Last year for Mother’s Day, my family got me a copy of Raw Food Real World by Matthew Kenney and Sarma Melngailis. The food in this book is absolutely gorgeous and the recipes all look soo gourmet!
One of my favorite recipes from RFRW is the Walnut Hemp Crackers. Many of the raw crackers rely heavily on flax, so this one is a treat in that it has a very different flavor and texture. Don’t get me wrong, I loves me some flax crackers. It’s just nice to have some alternatives.
Even in the summer when it’s hard to keep dehydrated things crisp, I gobble these crackers down with a smear of cashew mayo or cheezy dip and tomato on top. And when I say gobble I mean eat a reasonable amount and certainly not enough to make myself feel that bleh “oh no I’ve eaten too many nuts n seeds” feeling. Cough.
The first time I tasted them, I wasn’t quite sure I liked them. They were like nothing I’d tasted before. But I tried another cracker and I’ve been hooked ever since. I also really like the small number of ingredients involved in this recipe, and that some of the “breadiness” comes from zucchini. If you dehydrate it a little less, and/or spread it a little thicker, it makes a great raw bread as well.
Walnut Hemp Crackers
- 5 cups walnuts, soaked overnight
- 5 cups zucchini
- 3/4 cups golden flax, ground (~1 cup ground)
- 1 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tbs salt
Grind walnuts in a food processor until finely ground, but take care not to grind them into a butter. Transfer to a bowl.- Put chopped zucchini into the food processor, process until homogenized, pour into bowl with walnuts.
- Add hemp seeds, ground flax and salt, stirring to combine. Add water as necessary to give consistency of wet muffin batter.
- Spread onto 3 lined dehydrator trays using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon or whatever else you have that will give you a relative flat surface. Dip the utensil in water to help keep it from sticking to the relatively gummy dough.
I put my knife down on the dough to create score lines. I tried moving the knife through but sometimes it would snag leaving holes in the dough. Putting the knife down and picking it straight up again leaves enough of an impression to make the crackers break easily apart once dried.- Dehydrate at 115 degrees for 6-8 hours or overnight. When the tops are dry, flip them over and peel away the linings. Dehydrate until they reach the crispiness or flexibility you like.
I like this best served with a thin slices of avocado, tomato and red onion with a leaf of fresh herb on top. But I’ll eat it with the mayo or dip or just cultured veggies sometimes. Sometimes I sprinkle the dough spread on the trays with nutritional yeast for an added flavor dimension. This recipe fills a one gallon glass jar.
Why walnuts? According to the world’s healthiest foods :
Walnuts’ concentration of omega-3s (a quarter-cup provides 90.8% of the daily value for these essential fats) has many potential health benefits. In addition, walnuts contain an antioxidant compound called ellagic acid that supports the immune system and appears to have several anticancer properties. Walnuts, pecans and chestnuts have the highest antioxidant content of the tree nuts, with walnuts delivering more than 20 mmol antioxidants per 3 ounces (100 grams). And walnuts have been shown in studies to help lower cholesterol. So whip up some of these crackers and feed your body good!
Have you made raw crackers? How do you eat them?
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