Trip meals

sky_captn

sky_captn

275HP Lawnmower
Not sure if this has been done before, I tried searching but got nothing. (I'm sure if it really does exist someone will politely point it out;)

I'm on a 4 day trip, trying to find the balance of healthy (mind you I'm trying to gain weight, but not via junk food) and cheap. So crew hotel happened to be next to a Walmart, and next thing you know I had two lunches of rice and chopped skirt steak. Pretty delicious, and I got entertainment value out of going to wallie world.

Now, I did have a "kitchenette". Almost set off a smoke alarm cooking the streak in a pot :)

Question is - for those of us that like and can manage cooking - what do you make for the road or maybe even on the road. Obviously at home you have your cooking easy, and on the road it's a hit and miss with stoves etc if you're lucky enough to have anything at all.

So, quick recipes, ideas, favorites, etc? Lets call this a "Crew Cookbook"? Regionals edition lol.
 
I recommend you cook and freeze your food before you go, if you can. Personally, I try to go for the free hotel breakfast each day, then I pack the other two, plus snacks. Sometimes I'll cook something beforehand. A lot of times I get lazy and get sandwich wraps from Trader Joe's. A big staple of mine has been the flavored Starkist Tuna packets, mixed with avocado, nuts and a spicy Dijon - I won't open those in the cockpit, however. For snacks, I pack a variety of nuts, jerky, and Larabars.
 
Anybody find any low sodium jerky? As a commuter I can't really carry a lunchbox (all I need is one more bag to commute with!) so freezing food and bringing it doesn't work for me. :-/
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Anybody find any low sodium jerky? As a commuter I can't really carry a lunchbox (all I need is one more bag to commute with!) so freezing food and bringing it doesn't work for me. :-/
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I hate schlepping the cooler bag. And I don't commute!

sky_captn said:
Not sure if this has been done before, I tried searching but got nothing. (I'm sure if it really does exist someone will politely point it out;)

I'm on a 4 day trip, trying to find the balance of healthy (mind you I'm trying to gain weight, but not via junk food) and cheap. So crew hotel happened to be next to a Walmart, and next thing you know I had two lunches of rice and chopped skirt steak. Pretty delicious, and I got entertainment value out of going to wallie world.

Now, I did have a "kitchenette". Almost set off a smoke alarm cooking the streak in a pot :)

Question is - for those of us that like and can manage cooking - what do you make for the road or maybe even on the road. Obviously at home you have your cooking easy, and on the road it's a hit and miss with stoves etc if you're lucky enough to have anything at all.

So, quick recipes, ideas, favorites, etc? Lets call this a "Crew Cookbook"? Regionals edition lol.
Click to expand...
I don't carry much of anything that requires any preparation; my cooler bag is usually full of prepared foods, foods that don't require much preparation, and snacks. I figure that if I'm stuck in the airplane (or on a short turn), then I eat out of the cooler bag; if I'm at a place where actual hot food can be acquired, I'll acquire it there.

One of my Captain friends will cook-and-freeze, and when he goes inside to retrieve paperwork he'll chuck it into the microwave, then into a neoprene sleeve that keeps it warm while we do pilot stuff. The smell of the chicken at top of climb makes me want to eat the checklist.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Anybody find any low sodium jerky? As a commuter I can't really carry a lunchbox (all I need is one more bag to commute with!) so freezing food and bringing it doesn't work for me. :-/
Click to expand...
I used to be that way too til I got my aerocoast lunch bag with the side pocket for my laptop, so it's the only bag I need now. Then again I know a lot of people that need that clip on mini duffle bag full of stuff, I'm not one of them.
 
ZapBrannigan said:
Anybody find any low sodium jerky? As a commuter I can't really carry a lunchbox (all I need is one more bag to commute with!) so freezing food and bringing it doesn't work for me. :-/
Click to expand...

Have you looked into a dehydrator? I just got one for a surprisingly affordable price and you can essentially salt/spice to taste. I've been very pleasantly surprised with how versatile it has been as well.
 
No recipes, but I have acquired a taste for Green Giant broccoli florets (high in protein and fiber) along with Quest bars, trail mix, and good ol' PBJ sandwiches. This lunch sack does its job, for sure (just buy an ice bag from Walmart and refill as necessary from hotels):
15396158_201404141939.jpg
 
Love my Aerocoast bag! My mother-in-law has been visiting from India this summer. Every meal she packs a separate container into the freezer. Thus far, I have not been without some delicious Indian food. It's so good, I don't mind that it's all veg! So, for me it is breakfast at the hotel, a Zone bar and some trail mix throughout the day and a hot meal in the evening. Going to have to step up my home cooking and freezing after September 1 when she heads home.
 
I am a commuter and I pack a huge cooler. I take everything! I normally make a bunch of meals on my days off and freeze individual portions in plastic bags. I use plastic bags because they take up less space than Tupperware. Then I bring just one Tupperware to microwave everything in. Most hotels will let you put your bag of stuff in their big freezer overnight anyways.

I also pack a bunch of the pasta salads/macaroni salad stuff from the deli counter, those are good little snacks to eat up at altitude when you have a fork and 10 minutes to relax. They put it in a little plastic container any you are good to go. Lots of variety.

Breakfast burritos or even just beef and bean burritos freeze very solid and reheat well. Trail mix has a lot of calories for its size and weight. Apples pack well too. Store bought freezer lasagna will yields about 10 servings for $12... That's a deal. You can keep most in the freezer at hope and just bring a couple of chunks each trip. Baby carrots are cheap and easy. Snap peas are expensive but worth it. Cherries this time of year.

I refuse to buy the $10-15 airport food.

And don't forget the food on the plane! Pillage! I have no shame.
 
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I take along Egg Beaters in my cooler. In the morning, I'll pour them over some Uncle Ben's ready rice (from the pouch) in a paper bowl, and microwave them for about 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, then every 30 seconds. Bam, you have scrambled eggs!
 
I'm lazy, too! Rice is easy. Brown rice: measure an amount of rice, double the water, boil the water, pour the rice in, set timer to 40, cover, set electric stove to 2 (can't remember gas setting- it's been 2 years), and return in about 35 minutes to check. Should be just finishing off the rest of the water at about the 40 minute mark. Remove from heat once water is gone and let sit for 5, covered. Come back and add whatever you want to it. I like to add a little hot sauce or soy sauce and veggies. That can be frozen.

Spaghetti is quicker!

If you don't like spaghetti or rice, you can try loaves of bread or pitas or tortillas. One of my favorite light meals is a tortilla with green leaves of some sort, a ounce or 2 of chicken, and maybe some peppers and definitely a little ranch dressing (a tablespoon). If you find yourself adding extra sauce or dressing to your meals to make them richer, try adding greens instead. It doesn't taste the same, but it makes you feel the same, longer! The tiny bit of dressing or sauce adds plenty of taste. The extra amount makes it rich and just adds calories. The taste is temporary but the calories could establish residence, depending on what your metabolism is doing at the moment.
 
Cherokee_Cruiser said:
Meals? Mine depend on time of day and direction of flight.................



photo.jpg



A salmon going westbound :)
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What rules does virgin have as far as crew meals and when u get them? At airways the crew meals are no bueno - I think they should negotiate that we get the same meals as first class pax get. U know, something edible....
 
L-16B said:
What rules does virgin have as far as crew meals and when u get them? At airways the crew meals are no bueno - I think they should negotiate that we get the same meals as first class pax get. U know, something edible....
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No, we don't have any designated crew meals . If there's a leftover first class meal then we can get that (that was the salmon above). Otherwise we get whatever stuff is in the main cabin buy-on-board (for free).
 
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