Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [29]
Ladle ½ cup of the mixture into six circles on two lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays (four on one tray, the remaining two on the second tray). Spread into pancake shapes.
Dehydrate for 5 to 7 hours at 104°F. Flip, peel off the Paraflexx lining, and dehydrate for another 2 to 4 hours, to desired consistency.
Serve with your favorite jam, sauce, or syrup.
BRAZIL NUT-BANANA PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY SYRUP AND SLICED BANANAS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
1 recipe Brazil Nut-Banana Pancakes (page 73) (four pancakes)
1 cup sliced banana and/or berries
1 recipe Basic Fruit Sauce (page 280) made with blueberries
Lay one pancake on each of four serving dishes and top with the fruit. Drizzle with the sauce and serve.
BACON
I like to make raw vegan bacon using the fatty meat from fresh Thai baby coconuts in the same way cooked jerky is made. You can buy these young coconuts at natural food stores and Asian markets. Young coconuts are different from the traditional brown furry ones we’re used to seeing. The young ones typically have the shell trimmed off, exposing their white spongy pith. They look white on the outside.
You may be able to order coconuts online, but they are very heavy, and it will be expensive.
In case coconuts are not available, I’ll show you how to make bacon from eggplant instead, by first wilting it with salt, then marinating and dehydrating it the same way as the coconut meat.
COCONUT BACON
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Thai baby coconut is a favorite raw food for its electrolyte-rich living water. Plus, the inside of each coconut is lined with the coconut meat used to make this recipe.
The thickness of each coconut’s meat varies from thinner, more translucent in color, and gelatinous in consistency to harder, whiter, and thicker—sometimes up to ¼-inch thick. The thicker meats make for better bacon, only because it shrinks a lot during dehydration.
Adding a few drops of liquid smoke will give your bacon a barbecue flavor.
2 cups coconut meat (from 3 to 4 Thai baby coconuts)
3 tablespoons Nama Shoyu or Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons olive oil
A few drops of liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
When scraping the meat out of your coconuts, try to keep pieces as large as possible. Clean the meat by running your fingers over its surface, picking off any pieces of hard husk. Rinse with filtered water as a last step, and drain well.
Place the coconut meat in a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Toss to mix well. Lay the meat in a single layer on two 14-inch square Excalibur Dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate for 6 to 8 hours at 104°F. The length of time will depend on how thick your coconut meat is. Check it and dry it to your liking. Don’t overdehydrate, because the more you dry it, the more it will shrink, and you’ll be left with only a small amount of bacon.
OPTIONS: Replace the smoke flavor with herbs and spices to make different flavors. Try chipotle powder, garlic, dill, or oregano.
EGGPLANT BACON
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Eggplant turns crispy hard when dehydrated, with a texture similar to that of cooked bacon. Here, it is sliced into bacon shapes and softened with salt, then marinated in olive oil and salty Nama Shoyu, for a healthier alternative to cooked bacon.
1 medium-size eggplant (about 2 cups, sliced)
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 tablespoons Nama Shoyu or Bragg Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon agave syrup
A few drops of liquid smoke flavoring (optional)
Slice your eggplant into thin rounds, using a mandoline slicer. Then, use a knife to slice the rounds into 1½ by 4-inch slices similar in shape and size to cooked bacon.
Place the eggplant strips in a mixing bowl and toss with the salt to coat. Set aside for 10 to 20 minutes to soften and until the eggplant releases water. Gently squeeze any excess moisture from the eggplant, and discard the liquid.
Place the eggplant in a mixing bowl. Add the Nama Shoyu, olive oil, agave, and smoke flavoring (if using), and toss to mix