Energy-packed nourishment for
the vegan backpack

The search for inner peace is doubtless the origin of hiking and pilgrimage. Many people hike along different Ways of St. James to Santiago de Compostela and along the Caminho Português. Getting around on foot is a matter of topical interest. And so I have put together some basic vegan provisions for autumn and winter days.

Walkers depend on compact foodstuffs that are full of energy because it’s good if our backpacks don’t get too big and heavy. As a dedicated walker, I have of course tried out all the recipes myself, and the muesli bars and whole-grain crackers still tasted delicious even after being stored in dry conditions for a week. Some superfood could be added to the power bars, but I wanted to limit them to cheap, local ingredients. If you want to, you can experiment with spirulina, maca, hemp, chlorella, goji or acai.

For the spreads, I took care to use lots of nuts and dried fruits rather than fresh ingredients, which are more sensitive to being stored without permanent cooling.

Of course, plenty of fruit is a must for nourishment when your body is working hard, and this can either be found in your own garden or as windfall along the walk.

For specialists, something else to discover is foraging. Because everyone can gather mushrooms, herbs, berries or the produce of wild trees in small quantities for their own consumption. In this case, please don’t overlook the delicious fruits of the strawberry tree, the “medronheiro”. Medronho trees grow wild on the sometimes bare soil of rural regions such as the Alentejo or the inland Algarve. And, after all, finding out about the local flora is part of a genuine hike. All over the world, there are very famous foragers like Green Deane. I have written an article about foraging on my blog and further information and links can be found there. (http://www.allyouneedisveg.de/into-the-wild)

During your walk, you can also observe the local fauna with a small pair of binoculars while munching on a homemade muesli bar.

Enjoy it!

Turmeric seed crackers

[sugar-free and milk-free, for vegans]

Ingredients
for one baking tray

• 80 g flour (wheat, wholemeal, or spelt, or gluten-free maize, teff or buckwheat flour)
• 80 g oats (gluten-free also available)
• 40 g sunflower seeds
• 40 g pumpkin seeds
• 25 g white sesame seeds
• 25 g linseeds
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 sp. turmeric
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 330 ml water
• 2 tbsp. yeast flakes

Preparation

Toast seeds and oats with salt and turmeric lightly in a frying pan.
Place in a pot with the remaining ingredients and leave to swell for 20 minutes.
Spread on a baking tray with greaseproof paper and pre-bake in a pre-heated oven at 170° for about 20 minutes.
Cut into rectangles with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife.
Bake for a further 20 minutes until crispy and slightly golden in colour.
Leave to cool in the oven.
Place in an airtight box.

Patés

[gluten-free, sugar-free, milk-free, for vegans]

Sweet spread

Crunchy Vutella chocolate spread

Ingredients

• 200 g hazelnuts
• 70 ml sunflower oil
• 50 -70 g agave syrup, to taste
• 60 ml soya cream
• 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
• 2 pinches salt
• ½ -1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 good pinch cardamom
• 1 good pinch ground ginger

Preparation

Lightly toast the hazelnuts in a frying pan and leave to cool.
Then place in a blender and grind till medium coarse.
Add all the other ingredients and stir briefly to make a crunchy cream.
Pour into a small container with a screw top.
Spread on crackers or bread for breakfast or light snacks.
Delicious with slices of fresh banana and a cup of cinnamon tea.

Savoury spread

Cheesy almond cream

Ingredients

• 200 g blanched almonds
• 2 cloves garlic
• 100 ml sunflower oil
• 40 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 2 tsp. oregano, mint, basil or other dried herbs
• 4 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 4 tbsp. lukewarm water
• 1 sp. salt
• 2 good pinches freshly ground pepper
• 2 good pinches turmeric

Preparation

Pour 500 ml of hot water over the nuts; leave to soak for six hours, and drain.
First, grind the nuts in a blender until they are medium coarse.
Then grind them with all the other ingredients to make a crunchy to smooth cream.
Pour into a small container with a screw top.
Spread on crackers or bread and sprinkle with oregano or fresh herbs.

Smoky hot tomato cream

Ingredients

• 120 g tomatoes preserved in oil, chopped finely
• 80 g hazelnuts, chopped finely
• 1 clove garlic
• 4 tbsp. olive oile
• 1-2 tbsp. water
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• ½ tsp. sweet paprika
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• ¼-1/2 tsp. chili, to taste
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 good pinch ground cumin
• 1 pitada de pimenta moída na altura
• 1 good pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 good pinch sugar

Preparation

Purée everything with a hand mixer into a crunchy-fine cream.
If the cream is too solid, add 1-2 tbsp. lukewarm water until it can be spread.
Pour into a small container with a screw top.
Spread on crackers or bread and sprinkle with oregano or fresh herbs

Oh Mar Olive Tapenade

Ingredients

• 200 g stoned black olives
• 5 olive oil
• 1 tsp. capers 
• 3-4 tsp. crumbled dulse = red seaweed (or nori), to taste
• 1 small clove garlic
• 15 ml reshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 good pinch freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Purée everything coarsely with a hand mixer.
Pour into a small container with a screw top.
Spread on crackers or bread and sprinkle with oregano or fresh herbs.

Sugar-free muesli bars

[gluten-free, sugar-free, milk-free, for vegans]

Nut power bars

Ingredients
for a 20 x 30 cm rectangular baking tray

• 200 g coarsely chopped hazelnuts or almonds
• 180 g finely chopped dried dates
• 130 g oats (gluten-free also available)
• 100 g white sesame seeds
• 50 g chia seeds
• 80 ml agave syrup
• 50 g coconut oil
• (10 g maca powder)
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt

Preparation

Soak the chia seeds in 160 ml of water for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, lightly toast the nuts, oats and sesame seeds in a frying pan with salt until golden, then add the agave syrup and coconut oil and mix.
Add the nut mixture to the chia seed jelly and mix with dates and vanilla.
Place the mixture in a 20 x 30 cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and greased with coconut oil.
Spread evenly using a spatula, press down and smooth over.
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 170 degrees on the middle shelf until golden and firm.
Check from time to time; it should only be golden in colour.
eave to cool.
Cut into muesli bar shapes with a sharp knife.
Topping: if you want, the muesli bars can be decorated with dark, sugar-free chocolate.

Crunchy muesli bar

Ingredients
for a 20 x 30 cm rectangular baking tray

• 120 g oats (gluten-free also available)
• 90 g sunflower seeds
• 90 g pumpkin seeds
• 100 g sementes de linhaça
• 180 g inseeds
• 80 g dried figs
• 30 g raisins
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ chia seeds
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preparation

Leave the chia seeds to swell for 20 minutes in 200 ml of water.
Boil the figs for 20 minutes in 300 ml of water to form a soft paste.
Meanwhile, lightly brown the oats and seeds in a frying pan.
Purée the figs with the chia seed jelly and 250 ml of water, salt, cinnamon and vanilla with a hand blender.
Add the fig mixture to the seed mixture and mix everything together well.
Place the mixture in a 20 x 30 cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and greased with coconut oil.
Spread evenly using a spatula, press down and smooth over.
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 170 degrees on the middle shelf until golden and firm.
Check from time to time; it should only be golden in colour.
Leave to cool.
Cut into muesli bar shapes with a large sharp knife.

Classic banana granola bar

Ingredients
for a 20 x 30 cm rectangular baking tray

• 320 g oats (gluten-free also available)
• 5 tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds
• 2 ripe bananas
• 100 g dried dates, very finely chopped
• 40 g coconut oil
• 60 g agave syrup
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 3 tbsp. = 15 g ground linseeds
• 1 pinch salt

Preparation

Mix the linseeds with 9 tbsp. of hot water and leave to swell for 20 minutes.
Mash the bananas into a paste and add the dates, salt, agave, vanilla, cinnamon and coconut oil.
Mix all the ingredients together.
Place the mixture in a 20 x 30 cm baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and greased with coconut oil.
Spread evenly using a spatula, press down and smooth over.
Bake for 25-30 minutes at 170 degrees on the middle shelf until golden and firm.
Check from time to time; it should only be golden in colour.
Leave to cool.
Cut into muesli bar shapes with a sharp knife.
Topping: if you want, the muesli bars can be decorated with dark, sugar-free chocolate.Energy-packed nourishment for the vegan backpac

Yukijung

As a Vegan Cook, Artist and Photographer I explore the question how we could reduce the consumption and abuse of animals in the food industries. By spreading sustainable concepts, facts and cruelty-free recipes. 🙂 Let´grow together !