30 days of giving - Day #15: Baked Almond Dill Feta & Oregano Kale Crackers
Cheese...the creamy, delectable food that everyone loves. Cheese was definately my favorite food when I was a teen and young adult. I grew up eating melted cheese buns at my Grandmother's house, slicing cheese off the block and eating it raw alone or with crackers, ordering pizza and lasagna dishes that were smothered in melted cheese and cheesecake was my favorite dessert.
Until one day, I realized that cheese, and all dairy, were what was causing most of my digestive problems and skin breakouts. I was crushed. My favorite food had to go. What was I going to do now? I had tried some dairy-free cheese that were disgusting and not what I woudl consider to be food.
At about this same time I had decided to adopt a 100% plant-based diet and was getting creative with my food. I was writing my cookbook, The Magic of Living Nutrition, and made it my mission to develop dairy-free cheese that tasted as delicious as the cheese I had been used to.
This gift is for all of you cheese and cracker lovers. Once you try these recipes you won't go back to the regular 'ol cheese and crackers.
Baked Almond Dill Feta
1 1/2 cups almond meal or flour
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup filtered water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ¼ tsp sea salt
2 tsp dill
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Blend all ingredients in Vitamix until smooth. You will need to use the plunger to ensure all ingredients are blended thoroughly.
Pour 1 Tbsp of mixture into each space of a mini muffin tin.
Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow cooling before removing from the muffin tin.
Serve with oregano dill kale crackers.
Oregano Kale Crackers
1 cup flax
1 cup water
2 cups almonds, soaked over night, drained and rinsed
1 bunch kale, finely chopped in food processor
1 cup Raw Coconut Flour
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. dill
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix together ground flax and water. Set aside.
Place almonds in food processor and process until finely chopped. Remove to large bowl.
Add nutritional yeast, coconut flour, oregano and dill to the chopped almonds. Mix well.
Stir in kale.
Add flax/water mixture and mix well.
Spread 1/4-inch thick on non-stick dehydrator sheet. Use a pizza cutter to cut into cracker sized pieces and dehydrate at 145 for 30 minutes. Decrease heat to 115 and continue to dehydrate for about 4 hours. Turn and continue to dehydrate for another four hours or until dry.
These recipes and more can be found in The Magic of Living Nutrition lifestyle and cookbook.
