Going Nuts …

Sonya Muhlsimmer

So recently I have got myself some peanut butter powder – PBP.

I know this powder has been around for some time, but I have never tried it. Slack I know, but better late than never right. PBP is made by roasting the peanuts, pressing or removing the fat out, which is actually a good fat from the nuts then grinding the nuts to a powder. Some brands of PBP can add sugar or salt to add a little flavour back into the peanuts, as it can taste a little different than the real thing as the fat has been removed. I just bought some organic, unsweetened powder to try. The advantage to this product is that it is much lower kilojoules, so you can eat more, and it is in a powder so us hikers can use it in many recipes, and carry it for a snack and rehydrate it to have it over our Vita Wheat biscuits for lunch. Be warned though, if you use reconstituted PBP as a spread it won’t have the same creamy texture of regular peanut butter as the fat has been removed. But it is still good, and so much lighter than carrying a tub of peanut butter.

Gee where have I been for so long? I am going to be so busy now trying new recipes – satay, cakes, protein balls, smoothies and more. Here are two new recipes.

Powder, shelled or crushed peanuts can be used in a wide variety of recipes

60 | BWA June 2019

This recipe is best made in a flat pan, around 18 centimetres in diameter which will ensure the cake mix is cooked through properly, and it is easier to flip during cooking. You can use a smaller pan – my small pan is around 12 centimetres in diameter, but the cake comes out quite thick and it may not cook through thoroughly, but that is all right as well, as you will have this gooey warm peanut cake, kind of like a self saucing pudding. Or you could just reduce the quantity of the recipe by half. It is a great size to indulge in. In the larger flat pan, this cake is good to share with friends. This recipe is to suit a larger pan.

At home preparationPlace all ingredients into the bag. Print out method at camp label and place with the bag.

Method at campIn a bowl, place the contents of the bag and add ½ cup water slowly to the mix, stirring constantly to make a paste. Place a piece of greaseproof paper in the bottom of the pan, then spread the cake mix over the paper. Set the stove to a low heat and cook for about 4-5 minutes until bubbles appear in the batter all over the top and the cake changes to a darker colour. Take off the heat, cover the top of the cake with another piece of greaseproof paper and with your hand over the cake and flip the cake. Place the cake back in the pan upside down and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Bag 1 (cake mix)

Water - ½ cup for preparation

BWA June 2019 | 61

I have been trying to dehydrate a lot of different foods lately and I found that dehydrating canned chicken is the best, in comparison to cooking cuts of chicken, like thigh fillets. The canned chicken rehydrates much better than any other type of cooked chicken. The cooked chicken just becomes tough and a bit chewy, and really not that nice to eat. Canned chicken comes in a range of sauces and flavours so it is best to stick with the canned chicken in water. So after trying this dehydration trial, what was I to do with all this dehydrated chicken and a whole bunch of PBP? Make satay chicken of course.

At home preparationPlace all ingredients into into the allocated bag. Print out method at camp label and place with the bags.

Method at campSoak Bag 1 (Quinoa mix) in a pot with 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes. After the soaking time bring the pot to the boil and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the contents of the Bag 2 (Satay Curry mix) and cook for another 2-3 minutes stirring constantly. Serve

Bag 1 (Quinoa mix)Note: Rice can be used as a substitute.

Bag 2 (Satay Curry mix)Water - 2 cups