gluten-free crackers + my new book crush

I had the great pleasure of meeting and chatting with Shauna James Ahern a.k.a. "the gluten free girl", last month, at Blogher Food.  She is warm, honest, engaging and gluten free.  We chatted about our kids, food, parenting and life.  Although the conversation was short, it felt comfortable and I knew it wasn't going to be the last time that she and I chatted about everyday stuff.

Hence, when I received an email from her (at the suggestion of my favorite gal), to participate in a gluten free baking challenge, I accepted immediately.  I had purchased her book, gluten-free girl and the chef, right after meeting her and I had tagged many recipes I wanted to make. While I have been working on my Thanksgiving menu for the past week, crackers and dips are part of that menu. Although I have already made and frozen my "mac 'n cheese coins" as well as my "Parmesan spicy straws", I thought, what the heck, another cracker wouldn't hurt anyone.  Plus, these crackers would compliment my roasted ratatouille dip so well!

I had most of the ingredients in the house as I have been experimenting (unsuccessfully) with alternative flours, slowly altering some of my most favorite recipes.  So, creating these crackers wasn't much of a challenge at all.  In the recipe instructions, Shauna mentions that the dough isn't as easy to work with as a dough made with gluten.  However, I did not have that experience.  I found the dough so incredibly easy to use.  I followed the recipe almost exact, except for a slight alteration, adding a sprinkling of Parmesan to the top of the crackers(prior to baking).  These are delicious.  I enlisted my friend's daughter, whom is 12 and has been gluten free for half her life, to be the taste tester.  She highly approved.  And I know you will, too!

Whether you are gluten-free or not, this book is worth adding to your library.  There are tons of recipes that inspire healthy eating without using white flours and white sugars.  I cannot wait to make the multi grain waffles!

Buy this book, to get the recipe for these crackers and make one of your favorite dips to compliment them.  Here's mine:

Roasted Ratatouille Dip

yield: 1 1/2 cups

ingredients:

1 very large eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 red bell pepper, cored and cubed

1 orange bell pepper, cored and cubed

1 small zucchini, cubed

1 purple onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbls. olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

1 Tbls. tomato paste

splash of red wine vinegar

instructions:

• preheat oven to 400*.  line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray with cooking spray.

• throw all the veggies on the sheet pan and toss with olive oil. sprinkle with salt and pepper. mix with your hands.

• roast for 45 minutes, rotating pan half way through.

• let cool.  once cooled put roasted veggies in the bowl of a food processor.  pulse, but don't puree.  add tomato paste and splash of red wine vinegar.

• serve room temperature. store the leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days.