Flaxseed crackers

Adapted from more googled recipes...

• 1 cup ground flaxseed meal
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
• Sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup water

Mix all. Spray some parchment paper with Pam; spoon out over the parchment paper. Take another piece of parchment paper, spray with Pam and cover the mixture. Roll to about the size of a cookie sheet between the two pieces of parchment paper. Transfer to cookie sheet, peel off the top piece of parchment paper. Score the wafer.

Bake 380F (convection bake) about 25 minutes (check near the end of the baking time). When it begins to just smoke a little bit, or the edges are very dry, remove from oven. Break apart, turn off oven, and return to oven for a few minutes to help dry out.

These work out pretty well, and are easier to make than the psyllium crackers.

Nutrition summary for 30 grams (4 tbsp) of ground flaxseed meal: 10 grams fat (1 gram saturated); 6 grams protein, 10 grams total carbs (8 grams fiber->2 grams net carbs). (16 tbsp in 1 cup)

Fiber crackers

This is adapted from googling "psyllium crackers".

• 8 Tbsp psyllium husk powder
• 6 Tbsp flax seed meal
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp (more or less) sesame seeds (if you have them)
• 1 tsp (more or less) seasonings, including salt
• 3 cups (or a touch more) water

Mix dry ingredients. Add 3 cups of water while stirring with a fork. You'll get a gloopy mess. If the mixture seems stiff, add more water. You're going for something with a consistency like applesauce cups.  This will thicken while resting, so don't worry about it looking like it's too thin. Let mixture rest 5-10 minutes while you do the next step:

Preheat oven to 275 F (convection bake). Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray parchment paper lightly with Pam. Spread about 1 gloopy forkful of the mixture on the parchment paper at a time, and work it flat on the paper with the fork (roughly 1/8" to 1/4" thick, no thicker than 1/4"). Repeat until all done.

Bake at 275 F (convection) for 1:30. Take out of oven, flip each cracker, put back in oven. Increase temperature to 300 F, and cook another 30 minutes. Top and bottom of each cracker will be dull looking & crackers will be dry.  Take out of oven, let cool, and store in a dry place (cookie jar, ziplock bag, etc.)

This makes about 18+ crackers (about 2"x4" each).

Salmon (or other fish) en papillote

Using aluminum foil, and whole fillets, rather than individual serving pieces.

Preheated 400 F oven; 17 minutes is slightly overdone for fully defrosted salmon.  Try 14 minutes next time.

o mai cam thao

From the youtube video of Uyen Thy's Vietnamese cooking show:

• 3 lbs craisins (sweetened dried cranberries)
• 1 c lemon juice
• 1 c sugar
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 lb fresh ginger
• 1 c ground cam thao (licorice root), divided into 2 parts

Stir sugar & salt into the lemon juice; add water; mix together with dry ingredients & half the licorice.  Let soak overnight in a covered container to let the dried fruit rehydrate.  Pour out into a foil-lined pan; dehydrate in a 200 F oven (door ajar) for ~6 hrs, stirring every couple of hours.  (Food dehydrator is probably ideal)  At the end of the dehydration, there should be no free liquid--it should have evaporated, but the dried fruit should still be soft.  Stir in the remainder of the licorice root.

Attempt #1, 5/9/2013:

• 2 lbs Trader Joe's unsulfured dried apricots
• 1/2 c sugar
• juice from 2 limes
• 1/2 c sliced licorice root, rehydrated with 1/2 c hot water, then, ground in food processor (next time, try the vitamix, and don't rehydrate)
• Water made up to 1/2 c, added to 1/2 c sugar
• 2 large ginger roots; when ground, comes to 2 cups
• 2/3 tbsp salt

170 F convection to dehydrate.

Almond cream for tarte; tarte aux pommes

• 6 tbsp butter
• 2/3 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbsp rum

Use a food processor; beat almonds, sugar, & butter together.  Add eggs, then, rum & vanilla.

Pour out into a container & refrigerate until ready to use.

Peel & slice apples that hold their shape:  Golden delicious, granny smith, fuji

Line a pan with pate brisee; spread a layer of almond cream.  Layer slices of apples.  Cook in a preheated 350 oven for 40-50 minutes (convection--also try 325 F for 40 minutes, up to 375 or 400 last 5-10 minutes).

Red chile sauce (vitamix) and carne adovada

Put into the vitamix:

• 10 dried red chile pods (break off the stems)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• About 2 cups hot water

Mix on slow a bit, then, move to high.  Mix on "high" for 3-4 minutes.  That's it.

For the Carne Adovada:

• Use 6 pods.  (8 pods was a bit too spicy)
• Replace salt with bouillon (enough for 2-3 cups)
• Add 2-3 tbsp flour before blending

For about 3 lbs of meat in a crockpot:  Use the above amount of red chile sauce, + 1 chopped onion, some oregano, 2 14-oz cans of hominy.  Cook in crockpot on low for 8 hrs.

No-knead pizza dough

2.5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp yeast
1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients.  Add water, stir until water is all absorbed.  You may need 1 more tbsp of water if the humidity is low.  The dough will be sticky.  Maybe coat the dough with a spoon of olive oil at the end of all the stirring.

Cover, let rise 18-24 hrs.

Preheat the oven with the pizza stones (convection 450 or 475 F).  Scrape out the dough on a floured surface.  Divide and form balls (fold the dough into balls).  Set seam down; cover and let rest about 30 minutes.  Roll out gently; place on pizza peel (flour & cornmeal on peel).  Add toppings.  Slide on stone; bake 8-9 minutes.

Makes about 4 personal-sized thin-crust pizzas.