Friday, March 16, 2012

Paleo Almond Garlic Rosemary Crackers



These are the best no-grain, low carb, "paleo" crackers. I kid you not. And they are so easy to make.
Whenever I am looking for a savory, crunchy snack, I whip these up in less than 20 minutes - this includes the time in the oven!




I like to add in some fresh chopped rosemary and minced garlic. The fresh rosemary makes all the difference and really adds flavor.



For those of you on GAPS or the SCD diet, you can soak the almonds overnight (add a small amount of vinegar to release the phytates) to help with digestion and nutrient absorption. Phytates can keep your body from digesting important nutrients. For most people who absorb nutrients well this is not much of a worry, but for those who have digestive issues, it can help.

Since my body doesn't agree with dairy right now, I buy this delicious whipped garlic spread at Whole Foods which is really addictive. For those of you who live in Los Angeles and have ever eaten at a mediterranean grill called Zankou Chicken, you know what I'm talking about as this is where I first discovered garlic spread. You could also dip the crackers in hummus or spread tahini on them. If you can eat dairy, I bet these would be good with some herbed goat cheese.

These crackers make me smile :-)

1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour or meal
2 T Organic Olive Oil
1 egg white
3/4 t baking soda
1-2 cloves fresh chopped garlic
few sprigs chopped rosemary
Coarse sea salt (to sprinkle on top after rolling)
Parchment paper (makes cleaning a snap!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. The mixture should resemble a paste and should not be too wet. Take ingredients and pat into a ball and put on parchment paper. Cover with parchment and roll out into a rectangular shape. Once rolled, transfer to a baking sheet and remove upper layer of parchment paper. You can bake the crackers on the lower layer which prevents sticking and keeps you from having to wash more dishes (this is a good thing.) Take a butter knife and score the crackers into desired sized squares. Sprinkle sea salt and bake in oven for about 10 minutes or until sides start to brown. Let cool a few minutes and then break along the knife scores.

Enjoy!

Oh, and if you wonder where my picture of my finished crackers are, let's just say I ate them all before I realized I didn't take one. Oops. Maybe next time I make them I will add it in.

3 comments:

  1. These look very interesting - I like the idea of the sweetness of almonds mixed with rosemary... and so healthy! Grazie :) Claudine

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  2. I'd like to give these a try! Do you make your own almond flour, or do you purchase it?

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  3. Claudine - I am a big fan of fresh rosemary. They are very good in my opinion so I hope you enjoy them. And on another note, it's funny you said "gratzie," because my husband and I are learning Italian right now, and so we say this repeatedly. haha

    learningandyearning - I actually have made my own, which is very easy to do. I usually buy organic almonds in the bins at Whole Foods, so that I can choose how much I want. Then I use my food processor and grind them up. You can get them pretty finely processed, just be sure not to go too far they they turn to almond butter! If I'm lazy, I buy almond meal at Trader Joe's here on the west coast (not sure where you live). The meal is ground almonds with the skins on. You can also buy almond flour which is the same - only difference is the almonds are blanched and the skins removed. Almond flour is nice when you want to make something fancy like shortbread cookies and want an even color and consistency. But I think almond meal tastes the same, and it is typically cheaper, too.

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