Homemade Crackers

Looking for something to eat during the coronavirus isolation/lockdown?  Here is something fun, easy, and quick!

Crackers!

3 cups flour
2 Tsp sugar
2 Tsp salt
4 TBSP oil
1 cup water
Topping - I used Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel topping, but whatever you like

You will also need:
Rolling pin
Pizza cutter
Fork

First, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl (flour, sugar salt).  Whisk.  Add the oil and the water.  you may not have enough water, so add to the mix gradually ( I simply wet my fingers and shook the remaining water into the dough).  Mix well.

Sprinkle the surface divide with flour and shape the dough into a square, then pat it down. Divide into 2 parts, and remove the other part and set aside.

Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 1/8 inch.  Let it rest for 5 minutes when you are done.

Sprinkle topping liberally on the crackers. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter into desired cracker-sized shapes.  Remove dough from surface and place on a well-floured baking sheet.  Poke holes into each cracker to prevent puffing.

Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.  Keep a close eye on it to avoid burning.

Let them cool, and then store on your countertop for up to five days!

Kale and Quinoa Salad

2 cups of raw kale, massaged, and stems removed
1 sweet potato, diced and tossed lightly in oil
1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup dried cranberries or craisins
1/2 medium tomato, diced
Toasted walnut pieces
Sliced sweet red onion
Orange infused olive oil 2 TBSP
Apple cider vinegar 2 TBSP
Salt to taste

Roast the sweet potatoes for 25 minutes at 405 degrees. As it cooks, boil the quinoa on the stovetop, and prepare the red onion.  Meanwhile, toast 1/4 cup of walnuts on the stovetop or in a toaster oven, until lightly brown and fragrant.  In a bowl, mix goat cheese, cranberries, tomato, walnuts and sliced red onions.  In a separate jar, mix the oil and vinegar.

Once sweet potatoes have browned, pull them out of the oven, toss with cheese, cranberries, tomatoes, walnuts, and onions.  Drain quinoa and toss with salad.  Dress with oil and vinegar, and salt to taste, if needed.

Moroccan-style Couscous

Vegan, delicious, quick, easy.

2 tbsp of earth balance butter
1/2 onion, minced
1 pinch of cumin
1 pinch of cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic salt, or to taste
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 juicy tomato, diced
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup almonds,  unsalted

I cup couscous, cooked

Heat vegan butter and toss in onions.  Cook on medium heat in a saucepanabout 3-5 minutes.  Add spices and stir until fragrant.  Toss in carrots and peas, and cook until soft.  Add chickpeas, raisins, almonds and couscous, stir until well mixed and almonds are soft and chewy.  Add tomatoes and any juice from cutting them, and stir.  Serve hot.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas

Cauliflower:
1 head of caulilower, split and chopped
Oil, about 1 tsp.

Chickpeas:
1 can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, patted with towel
Oil, about 1 tsp.
Cumin - 2 pinches
Cinnamon- light dusting
Salt, 1 pinch

Sauce:
Tahini, about 2 tablespoons
Vegetable oil, dash
Warm water, 1 tbsp.
Lemon juice, squeezed
Salt and pepper to taste


Toss both chickpeas and cauliflower with oil and spices, but keep separate. Roast chickpeas first in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees, for about 25 minutes, until the chickpeas are ceunchy on the outside, but tender on the inside.  Add in the cauliflower on another pan about 10 minutes in, for 18 minutes.

Mix tahini with warm water until it becomes runny.  Add fresh lemon juice to taste.  Mix well (whisk) and salt and pepper to taste.

Top with sauce and serve hot!

Pup-i-scream

Yes, this is ice cream for your pups... or as my pups know it, "PuppyScream"!  I scream, you scream, we all scream for pup-y-scream!

Knowing how dogs totally love these ingredients and I never ever get through bananas before they are over-ripe for me, I decided to make my spoiled pooches a great cold treat.

Mash together in a large mixing bowl:

2 over-ripe bananas (frozen-thawed are fine)
an equal volume of whole organic yogurt
1 heaping teaspoon of all-natural peanut butter; crunchy or smooth

Once mashed, pour into polystyrene containers to the depth of ¾ inch or there about and freeze. When I pull out a new frozen container, I remove the pup-y-scream and cut it pie-style into eighths with my big chef's knife. The pup-y-scream warms enough in just a few seconds to easily remove it from the container and if you are quick, nothing freezes together.  Each batch then produces 24-32 pieces, depending on my starting amounts.

Talk about love your dogs.