More Good Times with the Dehydrator

Since I had already brought the dehydrator in from the garage to make peanut kale chips, I figured I would get some more use out of it before I returned it to its exile. (Does anyone really have the counter space to keep a dehydrator in their kitchen on a permanent basis?)

First I made dried bananas. Very easy. Toss three sliced bananas with 2 Tbsp. maple syrup and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice (to prevent browning) and dehydrate for...a long time. They do take awhile but the result is chewy and sweet as candy.

I also made another batch of kale chips, since my kids have become such fans. Who am I to deny them the awesomeness of kale? This time I made pizza kale chips using this recipe. I didn't have any sunflower seeds or hemp seeds, so I just used 1/2 cup cashews. These are delicious. The fennel seed and sundried tomato really do impart a pizza flavor.

I didn't use the dehydrator for these, but I also made some baked falafel patties. We made quick work of them with some Veganaise/cucumber/dill dipping sauce. 

And for dinner I made Spaghetti Squash Casserole. I think this was my first time preparing spaghetti squash. It really does resemble spaghetti and has a neutral flavor. I really liked this recipe, but next time I will omit the 2 tsp. each of oregano and basil. The marinara sauce I used already contained basil and the additional dried herbs were overkill, giving the casserole a slightly bitter flavor.

I'll leave you with this little guy who was hanging out on my trash can when I took out the recycling.