RECIPE: Vegetable Teriyaki Stirred, Not Fried

Teriyaki Sauce
(Make the night before to allow time for reducing in the dehydrator)
1/4 cup tamari
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Vegetables
1 1/2 cups snow peas, julienned on the bias
3/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced 1/8 inch thick
3/4 cup baby bok choy, thinly sliced on the bias
3/4 cup Asian bean sprouts
1 cup broccoli, including florets and stalks, stalks peeled and julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 2-inch fine juliennes
1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced on the bias
1/4 red onion, cut into 2-inch fine juliennes
1/2 carrot, cut into 2-inch fine juliennes
6 six-inch skewers
1/4 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and cubed *(see note)

1. For the marinade; combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and pulse to blend. (Do not over blend, which will incorporate too much air.) Place the marinade in a jar without a lid and dehydrate it at 105°F for 8 hours, or overnight.
2. Prepare the pineapple cubes (see note).
3. Place the pineapple cubes in a large bowl, pour the marinade over them, toss, and allow it to sit at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.
4. Prepare the vegetables as directed and place them in a large bowl.
5. Skewer the pineapple, placing 4 to 6 pieces on each skewer (with space between each cube), leaving one end of each skewer free to use as a handle. Place the skewers on a non-stick sheet lined tray in the dehydrator set at 125°F for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Add the vegetables to the large bowl with the marinade and toss very well. Transfer the vegetables to a glass baking dish. Place the dish in the same warm dehydrator (set at 125°F) for 30 minutes to 2 hours, or in a warmed oven (preheated to warm and turned off once you set the dish in) for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve the warm vegetables topped with the warm pineapple skewers. Garnish with sesame seeds (white or black).

Storage Suggestion:

Stored in a sealed glass container, Vegetable Teriyaki and Teriyaki Sauce will keep 1 week in the refrigerator, and 1 month in the freezer.

Note:

For the pineapple cubes: remove the top and bottom of the pineapple first. Next, trim off the outer skin (don’t worry about any remaining eyes the first pass). Once the outer layer is removed, discard all the skin and clean your cutting board. Now take one more pass, trimming another thin layer and removing the eyes (seed pods) that remain. Save these trimmings for a smoothie (they will completely blend without a problem).

Stand the pineapple on end and look at the top. Place your chef knife just to the right of the core and slice all the way down removing a cheek of pineapple. Rotate 180° and do the same on the opposite side. Lay the remaining slab down and cut along both sides of the core, leaving two long spears. Cut each spear into 1” cubes. Take each of the cheeks and trim them into 1” wide spears (if you have extra thin slivers save them for smoothies). Finish cutting 1” cubes from the remaining spears.

Tips:

• Use leftover marinade for sauces and salad dressings. Store it in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• Leftover vegetables and pineapple can be dehydrated for 24 hours at 105°F and served as crunchy snacks.