Thin, crisp and delicious whole grain crackers....

Jeff requested to have something crunchy with dinner tonight and instead of having some chips that we like, I threw together a whole-grain crackerbread from one of our new favorite books - King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. Because this is not a leavened bread, it takes a short amount of time to prepare - the longest part of the recipe was rolling it out.

Whole wheat flour, whole rye flour, whole yellow cornmeal and all-purpose flour help to create structure in this recipe for Multi-Seed Crackerbread. Infused into the dough are a multitude of seeds and herbs that bring a brilliant flavor and texture. I used sesame, poppy, flax and caraway for the seed combination and mixed in rosemary, tarragon, thyme, pepper and coarse salt for the herbs. Rather than mixing these flavorful bits into the dry ingredients, the dough is instead rolled into the seed mixture which prevents the dough from sticking and disperses the seeds all throughout the paper thin dough. If it is more comfortable for you, you can finish rolling the dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment so it does not break or tear when you move it over to bake. Baked until golden, this very crisp and crunchy cracker packs a punch in the flavor department - enjoy on its own or use it as a vessel for your favorite dip. They will come out in a big sheet and will be a little flimsy right out of the oven - but once cooled you can easily break them into rustic irregular shapes. We thought that the mild anise and hint of mint given from the caraway and tarragon brought a unique and exquisite taste experience.

Well... we were all set to start taking pictures of tonight's dinner, Warm Chicken Sausage and Potato Salad, when we got a call from a friend who needed to be picked up after some car troubles. By the time we got back, we were so hungry we just forgot about the pictures - oops!

The potatoes for this salad are cooked in an interesting way - instead of boiling them, they are lightly steamed just until tender. I liked this method as they kept their shape well and were not overly soft or waterlogged. The warm potatoes are then tossed in with baby spinach and covered to keep warm. Tomato, basil and mozzarella stuffed chicken sausages are cut into fun coin shapes and then cooked in a skillet until heated through and they begin to brown. The chunky sausage is added into the spinach mixture while you make the tangy sweet dressing. Cider vinegar, pure maple syrup and grainy mustard are added to the hot skillet the sausages cooked in to scrape up the enticing brown bits that stuck to the bottom - olive oil is then drizzled in and the warm dressing is poured over the salad. While allowing the the spinach to slightly wilt, it also helps to warm back up the potatoes and sausages as long as you eat it right away! This ended up being so quick to make and delectable (even cold...) that it may just hit the table again very soon and we will then have another chance at pictures!

Recipes
Multi-Seed Crackerbread
Warm Chicken Sausage and Potato Salad