Raw Beet and Sunflower Seed Crackers

This may sound very similar to a recipe from a few months back, cause it is.  I basically took my recipe for my Raw Beet Sunflower Seed Pesto and made a few changes to create this delicious cracker!  If you are a beet person, this is a must try!  I used my dehydrator, but I believe this should work just fine in the oven.  Many ovens have a dehydrator option or just bake these at the lowest possible setting.

 Raw Beet and Sunflower Seed Crackers

Ingredients

• 2 large beets, peeled and chopped (about 5 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3/4 – 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk*
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Place the chopped beets into a food processor and blend until pureed
2. Add in the remaining ingredients excluding the sunflower seeds and blend until well combined
3. Add the seeds to the mixture and combine. Do not let the seeds get so small they disappear.
4. Dehydrate at 145 for 2 hours. Reduce the temp to 105 and dehydrate until crisp. Once the top is completely dry, I flip the crackers to finish. this is the best time to cut or score the “dough” into desired cracker size.
5. Oven Method: Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet at lowest temperature setting or dehydrator setting until desired crunch. You may want to turn the crackers over part way through to cook evenly. You can try cutting or scoring the crackers at that time as well.

Quick notes

*Psyllium husk powder helps to bind the ingredients, like an egg does or flax meal mixed with liquid does. It can be found at most health food stores in the supplement section. It is a powder that is high in fiber and when consumed in high amounts, it can cause intestinal distress. I promise the one tablespoon of it in this entire recipe will not cause a problem for you!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Raw Beet Sunflower Seed Pesto

If you like beets...yum is all I can say!!!  I think beets are very polarizing, you either love them or hate them.  I personally love them!  I got the inspiration to make this recipe from a restaurant in Denver, Root Down.  For those of you that live here, it's a must for dinner and brunch!  It is a laid back atmosphere with very unique dishes designed to appeal to just about anyone.  From the meat eater to the vegan, you can find something fantastic on their menu.  They cater to food allergies and offer many different variations to most items.  They try to use almost all local food companies for their menu items and create their menu to reflect the season.  I Highly recommend it!

They have a beet arugula salad that I love to get for brunch.  Along with the beets, arugula, toasted hazelnuts, it includes a beet-sunflower seed pesto dolloped next to the salad.  I mix it right in to the salad as a dressing along side the basil vinaigrette and the balsamic reduction that is drizzled around the plate.  I don't think I had ever really read the description of the salad until this past weekend when I ordered it.  Beet-sunflower seed pesto...that's all I needed to read to realize I could recreate something similar.  I decided to take the entire salad, excluding the nuts and arugula, and make a pesto from the remaining items.  Here is what I came up with and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

Recipe: Raw Beet Pesto

Ingredients

• 2 large beets, peeled and chopped (about 5 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3/4 - 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil (or more if you prefer)
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Place the chopped beets into a food processor and blend until pureed
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until well combined

Variations

If you can tolerate cheese, you could certainly add some cheese chunks to this as well.

This could be enjoyed in so many different ways.  You could use it as a sauce over pasta, meats or spaghetti squash like traditional pesto.  It can also be served as a dip or spread for vegetables, crackers or chips.  I would even use it as a salad dressing!!!  I have two more recipes in the making that will incorporate this raw nut-free pesto deliciousness!!!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes

Sunflower Seed Herb Crackers

I love sunflower seeds.  I'm not talking about the shelled ones that look like a dip in your mouth and are waaaaay to much work for a tiny seed.  I'm talking about raw seeds tossed on salads, added to breads and granolas, sprinkled over vegetable dishes and now used to make these yummy crackers.

These little guys are packed with protein and healthy fats, along with many other nutrients.  Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E, the body's primary fat-soluble antioxidant.  Vitamin E helps keep free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol.  They are also high in many minerals including, Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper.  Many of these minerals have vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme synthesis, hormone production, as well as regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.  They are also one of the best sources of B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), pantothenic acid, and riboflavin.

So basically you're getting a handful of nutrients in every cracker you munch on.  Feel good about eating crackers, not guilty or bloated from the gluten, preservatives or added sugars of prepackaged crackers.

Recipe: Sunflower Seed Herb Crackers

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups raw sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seed butter (Marantha is my favorite)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt plus some to sprinkle

Instructions

1. In a food processor, pulse the sunflower seeds into a fine meal
2. Add the sunflower seed butter, egg and all seasonings and pulse until well combined
3. Dough will clump together and create one big ball
4. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper with additional parchment place over the top
5. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out between an 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick
6. Slice with a pizza cutter or sharp knife into desired size crackers
7. Place the bottom piece of parchment paper with dough onto a cookie sheet
8. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes until brown
9. Sprinkle with a little sea salt as soon as crackers come out of oven

Quick notes

There will be a lot of oil on the crackers as they bake.  This is what will give the crackers their crunch.  It will disappear shortly after they have been out of the oven.  Make sure to sprinkle the additional salt on them while the oil is still present so the salt sticks.

Let us know how you choose to top your crackers!

Kate's Healthy Cupboard - Gluten Free Recipes