Multi Seed Crackers

中文版菜谱：杂粮小饼干multi seed crackers

We all know the health benefits of eating more whole grains and seeds.  But the thing is, although very healthy, whole grain pastry items don’t always taste as good and don’t have the smooth texture as the ones made from refined flour.  

I have been trying making healthy whole grain snacks at home for a while.  After a few tries, I finalized this recipe.  These crackers are now my go to snacks for afternoon tea/ coffee.  

They are crunchy and crispy.  Lots of nuts/ seeds like almond, flax seeds, sun flower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds are added to the crackers to make them super tasty and healthy.  

I used to buy whole grain crackers from wholefood every week.  But these are so much better!  I can cross another whole grain item from my shopping list.  O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients：

60 g rye flour
60 g oat flour
40 g almond flour
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds (both black and white ones)
1/4  cup flax seeds
1/2  teaspoon salt  

Directions：

Preheat oven to 325F/ 163C

Add rye flour, oat flour, almond flour, salt, olive oil and water to a large bowl.  Mix with a wooden spoon or a pair chopsticks.

The dough might be a little wet and sticky.  It is fine.  Cover with with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 10 to 20 minutes.

Mix all the seeds together in another bowl.

Add to the dough.  Knead with hands until everything comes together.

Line up a cookie pan with baking mat or parchment paper. 

Transfer the dough to the center of cookie pan.  Punch it down and then roll it into a even thin layer with a small rolling pin.

Use a pizza cutter or kitchen knife to cut it into small squares.

Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes or until the crackers are slightly golden brown.

Allow the crackers to completely cool down before removing them from baking mat.

They can be stored in air-tight containers or zip-loc bags for up to a week.

They are very crunchy and crispy, loaded with tons of rich hearty earthy flavors.

 These crackers are so tasty that I don’t plan to buy multi seeds crackers from supermarket again.   O(∩_∩)O~

Multigrain Flatbread

中文菜谱： 杂粮发面烙饼

I recently begin to explore a healthier diet to include more fibers and whole grains.  But we all know healthy foods don’t always equal deliciousness and good taste.  It takes a few experiments in my kitchen to find a way to make healthy nutritious multigrain flatbread.   

Ingredients：

200 g multigrain flour
50 g gluten flour
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
a pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon yeast
2/3 to 1 cup warm water

Directions：

I usually buy different high fiber whole grains from Sprouts and Wholefoods market and mix everything together in a big jar later.  Top choices are but not limited to kidney beans, split green peas, yellow peas, barley, oats, wheat berries, lentils, wheat bran, flax seeds, and so on.

Add 2 cups multigrain mixture to a Vitamix blender dry container.

Grind on high speeds for 20 to 30 seconds.

Super freshly ground multigrain flour!

Add 200g multigrain flour and gluten flour to a bread machine.

Add warm water and yeast.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Add vegetable oil and salt.  Start “dough” program.

The dough may appear quite dry and rustic at first.

After 15 minutes’ kneading, it becomes smooth and elastic.

Proof the dough until it double in size.

Transfer to a lightly dusted wooden board.

Equally divide the dough into 12 pieces.

With a small rolling pin, flat out each piece into 1/4 inch flat bread dough.

Cover with plastic wrap and proof for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Preheat a double sided electric griddle skillet.  Add 4 pieces of flatbread dough.  Bake for 2 to 3 minutes.

Each batch is done quickly and perfectly. 

They are 100% real multi-grain flatbread, and taste so much better than the store bought version.  When piping hot out of the griddle, they are fluffy, soft and a little bit chewy, with tons of grain aroma. 

Split each piece into halves in the middle.  You can stuff meat, eggs, and vegetables to make some super healthy and awesome sandwiches! O(∩_∩)O~

Candied Pecans and Walnuts

中文菜谱： 琥珀桃仁

Candied pecans or walnuts are very popular in China.  They can be served as appetizer, side dish or dessert.  Most of time, they are also a great snack to go with coffee or tea. 

They are sweet, crunchy, and super nutritious.  Who doesn’t love them? O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients：

1 cup raw walnuts / pecans
1/3 firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
toasted white sesame seeds

Directions：

Some people prefer pecans, and a lot of people prefer walnuts.  As for myself, I use more pecans then walnuts because pecans have a more delicate texture and flavor than walnuts.

Preheat a toaster oven to 375F/ 190C  

Bake the pecans / walnuts in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes. 

Please do remember to adjust the baking time accordingly because every toaster oven is different from one another.  Pecans and walnuts are so easily to be over baked.  Keep a close eye on them when baking.  Remove from oven when they turn slightly golden brown.  They will continue to cook even after being taken out the oven. 

Light or medium color brown sugar will be fine.  Don’t use the dark brown sugar.  Otherwise, the color would be too dark.

While the pecans/ walnuts are baking in the oven, prepare the syrup. 

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.  Add brown sugar and water. 

Brown sugar melts quickly and the syrup will very soon become bubbly.

Keep cooking the syrup until it darkens a little bit.  Bubbles get bigger too. 

There is a trick to test if the syrup is ready.  Drop a couple drops of syrup into a cup of cold water.  if it turns  hard and firm, the syrup is done.  If not, just keep cooking for a bit longer. 

Add toasted pecans/ walnuts into the syrup, along with some roasted white sesame seeds. 

With a spoon, gently toss everything together.  

Line up a plate or cast iron pan with parchment paper.  Spoon the pecan / walnut mixtures onto the parchment paper.   Spread them as evenly as possible. 

You have to do it very fast and quickly, because the candy syrup will begin to harden once removed from heat.

Wait for the candied pecans/ walnuts to completely cool down to room temperature.  They will be super crunchy and tasty.