Warming Up My Winter Adventures With Summit To Eat

I used to dream of adventuring around the world, dipping into unknown terrains and exploring the environment around me with the eyes of newborn child. There would be hikes round hilly mountains, shrouded in vibrant green moss, there would be dives in clear blue crystal waters and there would be slip and slides among the worlds most beautiful glaciers, slowly dissipating into water. But then those travel dreams got locked away in a small wooden box and pushed to the back of my mind, while life came and took a big dump on all hopes and dreams. But who says all adventures have to be ‘abroad anyway’? After all you can have plenty of adventures during winter at home too! I remember when I was about 14 or 15 and we were sent home early from school because we had quite literally been snowed under. There were icicles on the roof and cars were frozen in time, while we skidded on ice as we made our way home. What should have been a 1 hour walk home turned into three hours of shivering in the cold and I was more than comforted when my foster mum presented me with a cup of hot chocolate to make me warm once more. But I couldn’t help but feel that something was missing and  that ‘something’ was ‘summit to eat’.

I remember my aunty making me hearty stews during the winter cold but when it came to making my own I lacked the motivation and would settle for quick ready meals that had no nutritional benefit and had empty calories. I craved warm meals that would be easy to make, for when I was on the go- whether that be on tours around London or silent street art walks around Brick Lane, I wanted to come home knowing that my stomach would be full and my heart would be happy. Enter Summit To Eat, freeze dried meals that are made for adventurers who are always on the go. Whether you are a hiker, a climber, a walker or a casual tourist, adventures aren’t necessarily defined by climbing ‘Mount Kilimanjaro’. To me an adventure can be as simple as taking a spontaneous walk to a nearby town and seeing what mysteries lie in wait, while a regular adventure of mine is scouting street art spots, in preparation for my monthly shoots. But to others adventures are hopping on a plane and seeing where there ticket takes them next, finding that each day has a new adventure to behold.

But why ‘Summit To Eat’ I hear you ask? Well not only do they have vegetarian freeze dried meals , but they also have meal plans which provide you with Breakfast, Main Courses & Desserts, meaning that even if you are climbing Mount Everest, you can climb knowing that there will be a warm and quick meal to reward you at the end of your enthralling hike. As a vegetarian there are two main meal options (Mac ‘N’ Cheese and Vegetarian Chili With Rice), 2 breakfast options (Scrambled Egg With Cheese & Morning Oats With Raspberry) and three desserts (Rice Pudding With Strawberry, Custard Apple Crunch & Chocolate Mousse With Granola and Cherry). Each ‘meal pouch’ is made simply using ‘boiling water’ and is ready in as little as 8 minutes, with a shelf life of 7 years, meaning that even a future holiday can be remedied by a delicious comforting meal. So if like Laura you have got yourself a ticket to Lapland and would rather not have ‘Rudolph for Dinner’ then try something much more satisfying (and cruelty free) with Summit to Eat today.

Question is which Summit To Eat Vegetarian meal ruled the roost I hear you ask? Well there’s only one way to find out. Time to bring the big guns in and let Jasmine show you what freeze dried meals are really like and whether she will be taking them with her on her next trip to see Father Christmas. Rumor has it that she stole his Christmas presents and he’s not too happy about it but hey ho that’s Jasmine for you.

Breakfast

Scrambled Egg and Cheese

Made with creamy scrambled egg and an indulgent cheese blend, the scrambled egg with cheese was surprisingly delicious. I was never a huge fan of ‘scrambled egg’ growing up, much preferring a fried egg for breakfast instead, but in recent years, having found that fried eggs have an adverse effect on my stomach, I have switched to eating scrambled eggs instead. While nothing beats fresh egg, I was pleasantly surprised by its creamy texture and it went wonderfully with fresh crusty bread rolls, chives, rosemary and a dashing of turmeric to boost my immune system. Of course if you are on the go you won’t have the luxury of herbs to your disposal, so I did try some of the scrambled egg without any toppings and it still tasted fresh and wholesome. I would have liked a more ‘creamy cheese sauce’ but unlike most scrambled egg dishes I found this ‘Summit To Eat’ version to be moist and full of flavour, as opposed to dry.

Morning Oats With Raspberry

Visually appealing, the morning oats with raspberry was a beautiful dish, with plenty of anti-oxidants to boost my immune system while I was on the go. Despite how ‘small’ the portion may appear to be in the bowl, it was surprisingly filling and I found it to be a delicious way to start my morning. Typically I don’t eat breakfast as I am generally quite nauseous in the mornings , so I tend to eat quite late like around 11-12 but for once I settled down to have breakfast and found that the sharpness of the raspberry-alongside the fresh grated ginger that I had put in it- helped quell my sickness. Packed full of energy, I found that the Morning Oats was the boost I needed and instead of feeling sluggish and low on motivation, I found that eating a good hearty breakfast was the kickstart I needed to get my day started.

Dinner/Lunch

Mac ‘N’ Cheese

Anyone who knows me can recite that my three most favourite meals are 1. Chickpea Curry 2. Mac ‘N’ Cheese and 3. Thai Green Curry, so naturally I had to have a ‘Mac ‘N’ Cheese in my survival kit. But how on earth would a Mac ‘N’ Cheese which is characterized by ‘bechemal sauce’ hold the same creamy milkiness in ‘freeze dried form’? Described as being made with a ‘sumptuous three cheese blend’ of cheddar, mozzarella and Leicestershire Cheese’ I was heavily anticipating the taste of what I assumed would be a thick and creamy Mac ‘N’ Cheese. Yet out of all the meal pouches that I had received, I was surprised to find that the ‘mac and cheese’ was my least favourite option. While the sauce was substantially creamy and did have plenty of flavour, I found there to be a high consistency of chunky onions and as I am not a fan of onions, it was slightly off putting. That being said, the dish was aesthetically stunning and the sauce was very similar to the bechemal sauce that I know and love.

Vegetable Chili

The vegetable chili had been the option that I had the least enthusiasm for yet it actually turned out to be my second favourite meal from Summit To Eat! Suitable for vegans, this smokey chipotle chilli sauce provided mouth-watering spice and was enhanced with the addition of rich, dark chocolate to provide a deeper flavour. As someone who loves spicy food, I had expected that I would need to add extra spice to liven up the chili, yet surprisingly the spice was a good medium heat. Featuring peppers, cauliflower, onions and kidney beans, the sauce was transformed into a warming and hearty vegetable chili that was perfect for winter nights after work. To make it into a meal that I could enjoy the next day I also added some sweetcorn and Quorn mince to add some protein and bulkiness to the vegetable chili dish. Served with fresh crusty bread and salted butter, the vegetable chili was a welcome end to what had been a long and cold 12 hours of shooting outfits and products for the blog.

Dessert

Custard Apple Crunch

While the vegetable chili was my favourite ‘main meal’ overall the custard apple crunch was the most delicious option of them all. Then again that is hardly surprising given my sweet tooth and I was pleased that I had chosen the apple custard. With creamy thick (but not cloying) custard, tangy apple pieces and delicious oat clusters for that extra added crunch, it would be no exaggeration to say that my life was complete after gobbling this pudding in 5 minutes flat. The apple pieces had not been scrimped on and while there was a lot of custard to ‘soak up’ the crunch, there was plenty of tangy apple to create a delicious contrast between the sweet custard and textured oat clusters. The custard apple crunch was certainly what I would call a winter warmer and left me feeling as snug as a bug in a rug on a cold winters day.

What Are Your Thoughts On Summit To Eat? Would You Give It A Try?

*Disclaimer

Please note I was given meals in exchange for this post but all thoughts and opinions are my own.