Freeze dried meals can be a great option when your hiking or adventuring in the wilderness. The only downside is that they can be quite expensive. I recently brought a dehydrator and so thought I would try making my own dehy beans, this recipe is also great without dehydrating it if your wanting a nutrient dense, easy veggie meal. If you don’t have a dehydrator then you can try drying them out in the oven on its lowest setting until all the moisture is evaporated out.

 

Prep time 15 min, cook time 1 hour, dehydration time 6-10 hours at 57C

 

Recipe

6 cups of cooked beans – I used a 4 bean mix but you could use a mixture of any you like such a black beans, chick peas, butter beans etc.

3 cans of diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

2 onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

½ cup fresh coriander

1 tsp veggie stock powder

 

Heat oil in a large pan and cook onions for about 3 min until soft, add garlic and spices and cook for a further 2 min stirring frequently. Add tomato paste and cook for 30 secs then add tinned tomatoes, beans, salt, stock and cocoa powder.

Bring to a simmer and then cook over a low heat for 1 hour, finely chop coriander and stir through.

If dehydrating, spoon mixture onto non stick dehydrator sheets and cook for 6-8hrs at 57C or until dry. Scrap off trays and store in air tight container. To reconstitute simply add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of beans and simmer for 10 min, adding extra water as needed.

Serve with corn tortillas, coleslaw and avocado.