CHEF TALK
On a monthly basis, Executive
Chef David Daggett will share with you new
recipes or ideas for creating culinary excellence.
Chef Talk by
Executive Chef David Daggett
Tastebuds Epicurean Cafe & Catering
www.tastebudscateringfortcollins.com
GLUTEN FREE CRACKERS
More and more people are avoiding wheat and wheat products. Whether do to celiac disease or just by choice. We see more products available in our grocery stores featuring gluten and dairy free foods. A lot of our favorite foods contain wheat or wheat by-products, most notable; breads and crackers. Trying to find healthy alternatives to breads and crackers is challenging, there are a number of ingredients and products out there for us to enjoy and explore on our own either with variations of standard recipes or creating our own.
I would like to spend the next few months sharing some of my gluten free recipes with you. They are pretty easy to make and have great flavor and texture. They also have a low carb, low sugar count! The two recipes that follow are for crackers, one savory and one sweet. They are great on their own or as an accompaniment to a meal or snack. I hope you enjoy them!
All the ingredients are readily available in health food stores either by bulk or pre-packaged.
CHICKPEA CRACKERS WITH SEEDS
3/4C Chickpea Flour
1/3C Almond Meal
3TBL Flax Meal
2TBL Physillium Powder
1/2tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1/4tsp Baking Soda
1TBL Dehydrated Cane Juice
2TBL Olive Oil
5TBL Water
Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Fennel Seeds, etc.
Procedure: Pre-heat oven to 365°. In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients and mix till well blended. Add Olive Oil and water and stir till dough is combined, knead lightly; dough should be moist and soft. Form dough into rectangle and place on a large piece of plastic wrap, place another large piece of plastic wrap on top of dough. Gently roll out crackers to approximately an 1/8” thick. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap, flip the dough onto a non-stick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the second plastic wrap, sprinkle dough with assorted seeds and lightly press them into the dough. From here you can score the dough with a pizza cutter in small squares or just bake off as a whole sheet. Place dough in oven and bake approximately 15-20 minutes or until the crackers start to turn lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool. Store crackers in a airtight container.
GLUTEN FREE GRAHAM CRACKERS
3/4C Chickpea Flour
1/3C Almond Meal
3TBL Flax Meal
2TBL Physillium Powder
1/2tsp Kosher or Sea Salt
1/2tsp Cinnamon
11/2TBL Dehydrated Cane Juice
4TBL Olive Oil
3TBL Water
Topping
Cinnamon Sugar
Or
For a low GI use Birch Sugar and Cinnamon
Procedure: In a mixing bowl combine all dry ingredients. Add Olive Oil and water, stir till dough is combined, and knead lightly, dough should be moist and soft. Form dough into rectangle and place on a large piece of plastic wrap, place another large piece of plastic wrap on top of dough. Gently roll out crackers to approximately a 1/8” thick. Remove the top piece of plastic wrap, flip the dough onto a non-stick cookie sheet or a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the second plastic wrap, sprinkle dough with cinnamon sugar. From here you can score the dough with a pizza cutter in small squares or just bake off as a whole sheet. Place dough in oven and bake approximately 15-20 minutes or until the crackers start to turn lightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool. You can sprinkle additional cinnamon sugar if you would like once crackers are removed from the oven. Store crackers in a airtight container.
Chef Daggett offers private and group cooking classes and parties, as well as “Lunch & Learn” cooking demonstrations for businesses. For more information contact Chef Daggett at 970-494-4501 or at www.tastebudscateringfortcollins