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Today, we are making a dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl. When we make it at home, we’ll often add a tin of sardines with olive oil to round it out. It’s good stuff either way.
Using our Dehydrator Chef approach, we have dehydrated all of the ingredients in advance to build out our recipe. The ingredients have all been optimized to reconstitute in a reasonable period. So, you’ll have a hot, satisfying meal in less than 30 minutes out in the field or at the campsite.
So, let’s get started with our sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl.
Table of Contents
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Recipe
- Supplies and Tools needed for this Dehydrated Camping Meal Recipe
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Dry Ingredients
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Wet Ingredients
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Ingredient Notes
- At-Home Preparation
- In the Field Preparation
- Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Detailed Preparation Instructions
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Recipe
Our sweet potato black bean quinoa is easy to make with easy-to-source ingredients, and you can dehydrate them all yourself at home.
This recipe is also a great meal option for individuals interested in emergency preparedness and self-sufficiency, as it is an alternative to more expensive options such as freeze-dried.
However, it’s important to note that freeze-dried food will last much longer in storage compared to the dehydrated food we make here.
Supplies and Tools needed for this Dehydrated Camping Meal Recipe
Supplies and tools are minimal for making our dehydrated sweet potato black bean quinoa bowl, and nothing special or out of the ordinary is needed.
- Several 1-quart zip-top bags
- Heavy-duty paper towels
- Labeling material such as masking tape and a waterproof all-weather pen
- Small leak-proof container (optional)
- Camp cookware and dinnerware
Look for lightweight, durable cookware compatible with your camping stove or heat source. Stainless steel or titanium cookware is popular for camping due to its durability and heat distribution ability. We prefer the 1.1-liter MSR Alpine Stowaway Pot; it’s a do-it-all workhorse.
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Dry Ingredients
This recipe makes one serving approximately 140 grams of dry mix. Of course, you can adjust the ingredients as you wish.
- 45 grams dehydrated quinoa
- 25 grams dehydrated sweet potato
- 30 grams dehydrated black beans
- 10 grams dehydrated onion flake
- 5 grams dehydrated RoTel diced tomatoes
- 3 grams dehydrated jalapeno slices
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cilantro flake
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt to taste
- Chipotle pepper, crushed (optional)
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Wet Ingredients
- A quality oil, such as avocado or olive oil, in a leak-proof container (optional)
A bit of healthy cooking fat, such as olive or avocado oil, added to the meal after cooking will significantly enhance the flavor. When making this at home or car camping, we’ll add a tin of sardines in olive oil to take this over the top.
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Ingredient Notes
We are omitting volume measurements as we update our recipes. Measuring dehydrated ingredients by weight makes for a more consistent product. The most accurate way to measure ingredients is by weight because minor differences in measuring can lead to substantial differences in the recipe’s outcome.
We recommend making and then trying this homemade dehydrated camping meal recipe several times at home before preparing it for the first time in the field so you will know what to expect. Armed with this experience, you can dial in the spices how you like and add or subtract any of the other ingredients. Don’t depend on untested gear or untested recipes. Not testing so would be a recipe for disaster and could make for a miserable experience.
At-Home Preparation
Combine all the dry ingredients into a single food-safe 1-quart quality name-brand zip-top bag for the best storage results. The sharp edges of dehydrated ingredients may cause micro-punctures in lesser-quality zip-top plastic bags.
Double bagging involves using two zip-top bags with a separator, such as a heavy-duty paper towel, which helps protect against punctures, leaks, and water penetration, preserving the food’s integrity and making it suitable for field or pantry storage.
The Scott Shop towels brand makes an excellent bag separator. These multipurpose paper towels are thicker than the average heavy-duty paper towel. As a multitasker, repurpose these towels for the after-meal cleanup activities. Check them out here, these towels have over 11,000 Amazon customer reviews with an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars, which is evidence of a great product. You might be able to find them at your local big-box megamart automotive department.
Compared to the local big box stores, Amazon has the best prices for the Ziploc 1-quart zip-top bags. So says the 20,000 plus Amazon customer reviewers who took the time to leave feedback. The rough edges and sharp ends of dehydrated foods very often compromise generic zip-top bags. Quality zip-top bags are a necessity when making dehydrated meals for camping.
Need another reason to buy quality name-brand Ziploc bags? An analysis commissioned by the Mamavation website showed that the majority of plastic sandwich bags sold in the U.S. contain high levels of toxic PFAS, also known as forever chemicals. Ziploc was one brand that contained no detectable levels of forever chemicals.
Be sure to include a short note with the name of the dish and detailed preparation instructions. This homemade dehydrated camping meal will look just like all others in your pack. We have included printable and detailed preparation instructions near the end of this page.
A bit of healthy cooking fat, such as olive or avocado oil added to the meal after cooking will significantly enhance the flavor.
In the Field Preparation
Empty the dry-mix contents of the zip-top bag into a suitable-sized cooking pot.
Measure in enough water to cover the dry ingredients. Then add more water. Stir to mix thoroughly. Cover, and let the dry ingredients hydrate for several minutes. Stir several times, and add more water if needed to keep all ingredients covered and well-saturated with water.
Most Dehydrator Chef recipes call for adding a touch more water after just covering the dry mix. This recipe is an exception; you’ll want to add a good amount of extra water. Dehydrated quinoa reconstitutes best in a 4 to 1 ratio of water to product. You’ll want to make this one a few times at home to gain experience and develop an eye for a good water-to-quinoa ratio.
I’ll go with a minimum of five minutes of soaking time to allow the dry ingredients to reconstitute. Five minutes is a good rule of thumb for our collection of Dehydrator Chef recipes.
One last thing: a little too much water is better than not enough water. Sure, dinner might be a little bit soupy; however, soupy is better than hard and crunchy. Lastly, soupy helps prevent burning.
Next, on your cooking stove and over medium flame, bring the hydrating mix to a boil, frequently stirring frequently to mix. After coming to a boil, if your stove is capable of a low-heat simmer, turn the flame down to reduce the chance of burning.
After two minutes or more of simmering, stirring, and mixing the ingredients, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for at least 15 to 20 minutes more, allowing the flavors to blend and the ingredients to reconstitute fully.
Practice these Dehydrator Chef homemade dehydrated camping meal recipes at home several times with the very same outdoor kitchen gear used in the field or at the campsite. This approach lets you practice your skills to know what to expect and where to adapt.
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Black Bean Quinoa Bowl Detailed Preparation Instructions
Empty the dry mix contents of the zip-top bag into your cooking pot.
Pour in enough water to cover the dry mix, then add more. Dehydrated quinoa needs about a 4 to 1 ratio of water to product to reconstitute.
Cover and let the dry ingredients hydrate in your camp cookware for at least five minutes, stirring all the way to the bottom of the cooking pot now and again. Make sure the mix stays covered and well-saturated with water. Add more water if needed.
Next, on your cooking stove and over a medium flame, bring the mix to a boil, stirring frequently, all the way to the bottom of the cooking pot. If your stove will simmer, turn the heat down after bringing it to a boil.
After a minimum of two minutes of cooking, simmering, and ingredient mixing, turn off the stove and move the pot into an insulated wrap or cozy to rest and hydrate for 15 to 20 minutes more or until your preference for doneness. Enjoy!
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