Simply Recipes - K.I.S.S. Dehydrating

Recently, I was asked how I dehydrate my fruits, veggies and raw-style crackers and pizza crusts.  I was a raw foodist for a few years and learned many tricks.  Due to some other health issues developing after 3 1/2 years on that diet, getting hypothermia on a wet 40 degree F night on a hillside village in Costa Rica, learning about my major and multiple food allergies and intolerances that result in asthma attacks, as well as a nasty bout of IBS (chrones disease runs in my family - my daughter has it - yuk).  I am no longer 99-100% raw.  I do eat very close to nature - and aim at very healthy food choices including wild foods, fresh picked and carefully prepared fruits and veggies as often as I can get them.  I often eat more of a vegan diet although I have been known to eat both meat and eggs on occasion.  To heal up the nastiest of IBS symptoms I reverted to a diet of lamb and bone broths, rice, bananas with chia seeds and apple sauce.  Now that I can handle a bit more fiber again I'm back to dehydrating raw crackers, and  tortillas or pizza crusts. And yes, I dehydrate them right on the dash of my van! 

The latest crackers were simply grated carrots and zucchini with a small amount of sunflower and pumpkin seeds (for texture) mixed with flax seed meal (grind your own is best - if you can't buy it, it's inexpensive), some spices and mixed with water until at a dough like consistancy.  Spread this thinly onto a dark colored plate, or a pie tin or what ever - white even works, just the darker the color the less time you let it dehydrate.  If you spead it thicker you make tortillas or pizza crust. Set it in the warm sunny windshield and check it every once in a while, when the edges curl you can gently peel it off the plate and turn it over to dehydrate the other side.  Now if you are in a windy or cooler area - simply put your silver reflective sun shade in the window, behind the plates - sandwich the plates between the glass and the sun shade - and you will be able to achieve the same results.  I find that crackers need to be thinner and sometimes need 2 days of dehydrating to be crunchy.

Experiment - have fun - if a batch doesn't turn out great let it be a learning experience - this kind of food is inexpensive enough to make a few mistakes as you learn - and its just veggies so keep experimenting.