More Crackers.... Karrot Krackers

This may be my Cracker version 10.0 or 11.0, have lost track of how many attempts I've made to get a nice cracker, but this is my best effort yet.... Karrot Krackers (yes, with a K...just kause....).

It's been rainy and stormy and a bit dreary here in Ohio, even if temps are no longer sub-zero.  I think we are still craving sun...really REALLY craving sun.  Yesterday's chill made me think I could squeeze one more pot of my favorite soup out of this season.

And, when I think of soup, I bemoan the fact that there aren't any really good (and affordable) vegan low-no fat cracker options.

So I tried again to concoct one, just from scratch.

Karrot Krackers:

1/4 - 1/2 C sunflower seed milk
1/2 - 3/4 C whole wheat flour
1/4 - 1/2 C cornmeal
2 T ground golden flaxseed
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 C shredded carrots
1/4 t celtic salt
1/2 T safflower oil*


Mix dry ingredients and then shred the carrots into the mix (I used my microplane so they were more minced than shredded).  Soak raw sunflower seeds in water in the Vitamix and blend up for seed milk.  Add milk in slowly to mix a consistency somewhere in between bread dough and cookie dough.  I had to adjust between dry ingredients and then more wet to get this to a nice pliable consistency....not too dry and not too sticky.

(*Normally I cook nearly 100% without oil, but decided to add just a bit to this recipe.  I don't think it really made much of a difference though).

Roll out dough very thin on pizza stone with floured rolling pin.  (I ended up with a bit of extra dough and flattened with my hand and baked on a cookie sheet. It came out fine).

Bake at 375 until edges are browned (mine took about 20-25 mins).  I thought the dough still felt a bit spongy in the middle so turned the oven off and left the crackers in the oven until it cooled.  I think this really helped to give a nicer crunchy texture to the crackers.  I didn't score the dough with a cutter so ended up breaking them into chunks by hand, which worked out fine.

This cracker tastes a little bit like a wheat thin, something I was going for, but is more bland.  I would definitely add more salt and maybe a spice or just up the carrot content to get a little bit more sweetness.  Red pepper flakes and some chili spice would make a nice companion for chili soup or even salads.

This cracker is sturdy enough to stand up to a layer of peanut butter on top or could be used as a dipper for hummus.


Sue, still searching for the perfect Kracker and waiting for sun, in Ohio

Barn cats with the right idea on this rainy dreary day

Kale Krackers

It's been a cold, cold winter here in Ohio; the coldest and snowiest on record in a long time.  Just surviving the barn chores made more difficult by sub-zero temps has been a challenge and my definition of the specific temperature that actually qualifies as "cold" has been drastically altered.... 10 degrees Farenheit?  Nah...that's not cold; yes, Professor Einstein, everything most definitely is relative.

Vital for our survival this winter has been a trio of soups that I just love:

  Jonathan's chili soup  http://sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/2013/02/losing-plot-of-ones-life-and-jonathans.html
 
Sweet potato-spinach soup http://plantbaseddietitian.com/tag/robin-robertson/ (scroll down it is the very last one....absolutely yummy)

 and Corn Bisque (aka "Gruel" by my dear husband).  http://sunnyhawklane.blogspot.com/search/label/corn%20bisque

I think they have been key in helping us make it through the winter without any illness (I credit the ginger in the sweet potato soup especially for this good health).

One thing I always miss with soups though, is a good cracker and since it has been awhile since I've made an attempt at a home-made, healthy version of one, I thought I'd give it a shot this weekend, knowing that a huge pot of chili soup was in the works.

I didn't actually measure the ingredients and was making this up as I went along so the amounts are just estimated here.  I am doing a liver cleanse (I hope to carve out a piece of time to do a blog post on that soon) and otherwise keeping my diet very clean, so I was going for something very hearty and more than just a cracker.  I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Kale Krackers

3 T ground flax seed
1/2 C ground raw sunflower seeds
1/2 C ground oatmeal
1/2 C ground raw almonds (or almond meal)
1/4 C cornmeal
1/2 pound raw kale (I used a combo of red russian and lacinato)
water
Celtic salt
other seasonings as desired

Soak flax seed for a few minutes in small amount of water.  Add nuts, meal and seeds and combine.  Process kale in high speed blender with enough water to make it pourable.  (I used about 1/2 cup - 1 cup).  Add kale to dry ingredients.  This is where I played with the recipe and added a bit more dry ingredients (I ground up more sunflower seeds) to get a batter-like consistency.  I went for something not as soft as a cake batter but not as stiff as bread dough.

Spread on pizza stone.  Top with salt and/or other seasonings.  I started with a low temp and thought I would go for a long, slow bake which you could do if you are doing a raw diet, but then realized it would take too long for my impatient purposes, so I settled on a 350 degree oven and baked for about 20 minutes waiting for browning at the edges.

I used a pizza cutter wheel and criss-cross cut them while still warm.

They are seriously green!  

This cracker is almost earthy in taste...not your store bought version.  I will try it again with different seasonings (the base here would lend itself nicely to some red pepper flakes or other hot spice) and I also think that pumpkin seeds would be a nice addition.  For a sweeter cracker, a few Medjool dates could be added in with the kale in the blender.  I'm thinking of adding a red sweet pepper in the blender too, maybe some carrots and beets...the possibilities are endless.  This cracker really had the consistency of a cookie almost; I think if I spread the batter out thinner and increased the oven temp., it could make a nice thin hard cracker.



In the meantime, I'll gaze out the window and enjoy the snow and find the beauty of winter over a nice bowl of chili soup.

Sue, -1.1 degrees in Ohio, which is relatively cold.  ;)

Interview with a "Newbie" and Variations on Chef A.J.'s Banana Muffins

It has been my extreme pleasure to work with a family that has recently gone to a predominately plant-based diet after watching Forks Over Knives.  These are just super cool people, and knowing how challenging it can be when starting this program, I thought it might be a good opportunity to get a fresh perspective from a 'newbie'.

Bethany and her husband, D.J. have an absolutely precious son, Deklin. Bethany is setting this family up for success by immersing herself in educational materials and research and by stocking their home with healthy food choices.  It's been my pleasure to 'pay it forward' a bit, and I've gone shopping with her, and generally tried to be a resource and pass on what has worked for me.  Bethany asks the good questions and has already turned the tables and proven to be a resource for me by finding vegan options here in Central Ohio and causing me to think deeper about certain aspects of our food program.

Here is a survey Bethany and D.J. recently completed for me.

I am so excited that you and your husband have gone plant strong! Congratulations on making such an important decision. I know there are other "newbies" out there that have various degrees of challenges as they transition to a vegan whole-foods diet, so I appreciate you taking the time to answer a few questions.

1. What was your biggest motivation for switching to a plant-based diet?

Watching Forks Over Knives* was a great motivation to switch to a plant based diet. We have seen family members struggle with heart disease, obesity, cancer, etc. If we have some control over the effects these diseases could have on us and our child then why not do our best to prevent them. Especially if it is something so trivial as eating better.

(*Forks Over Knives is a documentary film delineating the benefits and scientific basis for a plant-based diet.  Check it out at Amazon here:  http://www.amazon.com/Forks-Over-Knives-Colin-Campbell/dp/B0053ZHZI2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1363639294&sr=8-2&keywords=forks+over+knives)

2. Do you have any specific health benefits or goals that you hope to achieve by making this change?

My husband wanted to lower his cholesterol. It is not "high" but it was 166 and one month after following a plant based diet his cholesterol is 136. I am so proud of him!

I have hypothyroid and do not want to be on medication ever. I am hoping to see an improvement with my thyroid and cholesterol. I am scheduled for blood work in March.

3. What, if any, has been the biggest surprise in switching over?

A pleasant surprise, with help from Sue, & cookbooks such as The Happy Herbivore and The Engine 2 Diet and the internet it has been much easier than we expected.

I did not enjoy cooking before but I find myself in the the kitchen a lot more. I now relish the creative ways to make a plant based meal for my family. There is just something about cooking a healthy, nutritious meal that I love! This has become my passion and obsession :)

4. What are some of the challenges you have faced and how have you dealt with them?

Explaining that I follow a plant based lifestyle has been a challenge. I do not expect anyone to understand immediately. If someone is semi interested I encourage them to watch Forks Over Knives. It is hard for me to articulate all the reasons to enjoy a PBL (plant-based lifestyle). After watching Forks Over Knives, a few people have joined me in this adventure, including my parents.

5. Do you have a favorite recipe/food?

I am not sure I could list just one favorite recipe. I think my family would all agree, even my 16 month old son, that we love to start our day with a kale smoothie! A great way to start our plant based day. We usually use kale, carrots, spinach, frozen banana, berries and nut milk in my new favorite kitchen appliance, the Vitamix!

6. Any other tips or advice for other newbies?

My husband and I have joined The Wellness Forum. Dr. Pam Popper runs the Wellness Forum and is very accessible. They now have a physician on staff and Chef Del who wrote the Forks Over Knives cookbook teaches cooking classes and sells Forks Over Knives inspired food. They will even deliver dinner to you and it is very reasonably priced. We are so lucky to have this resource in Columbus. Wellness Forums are located in several states and you don't have to be located nearby to take advantage of all their great resources.

Thank you!

Bethany sent me this video of her adorable son's reaction to green smoothies.  Check it out here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91OzmOa8i-c

Thanks for sharing, Bethany, (and I hope that huge 'smoothie kiss' washed out of your blouse!)  Continued health to you and your beautiful family.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Banana/Pumpkin Muffins

I've mentioned Chef A.J. on my blog many times.  I am a huge fan of hers and love her book Unprocessed as well as her videos with Julieanna Hever.  When one of A.J.'s recipes shows up on the blogosphere, I just go get paper and pen as it will be tried in my kitchen.  Wendy from Healthy Girl's Kitchen is another one of my favorite people on this shared journey and she featured a banana muffin recipe from A.J. this week on her blog.  Read the post and find the recipe here:

http://healthygirlskitchen.blogspot.com/2013/03/chef-ajs-just-banana-muffins-possibly.html

I got a chance to give this recipe a try this weekend, but made a few modifications.  I didn't have applesauce, but did have an apple, so it is quick work to turn that into applesauce in the Vitamix.  I didn't have applejuice either, but I did have some oranges that were in need of a job, so I juiced them.

           Just the aroma of this orange freshness made this dreary-where-is-spring day brighter

I decided to make two versions of this recipe.  I wanted to try it with some pumpkin, so while I had everything out and already dirty, I whipped up another batch, omitting the apple and adding pumpkin.  I also added nutmeg.  Two other changes I made to both batches were to use half oatmeal flour and half whole wheat flour.  I added in two medjool dates to the Vitamix when blending the bananas.

The batter comes out quite liquid, but the recipe requires it to sit so it'll thicken and poof up, which it does quite nicely.

This muffin has just the right sweetness (I don't think it really needed the dates, but I did enjoy the taste of it) and will make a great snack for me when I have my mid-morning smoothie and really want something to go with it.  I can keep a stash of these in the freezer for a quick snack.

So far, the banana is my favorite, but I think the pumpkin would be very nice in the fall.  I could see adding in some dried cranberries and maybe raisins or rough chopped raw sunflower seeds.

Thank you, A.J. and thank you, Wendy!

Sue, eating my sunshine, in grey Ohio