Posts Tagged ‘ dehydrator ’

Buckwheaties

February 5, 2011
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Soaked buckwheat groats

Soaked buckwheat groats

Sprouted buckwheat cereal is a raw foodie standard.  It is soooooo easy.  And it is soooooo economical.  It’s usually called “buckwheaties” or raw granola (RAW-nola) by those in the know.  Usually they’re around $9.00-$10.00 per pound.  Outrageous! Raw hulled buckwheat costs a buck or so for a few pounds.  I’d estimate you can make it yourself for under $5.  And you can have whatever flavor you imagine.

There isn’t really a hard & fast recipe for this because it lends itself to improvisation & variation.  It’s fun to think of new ways to make it.

Step 1 – Soak & sprout hulled buckwheat groats

  • Put your buckwheat in 2-3x the amount of water.  This stuff expands a LOT.  Make sure all of the sprouts are under the water.   I usually use 1 cup of groats and 4 cups of H2O.
  • Soak 20-60 minutes. Don’t over soak! If you do, they will not sprout.  The water will become very thick, cloudy, and starchy.  This is normal. You’ll know they’re ready when they get to be 2-3 times their original size. You won’t have much extra water in your bowl.
  • Put groats in a colander and rinse them thoroughly.  You’ll need to do it 2 or 3 times until the water runs clear.  This is very important.  If you don’t rinse well, your spouts will have a bit of a bitter taste.   Drain the groats thoroughly when done.
  • Spread the groats out evenly in your colander
  • Set them out away from direct sunlight and let them sprout for 4-8 hours.  Room temperature should be around 70 degrees.  Amount of time you set them out will vary. If it’s hotter, leave them out for less time.  If it’s colder, leave them out for more.
  • Rinse and drain again.  Sprout them again for 4-8 hours.  Repeat 2-3 more times.
  • You will see tiny tails emerging from the groats.   For buckwheaties, a wee hint of a tail is sufficient.
  • You are done with step 1!!!  You will have roughly 3-4 times the volume of what you started with.  For 1 cup raw groats, I get a yield of 3-4 cups sprouted groats.

Step 2 - Flavor your cereal

This is the part where you can get creative.  Put in your flavorings and a sweetener.  Mix thoroughly.  Some combinations I like with my 3-4 cups sprouted groats are:

  • Chocolate!! Mix the groats with  1/4 to 1/2 cup of semi- raw chocolate syrup. Sometimes I sprinkle in shredded coconut and make a “Mounds” flavored cereal. You could probably use a nut butter to make a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup type of flavor.  I’ve been meaning to try that!   To make raw chocolate syrup:
    • Blend 1 cup maple syrup and 6 tablespoons raw cacao powder in a high speed blender.  Good on raw ice cream, as a fruit dip, etc.   If you want to make it all raw, use agave, runny honey, or, my personal favorite, soaked dates made into a watery paste/syrup works very well)
  • Apple cinnamon – mix groats with 1/4-1/2 cup of raw applesauce and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Add some sweetener if you desire.  Sometimes add diced apple for some more texture.  You can also add raisins, dried berries, cranberries.
  • Nuttin’ honey – 1/4 – 1/2 cup almond or other nut butter, 1/4 cup honey.
  • Granola – add nuts, fruit, whatever you’d use in granola, plus a sweetener to bind it all together.  I recommend date paste.
  • Leave them plain! They’re quite good simply left alone without flavorings.  If you do this, definitely go the Grape-Nuts route.  If I do this, I intend to use them as a textural element in other recipes such as cookies and pie crusts.

Step 3 – Dehydrate!!!

Your batter should be fairly sticky but still spreadable.

  • Spread the batter onto dehydrator trays using teflex sheets.
  • Decide if you want to make your buckwheaties structured or as a free-running Grape-Nuts type of cereal.   To make it structured, score a grid patter on the batter to make bite-sized squares.   If you want Grape-Nutty cereal, simple spread it out on they tray.
  • Flip the sheet of buckwheat over and dry the other side until the whole things is dried out.
  • For buckwheat squares, use your spatula to neatly break apart the bite-sized squares.  For Grape-Nutties, use your hands to crumble it all apart into tiny nuggets which will readily pour out of your storage container.  Or leave it kind of chunky like granola.

Step 4 – Store

Put the cereal in an airtight container.  It will keep a few months in a cool dark spot.  It will keep virtually forever if you put it in the fridge or freezer.  If it starts going stale it may get a bit soft/sticky.  You can revive it by throwing it back in the dehydrator to dry it out some more.

Step 5 – Enjoy!

Buckwheaties have so much versatility.  Eat it as is for a snack.  It packs well.   Use it as a breakfast cereal with your favorite nut or seed milk.   Let it soak with other ingredients for a muesli.  Sprinkle it on raw ice cream.  Add it to raw coconut yogurt.  Throw it into a raw cookie recipe.  Use it in a pie crust (grind to a flour or put it together like a graham cracker crust).

I usually have 2 or 3 varieties of buckwheaties on hand as a pantry staple.  I make a batch every 4-5 weeks as part of my monthly food prep.  Having them on-hand allows me to make “fix it fast” recipes.

Happy D day!

July 25, 2010
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I’m in the midst of a dehydrator day a.k.a “D-day.”  D-day is for making treats & staples.  These are the things which make staying raw easier and more pleasurable.   On the agenda today: macaroons (chocolate & blond) and almond flour.

I use the macaroon recipe from “Raw Food, Real World” by Matthew Kenney & Sarma Melngailis.  I love their books.  When it comes to food porn, they rule.  All of their recipes are tres gourmet and the photography only increases the drool-worthy quality of their recipes.   Everything I’ve made from their books tastes awesome.   It’s not everyday fare because their recipes take time and effort.  Not surprising.  They did open Pure Food and Wine in NYC which Sarma Melngailis still owns and runs — along with One Lucky Duck, a take-out and on-line raw foods store.

These macaroons remind me of my favorite flavor of Timbits and take me back to my childhood in Canada.   They are mouthful of happiness.

Wet Almond Pulp

Wet Almond Pulp

Almond flour is a basic staple and an easy item to incorporate into one’s raw routine. It’s a great way to use up pulp from making almond milk.  I keep a gallon zip lock bag in my freezer and throw my leftovers into it every time I whip up a batch of milk.  When I’ve accumulated  about 4-6 cups, I defrost the pulp, spread it on teflex covered dehydrator trays, and pop it in the “D” until it’s bone dry.   From there, I throw it into my BlendTec and grind it to a very fine consistency.    I store it in the freezer when it’s done.

Dry Almond Flour

Finished Almond Flour

It keeps for months.  They dehydrating helps keep the nuts from going rancid.  It’s especially gorgeous when you’ve removed the skins from the almonds.   The flour is versatile: use it for cookies, cakes, breads, crackers. It’s simple and takes virtually no time to make – spend 30 extra seconds throwing it in the freezer when you make nut milk.

Making other recipes is quicker if you’ve got the flour on hand.

Day 3 – Eating like a rock star

December 1, 2009
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So far, this challenge hasn’t been a struggle.  Usually the first 3 days are the hardest part in terms of craving SAD veggie food.  I’m sure it’s because I was ready to eat better.  My mood has been rather dismal since mid-October despite regular exercise and I know without a doubt that eating a high percentage of fruit and greens makes a difference.

I’m feeling better already.  My skin is starting to do that glow thing.  My mood is much better. Not being weepy at the slightest thing rules! My energy level is up.  I got my exercise in today, walking 3 miles with my buddies (and Keen-O!).  And, I’m eating like a rock star.  Today I loved:

Breakfast

  • 2 fl oz shots of E3 Live
  • Almond milk with coffee
  • Green smoothie
    • 2 cups coconut water (fresh!)
    • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
    • 1 cup pineapple
    • 1 1/4 cup chopped collard stems (leftover from making marinated collards)
    • 2 tablespoons ground flax seed a.k.a flax meal
    • 3 capsules acidophilus (I have Country Life Power-dophilus on hand)
    • 1 tablespoon bee pollen (yeah, I’m not an ethical vegan)
    • 1 teaspoon raw agave powder
    • 3 scoops MSM
Spicy sweet potato chips

Spicy sweet potato chips

Lunch

  • Marinated collards served on top of a:
  • Monster salad
    • Mixed baby greens
    • Broccoli sprouts
    • Shredded carrots
    • Broccoli slaw
    • Fat free balsamic vinegar dressing
  • Spicy sweet potato chips (crumbled on top of the collards & salad…OMG soooo good)
  • Apple

Snack

Dinner

  • Romaine lettuce wraps filled with
  • Raw agave gelato from Organic Nectars — this time cherry chocolate

I am grateful for the spousal support.  I am grateful for tasty eats.  I am grateful for lovely friends and walking buddies. May it continue to go so smoothly.

Day 2 – Tostada goodness

November 30, 2009
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I know I extol the virtues of menu planning.  I know I spent a goodly portion of my weekend thinking about a menu for the week and making some things ahead of time.  I know my theme this week is “American comfort food.” You know what they say about the best laid plans.  Stuff happens.  Tonight the stuff was tostadas!!!  (living in the Southwest, it may be fair to say that Mexican grub IS American comfort food).

My wife’n'kid were having bean’n'cheese burritos.  The smell when I came in the house after work was inspiring!  So I got creative.  I made a batch of Cherie Soria’s Fresh Corn Tortillas back in July.  Since I had a dozen, I froze a bunch of them.  Five months later they’re still good.  I warmed them up in the dehydrator while I got busy making the Stuffing Fantasy I was supposed to make on Saturday (I do want my Thanksgiving eats this week at some point).   I also had some portobello mushrooms and some cherry tomatoes so I warmed massaged those in a little olive oil and salt and put those into the dehydrator to soften up. Finally, I threw some of the salsa the wife’n'kid were having into the dehydrator too.  It’s chilly!  I like my raw food warmed up!

Forty-five minutes later, after I’d finished the stuffing, I had a beautiful set of ingredients with which to make tostadas.

Fresh corn tortilla with portobello mushroom cherry tomato ragout

Fresh corn tortilla with portobello mushroom cherry tomato ragout

Fresh Corn Tortillas

  • 4 cups chopped yellow bell peppers
  • 3 cups fresh corn kernels
  • 1 cup peeled chopped zucchini
  • 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • .5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ripe avocado, coarsely cut into chunks
  • 3 tablespoons psyllium powder or ground flax seeds

1. Combine the bell peppers, corn, zucchini, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt in a blender and process until smooth.  Add the avocado and process until well combined.  With the blender running, add psyllium powder and process for a few seconds longer until well blended.

2. Using 1/2 cup of the mixture for each tortilla, use a small metal spatula of flat rubber spatula to quickly form 4 flat disks on a dehydrator tray lined with a nonstick sheet.  Each disk should be about 7 inches in diameter, with a little space between each one.  Work quickly or the mixture will thicken and become difficult to spread.  Continue to work in this fashion until all of the mixture is used.

3. Dehydrate at 105 F for 4 hours, or until the tortillas can be easily remoed from the nonstick sheets.

4. Turn the tortillas over onto mesh dehydrator trays.  Place an additional mesh screen on top of each tray; this will make the tortillas flatter and easier to store. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours longer until the tortillas are dry but still flexible.

5. Stored in an airtight container, will keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or up to 2 months in the freezer.

Portabello mushroom and cherry tomato ragout

  • Portobello mushrooms, chopped
  • Cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • Olive oil, to taste
  • Sea salt, to taste

Mix mushrooms and tomatoes with olive oil and salt, using your hands to massage oil into the vegetables.  Put veggies in the dehydrator until they become soft and reduce in size a bit.

Tostadas

  • 2 fresh corn tortillas
  • portobello mushroom and cherry tomato ragout
  • shredded carrots
  • pico de gallo salsa
  • mixed greens

Spread salsa on the tortillas.  Layer the greens, mushroom ragout, salsa, and shredded carrots on top.  Serve with love!

I ate like royalty today, day 2 of my 30 day raw food challenge.  I had

Breakfast

  • 1 shot of E3 Live
  • Tropical fruit salad (no coconut today): pineapple, mandarin orange, and banana

Lunch

  • marinated collard greens mixed with
  • leftover monster salad from yesterday
  • apple

Snack

  • banana

Dinner

Sometimes it’s really really really easy to be raw.   It’s all in the pre-prep baby.  I had several things available to me today which made my life easy’n'tasty.  I had tortillas, tortilla chips, store-bought salsa, store-bought gelato, and chocolate sauce.   I also had leftover collards from this weekend’s prep session.   I only spent 30 minutes doing food prep today.   It took me longer to do the dishes after the family ate!

I didn’t exercise, unfortunately.  All that eating and dish doing has left me a bit done in.  Only half-hour until bedtime.  I’m going to read a novel in bed cuddling with my doggies.

Pizza

November 4, 2009
By

Tonight I ate pizza.  OMG, it was sooo tasty.  My wife and daughter looked almost jealous as they chowed down on their cooked  beef’n'cheese ravioli.  This is really quick to prepare if you have some of the ingredients on hand.  This is one of those must-prep-ahead recipes. It’s also another recipe that has endless variations.  It’s a good way to use up any veggies you may have before they spoil.

Pizzapizza

pizza flax crackers
nut cheese
marinara sauce
diced red pepper
diced red onion
sliced black olives
minced basil
pine nut parmesan

When I make a batch of crackers I set aside one or two dehydrator trays to make larger crusts instead of bite-sized nibblers.  Spread nut cheese and marinara on a large flax cracker.  Put veggies toppings on top. Serve with love.

Pine nut parmesan a la Laura

October 22, 2009
By

rawmasanThis is a raw staple.  I’ve seen recipes for this in quite a few books.  The basic jist is to make a nut butter from a creamy nut — like pine nut, cashew, or macadamia –, add some seasoning, and/or culture the batter, spread it thinly on a teflex sheet and dehydrate until crispy.  Break the resulting cheeze into shards or crumble.

My version is a combination of Cherie Soria’s Pine nut parmesan and Renee Loux Underkoffler’s parmesan.

Pine nut parmesan

1.5 cups pine nuts
1/4 tsp probiotic powder (optional)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon good quality salt

Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth and creamy.  If using a probiotic powder you can leave the batter out (be sure it’s covered) to let it culture for a few hours.  Spread thinly onto teflex sheets and dehydrate until crispy. Break apart or crumble.  Stored in glass jars in the refrigerator parmesan will keep for 3 months.

Sprinkle on soups, salads, pasta, pizza — wherever you would use dairy parmesan.

Pizza flax crackers – Cherie Soria

September 27, 2009
By

This is a basic staple that I learned at raw chef school.  It’s  indispensable to have on hand.  I make huge batches and score the crackers in different sizes for different purposes.  I make big squares for pizzas and sandwich “bread.” I make medium squares for dips and spreads.  And I make cracker sizes for snacks.  I go easy on the salt in this one.  Dehydrating makes flavors stronger.

Pizza Flax Crackers

Pizza Flax Crackers

Pizza Flax Crackers by Cherie Soria
Yields 5 trays of 32 crackers = 160 crackers
20 servings of 8 cracker sized crackers

1.5 cups sun-dried tomato powder
1 cup purified water plus additional water to thin as needed
3 cups carrot pulp or chopped red pepper or zucchini (or a mixture, or use whatever leftover veggie bits you’ve got on hand)
.5 cup chopped onion
2.5 teaspoons sea salt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic crushed
.5 cup minced fresh herbs (basil, parsley, dill weed, or oregano)
2 cups flaxseed ground
2 cups flaxseed soaked 8-12 hours in 4 cups purified water (do not rinse or drain)

1. Combine the sun-dried tomato powder and the water, and stir to form a paste.

2. Combine the veggie pulp, onion, salt, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and garlic in a high powered blender or food processor outfitted with an S blade.

3. Blend or process the vegetable mixture to a large mixing bowl, add the flaxseeds and flax meal, and stir well to combine.

4. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl, add the flaxseeds ad flax meal, and stir well to combine.

5. Spread about 3 cups of the batter evenly on a dehydrator tray lined with a nonstick sheet.

6. Score the crackers into squares.  Dehydrate at 105 degrees for 12 hours, until they are completely dry and crisp.

7. Flip the crackers onto mesh dehydrator screens, and continue to dehydrate for 24 hours, or until they are completely dry and crisp.

8. Allow the crackers to cool completely, then store them in sealed glass jars for up to three months at room temperature.  The crckers may also be stored in the refrigerator or freezer for up to six months.

Apple Cinnamon Granola – Cherie Soria

September 2, 2009
By

A variation of Cheri Soria’s Buckwheat Granola.  I love this for breakfast with fruit and almond milk.  It’s especially decadent with coconut yogurt.  I don’t eat this often because I find it  a bit difficult to digest. Letting it soak in the milk or yogurt to soften a bit before eating helps.   So does making sure to really chew chew chew.  It’s extremely filling and great for those times when you want to get that full belly feeling.

It’s also useful for quick desserts.  You can break it up and use it as a crumble toppings for fruit crisps or pies.

Buckwheat GranolaApple Cinnamon Granola

3/4-1 lb pitted dates (1-1 1/2 cups packed)
1/2 cup purified water (approximately)
1 lb (2 1/2 cups) raw buckwheat groats, soaked and sprouted
1/8 lb (3/4 cup) currants or raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded or shaved coconut
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup sesame seeds, soaked 4-6 hours, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup flax seeds, soaked 8-12 hours in 1/2 cup purified water (do not rinse or drain)
1 teaspoon cinnamon

  1. Loosely separate the dates and put them in a high speed blender.  Add the water and blend to form a smooth paste, adding more water if necessary.
  2. Combine the buckwheat groats, currants or raisins, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flaxseeds, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir well or mix with your hands.
  3. Spread 1/4 inch of bater (4-6 cups) evenly on a dehydrator tray lined with a nonstick sheet.  Repeat until all of hte batter is used.
  4. Dehydrate for 8 hours at 105 degrees, flip the granola onto a mesh dehydrator screen, and continue dehydrating another 24 hours until completely dry.
  5. Break the granola aparat or crumble it into chunks.
  6. Store in a sealed glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Note: use the larger amount of dates for a sweeter granola.

Note: toasted buckwheat groats, known as kasha, is a very popular Middle Eastern grain and can easily be confused with raw groats.  Make sure to buy raw, hulled, buckwheat groats.

Note: for a pretty presentation, you can score the batter into 1″ squares after you put them onto the nonstick dehydrator sheets.

Note: to sprout groats, first soak them in water to cover for 8 hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse them, and put them in a colander over a plate, to catch any water.  Allow them to sprout for 12-24 hours, rinsing them every 12 hours.

Variations

Apple cinnamon granola – add 4 cored and shredded apples.

Berry granola – eliminate the cinnamon and add 1 lb of fresh or frozen berries.  Be sure to fold those in last.

Granola bars – spread the granola batter 1/2 inch thick on nonstick dehydrator sheets, then score into squares before dehydrating.

Serve with love

Golden Tortilla Chips – Matthew Kenney

August 28, 2009
By

These smell exactly like chili with Frito’s when they’re dehydrating.

Golden Tortilla Chips

Golden Tortilla Chips

Golden Tortilla Chips

1 3/4 cups flax meal
4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 1/3 cups water
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
3/4 small red onion
1 clove garlic
1/4 tablespoon sea salt + more for sprinkling
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon lime juice
Pinch cayenne
2 teaspoons chili powder

Place flax meal in a large bowl. Blend all remaining ingredients except chili powder in a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender until smooth. Stir in flax meal and chili powder. Spread one cup of batter over the entire Teflex sheet to no more than 1/8 inch thickness and place in dehydrator. Approximately 30 minutes later the chips will be ready to be removed and marked with a paring knife into the size and shape you desire. Sprinkle with salt and dehydrate 12-24 hours, until completely crispy. Yields 4 trays.

Serve with love!

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