Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [40]
½ cup dried buckwheat groats
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup flax meal
1½ cups filtered water
½ cup pitted and chopped kalamata olives
Grind the buckwheat into a powder, then place in a high-speed blender. Add the celery, flax meal, and water. Blend until smooth. Add the olives last; pulse lightly to mix into the batter.
Spread the batter evenly on a lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 6 to 8 hours at 104°F. Flip onto tray, peel away the liner, and score into nine squares. Score each slice diagonally so you have a total of eighteen little triangular toasts. Dehydrate for another 4 to 6 hours, until dried.
VEGETABLES
The act of cooking food steams away much of the food’s water content. In the same way, dehydration is one way to “cook” vegetables in raw food.
Light dehydration will help to soften tough vegetables, such as asparagus, and wilts red bell peppers and onions to take their crunch away.
Dehydrating for longer periods of time, on the other hand, removes all moisture to create a light, crisp texture. Coating your vegetables in olive oil will help to soften them while also slowing down how quickly and fully their water is lost in your dehydrator.
BASIC BUCKWHEAT BATTER
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Coat any vegetable with this basic batter and dehydrate, to add a light and crispy crunch to the outside—similar to a tempura or panko (Japanese bread crumb) batter, but lighter and healthier for you.
If you don’t have Buckwheat Crispies on hand, just use buckwheat groats instead.
2 cups Buckwheat Crispies (page 63), ground into a powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon cayenne
Place the buckwheat powder, salt, and cayenne in a bowl and mix well.
OPTIONS: Dip slices, sticks, or spears of your favorite vegetables and even fruit into this batter, and dehydrate to add a crunchy outer layer. To help the powder stick better, you may want to toss your veggies with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil first.
BUCKWHEAT-BATTERED “FRIED” ONION RINGS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Thinly sliced onion is dipped into buckwheat batter and dehydrated to create a battered and fried, delicious onion ring. The texture is similar to that of a lightly fried tempura batter, and the flavor is delicious!
The longer the onions are dehydrated, the milder the onion flavor will become. Using a sweet onion gives a milder onion flavor.
4 cups thinly sliced sweet onion
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons filtered water
1 recipe Basic Buckwheat Batter (page 115)
Prep the onions by tossing in the oil and water. Then, dip the onions into the Basic Buckwheat Batter to coat well.
Gently place the onions in a single layer on two lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays, and dehydrate at 104°F for 4 to 6 hours, or until completely dried and crisp.
BATTERED ZUCCHINI STICKS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Zucchini sticks are tossed in buckwheat batter, then dehydrated to soften the inside while adding a light crispy crunch to the outside.
3 zucchini, cut like French fries
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons filtered water
1 recipe Basic Buckwheat Batter (page 115)
Prep the zucchini by tossing in the oil and water. Then, dip into the Basic Buckwheat Batter to coat well.
Gently place the zucchini sticks in a single layer on two lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays, and dehydrate at 104°F for 5 to 7 hours, or until the outside is dried and crisp.
“ROASTED” BELL PEPPERS
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Bell peppers are tossed in olive oil, then dehydrated to soften and remove the fresh crispiness of this vegetable. The result is a soft consistency like that of roasted peppers.
4 cups seeded and sliced red bell pepper
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Toss the bell pepper with the olive oil and garlic to mix well.
Gently place the bell pepper in a single layer on two lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays, and dehydrate at 104°F for