Flakey Oat and Chickpea Crackers

A flakey, crunchy eczema friendly snack recipe is hard to come by on the Eczema Detox programs and these crackers do not disappoint.

If you can stop yourself from eating all of these crackers in one sitting, then these serve as a yummy afternoon snack either by themselves or with a tasty eczema friendly dip such as beetroot hummus. 

The health benefits:

Chickpeas are packed with protein and provide a great source of insoluble fibre which helps to keep your gut healthy. Chickpeas are also a rich source of folate and minerals for healthy collagen formation in the skin including iron, manganese, copper and zinc. 

Oats are a good source of vitamin E, zinc, potassium, manganese and silica which is an essential mineral for strengthening connective tissue in the skin. The oat fibres (beta glucans) work to feed our intestinal bacteria, which helps to support and nourish the healthy bacteria in our large intestine. So not only are these a delicious snack, but they'll also give you healthy skin and a happy gut. 

This dish is FID friendly (Food Intolerance Diagnosis program from The Eczema Detox), 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1x 400 gram can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 cup of oats
• 1-2 teaspoons of garlic powder or 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic crushed (depending on taste)
• 1/2- 1 teaspoon of good quality salt such as Celtic sea salt   
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon of ascorbic acid or citric acid mixed into 1 tablespoon of filtered water depending on taste (or omit from recipe)
• 1/4 cup of rice bran oil
• Optional - 1-2 teaspoons of dried chives   

METHOD:

Pre heat the oven to 180°C (355°F)

Add the oats to a food processor and mix until they become very finely chopped, then add the chickpeas to mixture. Once well mixed, add in the ascorbic acid water, salt, garlic and chopped chives (if adding to the recipe). 

Mix again using the pulse method on your food processor, adding the oil slowly (through the chute of the food processor is best) until the mixture comes together into a ball. Taste and adjust if needed with additional garlic, salt or chives. 

Cover a baking tray with baking paper and begin pressing the mixture out over the baking paper. Cover the mixture with another sheet of baking paper and using a rolling pin, roll the mixture evenly to about 1/2 cm thick. Remove the top sheet of baking paper. 

With a pizza roller or knife, cut the mixture into cracker shapes of your choice (we cut them very roughly to give an irregular look to each cracker as pictured). 

Prick each cracker with a fork then place in the over for about 30-40 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. You may need to take some crackers out sooner than others as the crackers on the outside may cook quicker. 

Remove from the oven and allow to lightly cool before devouring.  

Store in an airtight container or glass jar.