Happy Wednesday! I hope you all enjoyed my 5-day share of The Greens Go Green. 🙂 I’m happy to report we are still eating with ‘plants first’ in mind and feeling great. 🙂 This week I’m sharing a fun and unique, gluten-free cracker recipe. I learned the technique and original recipe last year, when I took Elaina Love’s Raw Food Chef Certification. I know some of my followers were VERY interested in taking that class and I’m happy to report IT’S BACK in Arizona for a 3-week course this October! There are 3 levels, so you can do just one week or all three, it’s up to you. I did levels 1 and 2 and learned so many things, which I still use on a regular basis. It was a great way to educate myself on raw cuisine, and really think outside the box of normal, every day baking and cooking. The below recipe is my modified version of Elaina’s seed crackers. The best thing about this recipe, is its versatility. You can make it your OWN using YOUR favorite herbs and veggies to make the perfect flavor combo for your taste buds.

Beautiful seed and veggie crackers!

Now, before we get started a couple things to note:
It is ideal if you have a food dehydrator, but not necessary; unless you want these crackers to be truly RAW. If you do, there are some inexpensive dehydrators out there, like this one. It’s the one I use, and it works perfectly for what I need. I’ve also used the oven set to 200°F for this recipe, and will share that below. It does make them taste a little different however, and they won’t be raw — meaning you won’t get the same nutritional benefits, but you will still get some for sure!

Secondly, this recipe uses sprouted buckwheat groats. You maybe asking yourself, ‘What the heck are sprouted buckwheat groats and can I use a substitute for them?’ Buckwheat groats are a whole grain, that is loaded with protein. They have a nutty, mild flavor. As with anything you sprout, it unlocks more nutrients from the seed, bean or grain than if you just cooked it and ate it. Sprouting awakens the life within, making the nutrition more readily available for us to digest and absorb. So, if you want to use them, great! The hyperlinks in this paragraph will guide you on where to buy them and how to sprout them. If not, you can simply use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or a mixture of both instead of the buckwheat groats. Also, buckwheat is NOT wheat, it’s a seed and contains no gluten.

Below is a quick photo slideshow so you have a visual before getting started. If you are new to raw foods and dehydrating, this will be good to review.

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Ingredients:

1 c. flax  seeds
1 c. chia seeds
3 c. water
1 c. almonds, ground
1 c. sprouted buckwheat, ground
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut, shreds
1 tsp. real salt
1 c. carrots, chopped after measuring
1 c. fresh spinach, chopped after measuring
1/2 c. red onion, chopped after measuring
1/4 c. parsley, chopped after measuring

1. Add the flax, chia and water to a large bowl and mix vigorously to combine. Let sit for about an hour to allow the seeds to absorb the water. After an hour it will be very thick and gelatinous.
2. Use a food processor to chop all your veggies. I do them separately, so I can monitor the texture and size of each one. I want to be able to SEE the spinach. If I put the carrots in at the same time as the spinach, there would be “nothing” left of the spinach since it’s so soft and the carrots are so hard.
3. Add the remaining ingredients (chopped veggies and salt) to the chia/flax mixture bowl and stir well.
4. Spread the mixture onto baking sheets or dehydrator sheets if you have them. (See my videos below, for a quick visual on each variation.) For the dehydrator, be sure you spread the mixture onto freezer paper or silicone sheets – depending on what you have. This will not work over a surface with holes or breaks, it must be flat, solid and smooth. Same applies for baking, only, I used parchment paper not freezer paper. (See slideshow above too.)
5. Once you have the mixture on the trays, they are ready for baking or dehydrating. Be sure to score the cracker mixture, so you have an easy break-line for each cracker. I just used a pizza cutter, but feel free to get creative with the shape and size.
6. To dehydrate, place all the finished racks together and set the temp to 110-115°F. Dehydrate for 3-4 hours. If crackers are firm enough to flip, flip them and place back onto the freezer paper. Dehydrate at same temp for additional 4 hours, or set to 95°F and dehydrate overnight. The dehydrating time really depends on your climate, the time of year and the amount of moisture in the air. So use your best judgment. The goal is to have a crisp, dry cracker with a crunch!
7. To bake them slowly, if you don’t have a dehydrator: Preheat your oven to 200°F and bake for 2 hours. After 2 hours, remove the parchment paper with the crackers from the pan, and place directly on the oven rack for an additional 30-60 minutes or until dry and crisp. The cooking time really depends on your climate, the time of year and the amount of moisture in the air.

Here is a quick video to show you the way I spread the cracker mixture onto my dehydrating trays. I’ve found this is the easiest way to get an even layer.

And here is a video showing how you can use a basic baking sheet, covered with parchment paper. For both the dehydrator trays and the baking sheet, I’ve found it easiest to use my bare hands, which are freshly washed, but not dried.

These crackers are the perfect partner to a delicious salad. They are also great to eat plain, or drizzle a little coconut oil or olive oil on top. Dip into hummus, you name it!

Do you try to incorporate a certain amount of raw foods (salads, smoothies, fruit and veggies) into your daily nutrition? What is your daily goal?