I hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day weekend! I just love long weekends–especially when they include holidays.
Yesterday, my step-son had his first tackle football game and, as you can imagine, it was a pretty BIG deal! He’s been playing flag football for a few years now and begged us to allow him to graduate to tackle. I still have my reservations–what if he gets hurt?–but am somewhat comforted by the fact that these kids are buried under layers of padding. Isn’t he cute in those gigantic shoulder pads?! 
The game went great–his team won and there were no injuries (thank goodness)! Unfortunately, I was a bobo and forgot to slather on sunscreen before the game and, therefore, have turned into a gigantic lobster! Even though fall is on the horizon, it’s still 100 degrees and sunny here in Dallas–not the best climate for someone who’s extremely pale and forgetful. My legs, arms, and chest are tomato red and there’s not enough aloe vera in the world to soothe my throbbing burns. I definitely won’t be making that mistake again…
I really can’t complain, though. Despite my sunburn, yesterday was a wonderful day of relaxing, spending time with family, and watching non-stop football. It truly doesn’t get much better than that.
In addition to football, Labor Day weekend also marks the unofficial start of fall–possibly my favorite time of year! Soon,there will be a nip in the air, the leaves will begin to change colors, and fall veggies will overtake the grocery aisles. In fact, I came across these beautiful large gourds when I went to get groceries this morning and nearly started dancing I was so excited…
Even though it’s still so hot here, those gourds inspired me to heat up the oven and bake some yummy gluten-free quinoa flatbread. I know it’s silly, but I keep thinking that if I pretend it’s already fall then I can will the weather to cooperate. No such luck so far, but I intend to keep trying.
I think the best thing about this flatbread recipe is that there’s plenty of room for customization. For example, you can make a savory version by including a variety of fresh herbs along with garlic, salt, and pepper. Not in the mood for savory? Simply omit the herbs, add a little extra sweetener, and toss in some cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. This time around, I opted for a savory version and topped it with vegan macadamia nut cheese (recipe below), halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber, and sliced fresh basil.
Macadamia Nut Cheese
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, soaked for at least 2 hours
- 2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3 Tbs. filtered water
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt
- fresh parsley or basil (optional)
Directions: After the macadamia nuts have had time to soak, rinse well, drain, and toss into your food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the mixture becomes somewhat smooth and moves around the food processor with ease. You may have to stop and scrape down the sides a couple of times to get everything incorporated. I suggest starting with just a couple tablespoons of water and adding more as needed. Just be careful, you don’t want the mixture to become too watered down.
Since I don’t have work or class tomorrow, I plan on staying up late tonight to watch football and play around in the kitchen. As much as I love the savory version of this flatbread, I’ll be making a sweet dessert version to pile high with some of my favorite toppings: almond butter, banana slices, and shredded coconut. I’m drooling just thinking about it…
Enjoy your holiday weekend! Hopefully it’s full of family, food, football and fun!!
- ¾ cup quinoa flour
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 flax eggs (2 Tbs. ground flax seeds + 6 Tbs. warm water)
- 1 Tbs.+2 tsp. coconut oil or grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp. unsweetened applesauce
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ~~Optional additions for a savory version:
- 1 Tbs. fresh, chopped rosemary
- 1 Tbs. fresh, chopped basil
- black pepper, to taste
- ~~Optional additions for a sweet version:
- 2 Tbs. honey
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Grease a cast iron skillet or a 9″ round pan with 2 tsp. coconut or grapeseed oil. Place the skillet/pan in the oven to heat it up.
- Prepare your flax eggs: combine ground flax seeds with warm water and allow the mixture to sit and thicken for at least 10 minutes.
- Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the almond milk, flax eggs, applesauce, and 1 Tbs. coconut/grapeseed oil (if using coconut oil, make sure to melt it first). Mix together until combined.
- Remove the skillet/pan from the oven and tilt it around to spread the oil evenly. Pour the batter into the pan and lightly tap the bottom of the pan on a hard surface to even out the batter.
- Bake for approximately 40 minutes, or until the edges have turned golden brown. Allow the flatbread to cool, remove from the pan, and slice.
- Top with any toppings you prefer! For a savory version, you could try macadamia nut cheese (recipe listed above) or hummus, tomatoes (fresh or sun-dried), basil, cucumber or zucchini. For a sweet version, you could top with any kind of nut butter (I prefer almond), jelly, honey, or fresh fruit, just to name a few. Feel free to get creative!
- Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!
Lightly adapted from here. If you haven’t stopped by Edible Perspective before, you absolutely MUST–it’s one of my favorite sites and such an inspiration!
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