Savory Besan/Chickpea Flour Crackers

My post today is another version of crackers. I have few versions on this space already. Crackers are make a perfect snack with a cup of tea or coffee. After baking crackers with wheat flour I decided to try others flour combinations. Two days back I baked semolina crackers. Next I tried crackers with besan or chickpea flour. These were harder to perfect. I first tried with uncooked flour and realized the flour does not cook completely in the oven. The next time I used oil to roast the flour but that did not work either. Finally I tried ghee and it worked out. The crackers are crunchy and delicious.

Everyone at home loved the flavor but I think they have had too many versions of my baked crackers. I think I will have to finish these myself. Need to give these cracker experiments a break for a while. But now I have four perfect cracker recipes.

You will need (~50 crackers)
1 1/2 tbsp. ghee, melted

1/3 cup chickpea flour
1/3 cup unfed sourdough starter (100%)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ajwain or carom seeds

Heat the ghee in a pan. Add chickpea flour and on low heat roast the flour until cooked. You could do the same in a microwave checking and mixing the mixture every 30 seconds until the flour is cooked. Let it cool. Combine with all the remaining ingredients. Place it in a bowl, cover and put it in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it on a parchment paper to about an eighth of an inch. Using a knife or roller cut into 1x1 inch pieces. Pierce with a fork. Bake in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Check often as these burn quickly.

When done transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Raisin Chocolate Chip Granola

This was one of the trail mixes we took with us on our Alaska trip this summer. It was very handy when we went hiking. But it was also great after we went exploring around Anchorage downtown. I wanted to visit the Ulu knife factory about a mile away from our hotel and get an Alaskan Ulu knife for my kitchen. My experiments in the kitchen with that knife will be a separate post. My husband and daughter willingly walked through the light rain to get to the factory. It was a beautiful walk down the hillside, a river flowing at the foot of the hill and the factory close by. When we walked back to the hotel we enjoyed some hot chocolate/tea/coffee and this trail mix.

I made the Raisin Chocolate chip granola mix to try the new hemp oatmeal granola I found in the bulk bin at Whole Foods. It has a very light texture and I thought it would taste great when paired with something sweet or tart. Dried cranberries were an option but since this was to be taken on a trip I could not have anything sticky. I chose raisins instead and that was a great choice. I added the chocolate chips as I had some left over. You can leave them out and add some nuts instead.

You will need
1 cup granola
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pistachios Granola

Hiking trails is something my family loves. When we visited Alaska this summer it was on the top of our list of things to do. Healthy snacks and water is always a part of a hikers day pack. Our pack was no different. Chocolate chip, Pistachios Granola was one of the mixes we took along. This mix was made to order for my daughter. The Granola is has a apple cinnamon flavor. The pistachios are roasted and unsalted.

On the way to Alaska we had a stopover in Phoenix. Our flight was delayed and we were stuck at the airport worried we would miss our connection. This trail mix was a good distraction. Most of it never made it to Alaska.

You could add other nuts or seeds to this mixture or add white chocolate chips. Make sure you use mini chocolate chips so they are the same size as the rest of the mix. My daughter loves malt balls in the mix but they are usually stocked in the low bins. We have seen kids reaching into the bins with their hands while their doting parents watch so we only get stuff from the high bins.

You will need
1 cup Apple Cinnamon Granola (Whole Foods bulk bins)
1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together and store until ready to use. You can change the proportion as per your taste.

Enjoy!

Dates, Nuts and Seeds Trail Mix

When I began planning our family vacation to Alaska, I knew I would not have to worry about food on the cruise. But then we decided to spend some time in mainland Alaska and visit Denali, the tallest peak in the US. Bars and granola went on the list of things to take along. My daughter is very picky about these so we decided we would pick up whatever we liked the day before we left.

We made our way to the bulk bins in Whole Foods and put together ingredients for 3 trail mixes. This dates, nuts and seeds trail mix was the first. Sliced dates rolled in oatmeal flour, roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds, roasted chopped almonds and pecans went into this mix. It was super tasty and made a great snack while we walked along the Nenana river near our lodge at Denali, outside the Denali National Park.

Denali National park is a wilderness area with a lot of wildlife. We had planned on walking the trails and expected to carry something to munch every time we stopped to rest. But then we were told that food attracts bears and some had been sighted close to the trails we were walking. We willingly left the food behind and used it instead when we walked the trails around our lodge.

You will need
1/2 cup roasted chopped unsalted almonds
1/2 cup roasted chopped unsalted pecans
1/2 cup slices dates rolled in oat flour (prevents sticky dates)
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

The recipe is really simple. Make sure all the ingredients except the dates are crunchy. If not roast them for a couple minutes on low heat and cool completely. Mix everything together.

Enjoy!

Masala Crackers

Rain is welcome as the temperatures soar. However, we have been getting way too much rain over the last few weeks. Rainy lazy summer evenings call for crunchy snacks with a warm beverage. These crackers fit the bill perfectly.

I already have sourdough crackers on this space. This recipe uses the same base recipe but different flavoring ingredients. I used onion and carom seeds in these crackers. These seeds make the crackers a perfect companion for a cup of tea.

You will need (70 crackers)
1/2 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. onion seeds (kalonji)
1 tsp. carrom seeds (ova or ajwain)
1/2 tsp. olive oil

The recipe is the same as that for the sourdough crackers. Mix all the ingredients except the oil. Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place a parchment paper on your rolling surface. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and roll it out on the parchment paper to the desired thickness.

Cut it into squares using a knife or a pizza cutter. Brush lightly with oil. Then prick each square with the tines of a fork. 

Bake for up to 20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a cooling rack.

Allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Sourdough Crackers

These crackers are a great way to use your sourdough starter. The crackers have a distinct sourdough taste and texture. They are really easy to make and do not take up too much time.

I got this recipe from the King Arthur flour website here. The recipe calls for unfed starter but since I changed to a new process of maintaining a starter I have no unfed starter to discard. For this recipe I let the fed starter sit in the refrigerator for a week before using it. In summer I would let it sit out for a few hours or maybe two-three days in the refrigerator.

Maintaining a sourdough starter is easy and though it takes planning baking with sourdough is therapeutic. If you are on the fence about a starter go ahead and make one.

You will need (30 crackers)
1/2 cup whole white wheat flour
1/2 cup unfed sourdough starter
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. mixture of dried oregano and basil
1 tsp. olive oil

Let the butter soften to room temperature. Preheat oven to 400 F. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the oil to form a smooth ball of dough.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour. Lay a piece of parchment paper on a board or counter top. Lightly flour a rolling pin and the parchment paper. Place the cold dough on the board and roll it out to the thickness of a cracker.

Using a pizza cutter or knife cut out the rectangular crackers as below. Brush with the olive oil.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the crackers brown at the edges. Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before storing.

Enjoy!

Nachos

Nachos make a great snack and I realized with surprise that I had not added this easy snack to this space earlier. The basic idea of nachos is a crispy base of corn chips topped with a variety of ingredients eaten with a gooey cheese sauce. At its simplest nachos can be chips and melted cheese. You can add additional layers of black beans, tomatoes, avocado or guacamole as you please. My daughter likes to add salsa and sour cream on the top.

Fresh made tortilla chips with layers of toppings and cheese sauce makes a great movie snack. It is a mobile snack that is great hot or cold so can be devoured slowly as you watch a movie. A very basic version is sold in movie theaters but we never get that. I prefer this easy homemade version instead.

The next time you plan a movie night add this you your list of snacks.

You will need
Tortilla chips to cover the plate/bowl
Black beans (dry soaked and cooked or you can use canned)
Tomatoes, diced
Avocado, seed removed and diced
Nachos Cheese sauce (recipe below)
Salsa
Sour cream

Nacho Cheese sauce
1 recipe basic white sauce
1/2 cup good quality shredded cheddar cheese

To prepare the sauce follow the basic white sauce recipe. When done add the cheese and continue to whisk until it is incorporated. Keep aside until needed.

To put the nachos together
In a plate layer the chips, top with beans, tomatoes and avocado. Add the salsa, sour cream (if using) and ladle the sauce over the top.

Enjoy!

Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Bruschetta

I wanted to make something special with the baguette I had baked. I had thought of using it for sandwiches for school. But I shaped it thin so sandwiches were out. Slender French bread works best to make bruschetta. Bruschetta is a favorite snack in my house. I used to make it with store bought bread before I started baking bread. I also realized I did not have a recipe in this space for bruschetta. So I made tomato, basil, mozzarella bruschetta and I am so glad I did. It was all gone very quickly.

The mozzarella I used is from Whole Foods, notice the veg rennet label on the very bottom. It goes sour very quickly but is pretty good when eaten fresh. If you hesitated because of the rennet source this is the mozzarella for you.

Ensure the crust of the bread you use is very thin. The crust of my baguette was perfect - crunchy but so thin it crumbled in your mouth. I had planned to try artichoke bruschetta as well but my daughter was not too keen so I decided to stick to the tried and tested.

You will need
1 baguette
3 tomatoes
7-9 basil leaves (I got mine from the garden)
 mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 tsp. olive oil + a little to drizzle over the bread
salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the seeds and juice. Dice the tomatoes. Place the basil leaves one over the other and roll them. Cut the roll to form thin strips or chiffonade. In a bowl combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. Keep aside.

Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices. Drizzle with a little olive oil and arrange on a baking tray. Place mozzarella cheese over the top.

Bake for 5 minutes or until the cheese just starts to melt. Do not allow the cheese to melt and separate.

Transfer to a plate and top with the tomato mixture.

Enjoy!

Samsa

Samosas are popular all over the world. The flavorful filling and the crispy crust is what makes the samosa so popular. The big drawback of a samosa is that it is deep fried. Samsa is a variation of the popular samosa and is widely popular in the middle east.

In the Xinjiang province of China, where the food is heavily influenced by Arabic cuisine, samsa is a popular street food. It is cooked in a tandoor like oven and can be baked in a home oven. The filling is usually not vegetarian. I converted the original recipe by using potatoes and cheese.

Like its cousin the samosa, the dough used for the samsa is not leavened. A strong flour is used and rolled out thinly to ensure it is cooked through. I used whole wheat flour that we use for chapatis. 

You will need for 8-10 samsa

For the filling

1 large potato

2 tbsp. onion, diced

1/4 cup feta cheese

2 tbsp. romano, cotija or any cooking cheese

1 tbsp. cumin seeds

1 tsp. paprika

salt to taste

For the dough

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (chapati flour or bread flour)

water as needed

1 egg as egg wash

Boil the potato in the pressure cooker or in the microwave. I cooked it in the microwave. Prick the potato at 1 inch intervals with a fork. Leave the skin on and place it in the microwave along with a cup of water. In 5-6 minutes the potato should be cooked. Let it cool for 15 minutes before peeling the skin off to avoid the hardening of the outer layer.  Dice the potato and combine with the other ingredients. Keep aside.

In a separate bowl sift the flour and using water form a soft dough. Knead it for a couple minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F. To prepare the samsa divide the dough into 8-10 portions. Roll out one portion on a work surface using a little flour to prevent sticking. The rolled disc should be 1/8th of an inch or thinner. 

Place filling in the center and fold in the dough from one side.

Now fold in the opposite side. Next fold in from the third side.

Complete the package by folding in the remaining side.

Place on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat for the remaining portions of dough. Break the egg in a bowl and add 1 tbsp. water. Whisk together. Apply egg wash over the prepared samsa. 

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are brown. Let it cool on a cooling rack for a couple minutes. 

Samsa is best eaten hot.

Peppery Paneer Toast

High school years are hectic and the workload is unreal. Food somehow takes the lowest priority. A filling snack on a busy day goes a long way. When I made this toast for the first time it disappeared very quickly. My daughter told me to feel free to make it any time.

Since then I have made it a couple times for her and her teenage friends. Every time it is a big hit. In fact it is so good, you could serve it as an appetizer at an adult dinner party or put it on the menu for a tea party. The cheesy toast and sweet peppers are sure to please even little children.

You will need
1/3 tbsp. butter
1/8 onion, diced
1/4 red bell pepper, finely diced
3.5 oz. paneer, diced
3/4 cup basic white sauce
salt and pepper to taste
4 slices whole grain wheat bread
1/2 cup shredded cheese (any)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Melt the butter in a pan on medium heat. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes. Then add the red bell pepper and saute together for a couple minutes. Add the paneer and saute for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the white sauce and mix together. Check taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Turn off heat.

Place the slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and heat in the oven for about 4 minutes. Divide the paneer mixture into four parts and spread each part on a slice of bread. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top of each slice.

Put the baking sheet back in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is just melted. Cut into triangles and serve hot.

Note: The paneer mixture can be made a few hours ahead of time. When needed simply put it on the bread with cheese and bake.

Baked Apple

A whole cored baked apple with a tablespoon of light brown sugar and raisins is a delicious way to eat your daily apple. This is a very simple recipe. The time taken is mainly in the oven.

You will need
Baking apple like Fuji, Golden delicious etc.
1 tbsp. light brown sugar per apple
5-6 raisins per apple
1 tsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash and core the apple. Using a knife score around the perimeter of the apple.

Mix together brown sugar and raisins. Stuff the core of the apple with the mixture.

I forgot to score the apple so I did it after it was stuffed. This step is very important or the skin will burst in the oven.

Place the butter on the top and put in the center rack of the oven.

Cook for about 40 minutes or until the apple is softened.

Let it rest for a few minutes. Serve will it is still warm. Makes a great afternoon snack for kids.