What’s in your Dehydrator?

By on April 24, 2009 in Food & Nutrition

Making your own crackers, biscuits, foods and treats in a dehydrator may not seem so “Green” but you actually avoid a lot of packaging waste. You also control what goes into or more importantly what does not go into your food. Dehydrators are so easy to use and if you dry your food goodies at 105 degrees or lower you can preserve the essential enzymes, therefore your treats are considered RAW.

If you are not consuming enough raw foods why not give a dehydrator a try! You can pick one up for under one hundred dollars.

Here are some great recipes to get you going with a dehydrator:
 
RAW Dehydrated Spicy Crackers

Soak 1 strip of dried kelp for 10 minutes
Soak overnight-1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
Soak overnight -1 cup sunflower seeds
Soak overnight – 1/3 cup flax seeds in 1 cup of water

Cut 1/2 onion finely. You can use your favorite, white, yellow, red…
1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons of Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids.
Add in thyme, cayenne pepper, sea salt, or cilantro to suite your taste.

Combine in blender kelp, sun-dried tomatoes, flax seeds, and 1 cup water. You may need to add more water; you are looking for the consistency of crunchy peanut butter. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a food processor and combine onion, sunflower seeds, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, and seasonings. Mix on high until you have a good texture.

Spread on dehydrator sheets with a rubber spatula. You may need to keep a cup of water on hand to dip the spatula into to keep moist. Use the spatula to form lines for the cracker break. Dehydrate at 105 until completely dried.  

Decadent Basil Crackers


4 to 5 cups of carrot or vegetable pulp (you get this from juicing!)
1/2 cup basil, chopped or dried palm full cilantro, chopped
1 clove crushed garlic
2 chopped ripe tomatoes
About 1 cup of sprouted and crushed nuts (almonds, sesame, sunflower…etc.)
Sea salt, dulse or Braggs Liquid Aminos to taste

Make your cracker mixture and spread into your dehydrator with a spatula. You will need to dehydrate for around 8 hours or till dry. What a great way to make food from compost! Use a spatula to spread over sheets in dehydrator and dry until crunchy.
 

Eggplant Bacon   
                 
The Non Bacon Bacon
1 large eggplant thinly sliced lengthwise
3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. cayenne if you like spicy!
2 Tbl. honey
4 Tbl. Ume Plum Vinegar
A dash of sea salt and pepper to taste.
Let this marinate for 2 hours.
Dehydrate for approx. 9 hours.
Turn bacon over ½ way through. Dehydrate until crunchy. .
This yummy treat is a great replacement for bacon.
 
Raw Food Kale Chips
 
2 head Kale, washed and torn
¾ cup Tahini
¼ cup Tamari
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
½ cup water
2 scallions
½ red pepper chopped small
1 clove garlic
1 lemon (juice of)
¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
 
Preparation:
Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. You may have to add more water. Pour over kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want this mixture to be really glued onto the kale.
 
Place kale into dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for 6 hours @ 105 degrees.
 
Organically Yours,
Renay Matthews
www.Organix.Me

About Renay Matthews

I am constantly changing, loving, growing and being! One of my favorite quotes, if nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies. Live on the edge, embrace the unknown, laugh a lot, free yourself, play with the moment, observe who you are not. Organically Yours I Am. XOXO www.elitewellnesspath.com
View all posts by Renay Matthews →

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12 Responses to What’s in your Dehydrator?

  1. Khamisa April 24, 2009 at 3:37 pm #

    Renay, which brand do you have? I want to dry herbs and make jerky treats for the boys and Milo. Peace.

    Kel

  2. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 3:41 pm #

    Thanks Kelly for the message!

    I use Nesco. I got it at bedbathandbeyond.com

    Mine came with jerky spices, but I have not used them.

    Many nutritionists try to push the really expensive one, but I have had no challenges with my $100.00 dehydrator.

    I have loads more recipes on http://www.organicspaces.blogspot.com

    Let me know how it goes.

    XO

    Organically Yours,

    Renay Matthews
    http://www.organix.me

  3. Rouzanna Vardanyan April 24, 2009 at 4:17 pm #

    Renay, does your son eat all this wonderful food? If yes, then I am not surprised he is already enlightened. Do you have recepies for young children? If yes, would you share?

  4. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 4:32 pm #

    Hi Rouzanna!

    Thanks for the message.

    His favorite is my Flax Seed Crackers.

    2 cups flax, you can ground them or not, or ground just half of them, 2 bell peppers and 1 onion chopped up fine with the juice from a whole lemon, sea salt and hot peppers. I make the mix and dehydrate till crunchy! These taste totally different if you don't ground the flax seeds verse grounding them, or a mix. I do them all ways.

    He also loves avocado and bananas mixed up!

    Another favorite

  5. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 4:41 pm #

    If you have never tried fresh-dehydrated-pinapple, you must!

    It is such a better treat for kids instead of candy, it is sooo delicious!

    Organically Yours,

    Renay Matthews
    http://www.organicspaces.blogspot.com

  6. observer April 24, 2009 at 4:42 pm #

    Hey Renay!

    I will want to try them all. Two thoughts struck me. I need more kitchen cabinets and I'm going to want to find some good mail order suppliers for the dry goods. :) Love and Blessings,

    Ed

  7. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 4:47 pm #

    Thanks Ed for the message. I have my favories for dry goods..delivered..check out my web site for two food links..all organic of course..
    http://www.organeefoodcoach.com
    Superfoods and

    Sunfoods

    They are two of my top pics.

    I am working on those sprout recipes!

    With Love,

    Renay

  8. Khamisa April 24, 2009 at 5:12 pm #

    Renay, you need to publish a cookbook.

    Kel

  9. Rouzanna Vardanyan April 24, 2009 at 5:15 pm #

    Thank you Renay, for sacrificing your time to write this comment, which qualifies for a whole post. I have a 3.5 zear old grandson, who likes unusual food. He will enjoy these recepies. And I will definitely join your community.

    And zes, I have tried the ehidratated pineapples. Alex liked the fresh ones more, but for me it was delicious.

    Thank you once more, and have a nice day.

  10. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 5:59 pm #

    Thank you Kel! I just might do that.

    Let me know how your grandson likes the recipes Rouzanna!

    With love,

    Renay

  11. yumi April 24, 2009 at 6:03 pm #

    Renay, these all sound sooooo awesome! I've been wanting to invest in a dehydrator for quite some time, and as soon as I do, your recipes will definitely be test-driven! :)

  12. organicspaces April 24, 2009 at 6:10 pm #

    Great Yumi!

    If you get those 20% coupons from BBand beyond you can save some $ on your dehydrator.

    Let me know how it goes!

    Organically Yours,

    Renay Matthews
    http://www.organicspaces.blogspot.com