Culture

V Cook—An Autumnal Crisp Without the Guilt

As the holiday party season kicks off, those looking to entertain at home should eschew store bought nibbles in lieu of healthy alternatives. And we went back to VB’s friend and chef Andrea Rodriquez to get his recipe for a delicious snack that will pair well with bubbles, wine, or a seasonal cocktail. Developed for VB as an energizing and vitamin rich snack, the carrot and seed crackers use a mélange of seeds—hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower—which are good for digestion and the metabolism. And with a prep time of about ten minutes, it’s an easy snack to whip up should more guests pop by.

Carrot and Seed Crackers — makes 25

Ingredients:

100 grams of buckwheat flour

70 grams of chickpea flour

2 grated and peeled carrots

50 grams of flax seeds

20 grams of hemp seeds

70 grams of pumpkin seeds

70 grams of sunflower seeds

2 teaspoons of salt

4-7 tablespoons of water

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

1-2 teaspoons of chili powder

Recipe:

Pre-heat oven to 180°C fan

Mix flour, flax seeds, and salt together in a bowl

Grate the carrots into the bowl

Add water and oil as needed

Combine well

Add the remaining seeds and seasoning

Combine again

Dough should be moist but hard enough to work with your hands

Cut a long piece of baking paper

Fold in half like a book

Put the dough between the fold

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough

The thickness should be approximately 3-5 millimetres

Leave dough on sheet and move to baking tray

Mark squares with a knife in the dough before placing into the oven

Place in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, reduce to 160°C fan for 15 minutes

Remove from oven and let cool

Cut along the marks