Munch on-the-go with these healthy and crunchy gluten-free crackers which also have an excellent shelf life as a bonus. Keep them as large sheets to break up as you choose, or score them on the oven tray into smaller pieces before baking to keep them conveniently bite-sized.
Ingredients
- 1 1 cup (200 g) long-grain brown rice
- 1 cup (200 g) tri-colour quinoa
- ¼ cup (40 g) sesame seeds
- ¼ cup (50 g) linseeds
- ¼ cup (35 g) chia seeds
- ¼ cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh lemon thyme
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tsps onion powder
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp table salt
Steps
Place rice and 2½ cups (625 ml) water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 25 mins or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat; stand, covered, for 10 mins. Fluff with a fork, spread out over an oven tray; cool.
Place quinoa and 2 cups (500 ml) water in same pan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, for 10 mins or until most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat; stand, covered, for 10 mins. Fluff with a fork, spread out over an oven tray; cool.
Process the rice with half the quinoa to a coarse paste; transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining quinoa, seeds, the herbs, onion powder, pepper and table salt. Using your hands, combine well. Divide into six portions.
Line three oven trays with baking paper. Remove one of the pieces of baking paper. Flatten a portion of dough over paper, cover with plastic wrap then roll out with a rolling pin to 1mm thick, or as thin as possible. (Don’t worry if there are holes, these will give the crackers texture and character.) Discard plastic; carefully lift the paper back onto the tray. Repeat with remaining portions of dough until you have three trays. Sprinkle with salt flakes.
Bake crackers for 20 mins. Cover crackers with a sheet of baking paper and a second tray. Holding the hot tray with oven gloves, flip the crackers over onto the second tray; carefully remove lining paper. Repeat with remaining trays. Cook crackers for a further 20 mins or until golden and crisp. Cool on trays.
TIP If the cracker mixture spreads past the paper when you’re rolling it, just cut those edges off. If you don’t have enough oven trays, you can cook the crackers in two batches. Seeds such as quinoa, linseed, chia and sunflower seeds are packed with fibre, healthy fats and minerals, and in the case of quinoa and chia, are particularly potent sources of nutrients and protein. Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Not suitable to freeze.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au