Cracked Pepper “Sour Cream” Broccoli Nibbles

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Cracked Pepper “Sour Cream” Broccoli Nibbles are the new kale chip!  No, really, great flavor, hearty crunch factor, healthy, raw, and gluten-free!

I made these on a whim due to an overabundance of broccoli in the fridge.   I have made Cauliflower “Popcorn” in the past, which really shrinks up in the dehydration process so I was a bit worried how the broccoli would respond.

Much to my delight, it only shrunk a tad.  This left me with a great snack that satisfies the cravings for something salty and crunchy.  Double yum!

The trick in creating a really flavorful bite is to make sure you coat the broccoli florets with a heavy dose of sauce.  In fact, you may feel that there is too much sauce for the amount of broccoli. Don’t be fooled by this.  You need to trust me on this… I won’t steer you wrong. Promise.

I shared them with some friends and low and behold I found out that my kale chip lovers are moving their loyalties over to these little nibbles!  But… I did get a few wrinkled noses at first.  They won’t win the Miss America Vegetable Pageant, that’s for sure… but they will however make your tastebuds sing Hallelujah!

Ok, I did my job in presenting this recipe to you… now it’s your turn to make them and report back. :) I hope you thoroughly enjoy them. Blessings, amie sue

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs broccoli florets
• 2 cups raw sunflower seeds, soaked
• 1/2  cup + 2 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 1 Tbsp  + 1 tsp black peppercorns (fresh ground)
• 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt

Preparation:

1. Prepare the broccoli.  Break it into medium-bite-sized florets.  Snack-size.  They will shrink a little bit during the drying process.  Set aside.
   • If the stalks on the florets are really thick and hard, go ahead and trim them off. Save them for juicing.
2. Using a high-speed blender, combine the following ingredients in this order:  water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sunflower seeds, onion powder, black pepper, and salt.
   • Blend until it creates a very smooth and creamy sauce.
   • This can take up to 5 minutes, depending on the blender.  Stop the blender every so often and scrape the sides down.  To test the creaminess, rub some of the sauce between your thumb and forefinger.  If you feel grit, continue blending.
   • You can also use cashews instead of sunflower seeds if you wish.
3. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and gently massage in the sauce, making sure everything is well coated.
   • Each floret should be heavily coated, more than you might think… again trust me on this.
4. Place the broccoli on the non-stick sheets that comes with the dehydrator.  You can place it on the mesh screen but for ease of cleaning, I recommend the non-stick sheets.  I have had years of experience with this. :)
5. Sprinkle the broccoli with salt.
6. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to  115 degrees (F) and continue to dry for 6-8 hours, or until dry.
   • The dry times are “suggested” It will depend on how large your florets are, how crowded the dehydrator tray may be, or how humid the climate is where you live.
7. Store in an air-tight container on the counter for a week, possibly longer.
8. As with all dehydrated foods, be sure to drink plenty of water before or after enjoying them.

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 important 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 truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, sugar free, Vegan