Tomato & “Cheese” on Sunflower Bread
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~ raw, gluten-free, vegan, nut-free ~
I love tomato and cheese sandwiches. It’s been a coon’s age since I last had one, but I can still remember it vividly. I use to eat them on plain white bagels, though.
You know it’s funny… when I ate bread back in the day it came in different forms, but it was always white, sometimes wheat and if daring, whole grain seeded. In my raw, gluten-free journey… my breads are full of flavor, making sure every loaf is made of savory spices and herbs. I would say that my variety of breads is far more exciting than they ever were.
This bread differs a bit from my other ones, which usually consist of making a loaf first. This time, I spread the batter roughly 1/4” thick and dehydrated it as a sheet, then cutting it into squares. Because I choose to use different ingredients, this bread batter won’t hold into a loaf shape, so no need to even attempt that. :)
I hope you enjoy this recipe. Please leave comments below and share your thoughts with me. I do love hearing from you. Blessings, amie sue
Ingredients:
Bread: yields 10” x 10″ piece
- 1/2 cup sunflower Seeds, soaked & dehydrated
- 1 cup flax seeds, ground (= 1 1/2 cups ground)
- 1 Tbsp dried dill
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 1 1/2 (170 g) cups diced red pepper
- 1 cup water
- 2 Tbsp raw coconut amino
“Mozzarella Cheese:”
- 1 cup cashews or sunflower seeds, soaked 2+ hours
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp raw coconut vinegar
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Agar gel:
Sandwich options:
- Large Heirloom tomatoes, sliced thick
- Lettuce
Preparation:
Bread: yields 10” x 10″ piece
- In a food processor, fitted with the “S” blade, combine the sunflower seeds, ground flax, dill, cumin, and salt. Process until well mixed.
- Add the red pepper, water, and coconut amino’s. Process until it is well mixed into a thick paste-like batter.
- Line a dehydrator tray with a non-stick sheet and spread the batter about 1/4 ” thick, into a 10 x 10″ square.
- Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) for roughly 2-3 hours, until it is dry enough to flip over onto the mesh sheet, removing the non-stick sheet.
- Continue to dry for another 2-4 hours, until it is still spongy but dry.
- We are not going to dry it till crispy… we are making a bread, not a big thick cracker.
- Once done, cut into sandwich-sized pieces and enjoy.
- Keep leftovers wrapped and in the fridge for 5-7 days.
“Mozzarella Cheese:”
- Place the cashews in a glass bowl, along with 4 cups of water.
- The soaking process will help reduce phytic acid, which will aid in digestion.
- The soaking also softens the cashews, so they blend nice and creamy.
- After the cashews are through soaking, drain, and rinse.
- * To make this nut-free, use sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Same measurement and technique.
- In a high-powered blender combine the; cashews, water, nutritional yeast, vinegar, onion, smoked salt, and garlic powder. Blend until creamy and smooth.
- Due to the volume and the creamy texture that we are going after, it is essential to use a high-powered blender. It could be too taxing on a lower-end model.
- Blend until the batter is creamy smooth. You shouldn’t detect any grit. If you do, keep blending.
- This process can take 2-4 minutes, depending on the strength of the blender. Keep your hand cupped around the base of the blender carafe to feel for warmth if the batter is getting too warm. Stop the machine and let it cool. Then proceed once cooled.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together 3/4 cup of water and the agar. Bring to a boil for about one minute, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, continually stirring until the agar has dissolved completely.
- Start the blender creating a vortex, CAREFULLY add the agar gel and blend just long enough to incorporate everything together. Don’t over-process. The batter will start to thicken.
- Be careful that the liquid doesn’t splatter, hitting your skin.
- What is a vortex? Look into the container from the top and slowly increase the speed from low to high, the batter will form a small vortex (or hole) in the center. High-powered machines have containers that are designed to create a controlled vortex, systematically folding ingredients back to the blades for smoother blends and faster processing… instead of just spinning ingredients around, hoping they find their way to the blades.
- If your machine isn’t powerful enough or built to do this, you may need to stop the unit often to scrape the sides down.
- Pour the mixture into the mold of choice.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can grate this cheese using a box grater, or you can slice it any way you wish.
Assembly:
- Build the sandwich as you see fit. I love a thick slice of tomato and cheese!
- Enjoy!
Culinary Explanations:
- Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)? Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
- When working with fresh ingredients, it is essential to taste test as you build a recipe. Learn why (here).
- Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do, however honestly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar free, Vegan
This recipe has me so excited!! I love raw vegan cheeses and this one seems to be one of the best I’ve come across! Thanks for sharing :-)
Thank you Gypsi, I hope it measures up. :) Keep me posted how it turns out. Many blessings and enjoy the weekend. amie sue
Hi Amie Sue, This looks like a very nice bread. I’ve been looking for a bread that doesn’t require almonds as I find it difficult to find good almonds here. This looks like a wonderful nut free bread. I have to say that I’ve not heard of coconut vinegar. I’ll have to keep an eye out for it but if it’s not available could I use another type of vinegar or just leave it out.
Wishing you and yours all the best for the holidays and may 2016 be filled with blessings, love, and good health. Much love – Alice.
Hello Alice,
I am happy to hear that this recipe fits in with your eating style. Coconut vinegar is a raw vinegar, similar to raw apple cider vinegar. You can use lemon instead if needed. I hope you enjoy the recipe and would love to hear how it goes.
Many blessings to you as well for the new year. May it be a healthful year! amie sue
What would you suggest as a substitute for the red peppers?
Hi Julie, maybe carrots? You don’t want to use a veggie that is too high with water content, but something similar in texture to red pepper. amie sue
I am presently dehydrating a sweet version of this bread. I used apple in place of pepper and date nectar instead of aminos and omitted the herbs.
I don’t plan to eat it with cheese but…….
Cheese and apple in combination is not unusual in tradional food in the uk. I used to like cheese and apple in sandwiches very much. Cheese is also sometimes added to apple pie, and a tradional cheese ‘ploughman’s lunch’ has cheese and apple as a centrepiece.
Sounds good Helen. Thanks for sharing your experience with me/us! Have a glorious day. amie sue
Dear Amie Sue, THANK YOU!! I’ve been trying many of your recipes and have not been disappointed yet! I love your creativity and variety. I think you have a very fortunate husband!
You have made eating healthy easy and do-able!
I look forward to 2016 and all your new creations.
Happy New Year!!
You are welcome Sheri and thank you for the kind words. I get enjoyment out of making all of these wonderful foods and Bob gets great enjoyment in eating them. hehe
I hope you stay in touch as we venture into the new year. May it bring you and your loved one many many blessings. amie sue
Happy New Year Amy-Sue!!
Enjoy your “walkabout”
If I replace the ground flax seeds by chia ( or?) (because of flax allergy), I suppose I should also ground the chia seeds before … I was wondering because they are smaller than the flax and it is maybe not necessary… If any suggestions to replace the flax in bread and crackers recipes, they are very welcome!!
Thank you Nath. :)
You can certainly use chia instead of flax, I would still grind them to get a nice texture. The color of the chia seeds will effect the color of the bread, so just be aware of that. No biggie, just wanted to point it out. :) As far as other recipes… chia seeds are always a great sub for flax seeds. Either one adds great nutrients (priority) and they both respond well as a thickener, binder, and offer a certain texture. I hope this helps. Have a wonderful evening, amie sue :)
Hello,Amy! Thank you for every recipes,so gratitude for your site every day!
I have questions.
”1 cup flax seeds, ground (= 1 1/2 cups ground)”
means when I mill the 1cup flax seed in the mill mixer, I make 1 1/2 cups ground flax seeds and in this recipes I use 1 and 1/2
cups ground flax seeds in the bread?
Is this right ?
I don’t have raw coconut vinegar , so can I use apple vinegar instead of coconut vinegar?
I cannot wait to make it<3<3<3
Good morning Sunny,
I am sorry that it took me a bit to respond to you. I have been on a “walk about” for the past 6 weeks (see blog posting). I am not fully integrating back into things but I wanted to start tackling some of the questions that have been collecting. :) All that to say, I appreciate your patience with me. :)
Let me see if I can help to clarify things for you.
Q – ”1 cup flax seeds, ground (= 1 1/2 cups ground)” means when I mill the 1cup flax seed in the mill mixer, I make 1 1/2 cups ground flax seeds and in this recipes I use 1 and 1/2
cups ground flax seeds in the bread?
A – Yes, this is correct. You will need 1 1/2 cups of ground seeds for the recipe.
Q – I don’t have raw coconut vinegar , so can I use apple vinegar instead of coconut vinegar?
A – Yes, its all about preference and availability.
I hope you enjoy this recipe, please keep me posted and have a great day, amie sue
Hi Amie Sue! I have a question that I’m curious to see what you think about it. They say to grind your flaxseed right before using because it goes rancid w/I 10-15 minutes. Do you think dehydrating reaches a high enough temp to prevent the flax from going rancid? Thanks, Sandy
Hello Sandy,
I haven’t ever experienced a rancid taste from using flaxseeds in dehydrated goods. The key would be to start the recipe with as fresh as seeds as possible and then store the crackers properly once dried. Many blessings, amie sue
OK, thank you!
Hi Amie! I am just wondering if instead of pouring the agar into the blender, could it be possible to do it pouring the batter in the sauce pan just to mix the batter with the agar? because I did another reciepe and it is a little difficult when doing all by my self
Good evening Patyreal,
Yes, it is possible. It will make the rest of the batter pretty warm because it will take time to whip it all together by hand. Make sure the batter that is in the blender is all creamy and smooth before adding it to the pan with the dissolved agar. Move quickly and swiftly. If it starts to thicken too much, you will need to turn the heat up… thus moving it further and further away from being a raw as possible. I hope that makes sense. keep me posted! blessings, amie sue