Nut and Seed Crackers

My lovely new cookbook, 'The Sprouted Kitchen' arrived last week and I have become addicted to these crackers.  They are the first ever gluten free and vegan biscuits I have ever been able to successfully make.  I tried them out on my friend SP and they passed the test!  They are really unusual and healthy.

1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 tbsp ground flaxseed-or whole flax
1/3 cup sesame seeds
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
1 to 2 tbsp water, as needed

Combine the almond, cashews and flax in a food processor and pulse until evenly ground.  Add the sesame seeds, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, the maple syrup and coconut oil and pulse a few times more. Add the water a tbsp at a time until the mixture just begins to stick together.  Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Remove the dough from the fridge, put it between two sheets of greaseproof paper, and roll it out as thin as you can (1/8th inch), you want them to be thin but if it's too thin you wont be able to pick up the crackers without them breaking.   Either with a sharp knife or a cookie cutter cut them into the shape you want .  Using a sharp edged spatula to get under the crackers, gently place the crackers onto the baking sheet with a bit of space between them.
Bake the crackers, rotating the baking sheet half way through the coking time, until the edges look toasted, 11 to 13 minutes!

Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 tsp of salt on top and leave to cool before serving.

Sweet Potato Falafel

This is a "Leon" Restaurant Classic!  I love falafel but have never been able to make them at home-they were a staple for me when I was travelling in Sudan, I became so reliant on them as a vegan food source that I was eating them hot off the street with Granny's marmalde for breakfast.  Thankfully I have come a long way since then!  These are heavenly with hummus and chopped tomatoes.  They are also vegan and gluten free.

2 medium sweet potato-orange inside.
1 1/2 tsp ground cummin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 small cloves of garlic-chopped
2 big handfuls of coriander-chopped
juice of half a lemon
120g gram flour
a splash of olive oil
a sprinkling of sesame seeds
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 220 degrees C or gas mark 7 and roast the sweet potatoes whole until just tender (about 45 mins-1 hour).  Turn off the oven and leave the sweet potatoes to cool, then peel.  Put the sweet potatoes, cummin, garlic, ground and fresh coriander, lemon juice and gram flour into a large bowl.  Season well and mash with your hands - or a potato masher-until you have a smooth mix with no large lumps.  Stick in the fridge to firm up for an hour.  When you take it out your mix should be sticky rather than really wet and you can add more gram flour if necessary.
Heat the oven back up to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6.
Using a couple of soup spoons (put a well-heaped spoonful of mix in one spoon and use the concave side of the other to shape the sides), make the mixture into falafelly-looking things and put them on an oiled tray.  Sprinkle sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for 15 or so mins until the bases are golden brown.

Caramelised Cauliflower soup

CARAMELIZED CAULIFLOWER SOUP // Serves 4

I thought I would share a recipe from The Sprouted Kitchen blog.  I have been really into purees recently, and this makes a nice comforting change.

1 Head Cauliflower (about 3 lbs.)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp. Fresh Grated Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper

Broth//
2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Shallot, chopped
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
3 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 tsp. Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp. Ideally White Balsamic Vinegar

Toppings//
1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Cup Fresh Torn Bread, roughly 1'' pieces-optional
Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Toasted Hazelnuts, Chopped
Fresh Thyme Leaves
Shaved Parmesan, optional

Preheat the oven to 450'.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and spread them on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle the fresh nutmeg and a hefty pinch of salt and pepper and toss everything to coat. Bake on the middle rack for about 35-45 minutes, tossing the cauliflower halfway through, until they are fully roasted and you see a good amount of brown edges. There is a pretty wide grace period here. Remove to cool.
While the cauliflower roasts, start the broth. Heat the oil in a saucepan and saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes to soften. Add the vegetable broth, dried thyme and vinegar and warm through.
When the cauliflower is cool to touch, add it and the broth mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper. If you want more contrast, add a bit more vinegar. Add it back to the saucepan to keep warm.
To make the croutons, heat the remaining oil in a small pan, add the torn bread and a pinch of ground pepper and stir it around for 5-8 minutes until crisp and the edges are browned.
Serve each portion with a few croutons, chopped hazelnuts and a pinch of fresh thyme leaves and shaved parmesan, if using.

The Sprouted Kitchen

I have been hopeless at writing my blog recently.  Today I ordered a new cookbook on amazon based on 'The Sprouted Kitchen' blog.  I love this blog, its a new find, but the photos are stunning, and I am really excited to get the new cook book!
http://www.sproutedkitchen.com/