New Recipe – Spicy Cookies to Serve with Cardinal Ippolito de Medici´s Beetroot Salad

I adore Daphne Cheng who had one of the best vegetarian restaurants in New York. She closed it last year and moved to Hongkong to begin something new and to take there influence on the vegetarian cuisine. I have been inspired by her corn bread/muffin recipe for these crackers. Maybe some of you want it softer, then add more oil or bake it in muffin forms like Daphne Cheng*. I who always prefers crackers to bread (since I was a child) did it this ways and think that it doesn´t only go with the beetroot salad but also with a dip. It is most delicious with the Avocado Cream Medici or with a broccoli dip (s. photo below).

• Ingredients (serves 2 – 4)

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1 cup cornmeal/polenta
• ½ – 1 cup water
• about 50 ml oil
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup green peas
• dried tomatoes (2 halves, soaked)
• 2-3 tbsp sunflower seeds
• salt, chili flakes

Mix ½ cup of water (you can add the rest later if needed) and oil and add to the well mixed oatmeal, cornmeal and salt.

Add corn, sweet peas, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and chili flakes and combine well. It should be a firm dough as for bread. If it is too soft add more oatmeal, if it is to firm add some water. Put into the fridge for about half an hour and meantime preheat oven (180° C).

Take out of the fridge and form a loaf – feel free to shape it like bread or like or a rectangular block. It should keep firm together so that you can slice it. Cut 1-2 cm pieces and put onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes or until the crackers get a nice light brown colour.

Serve with beetroot salad Cardinal Ippolito de Medici with Avocado Cream Medici (s. photo below) or with a broccoli dip.

If you prefer the muffin version* please look here for the recipe.