Ingredients:

• 3 large onions (white is best)
• 1 cup flax seeds, ground (makes 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 cup sunflower seeds, ground
• 1/2 cup Tamari (see note in the Flax Seed Cracker recipe about Tamari and other products to choose from)
• 1/2 cup cold pressed olive oil

1) Peel and cut the onions so they fit through the tubing of the food processor (or slice the onions very thinly by hand, a mandolin or in the food processor with the slicing blade)

2) Process the onions in the food processor using the medium-sized shredder disc.

3) In large mixing bowl, blend together the shredded onions (include any liquid) with the rest of the ingredients. Mix well, I find it’s best to use the hands.

4) Spread half the mixture evenly on a spill-proof sheet (parchment paper, Paraflex or Teflex dehydrator sheet. Repeat on second sheet.

5) Dehydrate at 145° for 2 hours, flip over and turn down the temperature to 115° for 8 hours, or longer if you want dry crispy bread.

6) Cut into bread-size pieces, or bite-size pieces for crackers.

Tips:

Here are tips to minimize eye irritation while cutting onions.

First, don’t let the onion weep ….

> Use a sharp knife – the more blunt cuts the more damage you’ll do to the cell walls causing more weep-age.

> Refrigerate the onions – cold onions have a stronger cell wall, thus it will weep less when it’s cut.

> Soak the onions in an ice bath – this will allow the outer skins to be removed more easily, and see tip just above.

Second, you want to protect yourself …

> Remove the cut onion and any debris off of – and away from – the cutting board. Keep it at somewhat of a distance from your immediate area, and put the cut side down.

> Be in a well ventilated and open space and/or have a fan pointed at you, and/or – as I did for our housemate, Dan, the other night (when he was chopping shallots for a second round of Chicken Piccata) I grabbed a dinner plate and waved it vigorously … fanning it … forcing the vapors away from his face. He smiled very appreciatively.

> Wear contact lenses – In my chef class at Bauman College it was quite evident that those who wore contacts were not affected by the onion vapors. I can attest to this, too, it works!

Source: Joni Sare, 2009, adapted from: Raw Onion Bread, by Matt Amsden, RAWVolution