Raw Sun Dried Tomato Olive Crackers
I have been having a rough re-entry back to Minnesota after a week with my daughters in Colorado. It isn’t that Minneapolis is a bad place, it is stunning. And a city that is very cosmopolitan. The problem is that my daughters are not here. I still think there should be a law that kids can’t move more than 100 miles away from their parents. But I understand that they are pursuing their dreams, and that makes me happy.
That said, I must admit, I was really glad to get back to my kitchen and creating more recipes. Eating was a little more difficult this trip. I defaulted to a lot of fruit and fresh veggies. But I missed my raw food creations. On the other hand, I did get inspired. My oldest and I ate out a few times. We had some very good food, it just wasn’t raw. And true to form, I was constantly thinking, I can do this raw!
The first thing I got started on was a raw food recipe for some savory crackers. I love having crackers in the pantry. They replace bread for me in many ways. You can stack them with veggies, or top them with a quick dip. They are a wonderfully versatile item to always have on hand. These crackers have a healthy walnut base mixed with sun-dried tomatoes and olives! A touch of oregano and thyme complete the picture. This recipe is 100% raw and gluten free.
I will post the recipe for the macadamia cheese spread later this week!
Which Flax Seeds to Use
I always use golden flax seeds because of the mild taste. Measure after grinding.
Sun Dried Tomato Olive Crackers
MAKES ONE SHEET
- 2 cups walnuts, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup ground flax
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes, softened and chopped
- 1/2 cup olives, sliced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- pinch thyme
- Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
- Place walnuts in the food processor and pulse until they are ground fine.
- Add ground flax soaked in 1/4 cup water and pulse until combined.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and olives. Pulse until combined. Do not over mix.
- Stir in the oregano, thyme salt and peper.
- Spread onto non-stick dehydrator sheet. Press to 1/4 – 1/8 th inch thick. Score. Dehydrate at 140 for an hour, then 115 until very dry. Mine took about 8 more hours. You will want to flip the crackers half way through dehydration.
Cheryl wrote on April 15, 2011
Christine and Susan, I also know how this feels. Our family is completely scattered. We live on the island of Mauritius (in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar, off the coast of Africa) and one daughter lives in Germany, another in England, another in South Africa and my son is expating in Dubai! It’s really hard and I must admit to suffering badly from empty nest syndrome but combated that by studying nutrition – and becoming a vegetarian in the process as well as starting to explore raw foods. Thank you for your amazing site – really love it and you have been a huge inspiration.
Sekhemet wrote on April 15, 2011
I couldn’t resist to make these yummy sundried tomato olive raw crackers. I found that when I followed the recipe, the dough seemed to be crumbly when I attempted to spread it on the teflex sheet. I had to work the edges to keep it together. It won’t be ready until the morning. I hope it comes out. Did yours do that when you were combining it together?
Callie {Rawxy} wrote on April 14, 2011
These look freaking fantastic! I swear, your crackers always turn out so beautiful!!
Susan wrote on April 14, 2011
Oh, Christine, I know that feeling all too well. 🙂 My daughter spend 6 months in Australia, studying, surfing and just having a gas. Then it was off to Argentina to snowboard in the Patagonia Mountains and next was New Zealand to teach snowboarding. So, I am glad to have her state-side. It is really hard when they are that far away.
Christine wrote on April 14, 2011
On the subject of daughters living too far away, I feel your pain. Ours lives 3000 miles and a big wide ocean away. She too is very happy (surfing and working to live, not living to work like most of us). Her Dad and I still cannot get used to it after five years, but she is very happy and for that we are blessed. Visiting is sweet, but partings are painful. I miss cooking and spending time in the kitchen with her. We are actually visiting her now and due to leave on Saturday and I already have the dreads creeping in. You are not alone. :0)
Susan wrote on April 13, 2011
Olives are cured in a brine. I would be cautious about canned olives, however because they may have been heated prior to canning. I would look for fresh. http://www.sunfood.com/food/olives/green/olives-spiced-green-jumbo-10-7oz-in-brine-raw-organic.html
Gayla wrote on April 13, 2011
Susan,
Beautiful as always! I have a question, and I hope it isn’t too silly. I have wondered several times while transitioning to raw if we can use the regular olives in the store (like the ones with pimentos in the jars) I am not sure how they are prepared. If not, how does one look for olives that are raw?
Ronda wrote on April 13, 2011
Wow those look real real real GOOD. This has insiperd me to give the cracker a go again. Hope I can get them to taste as good as they look. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Susan wrote on April 13, 2011
As I stated above, you could try chia seeds. Here is the thing with flax. If you use golden flax, and grind it fresh for your recipe, you don’t really even taste it. I think too many times people have gotten rancid flax and that is why they have the aversion. There really isn’t anything else. Flax is a substitution so trying to find a substitution for a substitution is a bit tough.