Nourish the Budding Lotus

Herbed Polenta Crackers

I love crackers!  Since I prefer to eat gluten free, most crackers in the store are not an option for me, and since I love to bake and try new recipes, I am always working on home baked crackers and chips.  These polenta crackers are a lot of fun, and really easy to make.

I found the recipe in a book that I discovered a few years ago while I was perusing the shelves of the Strand Bookstore in NYC.  I don’t get to go to NYC all that often, and I think I could have camped out in that bookstore for a few days in order to really get to know the amazing selection of books.

These crackers come from the book Blissful Detox: Over 100 simply delicious cleansing recipes.  It is a great book, with an introduction to detox, Chinese Medicine, and the view that foods can be Warming, Cooling and Neutral and how that relates to your bodytype.  The recipes are beautiful, and for the most part have a clean simplicity.  I hope to be making some other recipes from this book in the future. For now, here is the polenta cracker recipe which I have modified slightly to work with my own preferences…

Herbed Polenta Crackers

1.5 c water
3/4 c medium polenta
1 tsp herbes de provence
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil
parchment paper
baking trays
rolling pin

Preheat the oven to 375°F

Bring salted water to a boil in a small, tall-sided pan. Add herbes de provence.

Slowly add the polenta grains into the water, stirring constantly until the mixture resembles a smooth porridge (you may need to lower the heat while stirring).

Once the consistency is porridge-like, remove mixture from the heat and add the olive oil.

Spoon batter onto a sheet of parchment paper that is the size of your baking tray.  Place another sheet of parchment paper on top and with a rolling pin smooth out the batter into a rectangle at your desired thickness.  (I am not one for precision, but I would guess I rolled them to about 1/8 or 1/16 of an inch in thickness.)  Score the crackers into rectangles or triangle (however you would like them to turn out) and bake them for about 20 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown and crispy.  Let them cool and enjoy!