Sprouted Flat Bread-dehydrated

Thursday evening I made two different batches of flat bread to use up the sprouts. I used my 2-cup food processor to blend 1/3 cup each of garbanzos, aduzki beans, sunflower seeds(with green leaves), almonds, lentils-both colors, and mung beans. Then I added 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1/8 cup wheat germ, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, and 1/4 cup quick oats. To one batch I added 2 Tbsp. fresh orange juice. To the other batch I added 1 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbsp. honey, hoping for a sweet-sour flavor.

Then I spread the mash onto parchment paper cut to fit the dehydrator rack and set temperature at 110. After 5 hours I flipped the mash so as to expose the underside to the warm air.

After another 3 hours I shifted the almost dry flat bread to a mesh that I cut to fit the rack.

The flat breads are good and filling. I think it is the intense food value and chewing that gives a sense of fullness. The batch with the green sunflower leaves is a little bit bitter. I will not use the sunflower sprouts with green leaves again. I like the sweet-sour bread even though it is more sweet than sour. This was a successful experiment and I will be making more sprouted breads.

Note: By using the silicon parchment paper I use less effort in cleanup and think that the paper helps in drying more than the solid liner. The polyester mesh has smaller holes than the rack, giving better support. I made the liner from a a polyester laundry bag found at the 99 c store. Used the paper as backing so you could see the white mesh.

Growing Sprouts

Last Friday I was reading online about sprouting and decided to try it. I got a little carried away and started 8 jars of different seeds and beans. These are the things I soaked: 1/2 c. adzuki beans, 1/2 c. garbanzo beans, 1/2 c. raw sunflower seeds, 1/4 c. lentils, 1/4 c. mung beans, 1/4 c. red lentils, 1 Tbsp. alfalfa seeds, and 1 Tbsp. sweet brown rice (took 6 days to finally start sprouting). So far I have not been able to get raw nuts to sprout. I will try millet, quinoa, wheatberry, and groats.

I know now to start with only 1-2 tablespoons of 3-4 seeds, or grains and 1/8 c.-1/4 c. of larger seeds, nuts, or beans so I won't be overwhelmed with sprouts. Maybe you will try sprouting some seeds or grains and enjoy the living food with healthy, live enzymes.

This week I am trying to find recipes to put all the excess to use. So far I have made 2 garbanzo bean flat breads that I dried in the dehydrator(110° for 12 hours) and they are good. I call them flat breads because the mix is flat. Does anyone have a better name for dehydrator mixes? I was going to have sprouted salad, but suddenly the weather turned cold and I was not in the mood for cold salad. Next I will try adding sprouts to my vroast that I will bake in my homemade solar oven.

Using wheat gluten to make wheat meat

I have been working with wheat meat recipes for about a year. I enjoy creating a recipe that has the highest amount of nutrition with lowest amount of calories. I use a small food processor to mix a recipe of this size. For a larger amount I use my Kitchenaid mixer.

This recipe variation I made last might. I do love the flavor of this vacon. I have been frying vacon for breakfast for a few weeks. The patty is delicious in a bun with mustard, lettuce, and tomato.

5-11-08 Bean-Rice Mix for Wheat Meat. I don't care for the word"seitan".
The dry ingredients go first into the processor:
½ cup wheat gluten
½ cup nutritional yeast
¼ cup oat bran
2 Tablespoons toasted masa(corn)
2 Tablespoons garbanzo flour
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon garlic salt
Opt.-- ¼ teaspoon each of paprika, cumin, allspice, cardamom
Process to mix

In separate dish mix wet ingredients:
2 Tablespoons salty smoke*(liquid smoke mixed with saltwater or soy sauce)
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 -3 Tablespoons water
Should be about 1/3 cup liquid
Pour into processor with dry ingredients and pulse until mixed

Add
½ cup cooked millet or brown rice
½ cup cooked red kidney beans(soft but not mushy, as they will make dough too gooey)

I add these ingredients last as I like the bumpy bits in the patty. The texture is more like a beef burger.
Pulse process until dough is stiff . It will be sticky. Take out and knead the dough adding
2-3 Tablespoons whole wheat flour as needed. My processor is too small for me to add the flour. Knead until dough is stretchy like bread dough.

Form into roll and cut into 8 pieces. I cut roll into same size sections so as to be able to figure the calorie count. Each of these can be formed into a patty and fried like a burger. Fry about 2 min. on each side to brown and then turn as needed to finish cooking. It is not a precise method. I add peanut oil to help brown the patty and enhance flavor.

One of the 8 pieces can be cut into 4 smaller pieces and each piece rolled out to 1/8" thick strip to form "vacon"(bacon). If strip pulls apart roll and fold end to end to exercise the gluten. then roll out. Marinate strips in salty smoke(about 5 min.) before frying.

Fry the strips in lightly greased pan(I use a cast iron skillet), browning on each side. Then add a bit of oil to each strip and fry until crispy. Watch carefully as the oil will cause the vacon to burn. It is a matter of practice. I am still trying to get perfect vacon without burned spots.

I figured out the approximate calorie and protein count. It depends on how much oil you fry the patty or strips in. I use about a teaspoon for 8 strips or 2 patties.
 
Patty=160 calories, 12g. protein Strip=40 calories, 3 protein
Enjoy

This recipe is for your enjoyment only. It is not guaranteed.
See Gayleart.com for bean burger recipe.
*I use salty water as I am allergic to soy products. I get the hives. It is Another reason I make a lot of my own recipes.