Plus, my husband was in heaven with his bucket of treasure and that made me happy. This was not my usual kind of adventure but it was meaningful to share it with him. We don’t get a whole lot of weekends away together so I appreciate them when they happen.
One of the things I love about car camping is you can just throw all your gear in and stop when you are done for the day (rather than finding a hotel, having reservations, etc.). I talk more about this in Boondocking At The Blue Heron Cheese Company and my Spring Break Road Trip posts. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend.
Now, let’s talk dinner…
#cauliflowerrice #coconutaminos #dehydratedcoleslawmix #eggs #onion #garlic #nori #sesameoil
As fate would have it, shortly before I learned in a food intolerance test that eggs were not my friends, I purchased from Costco a box of whole egg powder and had an idea for this recipe. It has unfortunately sat by the wayside since then.
However, in the last 6 months I have been experimenting with eggs to see if it is possible there is a way to enjoy them without the consequences. My naturopath suggested that if I go awhile without eating them, I could eventually sample eggs in different ways (just yolk, just whites, in baked goods, in other foods, straight up) to see how I react. This is all part of that N=1 experimenting I talked about in my previous post.
So far, I find that a true reaction comes from fresh eggs prepared straight up and in conjunction with other foods I am intolerant to, like black pepper and mushrooms. My husband is also experimenting with adding eggs (he usually goes the vegan route) so I thought I would see how powdered eggs would make me feel. It might seem a little risky to do so while out in the wild where digging a cathole is required, but I like to live on the edge like that.
If you know that eggs are an absolute no-go for you, feel free to substitute any of your favorite alternatives. The tofu scramble is one my husband makes often for himself and the kids. Just looking at it, you would not know it was not eggs. I personally have not dehydrated tofu, but you can find out more here. I think rehydrated grated mushrooms would also be great. I have currently been experimenting with beef gelatin eggs and the “how-to” on this is below in the recipe box.
The basic premise is to prepare scrambled eggs and mix into rehydrated cauliflower rice that has been soaked in coconut aminos along with other veggies like cabbage, carrots and onions. A coleslaw mix is great as it has the cabbage and carrots shredded already for you! Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder and tear up a piece of roasted nori to incorporate all together. Coconut aminos do make it a bit sweeter than say, tamari, but the sesame oil and garlic powder help to keep it savory.
This recipe is different than most of what you find here on Must Hike Must Eat by requiring two containers to prepare the parts of the meal separately. That is why you see I tried this out on a camping trip for the first time. One container holds the dehydrated veggies, covered with hot water to soak and rehydrate. I used a glass jar so you could see it better but on backcountry trips I used my normal plastic mug with lid I shared in my previous recipe post.
The other container would be your cook pot where you would cook the powdered eggs reconstituted with water. I have heard folks talk about having success putting the reconstituted egg in a heavy plastic ziploc bag and then submerging it in the water but I have not tried it myself. I would be too worried about melting plastic against the side of the small cook pot. There have been many times in my camping past I have made boil-in-a-bag omelets but that was always with a much bigger pot.
Cleaning out the pot did not turn out to be a hassle as the eggs did not stick much. I just added a little warm water after we were done and scraped what was left in the pot and then rinsed it out.
Then I mixed the eggs, nori and the veggies together, topped it with coconut aminos and sesame oil I keep in upcycled airline alcohol bottles and it was ready to enjoy!
If you want to get fancy, you could always add some dehydrated chicken or shrimp.
The next morning after going to bed below a gorgeous sunset, we drove home by way of the Painted Hills of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument just outside Mitchell, Oregon. This area reminded us a lot of our stop at Pahreah in Southern Utah.
Egg “Fried” Cauliflower Rice
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine: Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Soy free, Vegetarian, Whole Food
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients
Cauliflower Rice
- 2 cups riced cauliflower (a typical 16 ounce bag)
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos
Scrambled Egg
-
- 4 tablespoons powdered whole egg
- 6 tablespoons water
Fried Rice Meal
- 1/2-2/3 cup dehydrated cauliflower rice
- 1/2 cup dehydrated coleslaw mix
- 1 teaspoon dried onion
- 1-2 piece(s) roasted nori
- dash garlic powder
- dash sea salt
- coconut aminos (to taste)
- sesame oil (to taste)
Instructions
Cauliflower Rice
- In a medium sized bowl, marinate the riced cauliflower in the coconut aminos for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Drain the rice (if necessary) and lay out on a lined dehydrator tray. Dry on the fruit/veggies setting (135 degrees) for 10-12 hours until the pieces are brittle.
At Home Assembly
- In one container, add the dehydrated vegetables, nori, garlic powder and sea salt. I usually use a small ziploc for this as it will go into a mug. If you are going to use the container to eat out of, you could use a quart size freezer ziploc.
- In another container, measure out the powdered egg mixture. I like to use a film canister or plastic vitamin bottle depending on how much I am taking. Use small bottles for your aminos and oil.
At Camp
- Put your veggie mix into a container you can soak in, like a mug (or other lidded container) unless you have them in a ziploc you can add water to. Boil water, add to cover the veggies and seal. If your container does not have a cozy already, putting it in one helps to retain heat while rehydrating.
- Meanwhile, mix the powdered egg and water together.
- Cook over low heat stirring constantly until all the egg forms into solids. Drain any leftover liquid.
- When the veggies are rehydrated, drain the liquid and add the egg, coconut aminos and sesame oil. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you are new to dehydrating vegetables, you can find out more tips on my Dehydrating 101 page or in my Chicken Coleslaw recipe. If you want to make your own sauce packets, I talk about that here along with demonstrating more ways I prepare a meal, cozies and clean up after eating.
- I used the Wild Root Powdered Whole Egg and have not used another type. The directions I provide are for that brand, you may have different directions/ratio if you use a different brand. OvaEasy is another popular brand and appears to have the same ratio.
- If you would like to try substituting a gelatin egg, I recommend practicing at home first. With the container you will make your “egg” in at camp, add about 1/3 cup of water. This is what I have found makes a good balance of not too rubbery (not enough water) and not to smushy (too much water). Notice what that looks like in the container (in the bowl that comes with my Sno-Peak cook pot it is about 1/4″ deep). This way, you don’t have to bring a measuring cup! I wrote more about how to make a gelatin egg here.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of gelatin over the water (I use this brand) and let it dissolve by itself.
- When there is no more powder (it doesn’t take long), slowly stir to distribute the powder evenly.
- Let it rest for 10-15 minutes and then “scramble” the mixture. If you want more of a yellow color, a pinch of turmeric does the trick!
- You may have to try it a few times to get the amount of water for the egg consistency you like but don’t worry. Your “mistakes” will blend nicely into any hot beverage like coffee, tea or lemon water!
Editor’s note: Costco no longer sells the powdered egg and the company that made it now only does trail mix. I am still working through my Costco purchase but a Google search will find you other options.
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