Broccoli and Onion Flax Crackers Topped with Mixed Nut Cheeze with Onion and Tomato

When I was making the carrot, apple, celery and ginger crackers I decided to make a savory cracker at the same time. Since I have now made flax crackers a few times I measure things any longer. It just isn’t necessary. I took about a cup of broccoli and tossed it in the food processor and processed it until was fine bits. I moved that to a bowl and did the same thing with ½ an onion and added that to the bowl with the broccoli. Next I added ground flax seeds until it appeared to be about half the total mixture. I add a squirt of liquid aminos for saltiness and enough water to turn everything into dough. Now spread the mixture on a teflex sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees until the mixture is firm and dry on the top. Flip the sheet onto a cutting board (top down since the bottom will still be sticky). Cut into cracker sized pieces and return to the dehydrator, this time on the mesh sheet. Dehydrate until they are the texture you like. We like ours with a little moisture left. Store the cooled crackers in an air-tight container in your frig.

Why should you make flax crackers? I make them because they are another opportunity to get anti-inflammatory omega 3 fatty acids into my hubby. Also by having the flax crackers around we don’t miss crackers made from flour (which increases blood sugar and is the last thing you want if you are concerned about cancer). These crackers also contain both raw broccoli and onion. Since the nutrition in broccoli is heat sensitive having another way to serve broccoli raw is fine with me.

To go with the broccoli and onion flax crackers I made another quick nut cheeze. I have been experimenting with different nuts to see if they all work equally well. So far I like them all. Here is the nut cheeze I made yesterday.

Mixed Nut Cheeze with Sun-Dried Tomato and Dried Onions

Makes 8 - 2 ounce servings

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup raw cashews
Water to soak the nuts
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
Water necessary to process the cheeze (I used approximately ½ cup)
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
6 sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
2 tablespoon dehydrated onions, finely diced

Directions:

Soak the nuts for at least three hours and then drain thoroughly. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and garlic. Process to combine all the ingredients. You may need to scrape the sides of the food processor bowl once or twice. Slowly add water while you continue to process the nut cheeze. Add as much water as is necessary to achieve the texture you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Dice the sun-dried tomatoes and onions and stir them into the cheeze so they remain in identifiable bits. Refrigerate until needed.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 188.89
Calories From Fat (73%) - 138.28

Total Fat - 16.15g
Saturated Fat - 2.11g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 34.8mg
Potassium - 248.35mg
Total Carbohydrates - 7.7g
Fiber - 1.88g
Sugar - 1.83g
Protein - 5.78g

Comments:

The color of this cheeze is not as white as when I use all raw cashew or macadamia nut. But the taste is more complex. I like the flavors you get when you combine different nuts. My hubby has been eating this cheeze on the broccoli crackers all weekend. It makes a nice meal with a spinach salad.

Unrelated Notes:

Dinner tonight is not totally planned yet. But there will be a new version of seitan cutlet made with dried mushroom powder and quinoa in place of bread crumb. We will be having a light whole wheat pasta dish, soup and salad. At least that is the plan at the moment. I need to finalize the details and get going. There may also be a little chocolate for after dinner since my hubby is a big fan of anything chocolate.

I hope you are all having a nice Valentine’s Day. I will be back later with the recipes from tonight’s dinner.