Berkeley Oat Cakes

These are a variation on a Nova Scotia Oat Cake, made less sweet and with a bit of extra protein from the almond flour and slivered almonds. I find them much more delicious than a store-bought granola  or protein bar and they are considerably less expensive. 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a big bowl, mix well:

2 or 2.5 or even 3 cups oats, depending on how rich you want the oatcakes to be

1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup All Purpose flour (If you don't have almond flour, just use a total of 1 cup of All Purpose.)

1/4 to 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed, depending on desired sweetness 

1 t ground Himalayan pink seasalt (don't skimp)

Add in one stick of butter (1/2 cup). I use a pastry blender. If you don't have one, first chop the butter in with a knife, and then crumble it in with your fingertips.

Mix in 1/2 cup dried cranberries.

When you have the butter and cranberries nicely mixed in, add 1/4 cup boiling water and knead the mixture into a good dough and form it into a ball.

Spead parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Press the dough onto the parchment paper and then, with a very lightly flour-dusted rolling pin, roll out the dough so it is evenly about 1/4 inch thick -- or just use your hands to press it out thinly. (I used my hands.) Tidy the edges by pressing them in with your fingers so they are not rough. (This will make them cook more evenly.)

Sprinkle slivered almonds generously over the top and gently go over the almonds with the rolling pin or your finger tips to press them into the dough. 

Deeply score the rolled dough into rectangles with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. I make mine quite small (about 2 inches square)  but they can be made any size. There is no need to separate the rectangles. They will neatly break apart along the lines after baking.

Bake for 12 minutes at 350F and check. Turn down heat to 325F and bake for another 5 minutes or so. Bake until they are golden and crispy at the edges. Be careful not to overcook them.

Take out of oven and slide the oatcakes, on their parchment paper, onto a cooling rack. Eat some warm and store the rest, when they have cooled off, in an airtight glass container. Make sure no dogs are left alone in the kitchen with the cooling oatcakes or you may come back to find the front row or two have been eaten. (I cool mine on top of the fridge after this happened once.)

They are good plain or with a slice of sharp cheddar and a strong cup of Irish Breakfast tea. I eat some with creamy Irish Breakfast tea for a very early breakfast, and then repeat in the late morning!

Instant Pot Lemony Red Lentil Soup

Sautee a big chopped red onion in olive oil in the Instant Pot.

While that is cooking, boil a kettle of water and whisk about 5 teaspoons of Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon into 5 cups of boiling water.

Add to the onions 2 cubes of frozen Trader Joe's garlic and two cubes of frozen ginger -- or use fresh if you have it.

When garlic and ginger are mixed through the onions, add two tablespoons of tomato paste and a heaping teaspoon of paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and grate in some pepper. Before this starts to stick, pour in the hot broth and stir well.

Add a cup and a half of rinsed red lentils and a couple of handfuls of baby carrots chopped into bite sized chunks or a big carrot or two, chopped up.

Set Instant Pot to pressure cook for 15 minutes and then let it slowly release for 8 minutes. 

Remove lid carefully and blend the soup with an immersion blender.

Stir in the juice of a big lemon.

Serve with crusty buttered seeded baguette or some other tasty bread.