I don’t have a recipe to share today, just some low-quality, iPhone photos of a raw pizza that kinda rocked my sheltered plant-based planet. You see, I recently acquired an Excalibur 9-tray dehydrator, an item that had been sitting patiently on my Amazon Wish List for many, many months while I accumulated enough points (freebie!) to hit the Order button. To many vegans, purchasing a dehydrator produces feelings akin to having a sturdy high-speed blender (there are two camps: the Vitamixers camp and the Blendtecers) gracing their countertop. (For insight into how people feel about owning a high-speed blender, please read this very funny post.)
The pizza pictured below is made from a mish-mash of recipes: the crust is a very slight adaptation of a recipe by Matthew Kenney, one of the gods of raw food cooking. It is absolutely delicious and stands up as a snack – sans topping – in its own right; the cashew-mushroom sauce is my adaptation of yet another recipe found in the pages of Runner’s World. I didn’t change it enough to justify including the recipe here. Again, it’s tasty enough to scoop up on its own, but I’d hold off unless you are trying to gain weight.
Already my dehydrator has opened up a new food world to me and I know I have much left to learn and dry out. Look out world!
Shameless plug: did you hear that Virtual Vegan Potluck made it onto Post Punk Kitchen’s 100? Yep, it did! Please check out the list to see their blurb about the VVP and to visit 99 other awesome sites (including Vegan Richa and Keepin’ It Kind)!
One year ago today: The Vegan Option
One year and one day ago today: Buttermilk Rolls with Flaxseed and Wheat Germ
Congrats on your dehydrator. I just got a 9-drawer Excalibur from Craig’s List.
Took a food preservation training course last year from our state extension service. Those volunteers who have been through the course teach community education courses, one of which was on dehydration. (We had so many people who couldn’t get in – and the class had 55 students – that we’re offering two classes this year.) After the dehydration class, borrowed two dehydrators – one from the the program and a friend. These were the round, six tray variety. No temp control, no fan.
Loved it. It was the end of the season, so picked a couple of things at the Farmer’s Market each week to try dehydrating. Dried LOTS cherry tomatoes (orange and yellow pear were my favorites and are so enjoyable this time of year), sliced tomatoes, Italian plums (only have seen them in the Pacific Northwest) – these are fantastic in winter oatmeal, peaches (some with dried chipotle sprinkled on top – yummy), pears, several varieties of apples (with a variety of spices), frozen organic corn (delish and crunchy on salads) and green beans, and more. Such tasty treats. So looking forward to using this new toy, with temperature control. It’s going to be so much fun! Looking forward to reading what you’re creating.
Hi Kay! I’m looking forward this year to preserving some of the good, summer produce. Haven’t yet dehydrated fruits or veggies, but I think that will come in very handy. Have fun experimenting
! And thanks for visiting.
Now that I’ve found you, I’ll be visiting regularily (followed so I get the e-mails.) Could you point me to the crust recipe? Finding all kinds of yummy things, but not that particular one. Thanks!
Hey there! Glad you found me, too
! The crust recipe comes from Matthew Kenney’s cookbook, Everyday Raw. I didn’t share it cuz it felt like cheating – I only changed a few tiny things. But…I may be posting a variation on this very blog so stay tuned.
Went to his website and saw all the cookbooks. Now I know which one to get first. And I’ll be looking for your own variation. Thanks!
I’m getting a dehydrator this year after buying some raw cookbooks! Can’t wait to try it out and I think pizza bases will def be one of my first things to try
I’m having a blast with it! My favorite so far has been raw tortilla chips – so good!
I’ve never heard of a dehydrator before, you continually educate me. Congratulations on hitting the top 100 – very well deserved!
Glad I can pass on some knowledge, Lorna
. And thanks for the congratulations – it was a real thrill to see that our little event was included in such a (ahem) prestigious list!
a great post, Annie! Good luck with finding tasty recipes with it. I am not fond of dehydrated foods,…!
So far I’ve been very happy with the results, but I can understand that it’s not for everyone’s tastes.
I have an excalibur but use it mostly to dry out the dogs treats! I haven’t tried making much in the way of raw things but that might be remedied with this recipe
That’s on my list – - making dog biscuits. Gotta share the dehydrator love with Ikey!
Would appreciate it if you’d share a dog treat recipe.
The easiest and most successful dog treat that we make for our boys is thin sliced steak dehydrated overnight till it is crispy. Our dogs will do tricks for it and we haven’t met a dog that won’t roll over for a piece of it but there are HEAPS of dog treat recipes online…heres a few…
http://www.rodale.com/homemade-dog-treats
http://www.cesarsway.com/dogcare/nutrition/Recipe-Ideas-for-Quick-and-Healthy-Homemade-Dog-Treats
http://nutrition.tripawds.com/2012/04/10/how-to-make-paw-lickin-good-home-made-chicken-jerky-dog-treats/
And don’t forget to experiment. You know what your dog likes to eat and pretty much anything can be put into the dehydrator. Our boys won’t eat vegetables so the sweet potato treats are out but any meaty products can be dehydrated till crisp and are really adored, even human food grade offal meats work well
.
Thanks for the links, lady! Can’t wait to experiment.
YUM! I recently had a raw pizza that blew my world too!
Also- YAY for the dehydrator! You’ve waited so long! Now if only I could get a Vitamix and be as blissful as you…
You’ll get there and when you do – you’ll be unstoppable in the kitchen!
I heart my dehydrator too! Kale chips are drying as I type
Oh boy – haven’t made those yet! On the (long) list!!
http://gazingin.com/2012/07/03/cashew-kale-chips/ Try those. You will LOVE them!
I love Amber’s recipes from Practically Raw. The pizza and nacho are my favorite. But, you really can’t go wrong. You’re going to be in love with everything that comes out of that thing. I let the hubs talk me into the 5 tray. Silly me. A 9 tray is better. More room! The “shelves” are so skinny!
Veggie V, Amber is the sweetest lady
I love her recipes!
I have Practically Raw and it was one of the reasons I NEEDED to get a dehydrator! I was using Amber’s alternate method, but knew that to do justice to the recipes, I had to commit
. Thanks for the link, Sarah!
Oh i cannot wait to see what you do using your new dehydrator…
I feel like a mad scientist
!
This makes me want to dust off the dehydrator that’s in the back of my cabinet!
Wipe off the cobwebs and get to it, Becky
!
If you think us high-speed blender owners get into hissy fits over which is best, you should see backpackers argue over what brand of dehydrator is better
Vitamix & LeQuip Dehydrator owner here
I had no idea! Funny to think of different camps for different appliances, isn’t it?
It is like Westside Story
Or something…lol! I actually own 3 dehydrators. Should I even admit that??
We’re all friends here, Sarah, so yes, you can admit you have 3 dehydrators
! Have you ever had all three going at once?
Yes
I think that may be the loveliest pizza I’ve ever seen, raw or not! The 100 kept me happy floating for days. So rad! love you!
Awww, shucks, ma’am! Thank you kindly. I’m hoping that 100 deal brings in lots of Potluckers!! love you to bits
This is one vegan staple I DO NOT OWN but I would love to have!! I have a Blendtec (love the thing) and I now need this too. Whatever that is that you created (pizza I see from other comments) looks amazing.. absolutely amazing.
Ya gotta get one! It’s my new best friend!
Wow. So many things…first of all, I am super jealous of your dehydrator! And you got it for free!?! Amazing!
Second of all, that pizza looks incredible! I hope you will share some dehydrator recipes soon. I am not lucky enough to have one, but I have a friend who recently got one who has been looking for recipes…
Courtney
Hey Courtney! I’ve got a few dehydrator treats coming down the pike – including one tomorrow.
Looks like the iphone is doing a great job Annie – I just got hungry looking at that delicious creation! There was a time when I owned not one, but two dehydrators – I miss it a little but alas I do okay. Would love a yummy bite of this now! And such a massive congrats on the PPK mention – it could not be more well deserved. Big love! xx
Holy cow – two dehydrators – I’m not worthy
! I need to step up my game! Thanks, Shira! A huge thrill to see we’d made the list.
Oh so much excitement at once! Great job on the PPK list and thank you again for organising the VVP for us – I have loved participating in both events and am super excited about future ones!
I’m also super duper keen to get a dehydrator now! That pizza looks SO FINE!
Start planning, hon – next one is in 2 months!
Congratulations on being in the PPK Top 100! You’re a force to be reckoned with, Annie.
And how can you call these mouth-watering images low quality? It made me want to reach through the screen and dip my finger into the sauce!!! BTW almost all my blog pics come courtesy of my iphone…
Dehydrators. I’ve been on the fence a while about getting one, but now I’m thinking it’s a yes.
xx
Looks great! So you scored the dehydrator for free? Nice! I’m planning to get a dehydrator too for better texture when I make vegan cheese. Saving some dinero for now. That article about food blenders is so funny and so true.
I’m so jealous. Have fun!
I want a dehydrator too! Maybe I can just come to your house for dinner
That would be fun!
congratulations on the dehydrator and the PPk100!! the pizza looks fabulous.. i dont have no space for another machine.. maybe once we find a bigger house? lets see if our 8 month long search will end this year. we r too picky:)
Good luck finding the perfect spot! You’ve got to be picky, I think!
where did you get the dehydrator? and how much as it?
I bought mine through Amazon and I used points that I’d accumulated – so I paid nothing, but dehydrators cost several hundred dollars.
Oooh! I have dehydrator envy! I think if I get one more kitchen appliance The Husband might put his foot down…