Now don’t think I’m crazy for making my own crackers, although I have to admit that you might have a point. I certainly never aspired to make my own crackers, but this recipe caught my eye because I have always loved Trader Joe’s version. It didn’t seem too complicated and I just had to try it. In the end, it really was quite simple and I was immediately hooked.

I also love that you can bake them off whenever you need/want them. No more opening a box where too many of them are broken and unusable. Additionally, they are a whole lot tastier, healthier and stay fresher longer than store-bought options. I hope you give them a try and you too might be hooked. Also, the variations of add-ins is pretty extensive, be creative and try different combinations. I have added two additional options in the notes section at the end of this post, however these are only guidelines, mix and match as you like.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup raw cane sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk, see notes below
1/4 cup honey

ADD-INS
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup ground flax seed

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 300º.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cane sugar and salt. Next, I add the dates into the dry ingredients. This coats the dates in the flour mixture and prevents them from clumping too much. Then add the buttermilk and honey, stir to combine. Next, add the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, again, stir well to combine. Be aware, as seen below, this is a very wet batter, more liquid than solid. Do not worry, that is as it should be and it will come out beautifully.

Pour the batter into five mini-loaf pans (mine are approximately 3-1/4″ x 6″) that you have sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for about 22 minutes or until golden on top and slightly springy to the touch. When done baking, remove from the loaf pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Then, wrap and freeze them slightly before slicing. When slightly frozen, it will be much easier to cut into very thin slices. I also recommend using a good serrated bread knife to do the slicing, it will cut through the nuts and dried fruit better. I usually get about 18-20 slices out of each loaf. Place the slices on a sheet pan and bake in 300º preheated oven for 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes or until crisp and a deep golden brown. Over time, you will get a feel for how brown/crisp you like yours done. Leave them in longer for darker, crisper crackers or pull them out sooner when not too brown if you prefer. If next day they need crisping, just put them on a sheet pan for a few minutes at 300º and they will be fresh and crisp.

Alternatively, you can freeze the loaves for up to two months, just make sure you wrap them tightly. When ready to use, thaw slightly, slice and bake for some yummy fresh crackers.

NOTES
The mini loaf pans are very easy to find. If you live near a Home Goods store, they usually have them for about $10 for a set of 4 or 5. If you don’t have access to that, there is always Amazon, they, as always, have many options to choose from. I do have some silicone loaf pans (red in the photos above) and just a heads up, they do take a little longer to cook than the metal pans. Not a problem, just something to be aware of. Truth be told, I’m not a big fan of them, they tend to expand on the sides a bit and don’t hold there shape as well as the metal pans.

Also, a note on the buttermilk. I actually made my own because I didn’t want to go to the market. Making your own couldn’t be simpler, take 2 cup of milk (I used 2% because that’s what I had on hand) and add 2 Tbs of distilled white vinegar OR 1 Tbs of lemon juice. Mix the two together and let sit for about 10-15 minutes and you’re done! It should look mildly curdled.

Some other flavor variations to try:
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup (70g) dried figs, chopped
1/2 cup hazelnuts, chopped
1 Tbs chopped fresh rosemary

and another:
1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 cup figs
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
zest of an orange

I discovered this amazingly refreshing salad on one of my new favorite Instagram accounts, Shred Happens. The story behind this is an incredible one. The gentleman has lost 140 lbs. by changing the way he eats, not depriving himself, but finding ways to make some of his favorite foods much healthier. Honestly, the flavor in all of his recipes is totally over the top delicious and most are pretty darn quick to pull together. You really should check it out.

Here is one of his very satisfying, crunchy salads that will not disappoint. It takes minutes to pull together and is refreshing, clean and absolutely delicious. I have made minor adjustments to his original recipe.

You can serve this as a stand alone salad for lunch, along side a steak, or any other protein, as a wonderful accompaniment.

INGREDIENTS
5-6 persian cucumbers, or 1 English cucumber
1 avocado, cubed
1-2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup fresh dill, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 oz. walnuts, toasted and cooled
1 1/2 oz. feta, crumbled
1 Tbs. za’atar, see notes below
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 lemon, juiced
3-4 Tbs. good olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
First, thinly slice the cucumbers and add them to a bowl. Then, add the next seven ingredients (up to the za’atar) and toss well to combine. Finally, add the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and again, toss well to combine and serve. That’s it, your done! This will easily keep for a day or two in the fridge, but I think it just may not last that long.

NOTES
As always, you can definitely play with the amounts in this recipe to your preferred taste. Try swapping out the feta for say crumbled goat cheese or a crumbled blue. Also, pecans would be tasty in place of the walnuts. The one thing I would not change is the herbs and the amount of them, the fresh herbs really take this salad to the next level and cutting back on them would be a mistake.

Za’atar is a very popular Middle Eastern spice blend. It is typically made from a combination of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, toasted sesame seeds and sumac. It has a wonderful earthy, tangy, and nutty flavor. These days, you can usually find it in most larger supermarkets and Trader Joe’s also carries it. If you somehow can’t find it, there are a multitude of recipes online that you could tap.

Absolutely one of the easiest things to make is homemade croutons. You’re in for a real treat compared to the over-processed store bought versions. Try them in your favorite soup, I happen to think that tomato soup screams for them. Also adding them to a salad is a rather obvious choice, especially a caesar salad, where having good croutons is essential and makes a huge difference.

INGREDIENTS
day old bread, sourdough or any other good bread
good olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
First, tear the bread into bite sized pieces. By tearing them, you have more craggy edges that crisp up beautifully, and have lots of texture. Obviously, you certainly could cut the bread into cubes, but they just won’t have the wonderful texture of the torn pieces.

Next, choose a skillet depending on how many croutons you are making. If you are just doing enough for a salad, a small skillet will do. If you’re going to do a whole batch, find a larger pan. Either way, make sure that the croutons are in a single layer and if you have to do them in more than one batch, so be it.

I must say these are so quick, easy, and really best the day of or the day after making them, that I do suggest making them in smaller batches. However, if you do choose to do a large batch, they can be refreshed in a skillet to crisp them back up. When I have leftover bread, I tear it, lay it out on a sheet pan and freeze them. Then, when they are fully frozen, I put them in a container and back into the freezer. If you just throw them all in together, without freezing first, they will freeze together in one big lump. That way I can grab a handful or two when I want them for my salad, toss them in a skillet for a few minutes and I’m done.

Put a small amount of oil in the skillet (you don’t want soggy croutons) on medium-high heat, toss in the bread, in a single layer, add salt and pepper to taste and shake the pan to coat the croutons. If you feel they are too dry, you can add a tad more oil, but do be careful and don’t soak them or they won’t crisp up. Let them be for a few minutes, that will brown them up nicely on one side. When you see them browning, you can shake the pan, stir or turn them to get browning all over. That’s it, easy as can be and your done in five minutes!

NOTES
There are a million ways that you could amp these up. I happen to prefer them simpler, as I’ve noted above, but use your imagination and try different seasonings. An obvious choice would be to add some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, or even za’atar, etc. Another obvious add, would be parmesan cheese. When adding parmesan (or any other cheese you might like), I would add it right when you pull the croutons off the heat. That way you don’t have a melted, cheesy mess in the pan and the cheese will melt into the croutons.

Forget about store bought caesar dressing, this one is pretty darn quick to whip up, less than five minutes, start to finish, and it’s absolutely delicious. The ingredients are common pantry staples, so you most likely won’t even have to go the market before whipping it up. Honestly, you’ll have this done in less time than it takes to run to the market and buy a bottle of dressing. And it will be much healthier since there will be none of the chemicals and stabilizers in commercial dressings. Give it a try, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

INGREDIENTS
1 large garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp (7g) anchovy paste
1 tsp (5g) Worcestershire sauce
1/4 (25g) cup grated parmesan cheese
3-4 Tbs (36-48g) lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1 tsp (5g) Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (103g) olive oil, canola, vegetable, avocado also works
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Place all the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender to combine everything, just until emulsified. Alternatively, you could use a regular blender, again combining until just emulsified. Test and add more lemon juice or salt and pepper, as needed. Also, if the dressing seems too thick, you can add some water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your preferred consistency.

NOTES
You may have noticed, I am starting to add the weight equivalents of most ingredients. I find it so much quicker to pull the recipes together. You’re not using measuring cups and measuring spoons and therefore the cleanup is much quicker. I just put the jar on my scale and add the ingredients as I go, it really is easier. There are so many good kitchen scales and the prices are so reasonable, you can get a reliable, easy to use one for under $11. Once you start using it, you’ll wonder why it took so long to try it.