If you’ve exhausted all your favorite kitchen toys already this year, we recommend setting up a dehydrator pronto and opening up a whole new world of healthy recipes!
We recently set up an Excalibur dehydrator in the office and have been stuffing the trays with everything we can think of. We’re going to share a series of recipes and ideas you can healthfully dehydrate – and that are seriously fun! If you’ve never played with a dehydrator before, think of it as a very low temperature oven. Raw foodies love the dehydrator for keeping foods as raw and nutrient-rich as possible, while still creating different textures.
Our first dehydrator recipe couldn’t be easier, cuter or more fun to make. If you can make a morning smoothie, you can make dried strawberries! Simply slice the berries, arrange them on one of the removable drying racks and throw them back in the dehydrator oven overnight. After the dried strawberries are nice and crisp, pile on a few fresh ingredients you love and voila! A bite-sized snack or appetizer that’s sweet, chic, sexy and perfectly plant-based.
Prep:Wash a box of fresh strawberries and trim off the stems. Cut each berry into 1/4-inch vertical slices. Repeat with the rest. Arrange the strawberry slices equidistant from each other on the tray of a dehydrator (we love this one). Be sure to leave space around each berry; they shouldn’t be touching.
Dry:Program the dehydrator to 135 degrees F and set the timer for 7 to 15 hours. If using an oven, preheat to 175 degrees F. Bake the strawberries on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan for for 3 hours. Whichever method you use, be sure to let the berries cool completely before removing them.
Dress:Time to top! We tried a few combinations and our favorite was this one: Kite Hill almond milk cheese (explore our obsession here), torn fresh basil and either a drizzle of balsamic syrup or a sprinkling of bright green matcha powder. If you find yourself with leftover dried strawberries, there are endless ways to eat them: try adding them to tomorrow’s avo toast or smoothie bowl!
