Couscous dinners

Hi Moh! I definitely will consider to add the dehydrate veggies from backcountry food..they are not bad and you can make a nice mix..if you add extra virgin olive oil and salt will taste definitely good. If you really want to avoid the dehydrate option I might suggest to try tuna in bags. I know that you live in Australia so you might find tuna on bags at woolworths(Jonny west brand)or IGA (SEAFCOAL brand). Couscous with tuna it's a great option. Or if you able to buy carrots,fresh broccoli and onion then you have a even more fresh option...but that means that you will sacrifice in space inside your backpack. Hope this helps. G.

You can dehydrate your own veggies and bring them into NZ. I've done that half a dozen times (from Aus) without any problem with Biosecurity (search for previous threads). You can either bring in the veg and buy couscous in NZ or make your mix in Aus. I usually add nutmeg, cinnamon and sultanas. The veg I dehydrate includes kumara, zucchini, capsicum, mushroom. Also, dehy fruit is great for breakfast (rehydrate overnight) - mango, papaya, pineapple, stone fruit, kiwi - and no problem with Biosecurity. Just declare it all.

A few months ago Pams released some couscous flavour mixes you can get at New World/PaknSave https://www.pams.co.nz/whats-new/new-pams-finest-gourmet-risotto-and-couscous-mixes/ You can also get Sea-Lord tuna bags in NZ. I just bought some Tahitian Coconut ones last week that go well with crackers :-)

Thanks for the suggestions. Using what I had on-hand, I experimented tonight with some El Paso taco spice, slivered almonds, sultanas and and BC dehy mince. Not a good result, struggled to force myself to finish it :). I think the mince was the problem (not a great flavour), either that or I did not use enough taco spice. Sultanas were nice, almonds did not noticeably contribute to the taste or texture (probably would need to be toasted). Might skip the mince and try some curry powder or just plain salt and pepper for the next attempt. Will work towards adding some dehy veg as suggested. I only have a short transit at CHC between international and domestic flights, so I was trying not to bring too much stuff for biosecurity to get excited about. Boots and tent will delay me a bit, I guess I could consider throwing some food into the pack as well. Will have to give it some thought. Cheers Moh

1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp coriander 1/4 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp paprika Chilli powder to taste 1 crush vege stock cube Place in little baggies can make 10-20 at a time Sweat this off in a little oil in the Billy then pour in a cup of water and 1/4 cup of dehy mix vege bring to boil add 1 cup plain cous cous stir take off boil and rest for 2 min Dice 50 grams of salami and add to pot. Delicious all I lived off for years while tramping.

Thanks Gaiters, I'll give it a try Cheers, Moh

I usually just throw a vege stock cube (Oxo) into the water that rehydrates the couscous.

for simple but boring I have a dried Italian herbs mix from the supermarket, dehy peas and either sachets or small tins of tuna as one option or Bier sticks (like salami but single portion). Then for different flavours I add soup packets plus a bit of water - mushroom my fav. Can add in instant mash spud too, especially if you add too much water :)