Roasting involves cooking with heat that is dry. You can use an oven or an electric roasting pan. The top or the bottom of the food is caramelized to enhance the flavor of the food. The heat is indirect and diffused heat which means the meat cooks slower. Usually red meat like steak or a rump roast is cooked this way. When you refer to roast, this means the meat is a large piece and is uncooked. Because it is whole and uncooked, cooking times are much longer. Vegetables and other meats like lamb and chicken can also be cooked using this method. A rotisserie can also be used for this purpose.

When you cook food using this method, you can use a pan and a rack and put it into the oven. This helps to apply the heat evenly. The heat is revolved around the ingredient so all sides are uniform. Any type of meet can be process at low, high or combo of both temperatures. Use your judgment appropriately based on the ingredient because some cook faster than others. Chicken is a good example because it cooks faster than beef or lamb.

When you cook at low temperature, the oven should be around 200 to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, equivalent to 95 to 160 degrees Celsius. This is ideal for a large amount of meat or poultry such as chicken and also turkey. This process is called slow-roasting and this leaves the meat moist after it is done cooking.

High temperature cooking is ideal for smaller cuts. It is not recommended for larger ones because it tends to dry the ingredients. The moisture stays in the meat. The combo method starts off with high temperatures and then changes to low temperatures. Using this method will result in a browned meat and some of the moistness is retained. Many people sear the meat and then cook it on temperatures that are lower.

The final step is to allow the meat to have a "rest". Let it sit for a short time to allow the heat to reach the inside of the ingredient. This process is known as carry over cooking.

Keeping the moisture in the meat is the reason for paying attention to the temperature. Basting occasionally is required during the time the food is cooked using this method to hold the moisture in. In today's technological world, there are bags that you can buy for this purpose. This makes the cooking process faster.

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Making banana chips using a solar dehydrator is fun, healthy, cost nothing (except for the cost of the bananas), literally, and from a process perspective comes with a handy energy description tag that reads "carbon-free". Bananas after all are healthy, act as an important source of vital nutrients, minerals and vitamins and cost virtually nothing.

The health benefits of bananas include, but are not limited to the following:

· Good source of dietary fibre-an average banana provides approximately 10-15% of the recommended daily dietary fibre requirement for adults

· Good source of vitamin B6-an average banana provides approximately 20-40% of the recommended daily requirement for adults

· Good source of potassium-the average banana is rich in potassium and provide 10-15% of the recommended daily requirement for adults. Potassium provides various health advantages including improved blood pressure

· Bananas are a good source of vital amino acids including tryptophan which plays an important role in the production of serotonin in our metabolism

· Bananas assist to combat diarrhoea, especially when the banana is initially mashed up and allowed to oxidize

· Bananas also have a pectin content which assists with digestion

· Bananas have a high iron content which is particularly helpful in combating anaemia

· Bananas contain no fat, cholesterol or sodium

· Bananas have a high carbohydrate content and when digested, our internal enzymatic system breaks the complex carbohydrates down to provide us with energy

In terms of the actual chip-making process go out to a fruit grocer and purchase a bunch of ripe bananas. Choose bananas that have only just ripened and are still reasonably firm. Avoid over-ripe bananas and ensure the fruit is not bruised and free of any obvious visible contaminants (dirt, mould etc).

Peel all the bananas and thinly slice each banana into slices that have the thickness of two large coins stacked together. Pour about a cup of lemon juice into a large, shallow bowl. Dip each individual slice into the bowl for about 30 seconds, and then briefly allow any excess lemon juice to drip off the slices. The lemon juice acts to add some additional vitamin C back to the slices and reduces the browning of the banana chips caused by oxidation. Depending on how adventurous you are you could add the slices to an additional mix of honey, water and cinnamon to impart extra flavour (half a cup of honey added to half a cup of water with two teaspoons of cinnamon).

Layer the banana slices (chips) in a single layer in the solar dehydrator on sterile, food-grade parchment paper in an insect-free environment. Expose to full sunlight for at least 12 hours. After 12 hours check the texture and consistency of the banana chips and when the correct moisture level is achieved (the chips will be leathery and crisp), remove the chips from the solar dehydrator, allow to cool and then store in sterile packaging preferably at ambient conditions in a cool environment out of sunlight.

Just be aware that sometimes banana chips can take as long as 24 hours (or longer) full exposure to sunlight, depending on individual circumstances. If you find that you struggle to achieve the correct dryness, then experiment with turning the slices over, in other words dry for say 6 hours and then turn each individual slice over to allow the bottom side to also get the full exposure to the sun as well. Alternatively experiment with using slices that are only as thick as a single coin.

About The Author

Lee Elliott is an Author on Solar Cooking and related solar cooking activities. As an Author on the subject, he is at the forefront to provide solutions to information related to solar cooking and using solar cookers.

For more articles on Solar Dehyrators or to get your FREE Mini Course on Solar Cooking go to http://www.solarcooking.mobi/.

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