Skillet Chicken and Spring Greens
Freeze-dried chicken, dried peas, and couscous in one pot. A hot dinner built from a home meal-plan staple.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 5.5 oz
- cal / oz
- 131
- protein
- 38 g
- serves
- 1, scales
- prep
- 2 min
- cook
- 10 min
- total time
- 12 min
- water
- 400 ml boiled
- cost
- $$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Canister stove
- Alcohol / Esbit
- Backpacking
- Basecamp
- Bikepacking
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- One pot
- Pre-mix at home
- Shelf stable
- Dump and stir
Ingredients
| Freeze-dried cooked chicken | 1.5 oz | rehydrates faster than canned and weighs a third as much |
|---|---|---|
| Instant couscous | 3/4 cup | |
| Freeze-dried peas | 1/3 cup | |
| Dried spinach or kale flakes | 2 tbsp | |
| Sun-dried tomato, chopped | 2 tbsp | |
| Chicken bouillon | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic powder | 1/2 tsp | |
| Lemon pepper | 1/2 tsp | |
| Olive oil | 1 tbsp | dropper bottle |
Method
- Put the chicken, peas, tomato, greens, bouillon, and spices in the pot with 400 ml of water. Bring it to a boil.
- Simmer three minutes. The chicken and peas need the head start; couscous does not.
- Cut the heat, stir in the couscous, and clamp the lid on.
- Wait five minutes without opening it. Stir in the oil and eat straight from the pot.
This started as a home skillet dinner: chicken, spring vegetables, a starch, all cooked in one pan. The trail version keeps the structure and drops everything that needs a refrigerator or a knife. Fresh vegetables become freeze-dried peas and dried greens, and the starch becomes couscous, which asks for hot water and five minutes rather than a real simmer.
The two-stage cook is the whole point. Chicken and peas want boiling water and a few minutes to soften; couscous added at the same time turns to paste. Simmer the slow things first, then kill the heat and let the couscous take up what is left. Sun-dried tomato and lemon pepper do the work an acidic pan sauce would do at home, and the oil goes in last so it does not cook off.
Packing
Everything dry except the oil goes in one bag, couscous in a small inner bag so you can hold it back until the simmer is done.
Variations
- Swap couscous for instant rice and add five minutes of soak time.
- A packet of tuna or a foil chicken pouch works if freeze-dried is out of budget.
- Skip the chicken and double the peas for a vegan version.
https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/healthy-monthly-meal-plan-for-may