Camping is our favorite family vacation. It’s fun, it’s kid-friendly, and it gets easier every time. This time
prepping and packing food was super simple since we had “hobo packs” for both nights! These delicious little foil packs filled with beans and veggies taste especially delicious after being cooked over a campfire. You really could have almost any mix of veggies and beans. The first night we had one with chickpeas and a mix of CSA veggies, and the next night we had a pack with black beans, tomatoes and potatoes, inspired by my friend Mandy (who is blogging about her adventures living in Hawaii at Ripples in the Water). I remembered to actually write down the quantities I used for the first one, so enjoy this recipe for Vegan Hobo Packs, starring, you guessed it . . . CHICKPEAS!
Ingredients 3 cups of chickpeas (same amount as two 14oz cans) Directions: 1) Mix all the chickpeas and veggies in a large bowl. Stir gently to combine 2) Drizzle on the olive oil and stir so that all the veggies are coated 3) Sprinkle on the salt, cumin, paprika, and pepper. Stir until the veggies are evenly coated 4) Tear off a foil sheet, almost square 5) Scoop about 1 cup of the mixture into the foil sheet 6) Bring the front and back edges of the foil together, and then fold over to seal. 7) Then fold up the sides several times to seal the sides. This step is important if you plan on transporting the foil packs to the campsite! I suggest putting several of the packs in plastic bags before putting them in a cooler, just incase a bit of oil leaks. 8) To cook, start a good campfire, and cook the on the grate of the fire pit. They take anywhere from 5-10 minutes to cook, depending on how crispy you want them and/or how big your fire is. This part is sort of trial and error – we usually put one pack on the fire first and check it after 3-4 minutes. Enjoy straight out of the foil, or pour it in a bowl if you want to feel more civilized. But really, who wants to be civilized when camping!Vegan Hobo Packs
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into medium florets and washed
4 small beets, peeled and chopped finely
2 carrots, peeled and cut into half moons
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2-1 tsp of ground pepper
5 TB extra virgin olive oil
awesome idea – we’ll try it next time we go camping. But do you precook some of the veggies (like potatoes) a bit first?
The first time I did this I used sweet potatoes, and I boiled them for about 5 minutes before adding into the bowl. For this one I just cut the beets small (since they were the part I figured would need the most cooking time). I also did a second batch using yukon gold potatoes, and did no pre-cooking, and everything ended up cooking really well – cooked through, but also a bit roasted on the outside. The cool thing about the packets is that they steam the veggies in their own juices, but then also get a nice roasted outside from the heat of the fire. So, if you have time you could do some pre-cooking, but I don’t think it’s really necessary.
Thanks for the comment!
If you use added brussel sprouts, sauerkraut and a little spicy mustard, you could call them Grandpa Hobo Packs!
Mmmmm . . . sounds good 😉
wow, I’m not a vegan, not even a vege but I do love this idea and extra vegetables is always a good idea.We are off to a campsite in August that has open fires so I might give it a go! Thanks for linking up at http://www.tentsandfestivals.co.uk