The siren call for delicious snacks is strong, especially when you’re relegated to the couch for the foreseeable future. Everything you consume can be an opportunity for body-loving nutrition, snacks included. We asked plant maven and herbal home cook, Sasha Pagni, to create a satisfying option to crunch and munch, and she delivered with these seedy protein crackers.
Why We Love This Recipe:
The flavor. It’s bursting, thanks to Sasha’s recommendation of cumin, garlic, fennel, and rosemary to the original recipe, at your discretion. Finesse a little cheesy bite with nutritional yeast for added B vitamins.
Resourceful and fiber-rich. “It’s a great opportunity to use the parts of the greens that are often discarded, like parsley stems, greens from beets and radishes, leftover pulp from fresh juice, or greens about to go bad,” Sasha says. Plant fiber is a source of prebiotics for the microbiome, meaning your snack will help with digestion, bloat, and gut health.
The crunch. No dehydrator or deep fryer is required here. The toothsome texture comes courtesy of seeds like chia, pumpkin, flax, or sesame. These superfoods squash inflammation and support healthy hormones from omega 3 fatty acids. And remember, it’s a versatile recipe; you can use whichever seeds you have on hand.
The secret ingredient. Protein + Greens Super Powder. The greens nutritional powder includes potent alkalizing grasses and 12 grams of whole food, grain-free protein to ensure deep, healing benefits. Once crispy out of the oven, Sasha suggests spreading, “cashew cheese, freshly sliced tomatoes, avocado, or anything pickled.”
Spicy Green Protein Seed Crackers
Ingredients:
- 1-2 cups of greens (kale, spinach, arugula, basil, chard or what is available), finely chopped or pulsed
- 2 scoops Protein+ Greens Super Powder
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 cup of seeds (use one type of a blend of sesame, pumpkin, sunflower, flax, or whatever you have)
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt plus more for topping
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast plus more for topping
- Optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, cumin, rosemary, and/or fennel seeds
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Finely chop all greens or pulse greens in a blender until they are in small pieces.
3. In a bowl, combine chopped/blended greens, Protein + Greens Super Powder, lemon juice, seeds, almond flour, water, olive oil, salt, nutritional yeast, add in optional garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Stir until well combined. The dough should come together easily into a ball and be firm, not too wet.
4. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the cracker dough onto the sheet and begin to spread the dough into a thin even layer. To make this easier, you can place a piece of parchment paper over the dough. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into an even layer.
5. Sprinkle the desired amount of additional salt, nutritional yeast, and red pepper on top of the cracker.
6. Place the baking sheet in the oven and let the cracker bake 20 minutes. You want to flip the cracker at this stage. It should be firm enough and thin enough to flip easily but if it breaks that is okay. Lift the bottom parchment paper and place another piece of parchment on top and flip in your hands, placing back down on the baking sheet.
7. Cook for an additional 20 minutes and check the crispness of the cracker by breaking off a piece. Flip cracker over and bake for another 10 minutes and check again.
8. Once crackers are done they should be crisp, dry, and have no bend at all.
9. Take crackers out of the oven and cut into large pieces. Top with cashew cheese, avocado, or eat them plain.
More Delicious Snacks and Sweets
