Everybody uses or buys products that are preserved using the conventional methods, which are: canning, freezing, pickling, pasteurizing, chemical preservatives and smoking.
Dehydrating
is an excellent option, it is a way to preserve the enzymes and nutrients in foods. As the
water is removed the flavours are enhanced and concentrated (raisins are
sweeter then grapes). A dehydrator can be used to preserve but it can also be
used to create interesting and flavourful snacks.
I have
been experimenting with different recipes and (homemade) snack ideas for my
clients and myself. I don’t eat any grains and I try avoid any foods that have
been processed, so I do not have any pre-packaged breads or crackers. The
dehydrator is an excellent addition to a holistic kitchen. With the dehydrator
I can enjoy nut breads, crackers, veggie/fruit chips (my favourite is kale
chips) and desserts or sweet treats.
On the
weekend I made Onion and Vegetable Crackers in my dehydrator, they turned out
more like flat bread and were very delicious (they didn’t last long). The
recipe is below, it is very easy to follow and the ingredients are not hard to
find in the grocery store or health food store. For this recipe you will need a
dehydrator, a grater (I used my food processor with the grating attachment,
which saved a lot of time) and parchment paper to line the dehydrator trays. Give
it a try, I hope you enjoy the crackers. Onion Vegetable Crackers
1 medium zucchini, shredded
1 large
carrot, shredded
1 large
onion, shredded
¼ cup olive
oil or hemp seed oil
2 tbsp
nut butter (I used sunflower seed)
1 cup
ground flax seeds
1 cup
ground sunflower seeds
½ tsp
Himalayan sea salt
½ cup
water
Directions:
- Mix together the grated vegetables, oil and nut butter in a bowl.
- Add the ground flax seeds and sunflower seeds and combine. Add the water a little bit at a time and stir until mixture has a slight paste consistency.
- Spread a ¼ inch thick layer of mixture evenly on parchment lined drying trays and sprinkle whole brown or golden flax seeds on top.
- Dehydrate at 145°F for 1 hour, then turn the temperature down to 115°F and continue for 18-24 hours. (Half way through, flip over, score into the desired cracker shapes and remove the parchment paper). Leave in the dehydrator until dry but still pliable for bread or leave until crispy for crackers.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Enjoy!
For more tips and recipes about dehydrating or to schedule an appointment for a nutritional consultation contact Michelle in Barrie Ontario by email or by phone, 705-970-1473.
