Dehydrator Adventures

Dreams do come true. This passed Friday I got one of mine in a huge box! My Excalibur Dehydrator was delivered and I could not wait to test it out!!! Yes, I am one of those crazy women that gets happier over a kitchen or a computer gadget than over a piece of jewelry. Whoever said that "Diamond is a Girl's Best Friend" must not have been in touch with reality. I actually don't own any diamonds outside of my gorgeous wedding ring. You can't excite or entice me with them either. Now, give me a kitchen gadget or a great photo lens or a new computer, and you are speaking my language.

Yesterday I finally got an opportunity to play with my new toy. First I made Veggie Enchiladas. They turned out pretty, although I found them to be a bit too sweet. If I ever make them again will have to adjust the recipe... or just invent my own :)

Then I made Cinnamon Raisin Crackers. They are delicious, although, even after dehydrating them for 2 hours more than I was supposed to they were not crunchy, and I don't think they will be, unless you dehydrate them for much longer. But they great nevertheless. I can see making ice cream sandwiches with them and some Banana or Cherry Ice Cream, although I would then spread batter a bit thicker and pre-shape it into circles.

So, today my breakfast was a combination of both.

I will be experimenting with the dehydrator much more to have enough recipes to teach an all RAW Cooking Class in the near future, as the number of raw food enthusiasts is growing in the Cowlitz County.

I am thankful to the folks at Excalibur for making such a great machine. It makes living an Unprocessed life not only easy, but fun.

Until next time, folks, EAT HEALTHY! BE HAPPY!

Apple Bread

The apple season is here. A couple of days ago I stopped by my sister's house. She has an apple tree in her yard. The apples are ripening and some already starting to blanket the ground. I hate to see waste, so Demetrye and I picked a lot of apples and brought them home. As much as we like apples there is no way the two of us can go through all of them before they start going bad, so I had to look for ways to SAVE APPLES :) Here is my DELICIOUS solution to the problem. Demetrye liked this recipe so much so that he asked me to make a couple of loaves just for him.

APPLE BREAD

Ingredients
● 5 cups shredded/grated apple
● ½ cup olive oil
● ½ cup apple sauce, unsweetened
● 2 ground bananas
● 1 cup cane sugar
● 1 teaspoons salt
● 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
● 2 tablespoons egg replacer
● 10 tablespoons water
● 2 cups white unbleached flour
● 2 cups whole wheat flour
● Cinnamon to taste (optional)
● Nutmeg to taste (optional)
● 1 cup walnuts
● ½ cup sunflower seeds (optional)
● ½ cup pumpkin seeds (optional)

Preparation
● Preheat oven to 375º F.
● Combine all ingredients.
● Dough will make four loaves, if you use 7x4x2 bread pans (or close to it).
● If you don’t have bread forms, make muffins with the same dough. Fill cups ¾ full, leaving enough room for expansion.
● Bake 45 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out dry.
● Cool for about 10 minutes and then take out loaves and cool a bit longer before serving.
ENJOY!!!

Bagels

A couple of nights ago my husband was working a night shift. So, what was a girl to do with herself the entire night? I decided that it was time to learn how to make new things. After searching for what might sound good, I came across a bagel recipe. I tweaked it a little to my liking. The results were amazing. When I took freshly baked bagels out of the oven and took a first bite, I did not want to put them down. They were warm and delicious; soft of the inside and crisp on the outside. I had to stop myself from devouring them all, so Demetrye could have some also.

When he came home in the morning and tasted them I knew I was in trouble. For the last two days that has been the only thing that he asked me to make for him. But let me stop rambling and let you try this recipe for yourself.

BAGELS

Ingredients
● 1 1/8 cups warm water
● 1 ½ cups unbleached white flour
● 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
● 1 ½ tablespoons unbleached sugar
● 1 ½ teaspoons salt
● 2 teaspoons yeast
*If the dough comes out to be too soft, knead in a bit more flour.

Preparation
● Place all ingredients in a bread machine.
● Set for dough.
● Let the machine knead once. When it stops for the fist time, turn it off and let the dough sit and rise for 20 minutes.
● If you do not have a bread machine, mix all ingredient and knead by hand until all ingredients are mixed well. Then, let it sit for 20 minutes.
● After 20 minutes, divide dough into 8 pieces. I normally lightly grease the surface with olive oil and separate dough by hand.
● Roll each piece into a rope about 1 inch thick. Wet ends with water and stick together.
● Put all bagels on a greased baking sheet; cover and let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place.
● If you desire something other than plain bagels, you can mix in ingredients in two different ways: add your favorite ingredient in the dough from the beginning, and make the entire batch the same way, or, if you are like me and want a couple of different kinds, have your ingredient (such as onion or dates) chopped up and ready. When you have your 8 pieces, you can flatten each one and add the ingredient of your choice, and then roll it into a rope, making sure to seal the edges.
● If you like sesame seeds, sprinkle some on the surface, and, while rolling out dough, roll each piece in them, making sure they get set deep in the dough.
● Fill a cooking pot with about three inches of water. Place 2 tablespoons of sugar in water and bring to a boil.
● After the bagels rise for 15 minutes add them to the boiling water for 1 minute turning them as they boil.
● Drain and place on a greased baking sheet.
● Bake at 500º F for 10-11 minutes or until golden brown (check it at 10 minutes, and if they are not brown enough, add one more minute to your timer).
● Let bagels cool for a few minutes before serving.

ENJOY!!!

Banana Bread

BANANA NUT BREAD
Ingredients
● 1 cup whole wheat organic flour
● ¾ cup white unbleached organic flour
● 3 ripe bananas
● ½ (or 1/3) of unbleached organic sugar
● ½ cup applesauce
● 2 tablespoons olive oil
● 2 tablespoons ground flax seed*
● 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
● ¼ teaspoon sea salt
● ½ cup walnut chunks**
*optional, but will add to bread’s moistness
**optional

Preparation
● Place bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil, flax seed, soda and sea salt into a food processor or a blender (or you can use a hand mixer).
● Pulse all ingredients together until well mixed.
● Add flour and pulse again, until everything is blended together.
● Add walnut chunks and mix in by hand.
● Preheat oven to 350º F.
● Oil a baking dish and dust with a little bit of flour.
● Pour in dough and bake for 50 minutes.
● Test with a toothpick to see if the loaF is baked through. If it comes out dry, the loaf is ready. If it is still moist, bake a few minutes longer.
● Let the loaf cool for a few minutes, then take out and place on a cooling rack or a towel to cool.
ENJOY!!!

Polenta Bread

POLENTA BREAD
Ingredients
● 1 ½ cups polenta
● 1 teaspoon sea salt
● 1 ½ cup whole wheat* organic flour
● 1 ½ cup unbleached white flour
● 1 teaspoon sugar
● 2 teaspoons yeast
● 1 tablespoon olive oil
● 1 ¼ cup warm water

Preparation
● Mix polenta, salt, flour, sugar and yeast in a large bowl.
● Add warm water and oil.
● Mix everything until dough is formed.
● Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic.
● Place in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place.
● Let the dough double in size.
● Place dough in a baking tin and bake for 30 minutes at 425º F.
● Leave on the baking sheet for several minutes, then turn onto a cooling rack to cool.

*using whole wheat flour makes bread very fibrous. If you desire smoother taste, use 3 cups of unbleached white flour instead, and only 1 ½ teaspoon of yeast.

Enjoy with fresh strawberry jam or use this bread to make sandwiches.

EAT HEALTHY!!! BE HAPPY!!!