Ani's Raw Food Essentials (30 page)

I decided to try dehydrating kale because I had many bunches on hand, and I flipped when I first discovered kale chips: light, crispy, and delicious, just like potato chips, but super green and healthy. You won't be able to eat just one. Simply toss kale in olive oil and spices, and dehydrate into chips.

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can use an oven set to a low temperature with the door propped open, or even bake these at 300°F for 15 minutes, which is definitely not raw, but still better for you than traditional potato chips. Hopefully, you'll be convinced to buy a dehydrator so your next batch will be made in a more eco manner that doesn't use as much energy.

Place all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl, adding the chipotle to taste, and toss to mix well.

 

Spread on two 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays and dry at 104°F for 4 to 6 hours, until dried.

Nutritional yeast is mixed with red bell pepper and cashews to make a cheeze that is then used to coat the kale before dehydrating it. The cheeze mixture is orange and tastes like Cheddar. These chips are hearty and crispy-chewy, and my absolute favorite.

1 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup cashews
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed
2 tablespoons agave syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
6 cups bite-size pieces of kale, tightly packed (about 1 bunch)

Place the red bell peppers in a blender, then the remaining ingredients, except for the kale. Blend, using only enough water to process into a thick cream.

 

In a large mixing bowl, toss the pepper mixture with the kale, coating it evenly.

 

Spread the kale onto two 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator trays, and dry at 104°F for 8 to 10 hours.

 

OPTIONS:
Use Cheddar-Kale Chips in Caterpillar Nori Roll (page 253) to add a chewy, sweet crunchiness.

I'll start you off with a Basic Flax Cracker recipe, to which you can add flavorings, spices, and other ingredients to customize your own personal cracker flavors.

MAKES 9 CRACKERS

 

This crispy basic cracker recipe will show you how simple it is to make flax crackers. When flax is wet, it becomes gelatinous in consistency and binds together to make a dough that can be spread across your dehydrator tray on its liners or parchment paper. In general, you want to use about 2 to 3 cups of batter per 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator tray.

When you do your first flip of the crackers in the dehydrator, score the dough with a dull butter knife to create lines along which to break up the crackers when they have dried. You can make nine slices of crispy “toast,” or score the dough more finely to create square croutons to top salads and soups.

2 cups flaxseeds
2 cups filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste (optional)

In a bowl, mix the flaxseeds with the water and salt. You'll notice the batter becoming gooey and the seeds begin to bind together to make a dough. Add a little bit more water if the batter becomes too thick to spread, but you don't want the batter dough to be watery.

 

Spread the batter evenly on a lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator tray (line the tray with parchment paper). The batter should be about ⅛-inch thick.

 

Dehydrate for 5 to 6 hours at 104°F. Flip your crackers directly onto the mesh tray, then peel away the lining or paper. Using a butter knife, score lines in your batter to portion your cracker dough into nine squares. Dehydrate for another 3 to 4 hours, or until completely dried and crispy, then remove from the tray and bend along the score lines to break into slices.

 

OPTIONS:
Add flavors and spices such as 1 tablespoon dried herbs (or 2 tablespoons fresh), 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and ¼ cup sun-dried tomato or pitted, chopped olives.

 

To make your crackers less crispy, dehydrate less or add a tablespoon of olive oil.

 

And, as you'll see in the next recipe, adding vegetables increases the amount of cellulose fiber in your batter for a softer, lighter, breadlike texture.

MAKES 9 CRACKERS

Once you've mastered the Basic Flax Cracker recipe (page 112), you can then experiment by replacing the filtered water with a watery vegetable instead, such as tomato, as in this recipe, or onion, celery, and carrot. The vegetable fiber will add a lighter texture to your cracker and more flavor and color.

2 cups flaxseeds
2 cups tomatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup water, or as needed

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and mix well, adding just enough water to create a spreadable batter consistency.

 

Spread the batter evenly on a lined 14-inch-square Excalibur Dehydrator tray. The batter should be about ⅛-inch thick.

 

Dehydrate for 5 to 6 hours at 104°F. Flip your crackers directly onto the mesh tray, and peel away the liner. Using a butter knife, score lines in your batter to portion your cracker into nine squares. Dehydrate for another 3 to 4 hours, or until completely dried and crispy, then remove from the tray and bend along the score lines to break into slices.

 

OPTIONS:
Replace the tomato with another watery vegetable, such as red bell pepper, celery, onion, and even carrot. Add more filtered water as needed to create the right spreadable consistency.