Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
Experimenting in the kitchen is always a fun time, especially when the result is a success. Here’s one to share… Who knew that dehydrating pickles and olives would be an option? Come to find out… it is.
Dehydrated pickles and olives
In the picture above you see organic sweet relish type pickles (from Trader Joe’s, already cut), sliced organic dill pickles (Trader Joe’s, again, already pre-sliced for sandwiches), and green olives on the right (those needed to be sliced). I was really pleased with the results of dehydrating these things.The sweet chunky pickles had a delightful chewy and salty texture. Great for eating a few by themselves or tossing on a salad. The dill sandwich slices are a salty, delicious, crunchy, and airy treat. And, the olives took on a fun chewy-ish type texture, salty too, of course, and good.
Although making these is new to me, and so they’re not featured in my book about dehydrating raw vegan foods… there are a bunch of other great recipes in it. You can pick up a hard copy through Amazon (or the ebook right here).
If you don’t have a dehydrator yet, I’d say the best ones on the market are by Excalibur and Sedona (you really can’t go wrong with either). Remember my recent post about dehydrating marinated mushrooms and onions? Making those is worth the price of a dehydrator alone.
Similar Posts:
This recipe came to me as I was falling asleep, as most of my recipes do. Like usual, I rolled over in bed, grabbed my iPhone and started emailing the notes of my ideas to myself.
Here’s the thing… most Raw vegan cookies use some sort of dehydrated fruit to help bind it and add sweetness. But, I can’t recall ever coming across a Raw vegan cookie recipe that used dehydrated banana slices! They’re perfect… FULL of flavor, sweet, chewy-like, and delicious. Knowing that I could pair them with walnuts (or any nuts) would give me wonderful banana nut flavors. After I made these, my first bite sent my head swimming in joy.
You can enjoy these delicious treats by themselves, of course! Or, have them alongside a tall glass of Creamy Dreamy Hemp Milk (recipe here). Or, crumble them in a bowl with raw granola and enjoy as your breakfast. Or, crumble them over Raw vegan vanilla ice cream.
Now, making these requires using dehydrated banana slices that are HOME MADE. Don’t use the ones bought in the store. They’re too hard and probably have crappy preservatives on them. So, if you don’t have a dehydrator yet, then borrow someone’s or get one! And, while you’re at it, get the Excalibur (details here), because it’s the best on the market and has a fantastic warranty.
Without further ado… here is my EASY recipe for delicious Raw Vegan Cookies.
Banana Nut Cookie Dough Bites
Yield 8-10 cookies
2 cups walnuts (soaked and dehydrated*)
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1 cup Raw homemade dehydrated banana slices, packed**
Place the walnuts, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade and process to a coarse grind. Add the dehydrated banana slices and process until they’re broken down and incorporated. As that is happening, add the raw agave nectar. Process the mixture until you get a dough-like consistency. Form into small cookies (either flat as shown in the picture or in balls). Enjoy!
* For optimal digestion, use walnuts that have been soaked and dehydrated. To do this, soak the walnuts in filtered water for 6-8 hours. Drain and rinse. Spread the walnuts out on a dehydrator tray and dehydrate at 135 degrees for 45 minutes. Lower the temperature to 105 degrees and continue dehydrating until dry (approximately 12-24 hours).
** This recipe is designed to use dehydrated banana slices that you make yourself so they’re not processed with any other ingredients other than the bananas themselves. You’ll notice that banana slices in the store tend to be crunchy. By using homemade dehydrated banana slices, they maintain a softer, chewier texture, which is great for this recipe, and they’re fresh and pure. To make yours, simply slice the bananas and dehydrate them for about 18-24 hours or until a dry, chewy texture is obtained.
Similar Posts:
I'm Kristen, and welcome to my blog. I'm a wife, mom, author, and I love to eat so food is usually the topic of my blog posts. I'm a former (almost decade long) vegan turned back omnivore who enjoys reading, rebounding, coffee, and dark chocolate. 
