Vegan Crackers and…Mr Easy-On-The-Eye

That Alfie is involved in so many pursuits I’m being kept on my toes.  I need to stay fit, strong and energised.  Yesterday I dusted off my gym gear and paid a visit to my ‘charity’.  Having dropped Alfie off to early morning band practise (just another thing), I arrived at the time where the early morning classes had finished and the morning classes hadn’t yet begun.  I’m not self-motivated so I dithered around wondering what to do.

Crispy crackers

Crispy crackers

I saw a trainer who I have done one or two group sessions with and asked him if he was taking the next class.  He told me he wasn’t.  I said, ‘I’m waiting for it to start’.


He looked surprised and said, ‘That’s in 50-minutes’.

‘I know’.

‘Why don’t you go downstairs and do a workout using the weights?’

‘I just don’t know what to do with myself’.

He looked at me and then said, ‘Would you like me to show you?’

Everything you need to make the crackers

Everything you need to make the crackers

‘Oh, that would be great’.  So we went downstairs and he asked me if I wanted to build big muscles or just tone the ones I’ve got.  Now I’m not interested in gaining bulk so we’ll just tone the ones I’ve got.  He showed me how to use the machines and made me do a couple of repetitions.  He showed me how to use the weights properly without injuring myself and corrected my body position.  How much easier it is to train with an instructor standing right beside you.

Halfway through the baking

Halfway through the baking

After the cool-down and a few stretches he asked me if I had thought about personal training.  I knew it was coming.  And while I haven’t been keen to spend any more money at this place where I have a fortnightly direct debit that lately has been nothing more than a donation, I did think some sessions showing me around the gym and how to use the equipment would be beneficial.

And Tiago is very easy-on-the-eye.  Ladies…he’s from Brazil and has been a football player.  He is tall and dark and gorgeous and I’m old enough to be his mother.

Resting before cooking

Resting before cooking

I signed up.  It’s true his ‘easy-on-the-eye’ good looks were more of a motivating factor than learning about the proper uses of machinery but I was never one for mechanics.

Tiago and I have our first date next Wednesday.

I wonder what he’s going to do with me.

Maybe something life changing like these crackers.

A lot of goodness

A lot of goodness

A few months ago I posted a recipe for the Life Changing Loaf of Bread that comes from a blog, My New Roots.  Sarah, whose blog is based in Copenhagen, also has a cracker recipe that’s vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.  As the loaf of bread recipe was very popular, I thought I’d also share Sarah’s cracker recipe.

These crackers are very easy to make especially if you live near Mona Vale or Mosman as you can go to Scoop Wholefoods where they package all the dry ingredients needed to make both the bread and the crackers.  All you have to do is bring home the jar of ingredients, mix it into a bowl, stir in the wet ingredients and it’s done.

Served with a vegan dip

Served with a vegan dip

Flavours can be added to the mixture so I added 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary and a little sprinkle of sea salt before they went in the oven.  In keeping with the vegan theme, I made a roasted beetroot and chickpea dip to serve with the crackers.

The dip was made by roasting three beetroots then blitzing them in the food processor with a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas, a tablespoon of tahini, a teaspoon of ground cumin, the juice of one lemon and a clove of crushed garlic.  Easy.

Crispy and crunchy

Crispy and crunchy

5.0 from 4 reviews
Life Changing Crackers
Author: 
Recipe type: Crackers
Cuisine: Vegan
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 60
 
Life Changing Crackers that are gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and vegan.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup / 135g sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup / 90g flaxseeds
  • ⅓ cup / 50g pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • ¼ cup / 40g sesame seeds
  • 1½ cups / 150g rolled oats (gluten free)
  • 2 tbspns chia seeds
  • 4 tbspns psyllium seed husks
  • 1½ tspn fine grains sea salt (like Himalayan salt)
  • 1 tbspn maple syrup
  • 3 tbspns melted coconut oil or ghee
  • 1½ cups / 350mls water
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick. (If the dough is too thick to stir, add 1 or 2 tspns of water until the dough is manageable). Divide the dough roughly in half and set aside one half.
  2. Place one half of the dough back into the bowl and add any flavour you like. Gather into a ball and place it between two sheets of baking paper. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll out into a thin sheet. Remove top layer of baking paper and using the tip of a knife, score the dough into shapes (I chose rectangles). Repeat with remaining half of dough. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours or all day or overnight.
  3. Preheat oven to 350F / 175C. Using the baking paper, slide the dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, flip the whole cracker over (if it breaks a bit, don't worry) and peel the baking paper off the back. Return to oven to bake for another 10 minutes, until fully dry, crisp and golden around the edges.
  4. Let cool completely then break along the scored lines and store in airtight container.
  5. Examples of Flavourings:
  6. Rosemary, Garlic & Smoked salt.
  7. tbspns chopped fresh rosemary
  8. /3 - ½ tspn garlic powder
  9. smoked sea salt to taste
  10. Fig, Anise & Black Pepper
  11. large dried figs (approx 70g)
  12. tspn anise seed
  13. tspn cracked black pepper
Crispy and crunchy

Crispy and crunchy

Scoop Wholefoods:

Mosman:  14 Spit Road, Mosman 2088.  Ph:  8065 3400

Mona Vale:  2/5 Bungan Street, Mona Vale 2103  Ph:  8411 1987

 

Comments

  1. I bet there’s nothing like having an attractive young man encouraging you during your workout to make you want to go to the gym and work up a sweat.

    I love eating cheese so maybe if I make my own crackers I can convince myself that I’m eating ‘healthy’. 🙂

  2. My Personal trainer is a girl… so no extra motivation for me 🙁 those crackers look delicious! Thanks for sharing! Liz xx

  3. Those crackers look delicious. The motivation is eye catching 😉 My Ortho was easy on the eye too. Makes me wonder if that’s what made my other ankle go kaput 😀

  4. You little minx Charlie. 🙂 What ever it takes right? Hope your first ‘date’ goes well. LOL! Delicious crackers, I just love the pic with the beetroot dip. That’d go down a treat with my beer just now. 🙂

  5. Danielle says:

    A perfect post-workout snack. Even Mr Easy-on-the-Eye’s name sounds dreamy 😉

  6. I made the nut loaf for the company Christmas party that I work with on social media content and they loved it. I’ll pass along the recipe for the crackers which I’m sure they’ll love too.
    We donate to the fitness club charity too! Several years ago I belonged to a club at work and we had an ‘easy on the eyes’ trainer Alex, we nick-named ‘The Boy’. He was very flirtatious, VERY. But training with him was excellent because he really pushed you. And if course, I never wanted to show weakness to The Boy. I was in great shape then.

  7. I quite understand Easy-On-The-Eye, we all need to get motivation from somewhere!! The crackers and dip look delicious, definitely one to bookmark. GG xx

  8. You do make me giggle Charlie…but it does sound kind of Tiago to show you around this time, so perhaps it’s fair to give into his charms and have some more PT sessions 🙂 These crackers look like a very virtuous, but also delicious, post work out snack.

  9. So glad you put the recipe for these crackers up after seeing them on your iG feed. And loving the shade of pic for that beetroot dip too!

  10. I don’t think I could get motivated to bake crackers. But I manage to get to the Fitness Center a few times a week for yoga classes, so my money isn’t as you say, a “donation.”

  11. Tiago? Just the name is ‘Fabio’ enough for me. This post about the trainer is NO good without photos. We want to see photos on Thursday.

    Until then we’ll all eat these crackers and dip.

  12. Now that’s some nice motivation! And the crackers and dip sound pretty nifty, too!

  13. Hi Charlie, I’m with Maureen we need pictures of Tiago! Anyway, love these crackers, I made the life changing bread before and it was amazing!

  14. Nothing wrong with a little eye candy in your day Charlie! Gorgeous photos of the dip and crackers they look like they could be a little bit addictive.

  15. These look so delicious and healthy … the perfect snack for anyone trying to eat well!

  16. G’day Great cracker recipe that’s healthy Charlie and am sure we all look forward to hearing about your date next Wednesday! 🙂
    Cheers! Joanne

  17. How come whenever I wanted a trainer I was offered a 30 year old female that made me feel decrepit! Hmmmm. Good for you. 🙂 And I love these vegan crackers. I am very serious about making them as soon as I can. They don’t even need to be life changing! They just look delicious. 🙂 I love the way you put them in the jar…what a great gift!

  18. Beautiful!!!! I love crackers with lots of nuts and seeds and hearty. A perfect little dipper for your vibrant pink dip. Healthy and lovely. Great post, thanks

  19. I’ve made crackers like this from Jody Vassallo’s book Beautiful food. They’re really good and so wholesome and filling too 🙂

  20. Bad Charlie bad….. What will Wednesday bring for you I wonder. Lucky you will have eaten these life changing crackers and a bit of vegan dip and you will be so ready. I love that you have made so many donations to that gym down the road. it will stand you in good stead for some karma

  21. O’ My, these look exquisite!!! x

  22. Those crackers look AMAZING! 🙂 And how exciting to have your own hot tamale instructor. 🙂

  23. Yum. I would like to do these in my dehydrator.

  24. I love that bread so I bet these crackers are just wonderful too. Glad to see an advantage to going to the gym, maybe I should swap from my womens only one 🙂 xo

  25. Funny, I had never seen beetroot hummus until a compatriot of yours IGmed a photo of it. It inspired me to make it and post about it and now I keep seeing it pop up on favorite blogs. Delicious isn’t it?
    I would love to make these, they look so good. I’m not sure where to find psyllium seed husks or how to translate those but I have heard they are important to bind together ingredients… need to do some more research about that!

  26. i still have succumbed to the PT sessions yet but may be worth it as ive injured myself multiple times now!

  27. These snacks would be great at uni, they look delicious 😀

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

  28. The gym is the bane of my existence – but a necessary bane.
    I have determined that the only way I will attend regularly is to have a personal trainer, so now I go – but just the once a week. My trainer is charming, sweet and very buff – and I’m old enough to be his mother, too.

  29. Woo hoo! The vegan crackers look do-able and sooo good for you….Er, the work-outs at your gym with your Brazilian trainer look to be very do-able, too =) Tee hee! Oh, and of course, working out is good for you, too!

  30. He was a very good salesman as well as easy on the eye. How about a photo so we can all enjoy him too?

  31. Hahaha – I cannot wait to hear how your first “date” with Tiago turns out!!!

    Charlie – I am a huge sucker for beets – so this beet dip is making me drool – and those crunchy crackers – wow – life-changing indeed!

Trackbacks

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