skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I day dream about flavor combos. I'm a complete food-nerd. Goat Cheese Oatmeal Crackers are an easy (really easy) way to have your cheese and cracker together, plus the toasty crunch of healthy oatmeal. That sounded like a commercial, but I really meant every word. 
The other day I was developing a recipe for ABC jam (that's what I call the flavor combo of Apricot, Basil and Cherries). When it came time to taste the jam, I realized I didn't have even a crumb of bread or a cracker in the house. 
I put a teaspoon of the jam on a slice of cheese and it was SO good, the tang of cheese paired so well with the tangy fruit and sweet syrup. The texture I really missed was the crispness of a cracker, a light weight edible platter for my dollop of jam. 
There was not enough time (in other words I was too impatient) to make bread, but quick crackers are a favorite pastime of mine.
The Goat Cheese in these crackers is just enough to give the flaky wafer a ting on your tongue and like a good cracker; it accents whatever you eat with it. 
In only a very few steps, you'll have snack, cocktail or appetizer crackers with a gourmet blend and a touch of oatmeal healthiness. These will keep for days in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.
I hope you'll try these. It would make my day dreams come true. :D
RECIPE: Goat Cheese Oatmeal Crackers
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
Pinch of Salt
4 oz. butter
8 oz. goat cheese
1) In a food processor, pulse the oatmeal til ground into flour.
2) Add salt, flour and cold butter - pulse until all combined.
3) Add goat cheese and pulse until large pieces of dough are holding together. (No water is needed because the goat cheese is so moist.)
4) Pour onto board and squeeze together into a ball. Divide into 2 balls of dough, wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.
5) Roll out to 1/4 inch thick and cut into shapes. Sprinkle with Kosher Salt. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes at 350F.
This Simple Saturday flat bread is called La Cecina or Farinata in Italy, Socca in France and the same basic bread is eaten in hundreds of places around the world. I've tried it in France, Italy and Barcelona - different names, same basic ingredients. I can't imagine a homemade flat bread easier than this.
La Cecina or Socca
or Farinata Flat Bread
Not only is it toasty, earthy, and filling - it's naturally gluten free, high in minerals and fiber and can be eaten alone or made into a pizza, sandwich or crepe. It can be chewy and soft, thin or thick, dense or a crispy cracker. No wonder it has been embraced and renamed to represent so many peoples.
There seems to be two ways to see our world: how much we are alike, or how much we differ. I see us as the perfect feast. We include varied courses, some of us are challenging to the taste buds, others make us feel cozy like home, and some of us are better digested with a good wine.
There are songs written about "love" being all we need, there are a thousand commercials showing how much families are alike, there are science books listing how we all need water, food and light. And, if you've ever seen a group of young children together you know neither language or politics come before chasing, playing and laughing together. Often, food is the great emulsifier that brings us all together, even when we would normally be like oil and water.
The flour used for this easy flat bread is called Garbanzo Flour or Chickpea Flour and is made from the beans (if you've never bought any flour other than All Purpose or Self-Rising - here is a no risk, easy way to venture out just a bit.) So many grocery stores in the United States now carry more varieties of flours, don't be afraid to ask for this, or give a look in the specialty area of the baking aisle. Bob's Red Mill is a well known and widely carried brand. After you use some of the Garbanzo/Chickpea Flour, roll up the bag and store in the freezer; it will last for months that way.
RECIPE: La Cecina or Socca or Farinata or Flatbread
1 cup Garbanzo Flour/Chickpea Flour
3/4 - 1 cup of water
2 Tbls. Olive oil
salt/pepper to taste
**Optional (used in the bread pictured): 1 Tsp. minced Jalapeno, 1 Tbls. minced shallot, Pinch of dried thyme, pinch of minced fresh parsley
1) In a bowl, pour in the flour and add a little of the water. Whisk to make a paste, then add the rest of the water and whisk to incorporate and work out lumps.
2) Add the rest of the ingredients (you may also cook the pepper and onions first to give them a roasted flavor, then add them.) Let this sit for 30 mins to several hours to soak and bloom.
3) Drizzle just a covering of Olive Oil into a flat bottom skillet (cast iron works great) and heat over Med/High heat on the stove top.
4) Pour the batter into the skillet and allow to cook until the bottom is set. Then move the pan into a preheated oven on 375F, continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes or browned to your taste.
5) Remove and slide flat bread onto a towel or board. Cut into triangles (a pizza cutter works great), and serve. This is a perfect pairing with spreads, sauces, dips, eggs, salad or plain snacking.
On the streets of France, Socca is poured out very thin onto a giant cast iron pan and cooked at a high heat to be served up more like grilled crispy crackers. Try it thin and thick to discover which way you prefer this global flat bread. I'd love to hear about other foods you have discovered that are basically the same around the world.
Sometimes I can't keep my opinion to myself. The other day, in the middle of the grocery aisle, I blurted out, "You have GOT to be kidding me" upon viewing a box of "gourmet" crackers for 8 bucks. It rattled a few of the cart pushers around me, but come on. You can easily make crackers that do NOT cost that much, and take less time than finding your car keys to drive to the store.
10 Minute Crackers
I will be the first one to gladly pay for top ingredients, divine technique, local farm produced pesticide free vegetables, and talented chef's creations. But sometimes, folks, it's just the packaging they're selling. There are wonderful recipes for Lavash, and Yeast crackers that are well worth the time and effort, but for just a quick basic cracker that you can turn into "Your Made Gourmet", this quick recipe rules.
I've added a few ideas to jazz it up, but just open your pantry and try stuff; it's the best way!
***Warning*** You may get hooked on experimenting with seasonings and toppings on these very easy and addictive crackers.
RECIPE: 10 Minute Crackers
1 cup AP Flour (but experiment with other flours, too)
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup Butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. Salt
water (or milk, or experiment with other liquids)
1- In a Food Processor - Pulse the flour, salt, cheese and butter for about 15-20 hits until it's crumbly. (You can also do this by hand and work the butter in until the dry ingredients are crumbly.)
2- Add the water a little at a time, pulsing between additions, til a soft dough gathers up in the bowl. You may not need all of the water.
3- Place the dough on a floured surface and do either of these:
LOG, CHILL and SLICE:
1) Roll into a log the diameter you want your crackers to be.
2) Roll the log in seasonings of choice (ie, mushroom powder [recipe below], fleur de sel, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dry herbs, etc.)
3) Cover in plastic and chill the log for at least 1 hour
4) Slice into thin rounds
5) Place on a parchment covered baking pan and bake at 400F for 5-10 minutes depending how thin the crackers.
6) Cool and keep in an airtight container.
OR...
ROLL OUT and BAKE:
1) Roll dough out thin onto a parchment paper that you then place on a baking sheet.
2) Sprinkle onto the sheet of dough: seasonings (as mentioned above, or nuts, or seeds)
3) Score the dough with a sharp knife or pizza cutter into squares or shapes as desired.
4) Bake in a 400F oven for 5-10 minutes depending on how thin the dough has been rolled.
5) Cool and keep in an airtight container.
RECIPE: Dried Mushroom Powder
Using Dried Wild Mushrooms - place in a coffee grinder or spice grinder and pulse for 30 seconds at a time until you reach a nice powder form. Use for rolling the cracker dough log in or for sprinkling on the rolled out cracker dough before baking.
You could easily design your own gourmet crackers and can you imagine what your friends will say when you tell them you MADE the crackers you're serving with cheese tonight. Probably something like, "You have GOT to be kidding me!"
The mission was to bring snack food - no wait, "healthy" snack food. It was to feed 100 teenagers, no wait, 100 "Drama Dept." teenagers (they are not shy). My son is a ninth grader in the High School Spring Musical and "hell week" (rehearsals everyday til late at night) is this week. The parents try to pitch in by bringing food and waters, etc. for the "struggling actors" who are confined to their art (said with back of hand thrown to forehead in mock despair) in the auditorium for hours.
Cheezees 
These snack crackers are fast and easy, and addictive. I'm glad they're out of here or I would've eaten a pound by myself. I don't know why a pound of food translates into 5 pounds of weight, but it's one of the many unfair things about the culinary world (said with back of hand thrown to forehead in true despair).
RECIPE:
(makes enough for about 50 small party cups, can be cut in half for less)
1 1/2 cup Flour
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
12 - 16oz shredded sharp cheddar (or you can use a mixture)
1/2 cup butter cold, cut into cubes
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
*I throw in a dash of flax seed meal, also
Put all ingredients into the food processor and pulse til it's a small crumbly mixture. Add a few Tbls. of cold water, a little at a time, just until it holds together.
Remove and form into two disks, wrap both in plastic and chill for about 1/2 hour.
Work with one disk at a time, rolling out to 1/8 inch thickness
Cut into shapes with tiny garnish cutter or into 1 inch squares
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350F for about 15 - 18 minutes.
Cool on the sheet and fill up the bowls!
*You can also add a dash of spices or herbs to these, ie. chipotle chili powder, parsley, Italian seasoning, or curry powder. With Drama Teens, I played it safe :D
THEY LOVED THEM, I should have made more.
Quote from one of the "Flying Monkeys" (the play is THE WIZ): "I can carry these in my pocket on the stage" Ok, ewww, but yay at the same time.
I day dream about flavor combos. I'm a complete food-nerd. Goat Cheese Oatmeal Crackers are an easy (really easy) way to have your cheese and cracker together, plus the toasty crunch of healthy oatmeal. That sounded like a commercial, but I really meant every word. 
The other day I was developing a recipe for ABC jam (that's what I call the flavor combo of Apricot, Basil and Cherries). When it came time to taste the jam, I realized I didn't have even a crumb of bread or a cracker in the house. 
I put a teaspoon of the jam on a slice of cheese and it was SO good, the tang of cheese paired so well with the tangy fruit and sweet syrup. The texture I really missed was the crispness of a cracker, a light weight edible platter for my dollop of jam. 
There was not enough time (in other words I was too impatient) to make bread, but quick crackers are a favorite pastime of mine.
In only a very few steps, you'll have snack, cocktail or appetizer crackers with a gourmet blend and a touch of oatmeal healthiness. These will keep for days in an airtight container or zip-lock bag.
RECIPE: Goat Cheese Oatmeal Crackers
1) In a food processor, pulse the oatmeal til ground into flour.
