Cakes & Bakes: Seeded crackers

Crackers are something I’ve never attempted to make in the past. They always seemed a lot of effort when you could just buy a selection box. The problem with selection boxes is that there are always ones that no one likes and don’t get eaten; what a waste!

I saw this simple recipe for seeded crackers and thought I’d give them a try. I’m so glad I did; they’re not fiddly to make at all. Well, other than carefully measuring with a ruler to make sure they were all identical in size. But that’s just me being really fussy. Using the pizza wheel meant that I whizzed through the cutting process!

Use whatever seeds you have to hand. I had a ready-made bag of mixed seeds however, you can go for little sesame seeds, poppy seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds, caraway seeds or larger pumpkin and sunflower seeds… whichever selection you prefer!

Justin proclaimed these even better than the excellent Dr Karg’s crispbreads!

Click here to save the seeded cracker recipe to Pinterest

Seeded crackers

2019-01-29 10:58:41

Yields 12

These crackers are fantastic served alongside a selection of cheeses

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

18 min

Total Time

38 min

Prep Time

20 min

Cook Time

18 min

Total Time

38 min

Ingredients

60g/2oz wholemeal flour
30g/1oz semolina
¼tsp fine salt
40g/1½oz mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, poppy, sesame, linseeds etc.)
1tbsp vegetable oil
50ml/1¾fl oz water

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Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the wholemeal flour, semolina and salt together with 35g/1oz of the seeds
In separate bowl, whisk the water and oil
Stir into the dry ingredients and mix to form a medium-firm dough
Knead the dough for five minutes then return it to the bowl, cover and set aside for 20 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/375ºF/Gas mark 4. Line 2-3 baking trays with non-stick parchment
Oil the work surface and roll the dough out to a thickness of 3mm
Using a ruler and a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into rectangles or diamonds, of approximately 5cmx15cm/2"x6"
Place on to the prepared trays close together, but not touching
Spray the crackers with a bit of water and sprinkle the remainder of the mixed seeds (I also sprinkled a tiny amount of flaked salt)
You can re-knead any left-over scraps, but they won't be as successful as the first kneading. Alternatively, put the scraps on a tray and bake them for snacking
Bake the crackers for 15-18 minutes
Turn the oven off, open the door for 30 seconds and close again. Leave the trays in the residual heat of the oven for 10-15 minutes for extra crispness
Transfer to a wire rack to cool

By Brendan Lynch

Adapted from The Great British Bake Off

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: Tapioca flour flatbread

This week’s recipe is a collaboration with Buy Whole Foods Online, a Kent-based, family-run, international health food supplier. They provided us with some ingredients to create a healthy meal; organic tapioca flour, organic hemp seeds, cashews, and raw organic honey. Deciding what to make was like being on an episode of Ready, Steady, Cook!

We decided on grilled tofu & vegetable skewers served with a cashew satay sauce and hemp seed, tapioca flour flatbread.

We started by making cashew nut butter; simply cashews, coconut oil and pinch of salt puréed in a food processor for 20 minutes.

We then used this to make a wonderful satay sauce – a very straightforward process that combines the cashew butter with coconut milk, soya sauce, chilli flakes, honey and lime juice.

Next up we made the flatbreads. The gluten-free tapioca flour is derived from the cassava root. It’s almost 100% carbohydrate – with little or no protein, fat, fibre or minerals. For best results, it should be blended with other flour (such as coconut or almond). We studded our flatbread with toasted hemp seeds which – unlike the tapioca flour – are brimful of nutrients including protein, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, iron and essential fatty acids.

It’s another simple recipe that, due to being yeast-free, needed no lengthy proving time.

It’s a batter rather than a dough and is cooked on a griddle or frying pan.

And, last but not least, the kebabs. Simply marinate sautéed tofu and vegetables of choice in a garlic and ginger paste – and then skewer.

To serve, grill the kebabs and reheat the breads and sauce – done! Garnish with fresh coriander or salad leaves. It’s a healthy, nutritious and delicious meal!

Click here to save our recipe to Pinterest

Tapioca flour flatbread

2019-01-09 15:48:08

Yields 4

For the flatbread (makes 4)

175g/6oz tapioca flour
50g/1¾oz coconut flour
1tsp salt
2tbsp coconut oil
255ml/10fl oz lukewarm water
1tbsp hemp seeds, toasted

For the cashew butter

250g cashews (not roasted or salted/sweetened)
1tbsp coconut oil
½tsp salt

For the satay sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tin coconut milk
1tsp chilli flakes (or to taste)
150g/5oz cashew nut butter
2tbsps soy sauce (a gluten-free version is available)
juice of a lime
generous pinch of salt
2tbsps raw organic honey (use date sugar or jaggery if you want a vegan version)

Add ingredients to shopping list

If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

For the flatbread

Preheat your skillet on a medium flame
Sift the flours and salt together into a large bowl; make a well in the centre
Add the oil and water to the centre of the flour and gradually whisk together to form a batter
Mix in the toasted hemp seeds
When the skillet has heated, ladle a quarter of the batter in and spread the contents into a round or oval
When the top of the flatbread is beginning to dry, flip and cook the other side until it begins to brown
Repeat until all the batter is used up

For the cashew butter

Put the cashews into a food processor and purée for about 10 minutes. You'll need to stop processing every few minutes and scrape the contents down from the sides to purée completely
Add the coconut oil and salt and process for another 10 minutes - again scraping the contents down from the sides if necessary

For the satay sauce

Over a low heat, fry the finely chopped onion in a little oil until softened but not browned
Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, cashew nut butter, chilli flakes and salt
Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring regularly, for approximately ½ hour
Stir in the lime juice at the end of cooking process

Notes

To toast, sauté the hemp seeds for just a couple of minutes in a hot wok or saucepan. Be careful, they tend to jump out of the pan like popcorn!
Brush the griddle with a little vegetable oil to prevent the flatbread from sticking.

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

8 Veggie Christmas gifts they’ll want to receive

There are more and more people turning to a vegetarian diet for various reasons. Next month, even more will be embarking upon Veganuary after a December of excess.

I’ve been veggie for most of my life now, and I remember when people (I’m looking at you, Dad!) used to think that it was fine to just pick the meat out of the vegetarian‘s portion and serve it to them. Things have, thankfully, moved on since then; there’s so much more choice.

I’ve picked out a few veggie Christmas gifts to which I – and fellow non-meat-eaters – would give a nod of approval.

Plant Powered enamel pin: £6.50, Etsy

Vegetarian tribal slang T-shirt: £4.99-£9.79, Amazon

Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking – 150 Vegetarian Recipes: £25.00, Amazon

Veggie Brekkie tea towel by Mr.PS: £10.00, NOTHS

TheTofuBox tofu maker kit: £27.99, Amazon

Vegetarian Living magazine subscription: £42.00, isubscribe

Vegetarian tasting experience: £64-£1,020, Truly Experiences

The Vegan Wine Hamper: £250.00, Fortnum & Mason

shop veggie Christmas gifts

Some of the links on our blog are affiliate links. We may receive a small commission - at no cost to you - if you click through and make a purchase.
Prices & links correct at time of publication.

The Vegan Wine Hamper
£250.00

Vegetarian tasting experience
£64-£1,020

Vegetarian Living magazine subscription
£42.00

TheTofuBox tofu maker kit
£27.99

Veggie Brekkie tea towel by Mr.PS
£10.00

Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking – 150 Vegetarian Recipes
£25.00

Vegetarian tribal slang T-shirt
£4.99-£9.79

Plant Powered enamel pin
£6.50

The Vegan Wine Hamper
£250.00

Vegetarian tasting experience
£64-£1,020

Vegetarian Living magazine subscription
£42.00

TheTofuBox tofu maker kit
£27.99

Veggie Brekkie tea towel by Mr.PS
£10.00

Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking – 150 Vegetarian Recipes
£25.00

Vegetarian tribal slang T-shirt
£4.99-£9.79

Plant Powered enamel pin
£6.50

Costco now stocks Vegan Protein from Weider

I have been a strict vegetarian since 1988 – ever since I left home and began cooking my own meals. During the 90s, for about a decade, I went a step further and became vegan. Even though I used to be a trained chef, and I know a fair bit about nutrition, one of the challenges I encountered following a vegan diet was getting enough protein. In general, animal products such as meat and eggs contain far higher concentrations of protein than vegetable sources.

Being vegan means that extra care needs to be taken to ensure you achieve and maintain a balanced diet. Protein deficiency can cause serious health problems. Symptoms include muscle wastage, hair loss, flaky skin, brittle nails, decreased immunity and poor concentration, to name just a few.

In the past few years, it has become much easier with vegans being better catered to in supermarkets, cafés and restaurants. There is a greater choice of ingredients and ready-made meals. A great example of this is the range of Vegan Protein from Weider which you can purchase at a select number of Costco stores across the UK. Namely, Glasgow, Leeds, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Farnborough.

Made from a blend of organic brown rice and peas, Weider Vegan Protein is a high quality, lactose free and gluten free vegan protein product. It is also low in fat, low in sugar and cholesterol free. It is available in half a dozen different flavours; Brownie Chocolate, Vanilla, Iced Cappuccino, Piña Colada, Green Apple and Berry Mix. You can use it to make nutritious shakes, smoothies or frappé. Add a few scoops to your cooking & baking in things like protein bars, pancakes and waffles or delicious cakes, muffins, brownies and flapjacks.

Whether you’re a vegan for health, ethical or religious reasons, Weider Vegan is an excellent source of essential protein.

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