Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Spicy Pepita & Almond Crackers



Gratefully shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays - April 16, 2014.

Years ago when I met my dear friend Terri she taught me how to make delicious dehydrator crackers.  They are gluten free, grain free and full of healthy, flavorful ingredients.  Terri always dehydrates them to keep her crackers raw and full of enzymes but I’m not nearly as patient and I bake mine at a very low temp until dry.  The lowest temperature my oven will do is 170 degrees.  I think that’s probably too high to be considered raw but that’s the temperature I usually use.  Baking at a higher heat will be faster but you really need to be really careful so they don’t over brown. The great thing is, though, you can dry or bake them to suit you.

 I’ve long since lost the original recipe but this recipe is so versatile and adaptable so use what you have on hand and your own tastes. I believe we used sunflower seeds and whole flax seeds with our almond meal in the beginning.  Terri liked curry if I remember correctly and I loved lots of Jalapeno in mine.  I decided to make a tray of crackers yesterday and pulled out what sounded good and what was handy.  There was a beautiful Cayenne pepper in my garden so I used it. Because they can be so much hotter than Jalapenos are I partially deseeded it before chopping.  When I use a Jalapeno I leave the seeds. Even one entire Cayenne didn’t make the crackers hot, just flavorful. I usually use the juice of limes but had lemon handy and there really wasn’t much of a difference.

The hearty texture and kick of spice pairs nicely with guacamole, hummus or black bean dips.  A little container of these babies in your bag would be perfect for a quick snack while you’re out. They’re high in protein and low in carbs to give you a boost without the sugar low other snacks can give.

The guys tried them today and they both liked them and they weren't too hot for Joe. If I were making them to my taste I'd have thrown in another Cayenne.

Spicy Pepita & Almond Crackers

1 large Carrot, finely grated
1 large handful Cilantro, chopped with stems
1 Cayenne Pepper, partially deseeded and chopped
1 cup raw Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 cup Almond Meal
2 tablespoons Flax Meal
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Sea Salt

Mix everything together in a food processor or Vitamix with tamp.  I’ve even used my stick blender successfully.  You can decide how lumpy or pureed you prefer the texture.  Today I really blended it all to a really smooth dough but you can see there are specks of veggies and seeds.

Spoon out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cover with another sheet of parchment and roll as thin and flat as possible.  Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut the crackers to the size and shape you prefer.  I find giving them the fork marks helps them to dry more evenly and quickly.

Baking at 170 will take a few hours - yes hours - but the oven is barely on and hardly needs tending to.  The best part is your house will smell amazing all day.  After about two hours I flip them over so they dry underneath.  Check every thirty minutes or so after that and move them around to keep them drying evenly.  If I need to run out during this time I just flip the oven to warm to slow it down a bit.

If you prefer to bake them at 350 or so you'll need to watch them closely to make sure they outer rows don't burn.  You'll want to flip and move them after about 15 minutes and then about every five minutes.

If you're patient like Terri, follow your dehydrator's instructions.

Enjoy!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Mediterranean Flat Bread Pizza



I love Mediterranean and Greek style pizzas and recently realized that I'd never made a gluten free version.  The pizza crust I usually use seemed a little heavy and thick for the lighter Mediterranean flavors so I decided to use my hummus pita recipe instead. I thought about making them per the recipe for a softer, thick crust but Chris really loves a thin, crispy crust so that was my goal.

Making a crispy flatbread is easy. Just spread the crust out very, very thin and bake them until almost crispy before topping makes for a perfect crunchy crust. The hummus in the crust adds a great base layer of flavor.  You can decide how large you want to make your pizzas.  The first time I made them I made 18 small crusts to have as a side/bread.  You can make them ahead and just top and heat when you're ready to serve.  Today I made two very large pizzas with the same recipe.   



Bake them on parchment lined baking sheets in a 450 degree oven.  The smaller size baked for about ten minutes before topping and the larger took a good twenty minutes.   Top and bake until toppings are heated through and the cheese starts to brown.

The small pizzas were topped with the ingredients listed below but be creative and add the things you love:

1 can Artichoke Hearts, quartered
1 large Roasted Red Bell Pepper, chopped
1 medium Green Pepper, sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced
10 Kalmata Olives, quartered
8 ounces crumbled Feta Cheese
4 ounces shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Olive Oil, drizzled over to taste
Fresh or dried Oregano to taste
Salt & Pepper to taste

The large pizzas were topped a variation of the above recipe but without the artichoke hearts and green bell pepper.







The tomato pizza had thinly sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese mixture – but you knew that.






I covered the crust of the other pizza with handfuls of baby kale leaves before spreading the cheese mixture over the top.  Even Marc, who hates kale, loved it.








Enjoy!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins




This is my new love – a healthy muffin that tastes like a peanut butter cup! Using butternut squash is the sneaky part. Years ago when we were beginning our journey to better health I found this recipe on Pecan Bread.  It was fast and full of protein so it made me happy – it tasted like a regular banana muffin to my family so they were happy.  It was an easy recipe to adapt depending on what type of nut butter I had on hand and what type of fruit or veggie was handy.  Carrot pulp straight from the juicer was actually a favorite – they were just like little carrot cakes.  I made dozens of them in all shapes and sizes and flavors and eventually just stopped making them and forgot about them.

Today I checked out the Pecan Bread site for a friend and saw my old favorite.  I realized it was the perfect base recipe for an idea I had been playing with.  I wanted to sneak butternut squash and all the vitamins and minerals it contains into a muffin.  I also wanted a peanut butter cup flavor but not an overly sweet muffin.  These came out exactly as I’d hoped.

They call for baking soda and apple cider vinegar which may sound funny.  The chemical reaction between them give the muffins those wonderful tiny bubbles and soft texture of regular flour baking.  If you’re Feingold Stage 1 you can substitute any approved vinegar.

Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter  Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 – prepare muffin tins

Mix together with stand mixer or food processor until creamy:

1 16 ounce jar all natural peanut butter
1 can 15 ounce butternut squash puree (or two cups home cooked and pureed)
½ cup cocoa
1/3 cup organic sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Stir in:

1 cup miniature chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life)

Spoon into 18 muffin tins and bake for approximately 15 minutes.  They will feel soft and won’t get a browned crust.  Test with a toothpick to be sure.


Enjoy!

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Triple Coconut Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves



This morning we had delicious coconut pancakes and I have to share the recipe. They were so easy and so good. I have been playing with some gluten free mixes and flours from Bob’s Red Mill and having a good time experimenting. I used the corn bread mix to make Mexican Pizza and loved it. We had the gf chocolate cake on a special occasion not too long ago and it was a big hit, too.  I pureed a can of black beans and mixed it into that cake mix and no one was the wiser! 

The pancake mix is really good made according to the recipe on the back of the package but today I wanted to dress them up a bit.

Bob's carries a large line of Feingold approved, stage 1 mixes and flours.  The raspberry preserves I used would be stage 2 but could easily be subbed for a stage 1 fruit preserve or even a drizzle of honey.

Triple Coconut Pancakes with Raspberry Preserves
Heat cast iron pan or griddle to medium heat.

2 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF Pancake Mix
1 14 ounce can Coconut Milk
2 large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil, plus more for cooking
¼ cup Shredded Coconut, I used Tropical Traditions
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Depending on the type of coconut milk you use you may need to adjust a bit up or down to get the consistency you prefer.  The amounts above were perfect for us. 

Cook as usual, following the directions on the package.  I kept a little more coconut oil in the pan than usual for a crispy on the outside, tender on the inside pancake.

You’ll note this amount of batter should serve eight.  I found it served two plus Joe.

When ready to serve, spread Raspberry Preserves on top and garnish with Shredded Coconut.



Enjoy!