Recipe: Gluten-Free Flax Rosemary Crackers

I love making these crackers. I usually dry them in the dehydrator, especially when I was doing the raw foods thing, or if it's Summer and I don't feel like heating up the kitchen. But baking these is faster, which means I get to eat them quicker!

Flax is high in those amino acids and omegas that help our brains think. Should have some daily. The thing about using ground flax seed meal is that flax seed, when mixed with liquid, makes a gelatinous (jelly-like) substance. No gluten needed because that jelly-stuff will hold it together. Then I experiment with different flours to add (like teff, sorghum, tapioca, bean), and then seasonings/flavors. Depends if I want savory or sweet.

Here's what I'm making today: Rosemary and Garlic. I was inspired to make these by my favorite Wal-Mart brand of rosemary and olive oil crackers. Loved to eat them with mashed avocado. Now I eat this gluten-free version not only with avocado, but also with tunafish salad, like today's lunch! Yum. As I type this, I have a batch baking in the oven!

Ingredients:
1 cup ground flaxseed meal
1 tablespoon dried garlic granules/flakes
1 teaspoon ground rosemary
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups water
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (tapioca, potato, rice, etc.)

Directions:
Mix in medium bowl the flaxseed meal, garlic, rosemary and onion powder. Make sure it's well incorporated before adding liquids or you'll get seasoning lumps! Add the water and olive oil and mix well. Let sit for 30 minutes to develop into a gelatinous goo (see pic to right). Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the gluten-free flour and combine well. Add more or less for your preference. Spread your batter on a sprayed baking tray (I use a lasagna pan) - spread thinly. Bake at 350 degrees about 20 minutes. Will look like there's a "pudding-skin" on the top. Score (kinda mark with a knife - makes it easier to break into cracker-size), reduce oven to 250 degrees and bake another 30-45 minutes, until baked. Turn off the oven and leave until cool and dried out! Enjoy!

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NOTE: These crackers can all be made with products you've stored in your pantry or freezer for emergencies (for preppers), and they are also not hard to grow (for self-sufifcient-ers!). I buy bulk ground flax-seed meal at Sam's(store open containers in the fridge) and one container lasts me about 20 batches of these crackers, plus lots left for other recipes.

VARIATION:
Sometimes I also add a little ground hempseed or ground nuts/seeds like almonds or sunflower for additional protein.

If you don't like garlic as much as I do, reduce it or eliminate it. Experiment with your own seasonings.

If you like salt/pepper, you should add it to the dry ingredients before adding oil or water.

This is a good recipe to "hide" vegetables! Take some vegetables, slice thinly, dehydrate until crisp, crush into powder, and add the veggie powder to the dry ingredients. Perfect!

Add an extra 1/2 cup to a cup of the flour to make more of a flat bread. Hmmm... I wonder what would happen if I also added a teaspoon of baking powder with that extra cup of flour!?! If you do it, let us know!