I've backpacked with some groups that were super into high-end backcountry cooking. It always struck me as a huge hassle - lots of dirty dishes and extra crap. I also don't like the pre-packaged freeze-dried stuff, mainly because it has so much salt in it.
I'm fairly simple these days: oatmeal (boiling water for coffee anyway) and shelf-stable yogurt or fruit for breakfast. Something simple for lunch, like granola bars, tortilla + nut butter, tuna pack + crackers, etc.
For dinner, I stick to freezer bag cooking. I have a few recipe books, but I've simplified most of their recipes over the years. They usually consist of some sort of meat (tuna, chicken, or spam pouch), some sort of carb (pasta, rice, instant mashed potatoes, cous cous), some dried veggies, and usually some sort of spices (low-sodium soup mix, or a bit of a spice packet).
I put these together by just wandering through the grocery store and picking what sounds good together. One of my favorites for cold weather is spam chili: spam packet + instant beans and rice + chili flavoring + Fritos (for after it's done cooking). I pre-package the instant rice and spices in a quart freezer bag, and label it with the meal and meat. To cook it on the trail, just add hot water, add the meat, and wait 10 mins.