Basic Veggie Flax Chips & Cashew "Cheese/Sour Cream" Dip

The key to making these break like a chip, is to spread the batter very thin.

This is just a basic recipe, and a good way to use up some of the vegetables that may be just sitting in your fridge. I don't use sea salt in this recipe, but you could sprinkle some on top if you wish to have salted chips. I ate a few of these on their own, and the rest with a salty dip. On their own they are slightly sweet, and taste faintly of onion. You can leave the onion out, and use more carrot if you like. 

Ingredients:

1 cup tomato or 1 tomato

1 cup celery  or 2 stalks celery

1 cup carrots or 2 carrots

1 cup sweet onion or half a large onion

1/2 cup flax seeds

In a blender, add tomato, celery, carrots and 1/3 cup onion. Grind flax seeds in a coffee grinder (leave textured), and add to blended mixture. Stir in 2/3 cup diced or minced onion. Let mixture sit for a few minutes to let flax thicken it. Alternatively you can soak the seeds in the liquid mixture, and then blend them in for a different texture.

Spread very thinly on parchment paper lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate until dry on top (105 degrees), flip over, and peel off parchment paper. Continue dehydrating until almost dry, and score or cut into chip shapes. Dry until completely crisp. 

Although I love this dip, this time I didn't think it was the right flavour to compliment these chips, although it would have been perfect, had I left out the dill &/or basil, and added more onion/garlic & parsley. I love to eat it with cauliflower.

Cashew "Cheese/Sour Cream" Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water

In a blender, add cashews and blend with half the amount of water, transfer to a glass jar, covered with plastic, and a rubber band (or a loose fitting lid) and let sit overnight to ferment. You will know it's done when it smells tangy and has tiny bubbles throughout.

Fermentation will happen faster in a dehydrator, or a warmed oven (heated and then shut off with the door closed) The longer it sits, the more sour it becomes- I like it best this way, it's more like a sour cream dip.

Then stir in:

1/4 cup red bell pepper
1/4 cup green or red onion - or 4 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 Tbsp fresh basil*, minced

2 tsp dried dill*

1/2 tsp garlic, pressed or 1-2 cloves
1/2 tsp sea salt - or to taste
pinch of red pepper flakes - to taste

Refrigerate to thicken and let flavours come together.*Try omitting dill &/or basil, and adding fresh or dried parsley/cilantro instead.

You can also add the juice of half a lemon, omit basil, and add more onion, for a "sour cream and onion" flavour.