Ingredients: 

500 g spelt or whole-wheat flour

100 g ground hazelnuts

1/2 courgette/zucchini, grated

50 g seeds

10-12 cherry tomatoes

2 tsp baking powder

100 ml olive oil

100 g Greek yoghurt

Water as required

2 tsp coarse sea salt

100 g mature cheese, grated (optional)

Method: 

Combine the flour, nuts, courgette/ zucchini, seeds, baking powder and salt.

Blend the oil, and yoghurt together, then add to the flour mixture.

Mix well.

Add water a little at a time until you have a smooth dough.

Mix the cheese into the dough.

Wrap in cling film and chill for an hour.

Heat the oven to 180°c

Grease a bread tin or other bakeware.

Press the dough into the tin.

Add the tomatoes, pressing them well into the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove and allow to cool.

For the trail, cut into slices and store in a resealable box.

Why make your own bread when you can buy it?

Most store-bought bread consists mainly of flour, yeast and water. While it’s tasty, for a long day on the trails you need something that will give you more sustenance.

Hence our nut, seed and vegetable bread, which has a lower GI (Glycemic Index).

This will slow the absorption rate and add more nutrients – which is better for long days.

Ingredients:

3 apples, cored

1 cup blueberries

Method: 

Heat the oven to 180°c

Put the apples on an oven tray lined in baking paper.

Cook until sticky (approx. 30 minutes).

Remove from the oven and turn down the temperature to 50°c.

Purée the apples with the blueberries until smooth.

Line a cool oven tray with a sheet of baking paper, and then grease with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Spoon on the puree and smooth out until flat.

Dry in the warm oven for 4 hours until firm to the touch.

Allow to cool, then slice into ribbons.

If you want the ribbons to stop sticking together, dust with a little rice flour.

Store in a resealable box until required.

1.       Perfect way to use up fruit that’s about to turn, as the natural sugars will be at their highest levels.

2.       No additional sugar needed, unlike store-bought fruit rolls.

3.       Effective way of preserving fruit, since removing moisture increases its shelf life.

4.       Light and compact pack size.

Ingredients: 

1 ripe quince, finely grated

500 ml water

500 g sugar

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 2 limes (1 for the gel, 1 for dusting)

Method: 

Bring the water to the boil. Then add the lime juice, zest of 1 lime, quince and sugar.

Bring back to the boil, reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook until the mixture is reduced to a thick paste, stirring occasionally.

NB: You will need to use a long-handled spoon, as the mixture can spit hot syrupy jam onto you.

When it has reduced to a thick paste, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Once cold, spoon out onto a tray and cut into cubes.

Wrap in wax paper, or store in a Tupperware box.

Dulce de Membrillo, or quince paste, is incredibly popular in Spain and Portugal, usually served with cheese.

Given its characteristics, we realized it would work well as an energy gel.

Here’s our version, with the added tanginess of lime.

Ingredients:

100 g oat flour – if you can’t get oat flour, simply blend some porridge oats.

1 banana

4 ripe strawberries

3 tbsp live yoghurt

500 ml water, milk, or nut milk

Method: 

Blend all the ingredients until smooth.

Store in a chilled, insulated bottle.

A simple, effective and cheap refuel drink, combining carbs, protein, and a little fat.

NB, the first 30-45 minutes post-activity are the most important in terms of recuperation, particularly concerning protein for muscle recovery.

Ingredients: 

300g lean beef. Ask your butcher to slice finely, removing any fat or hard gristle.

Marinade:

2 tsp miso powder with dried seaweed

1 tsp good honey

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt.

Method: 

Mix all marinade ingredients together, pour over your sliced meat and marinate for 2 hours minimum, or overnight.

Warm your oven to 50c.

Place the jerky on oven paper, on a metal rack and dry (with the door slightly open) until slightly bendable, or snap dry.

Allow to cool completely, then either vacuum bag in 2 bags or in 2 reusable ziplock bags.

If vacuum sealed properly, when snap dry will keep for 1-2 months in a dry cool space.

If you don’t have a vacuum sealer and/or are unsure, store in the freezer. Will keep in the freezer for 3 months.

Why make these instead of buying pre made?

This jerky and the one below are simple and easy to make.

You can tweak the flavours to your taste.

You can make big batches and store them until needed.

If you make a big batch, the per unit cost comes down massively, so saving money.

Less plastic waste.