Linda, that a tough one... what about chicken salad rolled up in lettuce leaves? Thai spring rolls?
I have a Southwest chicken egg roll recipe that is good cold.

Appetizer recipes might have the most inspiration.

How many this year are making the trip?

Nancy

Nancy - I just shared your Southwest Egg Roll recipe with another friend, it is hugely popular with the teen age set here and I bet it would work for Linda too. I was going to suggest chicken skewers and a satay type dipping sauce. Or what about the Asian Peanut Noodle salad with grilled chickes sliced into it?

Good luck and I will keep thinking

Alexa

I love Alexas's idea of Asian Peanut Noodle salad with the grilled chicken slices. I was thinking along the lines of some kind of pasta salad with lots of veggies, like orzo with roasted vegetables and feta.

As much as I like a good salad for lunch I don't want to have to cart plates, forks, spoons etc. down the river.

I am thinking more like "finger foods", that's why chicken tenders came to mind.

Nancy, can you share the eggroll recipe? I must have missed that one. Those might be a good idea.

There are 9 of us this (our 19th) year. And we are not tenting this year, we have a cabin with a full kitchen. And a bathroom (YAY)!

Linda

Oops, sorry I missed that part! But then, I've been known to carve a spoon from a carrot and eat with it...

What about some cold finger foods? Cold shrimp, grape tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, some good olives and pickles, cubes of marinated feta, pickled beets, cubes of salami/ham/cheese? Think of anything that would fit on a toothpick, then bring a couple of small boxes of toothpicks along. Heck, toothpicks are even biodegradable in the woods, right? Add a container of hard boiled eggs or deviled eggs (two halves put together to make an entire egg) if there is room in the cooler.

Do y'all ever take totally inept newbies on your trip? Sounds like so much fun!

Teresa

Here you go Linda.....

South West Egg Rolls

2 C cooked chopped chicken breast meat
2 Tabsp oil
¼ C finely chopped red pepper
¼ C chopped green onion
½ C black beans, rinsed and drained
¾ C frozen corn
¼ C jalapeno peppers, chopped fine
¼ C frozen chopped spinach, thaw and squeeze out extra moisture
1 Tabsp parsley or cilantro, chopped
1 Tsp chili powder
1 Tsp ground cumin
1 Tsp salt
¼ Tsp cayenne pepper
2 C shredded Mexican blend cheese
10 flour tortillas, 6 inch, may need more.
oil for deep frying

Heat 2 Tabsp of oil in a 10" skillet over med heat. Add red pepper and green onion. Cook about 5 minutes, till tender.
Add chicken, black beans, corn, jalapenos, parsley (or cilantro), spinach, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne. Stir while cooking about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and remove from heat.

Warm tortillas in microwave for about 1 min, to make more pliable. Spoon approx. two big tablespoons of filling in a tortilla, fold in the sides and roll up. Secure with toothpicks. I just keep filling totillas untill filling is used up. Place in a 9X13 pan, cover and freeze about 6 hrs. Heat oil in a deep pan to 375°, fry frozen egg rolls about 10 min, untill golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

I have cooked without freezing but the freezing really does help to hold the rolls together and keeps the filling in place. Don't forget to remove the tooth picks before serving.

Serve with sour cream or a raspberry dipping sauce.

Nancy

I have had Nancy's egg rolls, definitely fantastic, but not for this trip, I wouldn't think. since they are fried, they would get soggy before you ate them. But you must try them sometime. She served them to me with a black raspberry jam mixed with a hot sauce, I think. It was to die for.

Are all things wrapped in a bready stuff a sandwich? Is a rollup a sandwich? an ampanada? Pasti? how about runza or bierock?
Or you could just have anassortment of good stuff....devilled eggs, cold shrimp maybe rolled meat on a toothpick, assorted veggies and fruits hummus, pita chips and maybe rolls.
Linda c

Not too different from your tender idea, but I love cold fried chicken.

Wraps are probably too much like sandwiches but they sure do transport well.

Grace

Linda, I serve a 'dinner' every Friday night aboard a sailboat after we race. Your first post of ideas is right on - no utensils, everything bite size - I try to stay away from mayo type salads (messy, concern about the heat, etc). In addition to the wraps, make your own flatbread type sandwiches, pork tenderloins,London broil, sliced are delicious. Also chicken breasts, chunked or sliced. Shrimp is always eaten. Pita chips and hummus (I buy it at TJ's), a variety of hard cheeses - everything Teresea suggested - serve in a divided plastic container. The key is simple, sliced, pop in your mouth size and nothing too messy. Make sure you bring along a container of pop up wipes.
Enjoy your trip

I forgot to mention ~ everything tastes better on the river with friends!

You could cube some hard salami and provolone and marinate them in italian dressing with olives and grape tomatoes and then skewer them or bocconcini, tomatoes and fresh basil skewered to go along with the chicken tenders. Cheddar crispies might be a nice addition in lieu of bread.

I was thinking wraps also. I also like the idea of a cold cut and cheese tray with crackers, dips and chips and a fruit tray.

Sounds like fun and I bet they will like anything you bring!

This is a favorite of mine, similar to what georgysmom suggests:
Italian skewers:
Marinate all in Italian dressing except basil and skewer.
Arrange several of each ingredient for the best taste and aesthetic.
Each should have about 6"-8" of food on each stick.

Cooked green tortellini
mozzerella cubes or balls
kalamata olives
basil
salami
cherry tomatoes

Other suggestions:
California Rolls or such
wraps or pinwheels

Teresa got it right. I wouldn't even bother with a toothpick.

Also, cold chicken would be nice. There are many possibilities. My favorite is teriyaki. With that I would serve a cold noodle dish, but you would need plates and forks or chopsticks of course. Fresh fruit would top it off -- plums, nectarines, apples or whatever. This could be a simple meal.

Happy paddling!

Jim

Hahahahaa..Jim! We don't paddle! We bungee the canoes together and just float the "party barge" down the river. (Well, okay we do paddle if we get too near the shore!)

That's why a 4 hour stretch of river takes our group 7 hours! LOL

Yes, Teresa, we DO occasionally have a newbie. We have one this year as a matter of fact. Some of them cut the muster and come back....some of them don't!

I like the shrimp cocktail idea. May have to consider that. Wraps and empanadas and whatever all else you mentioned, Linda C, are too much like a sandwich. Devilled eggs are one of my favorites, but I can just imagine how appetizing they would look after rolling around in a container for several hours! There isn't room to do anything like a veggie tray or a cold cut tray. This will all either have to go into a zip lock bag or a plastic container and into a cooler. We basically pull up onto a sand bar and eat sitting in a canoe or standing up. Extremely casual! LOL

Maybe I'll take my camera and get some pictures this yeaar. Will have to put that in a ziplock too! Hahahaha! (Yeah...we get a little crazy on the water....the 5 gallon jug of margaritas may have something to do with it)

Linda

Why not make a delicious veal and ham pie or pasties?

Oh my! You don't paddle! Then my suggestion, easy though it is, might not be very appropriate.

After reading all the posts on the British Flapjack thread, I did some googling, and came upon several stories of a North American Boy Scout version, called Hudson's Bay Bread. Apparently a 3" square of that buttery sugary oaty concoction with a smear of peanut butter on top will provide enough calories to keep you paddling upstream all afternoon.

Scotch eggs- hard boiled eggs coated with a thin layer (1/2 lb meat per six eggs) of sausagemeat flavoured with a little Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce, then dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and deep fried until brown, then chilled and served halved or quartered?

Here are two "fried" chicken recipes that hold up well and are good cold:

Taco Chicken Fingers

3 lbs. boneless Chicken breast cut in 1/2" thick, 1" by 3" strips
2 sticks REAL butter, melted
1 cup flour
1 13.5 oz. bag of white corn tortilla chips, crumbled
2 tsp. ground cumin
3 tbs. taco seasoning
1 tbs. lime pepper seasoning
1 tbs. + 1 tsp. Sugar

Crush chips in chip bag until fine crumbs. (Hint - Open a small slit in the top of the bag, squeeze bag with your hands to crush chips, then roll with a rolling pin. Do not process in a food processor or blender, the crumbs are too fine.) In a large wide bowl, mix chip crumbs, cumin, taco seasoning, lime pepper and sugar until well blended.

Melt butter in a wide bowl. Shake chicken pieces in flour, dip in butter then roll in chip mixture patting mixture into chicken. Place on a cookie sheet lined with ReynoldÂs no stick foil. Make sure pieces are not touching. Bake in preheated 425o oven for 45 minutes.

For crispier fingers, broil 2 minutes until tops are brown.

These are great with Ranch dressing fro dipping.

Hot Lunch Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
35-40 lb. chicken pieces, skinned
3 lb. oat flour
3 lb. brown sugar
21 oz. instant oatmeal
6 tbs. onion salt
2 cups white flour
Cooking oil

Directions:
Mix all dry ingredients together.
Dip each chicken piece in oil, shake off excess.
Dredge chicken in coating mix, shake off excess and place on well oiled cookie sheet.
Do not let chicken pieces touch each other or juice will form during cooking and crust will be soggy.
Bake chicken in a preheated 425 oven 45-50 minutes.

Sorry about the large quantities on this one, I used to make this for the PTO Hot Lunch program fundraiser. We used to serve a hot lunch to the local public school once each month as a fudnraiser. The School has less than 100 students in K thru 8 so they do not have a cafeteria.

I've made chicken fingers with this recipe, I just cut down the quantities and bake accordingly.

The sugar in both recipes carmelizes and seems to keep the breading from getting disgustingly soggy when refrigerated.

I like your own idea, chicken tenders with a dip. Also could make up some pickled eggs and fresh fruit. Sounds yummy to me.

Roll up ham with cream cheese and a pickle.
Roll some turkey round mozzerella cheese sticks.
Put in ziploc bags.

Fill celery sticks with peanut butter and put 2 face to face so the peanut butter doesn't get all over. Into a bag.

Or just chop a mixture of fresh veggies; cauliflower, broc, carrots, snow peas, etc. Plop into a bag. Take salt shaker in a small ziploc, or ranch dip in a sealable container.

I would toss in a bag of potato chips or crackers too!

Bite sized fresh (durable) fruit for dessert. Pineapple, grapes, melons. Shortbread cookies would be a nice addition, but not necessary!

Cold quiche would work too. It can be eaten out of hand.

All can go into ziplocs or Tupperware type containers.

Take lots of pictures so we can all "go" with you!
Deanna

These are the world's best chicken tenders, she said modestly. :) They 'travel' really well, and they're so tasty that we never even bother with a dip.

Awesome Chicken Tenders

Pour a quart of low-fat cultured buttermilk into a non-reactive container. Add an egg, stirring until yolk breaks and egg is incorporated.

Sprinkle with garlic powder. (I don't measure -- just give the jar 4 or 5 good shakes.) Sprinkle mixture very generously with lemon-pepper seasoning. (Keep adding until the top is totally black.) Stir well.

Cut a package of boneless, skinless breasts into bite-sized 'fingers'. Add to buttermilk, stirring well to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (Note: I don't know if this varies depending on location, but in our local stores, a package of breasts will weigh in the neighborhood of 1-1/2 lbs. I usually buy 3 packages of chicken, but there's enough marinade that I only double that part of the recipe instead of tripling it.)

To cook, add enough oil to pan to cover chicken about halfway. Heat to approximately 370 degrees. (This is where an electric skillet really comes in handy. Helps a lot to keep the temp steady while cooking multiple batches.) Dredge chicken pieces in a standard coating of flour, salt and pepper, going light on the salt. Cook until crisp and well-browned all over, turning once.

Drain on baking sheets lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. While still very hot, sprinkle generously with seasoned salt. (We strongly prefer McCormick's Season-All, but Lawry's will work.)

These are great hot, warm, cold or at room temperature. Just be certain not to put them in a ziplock bag or other closed container until they've cooled completely or the coating will get soggy.

Well, I will definitely be using many of your ideas and at least one of these great chicken recipes!

Rethinking the fruit idea, grapes, cherries and strawberries may be easier, and they don't need to be sliced!

Shortbread cookies would be a great addition, thanks for the idea!

Linda

Do the shrimp cocktail for sure Linda. I did that last year on a last minute float trip down the Illinois down here in OK. My group was the hit on the river when we pulled over with our afternoon lunch/snack. The channel cats and fish in general loved the tails from shrimp and the rind from the melon.. I added some good cheese, salami, crusty bread, crackers and some fresh fruit. Think in was cantaloupe, green grapes, and strawberries. Dessert was Girl Scout Cookies. I packed all of this up in zip bags, including the cocktail sauce and packed it in one of those soft sided cooler bag things with some ice.

Lots of good ideas here for sure!

Also, they sell water proof disposable cameras if y'all want to take some pics....I wish they didn't for more reasons than one!! LOL

Have a great time on your annual float trip...it's a cooking forum tradition for sure!

David

You have some great ideas here. Even tho you aren't going to be paddling much, please don't forget to have some carbs for each meal, so blood sugar levels don't get too low. (Even witht the margaritas!) I may be trying some of these without the float trip!

Tami

I love the idea of cold Fried Chicken and fruit. Chips (or home baked tortilla chips) and dip if you want to add a little carb.

The tenders sound great, but the bigger pieces of chicken (fried or roasted) also sounds good. I had roasted drumstick for lunch the other day it was great. I love the idea of chicken and cantalope, but your thinking of fruit you don't need to cut does sound easier.

After reading this, I'd probably do chicken tenders, shrimp "cocktail" and fruit...

Sound like a great time!!

This thread got me thinking about the hiking trips I used to go on with friends in the Adirondack Mountains. Oranges never tasted so delicious and refreshing as they did on a mountain top after a rigorous climb. No packaging was required other than their own skins. We just tossed them into our back packs.

Jim

Linda, I know you said finger food, but I had a wonderful cucumber avacado soup (cold) yesterday at a little cafe in Menard, TX. It would travel well in your cooler and require limited utensils (paper cups/bowls and plastic spoons). Add some artisan-like bread, cheese and fruit.