Meet my Power Sprinkle. I call it that because sprinkling just a bit of it over the top of any dish magically boosts flavor, protein, fiber, and, most importantly, crunch factor. That's a good super power, eh?
This seedy sprinkle is featured twice in this year's COOK90 meal plan, topping easy weeknight hummus salad bowls as well as a crispy broccoli and riccotta (or white bean) dinner, but that's not the only things this stuff is good for. Honey makes the mix of sunflower, chia, flax, and sesame seeds just a tiny bit sweet, and Aleppo-style pepper makes it just a tiny bit spicy. (Though you could skip the spice if you prefer.) It's nice and salty and crunchy, lending itself to easy snacking out of hand. You can sprinkle it on your yogurt in the morning. Sprinkle it on your favorite pureed vegetable soup for lunch. Use its power to turn a bowl of roasted vegetables into a satisfying dinner tonight.
My easy recipe makes about 4 cups of seedy sprinkle, which lasts at least 2 weeks in a well-sealed jar. If you've got a big crowd in the house, you'll want to double the recipe so you can keep it around awhile.
As I was developing the recipe, I wanted to be sure to have the exact right ratio of seeds to liquid to get optimal clustering and crunch. The secret: an egg white whisked into some water, oil, and honey gives you those crisp clusters. But the second secret is that you need to let the seed mixture sit until all the excess liquid is absorbed. Don't be impatient and cut the time short! The waiting period hydrates the chia seeds so they swell and help bind the mixture. Once there's no more liquid hanging around in the bowl and it all feels sticky and gooey, use a rubber spatula to spread it out onto a lined baking sheet. Don't worry about getting it perfectly smooth; you're going to stir it during baking. (Unless you want to make seedy crackers instead: then, don't stir it, and just break it into cracker-sized pieces once it cools.)
To get the mixture into nice clusters for easy sprinkling and snacking, gently stir the mixture in the oven after 10 minutes, just when it's starting to stick together and brown. Don't be too aggressive with the stirring—just softly nudge it around with a spatula to encourage clumping. Then continue roasting until it's golden brown and getting crispy. It will continue to crisp as it cools. Let it sit and do its thing. Patience is powerful, and so is this sprinkle.
