Crackers

Crackers are everyones friend. With a little work you can make your own. It's so simple and very very tasty. Making your own crackers means you can flavor them anyway you want. ;) This cracker recipe is just like my taco shells but using one more cup of a flour mix and flavorings)

3 cups bread flour
1 cup ( a mix of whole spelt, ground flax, rye meal, cracked wheat)
1/3 + 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 3/4 cup water
(Added dried Onions, pepper, garlic, salt)

Preheat over to 250 degrees

Mix flours and seasonings together than add the oil and then the water miz until the dough has fully come together and it's not sticky. Saran wrap it for 30 minutes and than roll it out like you do taco shells. Cook on griddle until cooked through. (something to keep in mind cook it on a lower temp or they will smoke). Add them to your oven and let them dry out until they are crackers.

Once they are cool break them apart. If you want squares, circles or any other shape. Cut them out of the dough before cooking them on the griddle.

Liquid Laundry Detergent

laundry detergent 

I don't know about you but  I truly hate paying to much for anything. When it comes down to laundry detergent .... two words.. OH MY... so this recipe and 15 minutes of your time is roughly going to cost you 3 dollars to make and you will have 416 ounces of the best, cleanest, most ecological sound laundry detergent that actually gets your clothes clean and doesn't leave them feeling greasy or nasty or make you itch afterwards.

pail

No need to pay for a container... (if you know of someone that owns a cat(s) ask for there plastic pail (40 pounds) that was housing the kitty litter) Not only are you stopping one pail from making it into the land fill your saving money. Wash it out real well and there you go.

4 cups water
Bar of soap ( I use Dr. Bronners)
1 gallon container
5 gallon container/lid or a used kitty litter container( 40 pounds)
1 cup of washing soda
1/2 cup Borax

3 "ingredients"

grated soap flakes

Start heating the water and cheese grate the bar of soap into flakes. Right before the 4 cups of water boils add the soap flakes and turn down a bit. Stir until all of the soap has dissolved. Once the soap has dissolved add 3 gallons of hot water to the large pail, dump in the soap mixture and add the washing soda, stir until its dissolved and then add the borax and again stir until its dissolved. If you let it sit over night it will thicken into a gloppy mess, If you keep a spoon handy you can just stir it back up. But you can use it right away.

Vegan Pastrami

Vegan Pastrami

2 1/4 cups instant gluten flour (vital wheat gluten) 
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 
1/4 cup chickpea flour  
1/4 cup fine bulger, fully soaked 
 mustard seeds, dill, Thyme, salt, pepper, pepper flakes, dried onion,  cayenne, lawry's salt, emeril's, coriander, fennel, clove   
 3/4 cup cold water 
4 tablespoons tomato sauce 
2 tablespoons soy sauce 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
6 cloves garlic, pressed 
1/2 cup cooked lentil's
1/2 cooked tapioca

all ingredients ready to be mixed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees


Add all dry ingredients to a bowl. Add the lentil's and cooked tapioca. Then add your liquids. Mix together till its all combined and lay out on tin foil. Roll it into a log tightly twisting the ends up. Bake until its done. 3-4 hours. Allow it to fully cool to be easy to slice thin. 

ready to be rolled up and baked

And now for a teaser :) Vegan Rubens

Crab Snacks

Looking for the perfect Tapas idea? Or just a snack.... or one of the best concepts of leftovers ever? Welcome to .....Crab Snacks :)

Take a ripe avocado mush it up well add seasonings to it put it on a cracker with a little bit of crab and I swear you will think you have died and gone to heaven.

Avocado mixture

• Lemon juice 
• Black pepper
• Salt
• Za'atar ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Za'atar) 
• Thyme
• Ginger
• Cayenne

Break time.....

Mahi Mahi (nut encrusted)

Mahi Mahi

Not really a recipe but still worth mentioning. It's a great dinner party idea. It's makes quite the plating. 

Mahi Mahi

Nut Crust 

Cashews- blended into fine pieces 

Parsley

Pepper

Cayenne

Garlic

(whatever else you want) 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line your broiler pan in tin foil. Brush the tin foil and the fish liberally with olive oil. Bake for 5 mins, remove from oven and dip in coconut milk and roll in nut mixture. Put back on the broiler pan and pat on the remaining nut mixture. Bake for a additional 5-10 mins until the top of the fish is browned and done.

Vegan Cuban Bread

Vegan Cuban Bread

Wow! Has it been a long time since I last posted.... Sigh ..... well here is a recipe for tasty Cuban Bread. It squashes flat but once you freeze it its not quite as "fresh" but I don't worry about that. It still makes great sandwiches,  Croutons, tasty bread slices for your favorite dip. No matter what this recipe is a award winner.

STARTER
3/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup bread or all-purpose flour

The day before baking; add the flour and yeast, mix then add water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and put in fridge for 24 hours. 

DOUGH

4-1/2 tsp instant yeast 

1 Tbsp sugar

1-1/2 cups warm water

3 to 4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 batch starter (see above recipe) * I always double this recipe (at least)

1 Tbsp Sea Salt

4 to 5 cups sifted bread flour

Add all dry ingredients to your bowl. Mix together than add the wet ingredients

Mix well with a spoon. You want to get a dough that is stiff enough to knead. 

Knead until smooth and elastic, about  8 -10 minutes, adding flour as necessary. The dough should be pliable and not sticky.

Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles its' bulk, about 60 minutes. Lightly deflate it. 

Ready to be divided 

Cut and ready to be rolled out

To form the loaves, divide the dough in 4 pieces. (This was a quadrupled recipe) Take your piece of dough and flatten fold the sides up and pinch them together really well.

Roll out each to form a 14-inch long tube, with rounded ends (sort of like a long meat loaf)

Ready to roll out 

Put 2 of the loaves on a baking sheet, about 6 inches apart. Cover with saran wrap and a dish towel and let rise in warm, spot until double their bulk, about 1 hour. If you want to let it rise at a slower pace, you can let it rise in refrigerator, let it sit for 4 hours instead. ( I always do personally)

 Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Lay a dampened piece of thick kitchen string or twine (about 1/8 " thick) all along the top length of the loaf. Bake until the breads are lightly browned on top and sound hollow when lightly tapped, about 30 Mins.

Cuban Sandwich