One of my biggest concerns about going around Cape Horn wasn’t the sailing (all though I definitely did worry about that). Instead, it was how I would provide gluten free meals – especially lunch – to our friend Rick who was joining us for this month-long journey.
As First Mate I’m responsible for all the provisioning and cooking. I knew sailing and weather conditions could be challenging so I wanted simple and quick meals.
Lunch is the meal I dread the most. Sandwiches get boring after a while and are not hot normally. Plus gluten free bread is difficult to find and keep fresh.
One thing we discovered earlier in our trip was Instant Noodles. Though they don’t hold a lot of nutritional value they do provide a hot meal that fills you up and is simple and quick to make. And my husband loves them! Simple, quick and hot, but not gluten free. So I decided to make my own instant noodle gluten free soup.
I found dehydrated vegetables in Ushuaia, Argentina as well as rice noodles to prepare the soup. Once I found gluten free bouillon I was ready to go.
One of my tips from long time cruising and provisioning in some very remote places, like Easter Island, Oman and Sri Lanka for example, is that when you see an ingredient you want, buy it! Never wait because you don’t know when you will find it again! If ever!
The soup was a success and had a lot more nutritional value than the Instant Noodles you buy in a cup. And my homemade version was cheaper too.
Measurements are approximate and you can adjust to taste.
Gluten Free Instant Noodles
1 pint glass mason (canning) jar
1/4 c of each type dehydrated vegetables (I used carrots, spinach and sweet peppers)
3/4 c rice noodles
1/2 a small bouillon cube (beef, chicken or vegetable)
Layer the vegetables in the bottom of the jar. Add rice noodles crunched slightly to lengths for eating. Crumple the bouillon cube over top. Put a secure lid on top ( I used a lid and ring). Store in a locker.
When ready to serve add boiling water to 1” from the top of the jar, stir gently. Wait about 5 minutes for everything to soften. Stir and serve.
You can double the recipe and customize with your own dehydrated veggies.