"One fish, two fish [ . . . ]." Dr. Seuss

If you are lucky enough to go fishing during an outing and are even luckier by catching a fish you must then deal with making it edible by cleaning (this is the easy part).  Check out the video in this post to see how simple it is to clean a small fish such as a Brook or Rainbow Trout.  When cooking fish always use as few additives as possible and avoid overcooking - the tail end will always cook fastest.  Overcooking can be prevented by elevating the tail over a piece of wood like a smoker block or by moving the tail to the coolest part of the frying pan and by paying attention to the texture of the fish while cooking.  If you are having other foods with your fish cook the most dense foods first (potatoes, carrots, etc.) and cut them into small evenly-sized pieces.  Cook the fish towards the end of the cooking session so that everything finishes at about the same time.  Eat well and don't be afraid of your food!

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Pan-Fried Trout

(Adapated from whatscookingamerica.net) 

2 whole Trout (1-pound each), cleaned (head, gills and skin can be on or off)

Rinse the cleaned fish under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.  Cut a few diagonal slashes along each side of the fish.

1 plate of all-purpose flour
Salt and pepper

Season the flour with salt and pepper.  Roll the cleaned trout in the seasoned flour until covered.

2 ounces butter
2 ounces canola oil (or other high smoke point oil)

Mix butter and oil in pan and melt/heat.  Heat the butter in a frying pan until bubbling and then fry the trout for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown.  Cook trout until browned or until internal temperature reads 140F.  Perfectly cooked fish is nearly opaque, should be very moist and will flake easily with a fork.  Makes 2 servings.

Nutrition is not a suggestion.

Understanding which foods can supply your daily needs for vitamins, minerals and general sustenance will help you by giving you a range of healthful things to eat.  When you are shopping for camping foods (and food in general) be sure to read and understand food and ingredient labels as well as how the nutritional and energy value of the food fits into your overall daily needs.  This is easier for packaged foods than it is for fresh produce but there are nutritional databases available online that may help with the latter.  Another strategy for keeping your vitamins and minerals balanced in your diet is to make your snacks like "mini meals" with all of the food groups represented, in greatly reduced portions.  Have fun as you are learning about meal planning, grocery shopping and understanding how to keep your body's metabolic fire burning in the safest and most complete way possible.

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Trail Mix Bars
(Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Cooking spray

Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

3 cups crispy rice cereal
3 cups toasted oat cereal rings (such as Cheerios)
1 1/2 cups raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix crispy rice cereal, oat cereal rings, sunflower seeds, raisins, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl.

1 cup honey
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir honey and brown sugar in a saucepan, place over high heat, and bring to a boil.  Stir and boil for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Pour the hot peanut butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until all dry ingredients are moistened.  Press the mixture into the prepared baking dish to make an even layer.  Let cool and cut into bars.  Makes 24 bars.