Red Lentil Crackers

I love the red lentil crepes, but they're kind of time consuming.  We Cook Vegan tends to do a lot of bean-based balls and patties, so I thought I'd try to invent some of my own.

Well, not every recipe works as well in real life as it does in my head.  I don't generally do recipe testing of my new ideas.  I kind of go for it and make the fixes on the back end.

This recipe tasted great, but was an epic fail in structure.  I had to change the approach a couple of times as I went along, when what I was trying didn't work.  Patties turned into a tart shell.  Then, when I got it out of the oven, it largely stuck to the pan despite quite a bit of olive oil.  However, the chips I scraped off onto the plate tasted really good.

So, I reworked the patties into crisps.  Basically, I had been trying to get out of using the food processor the first time.  Fine, I got it dirty and got the product I wanted, sort of.

*1/2 C red lentils
1/4 C cilantro
1/4 C Italian parsley
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp celery salt

1.  Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear.  Refill saucepan and simmer lentils until tender and split, about 10 minutes.  Drain very well.

2.  Place all ingredients in the food processor, removing the toughest stems from the cilantro and parsley.  Pulse into a thick paste.

3.  Preheat oven to 375º and line a baking sheet with parchment.  Spread a tablespoon of paste into a round cracker shape about 2" across and very thin.  Continue until all the paste is used, about a dozen.

4.  Bake until the tops of the crackers look dry, about 15 minutes.  Carefully flip with a spatula, as they will still be soft.  Bake another 10-15 minutes, until crisp.  I may have let mine go a little long.  Some of the edges were kind of burnt.

5.  Allow to cool, then carefully transfer to a serving platter.  Remember, gluten-free.  They break easily.  Eat alone, or with a dip spooned on top.  I wouldn't try to pick up anything heavier than salsa on them.

Makes about one dozen

Difficulty rating  :)