DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters, and More - Melissa King
Transcript of DIY Nut Milks, Nut Butters, and More - Melissa King
PRAISEFOR
DIYNutMilks,NutButters&More
“MelissaKingisahealthfultreatgenius.Istumbleduponherwebsiteonedaylookingupawholesomedessert recipe tomakewithmyson.That first recipe,andeveryotheroneI’vetriedsince,havenotonlybeenover-the-topdelicious,butalsonutritious.Shedoesadelightfuljobofcombiningthetwo.”
—IVYLARSON,authorofCleanCuisineandfounderofCleanCuisine.com
“DIYNutMilks,NutButters&Moreisanessentialresourceforanyonewhowantstoeatwell,gohomemade,andmakethemostofanamazingingredient.StrawberryBrazilNutMilk,CinnamonPecanButter,AlmondJoyCookies(!)—Icouldgoonandon.Whetheryou’re justbeginning tomakemorehomemadestaplesoryou’vebeenmakingnutmilkforyearsandwanttotakeittothenextlevel,MelissaKinghasyoucovered.”
—ALANACHERNILA,authorofTheHomemadePantryandcreatorofEatingFromTheGroundUp.com
“MyWholeFoodLifeistheperfectplacetofindhealthy,easy,anddeliciousrecipesofallkinds—fromsavorytosweet,andsoupstoicecream!Melissaisamagicianinthekitchenwhenitcomestocreatingwholesome,vibrant,andsimplefoodforeveryonetoenjoy.Ifyou’re interested in exploring the exciting flavors and colors of healthy food then thisbookisanessentialinyourhome.”
—EMILYVONEUW,authorofRawsomeVeganBakingandcreatorofThisRawsomeVeganLife.com
“Like her blog,MyWhole Food Life, Melissa King’s first book is filled with originalrecipesthatarefarfromintimidatingandcontainonlythepurestingredients.Melissahastaken a familiar ingredient, nuts, and transformed these plants into unique, exciting,flavorful possibilities. These recipes allow home cooks to embrace nutritionandcreatedeliciousfood—it’sawin-win!Thisismorethanacookbook.Itisakitchenmanualforanyonewhowantstoincorporate,andindulgein,plant-basedfood.”
—ASHLEYCOX,rawveganchefandcreatorofTheNakedFoodLife.com
“When I tested [the Chocolate Almond Banana Cups] in the Bauer house this pastweekendeveryoneFLIPPEDOUT!Bestpart?There’sonly5ingredientsandtherecipe’ssuper-simpletowhiptogether.”
—JOYBAUER,TodayshowhostandfounderofJoyBauerNutrition
DIYNUTMILKS,NUTBUTTERS&MORE:FromAlmondstoWalnuts
Copyright©2014MelissaKing
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King,Melissa(MelissaG.)
DIYnutmilks,butters&more:fromalmondstowalnuts/MelissaKing.
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ISBN978-1-61519-230-4(pbk.)—ISBN978-1-61519-231-1(ebook)1.Cooking(Nuts)2.Nutproducts.I.
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ContentsIntroduction
WhyNutMilks?
WhyNutButters?
TypesofNutMilksandButters
HealthBenefitsofNutMilksandButters
Ingredients
Equipment
KitchenTips
NutMilks
BasicNutMilk
ChocolateCashewMilk
StrawberryBrazilNutMilk
VanillaHazelnutMilk
SpicedPistachioMilk
SunflowerSeedMilk
HotChocolateCashewMilk
BonusRecipe:CoconutWhippedCream
SpicedChaiMilk
NutButters
BasicNutButter
ClassicPeanutButter
SaltedHoneyCashewButter
RichandCreamyPistachioButter
ChocolateHazelnutSpread
ChocolatePeanutButterSpread
MapleVanillaAlmondButter
BonusRecipe:AppleDonutsandSandwiches
CinnamonPecanButter
MapleCinnamonMacadamiaSpread
ChunkyBananaWalnutSpread
BonusRecipe:BananaWalnutFreezerFudge
Salted“Caramel”BrazilNutButter
SunflowerSeedButter
HowtoUseNutPulp
BasicNutPulp
Grain-FreePeanutButterBananaPancakes
BonusRecipe:ChocolateSauce
Grain-FreeEnergyBites
Protein-PackedSnackBalls
HoneyNutBreakfastCookies
MapleVanillaAlmondGranola
Breakfast
AlmondButterandJellyMuffins
BonusRecipe:HomemadeJam
BananaWalnutOatmealMuffins
BananaMuffinswithChocolateHazelnutFilling
PeanutButterCupGranola
BonusRecipe:PeanutButterCupGranolaCookies
PeanutButterChocolateChipDonuts
Four-IngredientAlmondButterBreakfastCookies
Pecan“Caramel”OvernightOats
TripleBerryChiaSeedPudding
Smoothies
StrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie
ChocolateAlmondButterSmoothie
MixedBerryandKaleSmoothie
SuperfoodChocolateSmoothie
TropicalProteinSmoothie
PeanutButterandJellySmoothie
OrangesandCreamSmoothie
ApplePieSmoothie
No-BakeTreats
StrawberryTartswithCashewCream
ChocolateHazelnutCoconutTart
SaltedHoneyCashewTruffles
WhiteChocolateCoconutFudge
ChocolatePeanutButterFudge
AlmondButterMousse
BrownieBars
CookieDoughBalls
ChocolateAlmondBananaCups
BakedTreats
AlmondJoyCookies
AlmondButterSandwichCookies
PeanutButterandChocolateBrownies
ChocolateChipMacadamiaCookies
ChocolateCashewButterThumbprintCookies
FlourlessAlmondButterBlondies
SlowCookerPeanutButterGranolaBars
IceCream
Three-IngredientPeanutButterIceCream
ChocolateHazelnutIceCream
PistachioIceCream
ChocolatePeanutButterChunkIceCream
BananaMacadamiaIceCream
Resources
Acknowledgments
AbouttheAuthor
IntroductionWelcometomybook!Tostartthingsoff,I’mgoingtotakeyouthroughabriefhistoryofnutmilksandnutbuttersandtheirrespectivebenefits toyourhealth.I’llalsocover the many different types of milks and butters you can make. You’re probablyalready aware of almondmilk and peanut butter, but there’s somuchmore to enjoy inthesecategories—you’llbesurprisedbythevariety.
To help you out in the kitchen, I’ve included a list of the common ingredients andequipment I use to createmy recipes, aswell as some valuable tips thatwillmake theprocessassmoothas,well,butter.I’llthenwalkyouthroughbasicrecipesfornutmilksandnutbutters,alongwithafewflavorvariationsthatwilltransportyoubacktobeingakid again.The really fun stuff starts aswedelve into some creative, tasty ideas for themilks and butters we’ve made—you’ll even find recipes that take advantage of anyleftoverpulp.And,finally,at theendofitall,youcanjustsitbackandenjoy,sincethebestpartofmakingtheserecipesiseatingthegoodiesyoucreate.
WhyNutMilks?Picture a tall, cold glass of milk. Do you simultaneously imagine a cow in a pasture,mooingtoherheart’scontent?Notonlyisthisconjured-upscenefromadairyfarmhardlyrealistic,butit’salsodifficulttodenythedairyindustry’sinfluenceonourlives.Wepourmilkinourcoffeeandoverourcereal.Webakewithit.Wecookwithit.Wedescribeitascreamy,silky,velvety,andsmooth.Someofusevendrinkitstraightfromacarton.Fromthetimewe’rechildren,we’retoldthatcow’smilkisgoodforourteethandbones.Later,we give our own kids milk so that they can grow up to be strong and healthy, neverquestioningthevalidityofwhatthemarketershavetoldus.IsawitonTVandonline,soitmustbetrue!
Ihaveaquestion,though:Whydowelimitourselvestodairy?Whystopatcow’smilk?Almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, and evensunflower seeds can all bemade intomilks, eachwith their own qualities of richness,creaminess, silkiness, and nutrition. Moreover, these milks offer us new and excitingalternativeflavors toenjoyinourcoffee,overcereal,andinourbaking.Andwhenyoumakenutmilksathome,youcanusetheleftoverpulpinfunanddeliciousways,too—seeHowtoUseNutPulp.
PeopleofNorthernEuropeandescenthaveevolvedtodigestthelactoseincow’smilk.It’sthoughtthatthepracticeofconsumingnonhumanmilkstartedabout7,500yearsago,withthe spread of livestock domestication. In other regions of the world, however, andincreasinglyintheWest,manypeoplearelactoseintolerant.Some,likemydaughters,areoutrightallergic todairymilk(inmydaughters’case, thiscausedseveregastrointestinal
issues suchasacid reflux). In fact, cow’smilk is among themost commonallergens inAmerican children. For one reason or another, large numbers of theworld’s populationcan’tdrinkdairymilk.
For thosewhocan’tconsumecow’smilkorsimplywish tobranchoutabit, thereareotheroptions,someofwhichyoumayhavetriedalready.Soymilkwasalltherageforatime, but now people are beginning to shy away from consuming toomuch of it for avarietyofreasons.Onefactoristhegrowingconcernovergeneticallymodifiedorganisms(GMOs),sincemorethan90percentofsoyproductsintheUnitedStatesaremadewithGMOs.Someotheralternatives,suchasriceandoatmilks,aren’tasversatileasnutmilksand lack its desirable creamy quality. In addition, most store-bought milks containpreservatives,thickeners,addedsugar,andothernaturalflavoringstoenhancetheirshelflife,taste,andmouthfeel,nottoimproveyourhealth.
Nut milks are flavorful and easy to make, rendering them an enjoyable, naturalalternative to othermilks. Let’s take almondmilk, for example. It might seem new tosome people, but inmedieval times almondmilkwas a staple inmany kitchens, sincedairy milk spoiled too quickly. With the advent of refrigeration, though, cow’s milkbecame the go-to ingredient and beverage. In the United States, by the early 2000s,almondmilkcouldbefoundonlyinsmall,niche,healthfoodmarkets.Recently,however,ithas regainedpopularityas increasinglymorepeoplegiveupdairyandsoy. In fact, in2011salesofalmondmilkwereup79percentfromthepreviousyear.
Althoughwe can now go to grocery stores across the country and buy almondmilk,hazelnutmilk,andthelike,mostofthesecommercialvarietiesstillcontainadditivesandthickeners to give them a longer shelf life and smoother texture. If you’re trying tomaintainacleandietfreeofpreservativesandprocessedfoods,suchingredientswillmakeyouwanttoputtheseproductsbackontheshelf.Iadmit,atfirstIwasintimidatedbytheideaofmakingnutmilk,butIsoonhaditmastered.Withthisbook,you,too,willgrowspoiledbythewidevarietyofflavorsandusesfornuts,andyou’llneverlookatanothercartonofmilkorstickofbutteragain.
WhyNutButters?Here’saclassicAmericanscene:amothermakingapeanutbutterandjellysandwichasherchildlooksonfondly,mouthwatering,waitingtosavoreachbite.Howdidthissimplesandwichbecomesuchastapleinourculture?TheAztecswerethefirstpeopleknowntogrindroastedpeanutsintoapaste,andbydoingso,itseemstheycreatedaninternationalsensationthathaslastedthroughouttheages.PeanutbuttergaineditsfameintheUnitedStatesduringbothworldwars,when the troopswouldeat it as aneasy-to-carryproteinsource.In1928commerciallysoldpeanutbuttermadewithpartiallyhydrogenatedoils—tokeepitfromseparating—hitthemarket.
Today,peanutbutter,alongwithotherformsofnutbutter,makesupanearly$1billionindustry. And while most Americans enjoy this tasty food and clearly spend a lot ofmoneydoingso,nutbuttersareactuallyquiteeasytomakeathome.Ifyouownagoodblenderorfoodprocessorandhaveafewminutestospare,healty,homemadenutbuttercanbeyoursforthetaking—andmaking!
Inadditiontoitsincredibleflavor,nutbutterisgoodforyou:twotablespoonsofalmostanykindofnutbutter contain about200calories, ahealthydoseofbeneficial fats, andanywhere between four and eight gramsof protein.Making homemadenut butters alsomeans a food product that’s closer to the original source, since you skip the extraprocessingstepsthatmanufacturerstaketokeepthebuttersfromseparatingfromtheoilandtoextendshelflife.Youenjoysomanybenefits,withtheonlydrawbackbeinghavingtowashafewdishes.
TypesofNutMilksandButtersAlmosteveryonehasheardofalmondmilkandpeanutbutter,andI’vetalkedaboutthemquiteabitalready.Thesemaybe,respectively,thebest-knownvarietyofnutmilkandnutbutter,but thereareothers that are just asappetizingandequallynutritious. In thenextfewchaptersI’llgiveyousomefantasticmilkandbutterrecipesmadefromawiderangeof nuts—macadamias, Brazil nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, and, of course,almonds.I’vealsoincludedrecipesusingsunflowerseedsforthosewithnutallergies.Allofthesecanalsobeusedtomakewonderfuldessertsandsomuchmore.Bytheendofthisbook,you’llbeamazedatthemanydiverseusesofnuts.Ihopeyouenjoy!
HealthBenefitsofNutMilksandButtersBesides tasting oh-so-good, nut milks and nut butters are also chock-full of beneficialnutrients.They’re a fine source of omega fatty acids, are high in fiber, are loadedwith
vitamins andminerals, have no sugar, have zero cholesterol, and, for those who countthem,they’relowincalories.Theyseemtoogoodtobetrue,really.Havingallofthesevirtuesmeanstheycanhelpreducetheriskofheartdisease,fightcancer,controldiabetes,and even aid thosewith osteoporosis. It’s almost silly that nutmilks and butters aren’tmoreprevalent.SinceI’vealreadymentionedthehealthbenefitsofnutbutters,let’slookathownutmilksstackupagainstthecompetition.
CALORICCONTENT
The caloric content of nutmilk is far lower than that of dairymilk. Animalmilks areinherentlyhigherincalories,sincetheyarethemeansofdeliveringthenutritionalneedsof growing offspring. It should go without saying that nut milks need not serve thatpurpose. So if counting caloriesmatters to you, then nutmilks are theway to go. Forexample,atypical8-ounce(240ml)glassofunsweetenedalmondmilkcontainsonly35totalcalories,with25ofthosecomingfromfat.Incontrast,thesameamountoforganicwholemilkcontains150calories.Evenskimmilkhasabout85calories.Thismeansthatroughlyfourglassesofnutmilkareequalincaloriestooneglassofwholemilk.Italsomeansthatallyourfavoritesweettreatsjustgotthatmuchhealthier.
SUGAR-ANDCHOLESTEROL-FREE
Didyouknowthatan8-ounce(240ml)glassofwholedairymilkcancontainup to35milligrams of cholesterol? That’s a whopping 12 percent of the recommended dailyallowance.Skimmilk,whilelowerinfat,stillcontainscholesterol.Nutmilks,ontheotherhand, are naturally cholesterol-free. That’s great news for people who are geneticallyprone to high cholesterol, likemyhusband,whohad to give up cow’smilk.Nutmilksevengoastepfurther,withcholesterol-loweringeffectsfromthevitaminE,magnesium,monounsaturated fats, flavonoids, andomega fatty acids found in them.The flavonoidsand omega fatty acids are especially important, because they’re known to fight heartdisease. The skins, if left on while making nut milk, are full of flavonoids. Plus,homemadenutmilkissugar-free.Ifyouwantitsweetened,theamountofsugarthatgoesintoitisuptoyou.Dairymilk,however,hasnaturallyoccurringsugars,andtomakeskimmilk taste better, store-bought brands add sugar to replace the fat that was removed.There’salmostnowaytoavoidsugarindairymilk.
FIBER-RICH
Fiberaidsthedigestionprocess,and,unfortunately,mostAmericansdon’tgetenoughofitin their diet. White flours and many other commercial foods remove fiber during theprocessingprocedure,anddairymilkcontainsnonaturalfiber.Nutmilk,asaplant-basedfood, contains 1 gram of fiber in an 8-ounce (240 ml) glass. Since most people needbetween25and38gramsoffiberaday,everylittlebithelps.
MINERALSANDVITAMINS
Moststore-boughtmilkshavebeenfortifiedwithvitaminsandminerals.This isa fancyway of saying that the nutrients were mixed in artificially, because they were eitherstripped out during processing or were never actually in the food to begin with. It’simportant tobeawareof this.Ifyouthinkoneof theonlywaystoget themineralsandvitaminsyouneedistopurchasemilkfromagrocerystore,you’rewrong.Copper,zinc,iron,magnesium,manganese, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium can all befoundnaturallyinnuts,whichmeansyoucanreapthesamehealthbenefitsbymakingnutmilkathome.
PROTEINCONTENT
An8-ounce(240ml)glassofhomemadealmondmilkcontainsaround2gramsofprotein,whichisaboutfourtimeslowerthantheequivalent indairymilk.(Thesameamountofsoymilknormally contains7gramsofprotein.)Althoughmostnutmilkshavea lowerproteincontent,theirotherhealthbenefitsfaroutweighthisfact.Ifyou’relookingtogetmoreproteinthroughmilk,it’seasytoaddsomeproteinpowdertoyourdrink.Forthosewhochoosenottoconsumedairymilk,theproteincontentofnutmilkishigherthanthatofanothercommondairysubstitute,ricemilk.Ingeneral,ifyou’reeatingabalanceddiet,thislowerproteincontentshouldn’tbeofconcern,evenifitisworthnothing.
IngredientsMostoftheingredientsusedinthisbookareprettystraightforward,butit’sstillimportantto review the following list, since some items might need further explanation. Forexample, I call for gluten-free oat flour, rolled oats, or steel-cut oats inmany of theserecipes.Ifyou’resensitivetogluten,youneedtomakesurethattheoatsyoupurchasearecertified gluten-free, since oats are often processed in the same factories as wheat. Aproductshouldspecifywhetherthat’sthecase,butdocheckthelabeltobesure.
Youmaynoticethatabout90percentoftheserecipesarevegan,withtheoccasionaluseof honey. If you’re a strict vegan, you can substitute maple syrup for honey in thoserecipes.
Ichose the ingredients that followbecause they’reeither in theirnatural state, suchasthefruits,nuts,seeds,andgrains,orthey’reminimallyprocessedandall-natural,likepuremaplesyrupandrawhoney.Youcanfindmanyoftheseingredientsinyourlocalnaturalfoodsgrocerystoreorhealthfoodmarket,oryoucanorderthemonline(seeResourcesforalistofInternetretailersforalloftheitemslistedbelow).
APPLESAUCE
Applesaucecanbeemployedinbakinginmyriadways.Ioftenuseitasabinder,inplaceof oil, or to add a natural sweetness to baked goods. I only work with unsweetenedapplesauce,soIcanbettercontroltheamountofsugargoingintoarecipe.Makesureyou
checklabelbeforeyoubuyapplesauce,sincesomebrandscontainundesirableingredients.
Applesaucecanreplacemostoilsata1:1ratio.However,ifyousubstituteapplesauceforalloftheoilinarecipetheendproductcanbeslightlygummy.Iliketouseatleast1to2tablespoonsofoilinmyrecipesforabettertexture.Ifyou’readventurous,youcaneasilymakeyourownapplesaucebygrindingupsomepeeled,slicedapplesinafoodprocessor.Trytopickanaturallysweetapple—IlikeGalasorHoneycrisps.
CACAOPOWDER
Onegreatwaytoaddsomeantioxidantstoyournutmilksandnutbuttersistoaddalittlecacao, which is the raw, unprocessed form of the cocoa bean. Antioxidants, which areabundant incacaopowder,kill free radicalsandcouldhelppreventcancer.Youcanusecacao inpowder formor innibs,whichare similar tochocolatechips.Since rawcacaocontainsnosugar,it’snaturallyverybitter,souseitsparinglyinrecipesthataremeanttobesweet.Ifyoulikedarkchocolate,eatingcacaowon’tbeadifficulttransition.
CHOCOLATE
Someoftheserecipescallfordarkchocolateorchocolatechips.Fordarkchocolate,Ilikethe72percentcacaovarietytoavoidtoomuchaddedsugar.Feelfreetogowithahigherorlowerpercentage,though—that’sjustmypersonalpreference.Mostoftherecipesthatinclude dark chocolate call for 3- or 3.5-ounce (85 or 100 g) bars. You can buy high-qualityvarietiesatmanygrocerystores thesedays; IuseEndangeredSpeciesChocolatebarsinmybaking.
Forchocolatechips,I’mfondofthebrandEnjoyLife,sincethey’regluten-,dairy-,andnut-free.Theydo,however,containasmallamountofprocessedsugar.Youcanalsousecarob chips, which are only mildly sweet, although I find they don’t work as well aschocolatechipsinrecipesthatrequiremeltedchocolate.
If none of these chocolate choices fits inwith your lifestyle, you can alsomake yourown. Justmix together½cup (120ml)of coconutoil,½cup (60g)of cocoaor cacaopowder, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup. You can even pour the meltedchocolatemixtureintomoldstomakeyourownchocolatebars!
COCONUTMILK
Coconutmilk isoften found invegan ice creamsand rich soups. It’s thickandvelvety,makingittheperfectdairy-freealternativetoheavycream.Iespeciallyliketouseitinmyicecreamrecipes.WhenIrefer tococonutmilk,Ialwaysmeantherich,full-fatvarietythat comes in a can.Coconutmilk is frequently used in certainAsian cuisines, so youshouldbeabletofinditintheinternationalorAsiansectionofyourlocalgrocerystore.
COCONUTOIL
Ialmostexclusivelyusecoconutoilintheserecipes—mostlybecauseIlovetheflavor,butalsobecauseofitshealthbenefits.Coconutoilcomesinjarsinasemisolidstateandcanbestoredinthepantryaslongasthetemperaturedoesn’texceed75°F(24°C).
Whenyouseeameasurementforcoconutoilinmyrecipes,itwillalwaysmeanaftertheoilismelted—inotherwords,inaliquidstate.IfyoustoreyourcoconutoilinthepantryasIdo,itwillalreadybesemi-soft.Tomelttheoil,setthejarinapotofwarmwatertogentlyheatit.Itshouldmeltinjustaminuteortwo.Ifyou’repressedfortime,youcanalsomeltitonalow-powersettinginthemicrowaveinaboutaminute.
COCONUTSUGAR
Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm. Since coconut sugar isminimallyprocessed,it’soneofthefewsweetenersIkeepinmyhome.Itcontainstracenutrientssuchaspotassium,zinc,calcium,andiron.It’salsolowontheglycemicindex,whichmeansitwon’tmakeyourbloodsugarspike.
EGGSUBSTITUTES
There are several ways to make substitutes for eggs. Using flax meal is my favoritemethod.Tomaketheequivalentofonelargeegg,simplywhisktogether1tablespoonofflaxmealand3tablespoonsofwarmwater.Youshouldbeabletoscalethisupata3:1ratio; I normallymake a total of three “eggs” at a time.Once the flaxmeal andwarmwaterarecombined,put themin therefrigeratorfor1minute.Themixturewillbecomegummy, like an egg.You can also use thismethodwith chia seeds. I prefer flaxmeal,though, because it’s less expensive. Another alternative is a commercial egg replacer,whichisverysimpletouse,aswell.ThemostpopularbrandthatcomestomindisEner-G-EggReplacer.IavoidusingEggBeaters,sincethey’renotvegan.
GOJIBERRIES
Gojiberriesareoneofnature’s superfoods.These littlegems tastemildlysweet,withaslightlytartnote.They’rehighinvitaminsCandE,andrecentresearchshowstheycanbeanatural energybooster.Chinese-medicinepractitionersoftenuse thevibrant berries totreatbloodpressureanddiabetes.Iaddthemtosmoothies,oatmeal,chiapudding,andjustaboutanythingelseIcan.WheneverImentiongojiberriesinmyrecipes,I’mreferringtothedriedversion.
GROUNDVANILLABEANS
Addingspicessuchasgroundvanillabeanstofoodsmakesthemtastesweeterthantheyactually are,much theway adding crushed red pepper to foodsmakes them tastemoresavory. Ifyouwant toomit sugar froma recipe, addinggroundvanillabeans is agreatsubstitute.Plus,itaddsanamazingflavor.Groundvanillabeanscanbedifficulttofindinsupermarkets,soIordermineonline.
If youhave ahard time findinggroundvanilla beans, you canuse avanilla beanpodinstead.Justslitthepodopenandscrapetheseedsout.Grindtheseedsintoapowdertouseintherecipe,andsavethepodtoaddflavortosaucesandmilks.
Youcanalsousevanillaextractinplaceofthevanillabeans.However,ifyouusevanillaextract in raw recipes, I suggest halving themeasurement; since the food isn’t cooked,you’lltasteaslightflavorofalcohol.
MEDJOOLDATES
Imustadmit,Ihavealoveaffairwithdates.Icall themnature’scandybecauseoftheircaramel-likesweetness.Theycanbeusedasasugarsubstitute,asbindingagents,andtoprovideasmoothtexture,makingthemextremelyversatileinbaking.They’realsofulloffiber, so that’s another benefit.One ofmy favorite snacks is dates stuffedwith almondbutter.Talkaboutheaveninyourmouth!
Therearemanytypesofdates,butIadoretheMedjoolvariety.They’rethelargestandthesoftestand,accordingtomyTurkishmother-in-law,thebestofthemall.Havingtriedmanydifferentkindsofdatesmyself,Ihavetoagree.
NUTS
AllthenutsIuseintheserecipesarerawandunsalted.Sincenutscangetpricey,trytostockuponthemwhenthey’reonsale.Ihavefoundbulkbinstobeaneconomicalroute.Whenyoubuypackagednuts,someofyourmoneygoestothepackaging.Forpriciernutssuchascashewsandpecans,lookfortheminpiecesratherthanbuyingthemwhole.Thisalonecanmakeadifferenceofafewdollars.Sinceyouplanonblendingthemathomeanyway,thepricierwholenutsareawasteofmoney.
Youcansaveevenmoremoneybyroastingandsaltingyournutsyourself.TheKitchenTipsincludedirectionsfordoingso.Bypreparingthemathome,you’llendupwithnutsthataremuchmoresavory,andlessexpensive,thanthoseyougetfromastore.
NUTSUBSTITUTES
If you or someone in your family has a nut allergy, you can stillmakemany of theserecipesbyreplacingthenutswithoats,sunflowerseeds,flaxmeal,orpumpkinseeds.Inrecipes that call for nut milk, you can replace it with oat milk or rice milk; both areavailableinmostgrocerystores.
OATS
I use oats to give texture and sweetness tomy recipes. Iwork almost exclusivelywithrolledoats,whichalsogobythenameold-fashionedoats. Ifyou’re followingagluten-freediet, it’s important tomake sureyoubuy rolledoats that are labeledas such, sincemanyoatsarecutonthesamemachinesaswheat.
OATFLOUR
Toavoidgluteninmyrecipes,Iuseoatflour.Youcaneasilymakeyourowngluten-freeoatflourbygrindingrolledoatsinablenderorfoodprocessor.For2cups(180g)offlour,you’llneedabout3½cups(350g)ofrolledoats.
Ifyoucan’ttolerateoats,feelfreetosubstitutegluten-freeall-purposeflourinanequalsubstitutionratio.Ifyoudon’thaveaproblemwithwheatproducts,feelfreetousespeltorwholewheatpastryflour,whichyoucanalsosubstituteatanequalratio.
PUREMAPLESYRUP
IfI’mnotusingdatesasasweetener,mygo-toispuremaplesyrup,sinceit’sminimallyprocessedandhasaflavorthatIabsolutelylove.Lookforbrandslabeledaspuremaplesyrup,eithergradeAorB.Ifyoucanaffordit,Irecommendgoingwithorganicaswell.
RAWHONEY
Afewofmyrecipescallforrawhoney,whichIusebecauseit’slessprocessedthanothervarietiesandcontainssometracenutrients,too.Ifyouhaveallergies,localrawhoneycanhelpcombat themduringallergy season. Ifyou’re aveganwhodoesn’tusehoney, feelfreetosubstituteequalpartsofpuremaplesyrup—youwon’tbedisappointedeitherway.
SHREDDEDCOCONUT
Shreddedcoconutcomesbothsweetenedandunsweetened.Ibuytheunsweetenedkind,sinceI like tocontrol theamountofsugar inmyrecipes.Youcanalsofind low-fatandfull-fatvarieties;Ialwaysusefull-fat.Blendnatural,full-fatshreddedcoconutinafoodprocessortomakecoconutbutter,whichissomelt-in-your-mouthdeliciousthatIuseitasabaseformyfudgerecipes.
EquipmentBeforeIstartedmyblog,MyWholeFoodLife,IwasaprettytypicalAmerican,withmostofmymealscomingfromabox,jar,orcanofsomesort.IfsomeonetoldmeIcouldmakemyownalmond,cashew,orBrazilnutmilkorbutter, Iwouldhaveassumed itwas toodifficult.ButIsoonlearnedthatcouldnotbefurtherfromthetruth—bothnutmilksandbuttersarequitesimpletomake.
Therearesomekeypiecesofequipmentthatcomeinhandywhilemakingthem,though.Besidesthemostobviousutensils,suchasbowls,spatulas,measuringcups,bakingsheets,andsoforth,afewadditionalappliancesand toolswillhelpsimplify the taskandmakethingsabitmoreorganized.Theseitems,detailedhere,alsohavemanyotherusesbeyondmakingnutmilk.Soifyoudon’talreadyownthem,don’tfret—youwillmakebackwhatyou spend on them pretty quickly, considering all the things you’ll be able tomake athomeratherthanbuy.
CHEESECLOTH
Agood,strongcheesecloth isessentialformakingnutmilkandcannotbeomittedfromtheprocess.Iinitiallytriedtousecheapcheesecloth,anditfellapartthefirsttimeImademilk,creatingahugemess.Makesureyoubuyasuperfine,durablecheesecloth.Mineisultrafine100percentcottonthat’s9squarefeet(.8squarem).Theextrapenniesyouspendup front forhigh-qualitycheeseclothwill saveyoumoremoneydown the road, since itshouldlastyoualongtime.Ihangmineoutsideinthesunafterusingandthenwashingit.Not only does that help bleach the stains out naturally, but it gets rid of any smells, aswell.
Youcanuseaspecialnutmilkbaginstead,butcheeseclothworksjustaswell.
COOKIESCOOP
Iloveusingacookiescoop—itmakesfornice,uniformcookies.Eachonebakesevenly,since they’re all the same size.Using a cookie scoop is also lessmessy. I used todropcookieswith two spoons,butdoughwouldget everywhere, and the finalproductneverlooked neat. I recommend buying a high-quality cookie scoop; I gotmine onAmazonafterreadingallthecustomerreviewsfirst.
FINE-MESHSTRAINERORSIEVE
Thistoolisessential—makingnutmilkbasicallycannotbedonewithoutone.Afine-meshstrainer catches all the pulp after the nuts havebeenblended,whichmakes for amuchsmootherliquid.Mouthfeelandconsistencyareimportantwhenmakingnutmilks,astoomuchpulpinthemilkcandetractfromtheflavorasyoufocusonthemushinyourmouth.Sincestrainersandsievescomeindifferentsizes,makesuretolookforonethatcansitontopofalargebowlsothatyoudon’tneedtoholditwhiletryingtopourthemilkthroughit.
FOODPROCESSOR
The food processor is by far themost utilized appliance inmy kitchen. I use it almosteverytimeIcook.MyhusbandjokesthatIshouldtestfoodprocessorsforthecompaniesthatmakethem,becauseIusethemsofrequently.Theycanchopnuts,grindflour,makenutbutters,blendsauces,dicevegetablesforsoup,andsomuchmore.Ifyouweretoaskmewhatoneapplianceyouabsolutelyneedinthekitchen,itwouldbethisgem.It’strulyaworkhorseinmyhome.Ihavea7-cup(1.75L)Cuisinartfoodprocessor,whichislargeenoughformypurposes.Ipurchaseditatareasonableprice,andIhavemorethanmademymoneybackusingit.Mostimportant,itcutsdownonmypreptime.
FUNNEL
For me, a funnel is an absolute necessity. After making a mess of my kitchen while
attemptingtopournutmilkfromabowlintoajar,Idecidedthatafunnelwascrucial.Ifyouhaveabowlwithapourspoutonit,youmaybeabletoskipusingafunnel,butformeit’samust-have.
GLASSBOWLS
Theseareessentialformeltingchocolate.Byplacingaglassbowlontopofasaucepanofboilingwater,youcangentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.Thisisknownasthedoubleboilermethod.Glassbowls areverydurable, andyouneedn’tworry aboutBPA(BisphenolA,a chemical found inmanyplastics) leaching intoyour food from them. Iboughtmineinasetofthree,andtheydoubleasservingbowls.
GLASSJARS
Istoremymilkinmasonjarsorclearglasspitcherswithapourspoutandlid.Makesureyou buy jarswith secure lids, because you’ll need to shake themilk before every use,sincesomeofthesedimentseparatesfromthewaterasthemilksitsintherefrigerator.Iavoidusingplasticcontainers,asIfindthemmorepronetoleaking,andIwanttostayasBPA-freeaspossible.Myjarshold4cups(about960mlofmilk,andthatworkswellformy batches. For storing nut butters, I like to use 12-ounce (340ml) glassmason jars,whichIfindtobetheperfectsize.
HIGH-POWEREDBLENDER
Just tobe clear, it is possible tomakenutmilks in a typical blender, but it takesmuchlonger, since the batches have to be quite small. A high-powered blender, such as aVitamix,Ninja,orBlendtec,canmakethejobeasierandfaster.Italsodoesabetterjobofpulverizingthenutsthanlower-poweredblenders.Ithasbeenmyexperiencethatyoucansqueezemoremilkoutofabatchofnutsifthey’reblendedveryfinely.Ahigh-poweredblenderalsocomesinhandyformakingincrediblycreamynutbutters.Theyalwaysseemto turn out much smoother in a blender, but if chunkier butter is your thing, a foodprocessorwillsuffice.
High-poweredblenderscanbe ratherexpensive,but ifyouwant tostartmakingallofyourmilksathome,thiswillbeoneofthebestpurchasesyoucanmakeandwellworththeinvestment.Here’salittletip:withsomemanufacturers,ifyoucanpresentamedicalneedfortheblender,theymightgiveyouadiscount.WedidthisformydaughterOlive,whohadtouseafeedingtubeforthefirst twoandahalfyearsofherlife.WeusedourVitamixtoblendfoodratherthangivingherformula.
ICECREAMMACHINE
An ice creammachine is a must for making homemade ice cream. I have a CuisinartmodelandIfinditveryeasytouseandclean.It’simportanttomakesuretheicecreambowlhasbeeninthefreezeratleast18hoursbeforeusingit.
MEASURINGCUPSANDSPOONS
Measuring cups and spoons are essential for any baking recipe. To measure dryingredients,I liketousedurable,stainlesssteelmeasuringcups,sinceI’vehadsomanyplasticonesbreakonme.Forliquids,IhaveaglassPyrexpitcher,whichshouldalsolastalongtime;plus,ithasaneasy-griphandletohelpmekeepfromspillingliquidsasImoveitaround.
MIXER
Nomatterhowhardyoutry(andtrustme,Ihave),youcannevermixabatterassmoothlyby hand as an electric mixer can. Whether it’s a powerful stand mixer or a smallerhandhelddevice,amixerisanecessityforbaking.InowhaveaKitchenAidstandmixerthat I love, but I used a handheld one for years. Amixer with a whipping attachmentcomesinhandywhenmakingnondairywhippedcream.
MUFFINLINERS
Muffinlinersaregreatbecausetheyeliminatetheneedtogreasemuffinpanswithoil.Youcanusepaperlinersorthereusablesiliconeones,whichIprefer.Muffinscomeoutfromthemmuchmorecleanlythantheydowithpaperliners,plusthere’snowaste.
PARCHMENTPAPER
Thisisgreatforliningbakingsheets.Unlikealuminumfoil,parchmentpapereliminatestheneedforoiltogreasethepananddoesn’taddatinnyaftertaste.Ihavefoundthatyoucanoftenreusethesamepieceofparchmentpapernumeroustimes.
PIZZACUTTER
You’reprobablyaskingyourself,“WhywouldIneedapizzacutterfordesserts?”Well,Iloveusingminetocutpiecesevenlyandefficiently.Sometimesrunningaknifethroughbrowniesorbarscanpullthemapartmessily,whichissomethingyoudon’thavetoworryaboutwithapizzacutter.
SLOWCOOKER
Believe it or not, a slow cooker can be used formore than stews and chili. I’vemadebreads,quinoadishes,andevenbakedgoodsinmyslowcooker.Oneoftherecipesinthisbook, the Slow Cooker Peanut Butter Granola Bars, is made in a slow cooker, whichshowsthatyoucanuseappliancesinwaysyouneverthoughtpossible.
SMALLSAUCEPAN
Icallforasmallsaucepaninmanyoftheserecipes,sinceit’sidealformeltingnutbutterfor baking. I highly recommend buying a stainless steel saucepan.Not onlywill it lastseemingly forever,butyouwon’thave toworryabout surfacepieces flakingoffasyou
mightwithaTeflonpan.Plus,Ifindthemveryeasytocleanafterjustashortsoak.
SPATULAS
Spatulasareexcellenttoolsforgettingeverylastlittlebitofbatteroutofabowl.Ilikethesiliconevariety,whicharemuchmoredurablethantherubberones,andthey’realsoheatresistant.They’reperfectformixingchocolateinadoubleboiler.
KitchenTipsThe following kitchen tips are meant to save you time, money, and headaches. If youfollowthesepointers,Ipromise,they’llmakeyourlifeeasier;Iknowthey’vehelpedme.
Nutscanbeveryexpensive,asin$10-a-poundexpensive.Therefore,asImentionedearlier,buyingnutsinbulksavesalotofmoneyandmakesalotofcents…Imean,sense.Theonlyrealdrawbackisthatyouhavetofindanairtightcontainertostorethemin;Iuseglassjarsformine.Mosthealthfoodstoresstockbulkbinsofnuts,oryoucancheckoutonlinesitessuchasNuts.comandVitacost.com(seeResourcesforafulllistofretailers).Anothergreattipistobuypiecesinsteadofwholenuts.Theyusuallycostatleastadollarlessperpound,andifyou’reusingthemtomakenutbuttersandmilks,thepiecesareperfect,sincethey’llgetblendedupanyway.
Didyouknowthatnutscangorancid?Ifyouleavethemoutatroomtemperature,theywilllastanywherefrom1to12months,dependingonthetypeofnut.Makesuretostorethemintherefrigeratororfreezerforlongeruse.Ifkeptintherefrigerator,theycanstayfreshatleast12months,withtheexceptionofpinenuts,whichlastonly4months.Ifyoufreezenuts,theycanlastuptoawhopping2years.Ofcourse,weallrealizethey’llbefinishedoffwaybeforethen,butit’shelpfultoknow,anyway.
Wanttosavemoneyonspicesandoils?Theseitems,especiallythenicerorganicbrands,canquicklybecomepricey.Here’satipmyTurkishmother-in-lawtaughtme:internationalmarketscarryspicesandoilsatfarlowerpricesthanbig-boxstores.Thequalityisusuallyhigher,aswell.That’sahardcombinationtobeat.Ifyoudon’thaveaninternationalmarketnearyou,youcanpurchasespicesinbulkatmosthealthfoodstores.They’remuchcheaperthatway,too.Youcanbuyjusttheamountyouneedinsteadoflettingthatexpensive,exoticspiceyouusedonceinanepicdishtwoyearsagogostaleinyourpantry.Iknowthatpainfrompersonalexperience.
Stockuponfreshfruitwhenit’sinseason,andthenfreezeittouseallyearlong.
Thiswillsavemoney;plus,yougettoenjoythoserefreshingsummerberriesinthemiddleofwinter.They’regreatinsmoothiesandforbaking.Tofreezemostfruits,youcansimplylaythepiecesoutonaparchment-linedbakingsheetandplaceitinthefreezer.Oncethefruitisfrozen,putthepiecesintoaziplockbagforeasierstorage,andthenplacethembackinthefreezer,wheretheyshouldkeepforupto6months.
Ifyouhavehecticmornings,asIdo,Isuggestyoumakeyoursmoothiesthenightbefore.Oncethey’remixed,pourthemintosomeicecubetraysandpopthemintothefreezertoreblendinthemorning.Thissavesalotoftimeonbusydaysandgivesyouayummysmoothieatafractionofthepreptime.Youcanevenmakeaweek’sworthofsmoothiesthisway.Ifyoudon’thavetimetocleantheblenderrightaway,pourinadropofdishwashingliquid,fillituphalfwaywithwater,andleaveit.Whenyougethome,blendthewaterforaboutthirtysecondsandthenrinse.Thisnormallycleansthemessrightup,oratleastdoes90percentoftheworkforyou.
Whenyoumeasurestickyingredients,suchasmaplesyrupornutbutter,makesuretobrushthemeasuringcupwithathinlayerofmild-tastingoil.Thiswillensurethattheentireamountcomesoutofthemeasuringcupcleanly.
Beforeusingnutstomakemilk,you’llneedtosoakthem.Thismightseemaseasyasputtingsomenutsinwaterandlettingthemsit,butthere’sabitmoretoit.Asnutritiousasnutsare,theyalsohavenaturalagentsbuiltintoprotectthemfromharmfulthingslikeearlygermination.Thesecompounds,suchastannin,aregreatforthenut’sself-defense,buttheytendtobeawfulforourdigestivesystem.(Ifyoudon’tknowwhattanninis,thinkofitasnature’sbitter-tastingpesticidethatprotectsthenutfrombeinggobbledupbypredators.)Thesoakingprocessbreaksdowntheagents,makingthemeasieronourdigestivesystem,aswellasmakingthenutseasiertoblend.Itcanalsoprovideahighernutritionalvalueifthenutsbegintosproutinthewater.
Tosoakthem,Ifillabowlorjarusinga2:1water-to-nutratio.Regulartapwaterisfine,anditdoesn’tneedtobeataspecifictemperature.Youcanalsoadd½teaspoonofseasaltifyoulike,althoughIusuallyskipthatstep.I’veseensomesourcessaytosoaknutsforatleast20minutes,whileotherssay2to3hours,andsomesuggestevenlongerthanthat.Inormallyleavemineovernightinaclosedcontainerintherefrigerator,andIrecommendthatyoudothesame.Whensoakingthem,you’llnoticethenutsbegintoshedtheirdustandtannin.Afteryouremove
themfromthesoakingwater,rinsethemthoroughly.Ifyou’reusingsoakedorsproutednutsforbaking,you’llneedtodrythemoutfirst,eitherinadehydrator—Idrymineatabout125°F(50°C)for10hours—orinyourovenonitslowestsettingfor30to90minutes,checkingthemoften.
Whenroughlychoppingnutswithaknife,placeacleandishtowelovertheknifeandtheworkspace.Thetowelwillkeepthenutsfromscatteringoffyourcuttingboard.Youcanalsouseasmallfoodprocessortoquicklychopthem,whichIhighlyrecommend.
Makenomistakeaboutit—makingnutmilkcanbeamessyendeavor.Beforeyouevenstart,goovertheprepworkfirst.Getallyourducksinarowbymakingsureeachworkstationisassembledandreadytogo.Havetheblendersetupwiththenutsandwater.Setoutalargebowlwiththefine-meshstrainerontopandthecheeseclothdrapedoverit.Lastly,haveaparchment-linedbakingsheetreadyandwaitingtobeslidintotheoventobakethenutpulpforfutureuse.Thewholeprocesscanbequitequickwhenyou’reproperlyorganized.
Onceyournutmilkismade,properstorageiskey.Ikeepmymilksintherefrigeratorinaclosedglassjar.Mostmilkslastabout3to5daysintherefrigerator.
Asforthepulp,onceit’sbakedanddried,itcanbeleftoutinanairtightcontainerifyouplanonusingitrightaway.Otherwise,storeitintherefrigeratorinanairtightcontainer.Thepulpwilllastafewweeksintherefrigerator.Ifyouplanonkeepingitformorethanafewweeks,youshouldstoreitinthefreezer.Ikeepmineinasealedziplockbag.
Agreatwaytoaddflavortoyournutbuttersistoroastthenutsfirst,whichisaverysimpletask.Themethodisthesameforallnuts.Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).LineabakingsheetwithparchmentpaperorasiliconelinersuchasaSilpat.Spreadthenutsoutonthebakingsheetandsprinklethemwithalittleseasaltifyouwant.Roastthemfor10minutes.Stophalfwaythroughthecookingandgivethenutsagoodshaketomakesuretheyroastevenly.Waituntilthenutsarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthepanandstoringthem.Ifyouchoosetouseroastednutsinyournutbutterrecipes,youmightneedtoaddatablespoonofmild-tastingoiltothenutbuttertogetareallycreamytexture.
Whether you’re a newbie to making milk from nuts or you’realreadyanoldpro,thischapterisforyou.Wehaveabasicrecipefor nut milks for beginners, and then we’ll dive into some funflavoredvariationsthatshowyouhowversatilenutmilkscanbe.By the end of the chapter, making nutmilk will seem so easy,you’llwonderwhyyoueverbought it inastore.Forpeoplewithnut allergies, check out the Sunflower SeedMilk recipe, whichmakesagreatalternativetonutmilks.
BasicNutMilkMAKING NUT MILK is an easy process that’s pretty consistentamongvarieties.Thebasic formulabelow isgood foralmonds,Brazilnuts,cashews, hazelnuts, and pistachios. All the nuts will need to be soakedaheadof time,preferablyovernight.Formoreonsoaking, read theKitchenTips.Afterblending,mostnutmilksneed tobestrained throughanutmilkbagorfinecheesecloth.ThebestadviceIcangiveistobepreparedaheadof time.Haveall of yoursupplies laidoutwhere theyneed tobe.Thiswillkeepthingsneat—trustme.
MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)
1cupraw,unsaltednuts,whole(125g)orchopped(70g)
3½to4cups(840to960ml)water
OPTIONALSWEETENERS:
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
½teaspoonvanillaextract
1Medjooldate,pitremoved
1tablespoonmaplesyrup
1tablespoonrawhoney
1. Soakthenutsovernight.Iliketousea32-ounce(960ml)masonjarforthis,withregulartapwater.Itdoesn’thavetobeaparticulartemperature.Placethenutsin
thejarandthenaddenoughwatertocoverthem,plusanextrainchortwo.Thenutswillexpandslightlyduringthesoakingprocess.Inthemorning,drainandrinsethenutswell.
2. Addthenutstoahigh-poweredblenderwith3½cups(840ml)offreshwater(seeNotesbelow).Blendfor2minutes.IusemyVitamix,startingoutataslowspeedbeforeworkingmywayuptoahigherone.
3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer,oruseanutmilkbaginstead.
4. Pourthecontentsoftheblenderintothecheeseclothornutmilkbag.Atthispoint,Iliketowalkawayandletgravitydomostoftheworkonitsown.Itshouldtakeabout5minutesorsoformostoftheliquidtoendupinthebowl.
5. Gatherthecheeseclothornutmilkbaginyourhandsandgentlysqueezeit.You’llstarttoseealotofliquidcomeout.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.Itcanbequitethehandworkout!
6. Addanoptionalsweetener,ifdesired,andthenblendagainforanother2minutes.
7. Dumptheexcesspulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet.Itwillbewetandclumpy.Iusemyfingerstobreakitupandspreaditoutonthebakingsheetsothatitdriesouteasily.Pleasedon’tthrowitaway—thereareanincrediblenumberofusesforpulp,whichwe’llexplorelater(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).
8. Useafunneltopourthenutmilkintoaglassstoragejar,andstoreitintherefrigeratorfor3to4days,orinthefreezerforupto2months.
NOTES
Ifyoudecidetoaddasweetenerortwotothisrecipe,startwithgroundvanillabeans,whichmakethingstastesweeterwithoutraisingtheactualsugarcontent.Besuretostrainthemilkbeforeaddingthesweetener.Ifyouaddthesweetenertooearlyintheprocess,someofitwillgetcaughtinthecheesecloth,especiallydates.IaddthedatesonceIhavestrainedthemixture,andthenIblendeverythingagainforanother2minutestomakesuretheingredientsarecompletelymixed.Notethatifyouusevanillaextract,youmightbeabletoslightlytastethealcohol,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.
Asyoustartplayingaroundwiththetypesofnutsyouuse,you’llnoticethatnotallofthemneedtobestrainedafterthey’reblended.Some,suchascashewsand
pistachios,createaveryfinepowderthatgoesstraightthroughthecheesecloth.Forthose,Isimplyblend,pour,chill,andserve.
Don’tbeshockedwhenyoutakeyourmilkoutoftherefrigeratorandfindthatit’sseparated.Justgiveitagoodshaketomixitupagain.Homemadenutmilkdoesn’thaveaddedthickeners,emulsifiers,orstabilizerstokeepthemixturehomogeneous.
Ifyoudon’thaveahigh-poweredblender,youcanusearegularblender.You’lljustneedtomakethemilkinsmallerbatches—about½cup(65g)ofnutsto1¾cups(420ml)ofwateratatime.
Mostnutmilkswilllast3to4daysintherefrigerator,whichshouldbeplentyoftimeifyouusethemregularlyincoffee,cereal,andrecipes.ThesomewhatshortlifespaniswhyIdon’tmakeitinlargebatches.Store-boughtmilkstendtolastlongerbecausetheyhaveaddedpreservatives.
PREPTIME:About15minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak),plus2hoursifdryingthepulpforlateruse(seeHowtoUseNutPulp)
ChocolateCashewMilkIT SEEMS THAT every kid loves chocolate milk, and what adultdoesn’t reminisce about drinking the thick, sweet stuff? Well, here’s ahealthier, grown-up version for you. It’s a luxurious milk that makes anamazinghotchocolateoncold,snowydaysorworkswonderfullyasanafter-dinnerdrink.Therecipeiseasy,aswell:simplyblend,pour,andenjoy—nostrainingrequired.Chocolateisn’ttheonlydelicious,satisfyingflavoryoucanaddtoyournutmilks!Thenextfewrecipeswillshowyoujusthowversatilenutscanbe.
MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)
1cup(130g)raw,unsaltedcashews,soakedovernight
3½cups(840ml)water
One3.5-ounce(100g)darkchocolatebaror½cup(80g)chocolatechips
1tablespoonunsweetenedcocoapowder
1teaspooncinnamon
2Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1. Drainandrinsethecashews.
2. Chopthechocolatebarroughly.There’snoneedtochopitfinely,sinceyou’llbeputtingitintotheblender.
3. Addalltheingredientstoahigh-poweredblenderandblenduntilsmooth,about2to3minutes.
4. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days.
NOTE
Youcanstrainthemilkifyoulike,butitisn’treallynecessarywithcashewmilk,sincethenutsarenaturallysoftandblendeasily.
VARIATIONS
YoucanreplacetheMedjooldateswith2teaspoonsofrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrupifyouprefer.Ijustlikethewaythedatessweetenthemilk.
Afunideaistopourthechocolatecashewmilkintofreezer-popmolds.Theywillneedatleast6hourstofirmupinthefreezer,butwhentheydo,you’llhavesomedairy-free“Fudgsicles,”whichmakeadelightfultreatonahotday.
PREPTIME:10minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
StrawberryBrazilNutMilkBRAZILNUTSPRODUCEextremelythick,velvetymilkthatcouldbeconsideredthefull-fatversionofthenutmilkworld.Iregularlydrinkitonitsown,butmykidsloveflavoredmilk,soIcreatedthisrecipewiththeminmind. I typicallyusestrawberries,as the recipesuggests,but itworkswellwith any berry, even frozen ones if fresh aren’t available because of theseason or location. If you choose to use frozen berries, just make surethey’rethawedbeforestartingtherecipe.
MAKES1½CUPS (360 ML)
1cup(240ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1cup(125g)slicedstrawberries(fresh,orfrozenandthawed)
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
1. Combinealltheingredientsinablenderandmixfor1to2minutesathighspeed.Ahigh-poweredblenderisideal;aregularblenderorMagicBulletwillalsodothejob,althoughyoumighthavetoblendtheingredientsalittlelonger.
2. Youcandrinkthestrawberrymilkasisor,ifdesired,pouritthroughafine-meshstrainertoremovethepulp.Eitherwayworks—itdependsonyourpreference.
3. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepforupto3days.
NOTES
Ifyou’reusingtartstrawberries,youcanaddasweetener.Irecommend1Medjooldateor2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup.
Youcansubstituteanequalquantityofvanillaextractforthevanillabeans,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.
PREPTIME:5minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
VanillaHazelnutMilkI’VENEVERMETanyonewhodoesn’tlovehazelnuts(alsoknownasfilberts). They make an excellent butter, which is magnificent whenmixedwithchocolate,asinmyChocolateHazelnutSpread.Here’sawaytoenjoythem as a milk. This drink will remind you why hazelnuts are universallyadored.Ithasaluxuriousflavorthatkeepsmecomingbackformore.Ievenput it in mymorning coffee as a creamer. Plus the pulp is like a gift thatkeeps on giving—try it in the Grain-Free Energy Bites or Protein-PackedSnackBalls.Ican’tsayenoughaboutthevirtuesofthisnut.
MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)
1cup(135g)raw,unsaltedhazelnuts,soakedovernight
3½cups(840ml)water
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
1. Drainandrinsethehazelnuts.
2. Addthenutsandwatertoahigh-poweredblender(seeIngredientsifyoudon’thaveoneofthese),andblenduntilsmooth,about2to3minutes.
3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer,oruseanutmilkbaginstead.
4. Slowlypourthemilkintothecheeseclothornutmilkbag,makingsurenottooverfillthecontainer.Youwillneedtodothisinbatchestoavoidmakingamess.
5. Gatherthecheeseclothornutmilkbaginyourhands,andgentlysqueezeit.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.
6. Dumptheleftoverpulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).
7. Repeatthesestepsuntilallthemilkisextracted.
8. Pourthemilkbackintotheblender,andaddthevanillaandasweetenerifyouchoose(seeNotesbelow).Brieflyblend.
9. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepforupto4days.
NOTES
Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthevanillabeans,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.
Ifyouwantasweetermilk,tryblendingin1to2Medjooldates(mypersonalfavorite)or2teaspoonsofmaplesyrup.Addingsteviaisanotherpossibility,butitcanleaveaslightlybitteraftertaste,soIdon’trecommendit.However,ifyou’reusedtothetasteofstevia,feelfreetomixin2to3drops.
PREPTIME:About15minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
SpicedPistachioMilkPISTACHIOMILKISoneof theeasiestnutmilks tomake.There’sno straining necessary, and it makes a super-creamy milk that tastesmagnificent in your morning coffee. To make this recipe even better, I’veaddedsomespicesthatpairwellwithitsrichtexture.Thisisonedrinkyou’llwant to make over and over again. I advise you to buy unsalted, shelledpistachios.Purchasing unshelled pistachios is fine, but itmakes for a longandfrustratingpreparation.
MAKES6 CUPS (1 .4 L )
1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedpistachios,soakedovernight
3½cups(840ml)water
1teaspooncinnamon
¼teaspoongroundginger
¼teaspoongroundnutmeg
2Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1. Drainandrinsethepistachios.
2. Addthepistachios,water,cinnamon,ginger,andnutmegtoahigh-poweredblender(seeIngredientsifyoudon’thaveoneofthese).Ifyouhaveavariable-speedblender,startonalowsettingandworkyourwayuptohighoveraperiodof1to2minutes.Ifyoudon’thaveavariable-speedblender,simplymixonhighfor
1to2minutes.
3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl,andslowlypourthemixturethroughthestrainer.Therereallyshouldn’tbemuchtostrain;Idon’tuseacheeseclothatallforthisrecipe.
4. Pourthemilkbackintotheblenderandaddthedates.Blendfor2minutestomakesurethedatesarecompletelygroundup.
5. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days
PREPTIME:About15minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
SunflowerSeedMilkIKNOWSUNFLOWER seedsaren’tnuts,but Iwanted to includethem, since so many people suffer from nut allergies these days. It mayseemunbelievable, but you can actuallymakemilk from these tiny seeds.Youcancreatesunflowerbutter, too—checkout theSunflowerSeedButterrecipe.TheprocessformakingSunflowerSeedMilkisverysimpleandreallynodifferentthanmakingnutmilk.
MAKES3 CUPS (720 ML)
1cup(140g)raw,unsaltedsunflowerseeds(soakedovernight)
4cups(960ml)water
1. Drainandrinsethesunflowerseeds.
2. Placetheseedsinablenderwith4cups(960ml)offreshwater.Blendonhighfor1to2minutes.
3. Setafine-meshstrainerontopofalargebowl.Placeahigh-qualitycheeseclothontopofthestrainer.
4. Slowlypourthemilkintothecheese-cloth,makingsurenottoputtoomuchinatonce.Youwillneedtodothisinbatchestoavoidmakingamess.
5. Gatherthecheeseclothinyourhands,andgentlysqueezeit.Keepsqueezinguntilyoufeelthatalltheliquidisgone.
6. Dumptheleftoverpulpontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).
7. Repeatthesestepsuntilallthemilkisextracted.
8. Placeafunnelontopofthestoragecontainerforyourmilkandpourintheliquid.Iliketouse32-ounce(960ml)glassmasonjars,whichfitthisrecipeperfectly.
9. Servethemilkimmediately,orstoreitintherefrigeratorforlateruse.Itwillkeepfor3to4days
NOTES
Ifyou’veevertriedricemilk,youknowthatithasathintexture,especiallycomparedtonutmilk.SunflowerSeedMilkisverysimilarinthataspect.Ifyouwantitslightlythicker,youcanadd2teaspoonsofarrowroottothemilkafteryoupouritintothestoragecontainer.Simplymixwell.
Youcanaddatablespoonofhoneyorpuremaplesyrupifyoulikeyourmilkalittlesweet.Addthesweetenerafteryoustrainthemixture,andthenblendagainforanotherminutetomakesureeverythingiscompletelymixed.
PREPTIME:About20minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
HotChocolateCashewMilkINTHEDEADofwinterwecanallgoforalittlecoziness,andthere’ssomethingdelightfullycomfortingaboutwarmmilk.Wemaythinkofnutmilkasacoldrefreshment,butitcanbeusedtomakesomedelicioushotdrinks,too.Cashewmilk is incrediblycreamybynature,makingit theperfectbaseforhotchocolate,and,luckily,thisrecipeisoh-so-easytomake.Iaddalittlecinnamontospiceitup,andnutmegcanbeanicetouchaswell.Ifyoulikeanextrabitofheat,tryincludingapinchofcayenne.SeetheBonusRecipeforCoconutWhippedCreambelowtomakethisanevenmoredeluxetreat.
MAKESTWO1 -CUP (240 ML) SERVINGS
2cups(480ml)cashewmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
Heaping¼cup(40g)darkchocolatechips
3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowder
½teaspooncinnamon
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup,optional
1. Mixalltheingredientsinasaucepanovermediumheat.Youcanaddmaplesyrupifyoulikeyourdrinksalittlesweeter,butpersonallyIdon’tthinkitneedsit.
2. Stiruntilalltheingredientsaremixedandthechocolatechipshavemelted,5to7minutes.Serveimmediately.
VARIATIONS
Tryaddingashotofespressotomakethisamochadrink.
Ifyouhaveamilkfrother,youcanfrothabitofextranutmilkontoptocreateahomemadecappuccino.
PREPTIME:About10minutes,notincludingCoconutWhippedCream
CoconutWhippedCreamIfyouwantadollopofwhippedcreamontopofyourhotchocolate,youcaneasilymakeitwithcoconutmilk.Allyouneedisone14-ounce(400ml)canoffull-fatcoconutmilkand1to2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup.
Refrigerate the unopened can of coconut milk overnight.When you open it the nextmorning,you’llsee that thefattypartof thecoconutmilkhasseparatedfromthewater.Thatfattypartmakesthemostwonderful,dairy-freewhippedcream!
Spoonoutthefattypartofthecoconutmilkintoasmallmixingbowl.Youcanfreezetheleftover coconut water in ice cube trays to add to smoothies. Using the whippingattachmentonyourmixer,whipthecoconutfatintoacream.Thiswilltake2to3minuteson high speed. The result should resemble a whipped cream made from heavy dairy
cream. Ihighly recommendusing thewhippedcream right away, since itwillharden ifyourefrigerateit.
SpicedChaiMilkSERVEDWARMANDwithalittletouchofspice,thisdrinkisperfectforrelaxingafterabusyday.It’salsodeliciouschilledandusedasacoffeecreamer.
MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)
1cup(240ml)nutmilkofchoice(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoonpuremaplesyrup
½teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoongroundvanillabeans
¼teaspoongroundnutmeg
1. PlacealltheingredientsinablenderorMagicBulletandblendfor1to2minutesonhigh,untiltheingredientsarewellmixed.
2. Pourthemixtureintoasmallsaucepanandplaceovermediumheat,stirringeveryfewminutesuntilitreachesthetemperatureyoudesire.Makesuretowatchitclosely;itcanquicklybubbleoverifyou’renotcareful.
3. Servethemilkimmediately,orrefrigerateitforupto4daysforuseasacoffeecreamer.
NOTE
I highly recommend using almond milk or Brazil nut milk in this recipe. Both have
creamytexturesthatworkwellwiththeseflavors.
PREPTIME:5to7minutes
Once you realize how easy nut butters are to make, you’llprobably laugh at yourself for not trying it sooner. You’ll alsonever buy them from a supermarket again. The preparationdoesn’ttakelong,thebutterlastsquiteawhileifproperlystored,and it tastesmore flavorful thancommercial versionsdo. If youkeepyournutbutter inthefridge, itcanlast forseveralmonths,althoughweusuallygothroughitmuchmorequicklythanthatinour house. You can make butter from just about any nut, witheach variety offering its own unique, finger-licking-good flavor.The following recipes will show you that homemade nut buttersoarswaybeyondthestandardpeanutbutter.
BasicNutButterTHECONCEPTBEHINDmakingnutbutters isprettysimple: justblendthenutsuntiltheyreachthecreaminessyoudesire.Theprocessisthesameforallnuts.Youshouldmakenutbutterinsmallbatchestogetthebestresultsandtoavoidburningoutyourblenderorfoodprocessor.Ifyoupreferitabitchunky,asIdo,afoodprocessorworkswell,oryoucanuseablenderforafiner,smootherconsistency.Ihavemadenutbutterinafoodprocessor,aVitamix,andmyBlendtecusingtheTwisterJar(seeNotesbelow).
MAKES½CUP (125 G)
1cup(125g)nuts(seeNotesbelow)
1. Grindthenutsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblender.Thefoodprocessorrequiresalittlemoretime,butyouwon’thavetoscrapedownthesidesasoften,andit’seasiertoclean.Bothworkequallywell;yousimplyneedtodecidewhichoneisbetterforyou.
2. Blenduntilthebutterissmooth,scrapingdownthesidesofthecanisterperiodically.Thetimethistakesdependsonthenuts.Brazilnuts,macadamias,peanuts,pecans,andwalnutsalltakeabout5minutes.Almonds,hazelnuts,pistachios,andsunflowerseedscantakeupto20minutes.Forthosethattake
longer,Isuggestpausingtheblendingprocessevery5minutestogivethemachineabreakandallowthenutstoreleasesomeoftheiroils.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightcontainerforstorage.Istoremynutbutteronthecounteranditwillkeepforafewweeks,butit’susuallygobbledupbeforethen!Ifyouplanonsavingitlongerthan2weeks,Irecommendrefrigeratingit.Itcanlastupto4monthsintherefrigerator,sincethecoldtemperaturehelpskeeptheoilsfromgoingrancid.
NOTES
Itypicallymakemynutbutterswithraw,unsaltednuts.Youcanuseroastednuts(seeKitchenTipsfordirections),butyoumightneedtoaddatleast1½teaspoonsofamild-tastingoiltogetasmooth,butteryconsistency.
Pleasemakesurethenutsarefresh.Ifthey’reold,theywillnotcreateasmoothconsistency.
IfyouchoosetousetheBlendtecTwisterJar,Irecommendmaking1cup(250g)ofnutbutteratatime.Evenifyoudon’thaveapowerfulfoodprocessororblender,youcanmakenutbutterusingasmallerappliancelikeaMagicBullet.Ifyougothatroute,cuttherecipeinhalfto½cup(65g)ofnuts.
VARIATIONS
If youwant to add flavorings suchasoil, sea salt, or sweetener, do so afteryouhavemadethenutbuttersothatyou’llknowwhatyourbaseconsistencyandflavoris.Somesuggestions are ½ teaspoon of sea salt; 1 teaspoon of sweetener, such as puremaplesyrupor rawhoney;or½ to1 tablespoonofoil (I like touse coconut,grape seed,orolive).
PREPTIME:5to20minutes,dependingonthetypeofnutyouuse
ClassicPeanutButterTHISISTHEclassicnutbutterrecipe,makingitagreatstartingpoint.You can use any type of peanuts you desire: raw, roasted, salted, orunsalted.They’re all delicious. I prefer using roasted, unsaltedpeanuts forthisbutter,because itallowsme tocontrol thesalt content,and I love thatgreatroastedflavor.Ifyouuseroastedpeanuts,remembertoaddalittleoilto keep thepeanut buttermoist throughout theprocess.This recipeworksperfectlyforthePeanutButterCupGranolaorPeanutButterChocolateChipDonuts.
MAKES1 CUP (250 G)
2cups(280g)peanuts,roasted(seeKitchenTips)orraw
½teaspoonseasalt
1to2tablespoonsmild-tastingoil,ifusingroastedpeanuts
1. Grindthepeanutsandseasaltinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderuntilcreamy,5to10minutes.Ifyou’reusingablender,Irecommendstartingonalowspeedandthenworkingyourwayuptohigh.Youmightneedtostopseveraltimestoscrapedownthesides.
2. Transferthepeanutbuttertoanairtightcontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
PREPTIME:5to10minutes
SaltedHoneyCashewButterTHERICH,SMOOTH taste of cashew buttermakes it one of themostspecialnutbutters, inmyopinion.Sweetandsalty,alwaysawinningcombination,joinforcesperfectlyinthisextra-luxurioussaltedhoneycashewbutter.Youmightbetemptedtoeatitstraightfromthejar—Ifindthatbreadjustgetsintheway.It’salsoaperfectfillingfortruffles.
MAKES½CUP (160 G)
1cup(130g)rawcashews
1tablespoonrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup
½teaspoonseasalt(seeNotebelow)
1. Grindthecashewsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderfor5to10minutes,stoppingoftentoscrapedownthesides.Startatalowspeedandslowlyworkyourwayuptohigh.
2. Addthehoneyandseasaltandcontinuetoblenduntilsmooth.Thisshouldrequireonlyafewmoreminutes.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglassstoragecontainer.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
NOTE
Ifyoubuysaltedcashews,omitthesaltinthisrecipe.
PREPTIME:8to12minutes
RichandCreamyPistachioButterIDON’TKNOWaboutyou,butabagofpistachiosneverlastslonginmy house, even with the hassle of shelling them. There’s just somethingabouttheirsmoothtexturethatmakesthemsoappealing.Addsomesaltandyouhaveyourself ahandy snack!Throw them inablenderandyouget avelvety butter that you can use in cookies, ice cream, truffles, and othertreats. I especially love using pistachios in truffles, since their pretty greenhue contrasts beautifully against the chocolate, making them ideal for theholidays.
MAKES½CUP (140 G)
1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedpistachios
½teaspoonseasalt
1teaspoonpuremaplesyrup
1. Grindthenutsandtheseasaltinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor10to15minutes.Youmightneedtoscrapedownthesidesoftheblenderorfoodprocessorseveraltimes.
2. Whenthemixtureisalmostsmooth,addthemaplesyrup,andblendforanother2minutes.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
NOTE
This pistachio butter is alsowonderful in place of the pecan butter in PecanCaramelOvernightOats.Delicious!
PREPTIME:10to15minutes
ChocolateHazelnutSpreadHAZELNUTSAREONEofmy favoritenuts touse in thekitchen,perhaps because my mother was German. Since many German dessertsand candies contain hazelnuts, recipes like this one take me back to mychildhood.Thisspreadcanbeenjoyed insomanydifferentways.Smear itontoast,waffles,crepes,orpancakes,oraddaspoonfultoPecanCaramelOvernight Oats. It’s also wonderful in Banana Muffins with ChocolateHazelnutFilling.Unlikethepopularstore-boughtchocolatehazelnutspread,thisonedoesnotcontainprocessedsugarorsoy.Try thiseasyrecipeandyou’llneverhavetheurgetopurchasethecommercialbrandagain.
MAKES1½CUPS (360 G)
2cups(240g)raw,unsaltedhazelnuts
1cup(240ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
⅓cup(40g)unsweetenedcocoapowder
3tablespoonspuremaplesyruporrawhoney
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeans
1. Youcanremovethehazelnutskinsorleavethemon;I’vedoneitbothways.Ifyoudecidetoremovetheskins,you’llneedtoroastthenutsfirst(seeKitchenTipsfordirections).
2. Waituntilthehazelnutsarecompletelycooledbeforeattemptingtoremovetheskins;otherwiseyou’llburnyourhands.Itshouldtakeabout5minutesforthe
hazelnutstocooldownenoughtohandle.Oncecooled,rubthembetweenyourpalmstoremovetheskins.
3. Grindthehazelnutsinablenderuntiltheyhaveacoarseconsistency,about1minute.Ihighlyrecommendusingahigh-poweredblendertogetasmoothertexture.Youcanuseafoodprocessor,butyoumightneedtogrindthenutsforabout2minuteslongerandaslightgraininessmayremain.Itwillstilltastedivine;itwilljusthaveadifferenttexture.Ihavetestedthisrecipewithbothappliancesandfindthatthehazel-nutspreadmadeintheblendermostcloselyresemblesthestore-boughtvariety.
4. Addthealmondmilk,cocoapowder,maplesyrup,andvanilla.Blenduntilsmooth,about2minutes.
5. Becausethisrecipecontainsalmondmilk,itneedstobestoredintherefrigerator.Itshouldlast7to10days.
NOTE
You can substitute 1 teaspoonof vanilla extract for the groundvanilla beans, but youmightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.
PREPTIME:5to7minutes(longerifremovingtheskinsfirst)
ChocolatePeanutButterSpreadSINCETHEBEGINNINGoftheirmutualexistence,chocolateandpeanutbutterhavebeenpairedtogether.SomeofthemostpopulardessertsinWestern culture today are based on thiswonderful combination, be it asumptuous mousse at an expensive restaurant or a common candy barimpulsively purchased at the checkout line in a grocery store. They’re theperfectmatch,with thesaltinessof thepeanutsand themelt-in-your-mouthsweetnessofthechocolatetoogoodtopassup.Isimplyhadtoincludethisrecipeinthebook.Thisspreadisgreatontoast,waffles,oricecream,oryoucanjusteatitbythespoonful!
MAKES1 CUP (300 G)
1½cups(210g)rawpeanuts(seeNotesbelow)
1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips
1¾cups(420ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1. Grindthepeanutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeeduntiltheyhaveacoarseconsistency,1to2minutes.
2. Addthechocolatechipsandcontinuetopulseforafewmoreminutestomix.
3. Addthealmondmilkandmaplesyrupandblendforanother3minutes,oruntilthespreadreachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
4. Transferthespreadtoaglassjarforstorage.Becausethisrecipecontainsalmondmilk,itneedstobestoredintherefrigerator,whereitshouldlastforupto2weeks.
NOTES
Youcanmakethiswithsaltedorunsaltedpeanuts;Iuseunsalted.Ifyougowithunsaltedpeanutsandwouldstilllikeasaltyelement,Isuggestadding½teaspoonofseasalt.Youcanmixitinatthesametimeasthealmondmilkandmaplesyrup.
Ikeepthisspreadin12-ounce(340ml),wide-mouthglassmasonjars,whichfittherecipeyieldperfectly.
Thisspreadwillfirmupafterbeinginthefridge.Beforeusing,letitsitatroomtemperatureforabout30minutes,orheatitinamicrowaveathalfpowerfor1minute.
PREPTIME:5to7minutes
MapleVanillaAlmondButterHAVINGGROWNUP intheNortheast,Icanattesttothemagicofanythingmaple, frommaple butter tomaple syrup. The natural sweetenermakes everything better, and it pairs perfectly with vanilla, which reallystandsoutinthisflavorfulspread.Addinggroundvanillabeanstoadishcanmakeittastesweeterthanitreallyis,whichmakesusingvanillaaterrificwayto cut sugar consumption while still indulging. I promise this classiccombinationwillhaveyoucomingbackformore.
MAKES½CUP (175 G)
1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedalmonds
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
½teaspoonseasalt
1. Grindthealmondsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblenderonhighspeed(seeNotesbelow).Pauseeveryfewminutestogivethealmondstimetoreleasetheiroils.
2. Oncethealmondslookmoist,after10to15minutes,addtheremainingingredientsandblenduntilsmooth.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
NOTES
Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthevanillabeans,cuttingtheamountdownto½teaspoon,butyoumightbeabletoslightlytastethealcoholifyoudo,sincethisrecipeisn’tcooked.
Thetimeittakestomakealmondbuttervariesdependingonthetypeofequipmentyouuse;ittypicallytakesabout15to25minutes.Ahigh-poweredblenderwillbefasterthanafoodprocessor.Bothhavetheirprosandcons.Whilethefoodprocessormighttakelonger,thecleanupismucheasierandthesidesdon’tneedtobescrapedasoften.Ablenderisquicker,butitrequiresmorescrapingandamoredifficultcleanup.Eitherway,thisrecipeisworththetimeandeffort.
PREPTIME:15to25minutes
AppleDonutsandSandwichesHere’s a fun serving suggestion for thisMaple Vanilla Almond Butter: use it in appledonuts and apple sandwiches. I enjoy making these simple, healthy snacks with mydaughters,wholovethem!Ifyourchildisallergictonutsorattendsanut-freeschool,youcansubstituteSunflowerSeedButterforthealmondbutter.Here’showyoumakethem:
Takeanappleofyourchoice(IlikeHoneycrisp)andsliceitinto¼-inch-thickcircles.Ifyouhaveveryyoungchildren,youcanpeeltheapplebeforeslicingit.Whatyouendupwithareabout6applecircleswitha littlecorein themiddleofeachone.Useasmallcircularcookiecutteroraknifetocutthecoreoutofeachappleslice.
Tomakedonuts, simplyspread thenutbutteron topofeachslice,and thengive thekids some toppings to add. We like to use shredded, unsweetened coconut, rawsunflowerseeds,driedfruit,choppednuts,orcacaonibs.
Ifyouwantapplesandwiches,juststacktwoslicesofappleontopofeachotherwiththenutbutterinthemiddle.Applesandwichesmakeexcellentsnacksforschool.Ifyouwanttokeepyourapplesfrombrowninginthelunchbox,simplysqueezeatinydropoflemonjuiceontoeachslice.
CinnamonPecanButterPECANSHAVEAnaturalsweetnessthat I’m incredibly fondof,andtheymakeanidealnutbutter.Isometimesusepecanbutterasthebaseinmytruffles,sinceit’ssorichinflavorwithoutanyextrasugar.Whenyouaddcinnamontothemix,ittakesthetastetoawholenewlevel.I’msurethiswillbecomeastapleinyourhouseasithasinmine.TryusingitinplaceoftheChocolateHazelnutSpreadinmyBananaMuffins.
MAKES½CUP (160 G)
1½cups(150g)raw,unsaltedpecans
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonseasalt
1. Combinealltheingredientsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeeduntilthemixturereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.Ifyouuseablender,thisshouldtakeonlyabout2minutes;afoodprocessorwillneed5to7minutes.
2. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
NOTE
If you decide to add a sweetener, mix it in when the butter looks almost ready. Irecommendusing1teaspoonofpuremaplesyrupor1teaspoonofrawhoney.
PREPTIME:5to10minutes
MapleCinnamonMacadamiaSpreadTHISSPICE-FILLEDNUTbutterissuretocomfortyouonacoldday.Sweetandbuttery,burstingwithhintsofcinnamonandnutmeg,itmakesawonderfuldipforfruitorcookies,oryoucangivenewlifetoyourmorningtoastbyusingitinsteadofbutterorjam.
MAKES1¼CUP (330 G)
2cups(280g)raw,unsaltedmacadamianuts
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1teaspooncinnamon
1teaspoonseasalt
¼teaspoongroundnutmeg
1. Grindthenutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes.
2. Addtheremainingingredientsandcontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth.Thisshouldtakelessthan5minutes.Scrapedownthesidesoftheblenderasneeded.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto2weeks,orupto4monthsintherefrigerator.
NOTES
Ifindthatthisspreadtastesevenbetterwarm,sokeepthatinmindwhenservingit.Iwarmthespreadbystickingthejarinabowlofhotwaterforafewminutes,oryoucanheatitgentlyinamicrowaveonhalfpowerfornolongerthan20seconds.
I’vediscoveredthata4-ounce(120ml)masonjarfitsthisrecipeperfectly.
VARIATION
Applesandnutsgoperfectlytogether,soifyouwanttokickthingsupanotch,add¼cup (60 ml) of unsweetened applesauce. This mixture tastes great on toast or evenswirledintoacupofplainyogurt.
PREPTIME:7to10minutes
ChunkyBananaWalnutSpreadTHIS IS NOT your mama’s nut butter—this stuff is over-the-topawesome,withadeepandunendingflavor.Therichnessofthewalnutbuttermixedwiththesweetnessoftheripebananatastesamazingtogetherinthisepicspread.Ihighlysuggestspreadingsomeontopofpancakesorwaffles;Ipromiseyou’llloveit.
MAKES1 CUP (330 G)
2cups(200g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts,plusanextrahandfultomixinforanaddedcrunch
1largeveryripebanana
1to1½teaspoonscinnamon
1. Grindthewalnutsinafoodprocessororhigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes,untiltheybegintoclumptogetherslightly.
2. Addthebananaandcinnamonandblenduntilsmooth,another2minutes.Gentlyfoldintheextrawalnutsforanadditionalcrunch,oryoucanomitthemandleaveitsmooth.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepintherefrigeratorforupto1week.
NOTE
Afterthisspreadhasbeenrefrigeratedforawhileitwillhardenabit,soyou’llneedto
pullitoutabout30minutesbeforeusingit.Youcanalsosetthejarinabowlofwarmwatertosoftenit.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
BananaWalnutFreezerFudgeYoucanmakeaheavenlyfreezerfudgeusingthebasicingredientsinthisrecipe.Take2cups(200g)ofwalnuts,1mashedbanana,and1tablespoonofpuremaplesyrup,andmixthem together ina foodprocessororblenderonhigh speed.Scoop themixture into thelinedcupsofastandardmuffinpanandplacethepaninthefreezer.Afterabout4hours,you’ll have a decadent fudgewith very little added sugar. This recipemakes 10 to 12piecesoffudge,dependingonhowlargeyoucutthem.
Salted“Caramel”BrazilNutButterBRAZILNUTBUTTER is one of the quickest nut butters you canmake. If you have a high-powered blender, you should be able to do it inabout2minutes.Thesweetandsaltycomboof this recipemakes ithighlyaddictive. TheMedjool dates provide a caramel-like taste and texture in amuchhealthierwaythantheactualsugarystuff,andtheseasaltenhancesalloftheflavors.Youcanspreadthisnutbutterontoastorsimplyeatitwithaspoon.Touseitinafun,creativeway,trymeltingitoversomeicecream.
MAKES1½CUPS (360 G)
2½cups(360g)raw,unsaltedBrazilnuts
5Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1½teaspoonsseasalt
1. GrindtheBrazilnutsinahigh-poweredblenderorfoodprocessoronhighspeeduntilcompletelycrumbled,2to4minutes.
2. Addthedatesandseasalt,thencontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth,another1to2minutes.
3. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglassstoragecontainer.Itshouldkeepatroomtemperatureforupto1week,orupto3weeksintherefrigerator.
NOTE
Ifyoustorethisbutterinthefridge,itmighthardenalittle.Tosoftenitbackup,simply
stickthejarinabowlofverywarmwaterforabout2minutes.Youcanalsogentlyheatitinamicrowaveathalfpowerfor30seconds,whichshouldloosenitup.
PREPTIME:5to7minutes
SunflowerSeedButterTECHNICALLY SUNFLOWER SEEDS are not nuts.However,Ifelttheneedtoincludetheminthisbook,sincesomanypeoplesufferfromnutallergiesthesedays,andsunflowerseedscanmakeatastyspread.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowisallergictonuts,sunflowerseedsareagreatalternative.Thisbutter isveryeasy tomake,although itdoesrequiresomepatience.
MAKES1 CUP (300 G)
2cups(280g)raw,unsaltedsunflowerseeds
2tablespoonsoliveoil
½teaspoonseasalt
1. Grindthesunflowerseedsinafoodprocessororahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutesonhigh.Stopandgivetheseedsafewminutestoreleasesomeoftheirnaturaloils.
2. Startprocessingtheseedsagain,scrapingdownthesidesoften.Pauseeveryfewminutestogivetheblenderarestandtoallowtheseedstoreleasemoreoils.
3. Afterabout10minutes,themixturewillstarttogetmoistandclumptogether.Addtheoliveoilandseasalt.Continuetoprocessuntilitformsaspread.MakingSunflowerSeedButtertakesmuchlongerthannutbutter,usually20to25minutes.
4. Transferthebuttertoanairtightglasscontainerforstorage.Itshouldkeepatroom
temperatureorintherefrigeratorfor2to3weeks.
NOTES
Ifyouhaveahigh-poweredblendersuchasaVitamix,Ninja,orBlendtec,thisprocesswillbemuchfaster,althoughyou’llprobablyhavetoscrapedownthesidesmoreoften.IusedmyBlendtecwiththeTwisterJarattachment,whichcutsdownonthetimeabit.
PREPTIME:About25minutes
Aftermakingnutmilks,you’llbe leftwithpulp.Thegoodnews?Thispulp isnottrashandhassomanyexcellentuses.Thebadnews?Thereisnone.Similartonutmealornutflour,nutpulpiscommonlyutilized ingluten-freebaking. It canbesubstituted inrecipesthatcall fornutmealsor flours,mixed intosmoothiesoroatmealforadditionalproteinandfiber,addedtoenergybitesorotherrawsnacksinplaceofnutmealsorflours,orsprinkledontoapplesauce or yogurt as a crunchy topping—just use yourimagination! I’ve included some recipes here that demonstratehowdiverseandusefulnutpulpcanbe.
BasicNutPulpNOCOMPONENTSOF the“milking”processneedwindupinthegarbageorcompostheap—nutpulphasanendlessnumberofuses!Belowismyrecipeforcreatingnutpulp.Keep inmindthatsincethepulp isquitemoistrightafterthemilkingprocess,itwillneedtobedriedout,eitherinanovenorafooddehydrator(seeNotebelow).Iusuallyusetheoven,sinceit’sabitquicker.
1. Preheattheovento225°F(110°C).Spreadthepulpoutevenlyonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.
2. Bakeitintheovenforabout2hours,untilnomoistureremains.Takeitoutoftheovenevery30minutesandtrytobreakupthelargeclumpsbygentlymashingthemwithafork.Thishelpstodryoutthepulpmorequickly.Ifthepulpisn’tcompletelydryattheendof2hours,continuecookingalittlelonger,checkingitsprogressoften.
3. Thedriednutpulpwillstillbealittleclumpy.Tobreakitapartcompletely,letthepulpcoolinthepanandthenblenditintoafinepowderintheblender.
4. Useafunneltopouritintoaglassstoragejarandstoreitintherefrigeratorfor3to4days,orinthefreezerforupto2months.
NOTE
Ifyou’redryingthepulpinadehydrator,setthetemperatureto135°F(57°C)andcookitfor4to6hours.Checkoniteveryhourtobreakuptheclumps.
PREPANDBAKETIME:2to3hours
Grain-FreePeanutButterBananaPancakes
GRAIN-FREEBAKINGHAS many benefits, one being that thefoodisgluten-free.Althoughnoteveryoneisallergictogluten,itseemsthatmoreandmorepeoplearetryingtoavoidit.Removingthegrainsalsomakesadishlow-carb.Thismeansit’sperfectfordiabeticsandthosewhofollowapaleo diet. The texture of grain-free pancakes isn’t the same as that oftraditionalpancakes,sodon’tfretiftheycomeoutslightlydifferentfromwhatyou’reusedto.
MAKESTEN4 - INCH (10 CM) PANCAKES
3tablespoonsflaxmeal
½cup(120ml)warmwater
1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter
2largeripebananas,mashed
¾cup(180ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
¼cup(60ml)puremaplesyrup
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1cup(112g)coconutflour
½cup(50g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)
2teaspoonsbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
2to3tablespoonscoconutoil,forgreasingpan
1. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
2. Mixthepeanutbutter,bananas,almondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanillatogetherinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandsetitasidetocoolalittle.
3. Whilethepeanutbutterandbananamixturecools,combinethecoconutflour,almondpulp,bakingpowder,andseasalttogetherinalargebowl.
4. Oncethemixtureinthesaucepanhascooledtolukewarm,addittothebowlofdryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
5. Addtheflax/watermixtureandstiruntiltheingredientsarewellcombined.Thebatterwillbemuchthickerthantraditionalpancakebatter.
6. Addthecoconutoiltoalargesautépanovermediumheat.Usinga½-cup(120ml)measure,scoopoutthepancakebatter.AsIpreviouslynoted,thebatterwillbethick,soyou’llneedtouseaspatulatospreaditoutontothepan.Ifindthatwettingthespatulawithalittlewatermakesiteasiertospreadthepancakesout.Unliketraditionalpancakes,youcan’treallytellwhenthesearereadytobeflippedwithoutlookingattheunderside.Icheckthemafter1to2minutes,usingthespatulatocarefullyliftupacornertoseeifithasturnedgoldenbrownyet.
7. Repeatthesestepsuntilyou’veusedallofthepancakebatter.Sincemaplesyrupisaddedtothebatter,thesepancakesaresweetenoughtobeeatenontheirown.
NOTE
Ifyouhaveanyleftoverpancakes,storetheminanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratoror freezer.Place a sheetofparchmentpaperbetweeneachpancake so that theywon’tstick together. If you store them in the fridge, they should last aweek. If you freezethem,theyshouldlastseveralmonths.Toreheatfrozenpancakes,letthemmostlythawatroomtemperature,thengentlyreheattheminanovenat350°F(177°C)for5minutes,orinamicrowaveforabout20seconds.
VARIATIONS
Therearesomanydelightfulwaysyoucan furtherenhance this recipe.One idea is to
fold½cup(60g)ofslicedstrawberriesor¼cup(40g)ofchocolatechipsintothebatterright before you cook the pancakes. Another fun variation is to drizzle some warmchocolatesauceoverthem(seeBonusRecipebelow).
PREPANDCOOKTIME:About30minutes
ChocolateSauceIfyouneedagoodrecipeforchocolatesauce,Ihaveyourback.Justtake¼cup(60ml)ofmeltedcoconutoil,¼cup(30g)ofunsweetenedcocoapowder,and2to3tablespoonsofpure maple syrup, and mix it all together. The cocoa powder drowns out most of thecoconutflavor,sogiveitatryevenifcoconutisn’tyourthing—it’swellworthit.Keepinmindthatthecoconutoilwillsolidifyaftersometimeatroomtemperature,somakesuretousethesauceimmediately,whileit’sstillwarm.
Grain-FreeEnergyBitesTHESE NO-BAKE ENERGY bites are a great way to utilizeleftoverhazelnutoralmondpulp.Theycontainenoughprotein,fat,andsugartomake them an excellent pre- or post-workout snack.My husband eventakesthemtoworkforamid-afternoonpick-me-up.Youcanalsopackthemastrailfoodforahike,althoughIrecommendfreezingthemfirstsothattheydon’tbecometoosoftwhileyouexplore.
MAKESF IFTEEN1½- INCH (4 CM) B ITES
1½cups(150g)hazelnutpulporalmondpulp(seeBasicNutPulp)
1cup(90g)unsweetenedshreddedcoconut
10to12Medjooldates,pitsremoved
3to4tablespoonswater
1. Putalltheingredientsintoafoodprocessorandmixuntiladoughforms,2to3minutes.Ifitseemsabitdry,addmorewater.Youcanalsouseahigh-poweredblender,butifso,Ihighlyrecommendsoakingthedatesinwaterfor30minutesfirstinordertosoftenthemenoughtobeusedinablender.
2. Rollthemixtureintobite-sizeballsandplacethemonaparchment-linedplate.Refrigeratethemforanhourtoset.
3. Storethebitesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks;orinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTES
Theseenergybitesareonlymildlysweet,soifyoupreferanextra-sweetflavoryou’llprobablywanttoaddsomeliquidsweetener.Irecommendusing2tablespoonsofpuremaplesyrup.
Ifyoudon’thaveleftoverpulpfrommakingnutmilk,youcanusealmondmealinstead.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:5to10minutes(notincludingthesoaktimeforthedates,ifusingablender),plusanhourtosetintherefrigerator
Protein-PackedSnackBallsTHESE NO-BAKE SNACK balls are perfect for an extended-energysupply, andprovideanothergreatuse foralmondorhazelnutpulp.Combining chia and flax seeds with the almond butter means that thesesnacks are full of protein and fiber, and It doesn’t hurt that they tasteamazing,too.Onceyoutrythese,you’llwanttomakethemagainandagain.
MAKESTWELVE1½- INCH (4 CM) BALLS
1cup(150g)almondpulporhazelnutpulp(seeBasicNutPulp)
⅓cup(85g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
2tablespoonscoconutoil
2tablespoonschiaseeds
2tablespoonsflaxseeds
1. Putalltheingredientsintoafoodprocessorandmixuntiladoughforms,about5minutes.
2. Carefullyrollthedoughintoballs.Thedoughdoesn’tholdtogetherverywellwhenrollingitbetweenyourhands,butitwillfirmupagainintherefrigerator.
3. Chillintherefrigeratoruntilniceandfirm,about1hour.
4. Storetheballsinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthe
freezerforupto3months.
VARIATION
Ifyouwantalittlecrunchaswellasanaturalsourceofcaffeine,rolltheballsin¼cup(30g)ofcacaonibsbeforeyouputthemintherefrigeratortochill.Ifyouwantthesameflavorbutwithamilderkick,foldthecacaonibsintothemixtureinstead.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About10minutes,plus1hourtosetinthefridge
HoneyNutBreakfastCookiesI ABSOLUTELY LOVE making breakfast in cookie form. My twogirls, likemostotherchildren,canbeprettypickyeatersattimes.Theywill,however,eatalmostanythingifitlookslikeacookie.ThisrecipeisonewayI’m able to get healthy whole grains into their diet without their knowing.Thesecookiesarepackedwithasubstantialamountoffiberandprotein,sothey’ll keep you full for quite some time. Don’t be fooled—this recipe isn’tonlyforkids;adultsenjoythecookiesaswell.Myhusbandoftenbringsthemtoworktoeatasamid-morningsnackwithacupofcoffee.
MAKESF IFTEEN1½- INCH (4 CM) COOKIES
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
1½cups(150g)gluten-freerolledoats
1cup(100g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)
⅓cup(63g)rawalmonds,chopped
½teaspoonbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
⅓cup(85g)ClassicPeanutButter
½cup(120ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
⅓cup(80ml)rawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup
3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Combinetheoats,almondpulp,choppedalmonds,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.
4. Mixthepeanutbutter,applesauce,honey,almondmilk,andvanillatogetherinasaucepan.Stirovermedium-lowheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.
5. Addthepeanutbuttermixturetothedryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell),about2minutes.
6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixwellforanotherminute.
7. Shapethedoughintobite-sizeballs,slightlyflattened,andplacethemabout1inch(2.5cm)apartonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.
8. Bakethecookiesfor15to17minutes,untiltheedgeslookgolden.Waituntilthey’vecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.
9. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto3weeksorinthefreezerforupto3months.
NOTE
Ifyouhaveapeanutallergy,almondbuttercanbe substituted for thepeanutbutter. Ifyou’re allergic to nuts altogether, you can substitute sunflower seeds for the choppednuts, Sunflower Seed Milk for the almond milk, and Sunflower Seed Butter for thepeanutbutter.Yourcookieswillcomeoutequallydelicious.
PREPANDBAKETIME:25to30minutes
MapleVanillaAlmondGranolaGROUNDVANILLABEANS are the true star in this homemadegranola,butthealmondpulpplaysanimportantsupportingrole.SometimesIdevouritrightoffthepan,andit’salsogoodinabowlwithsomealmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)orontopofsomeyogurt.Itusuallydoesn’tlastadayinmyhouse,withall thehandssneakingtastesbeforeit’sevencooledall theway.
MAKES4 CUPS (480 G)
3cups(300g)gluten-freerolledoats
⅔cup(65g)almondpulporalmondmeal(seeBasicNutPulp)
½cup(35g)choppedalmonds
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeans
½teaspoonseasalt
½cup(120ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixtheoats,almondpulp,choppedalmonds,vanilla,andseasaltinalargebowl.Inanothersmallerbowl,mixtheapplesauceandmaplesyrup.
3. Addthewetingredientstothedryonesslowlyandstiruntileverythingiswell
combined,about1to2minutes.Iuseasiliconespatulatomixthembyhand.
4. Spreadthemixtureoutevenlyontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakeitfor15to20minutes.
5. Pullthegranolaoutoftheoven,shakeitaround,andplaceitbackintheovenforanother15to20minutes,untilgoldenbrown.
6. Storethegranolainanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforuptoaweek,intherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.
NOTES
Ifyoulikeextra-crispygranola,turntheoventemperaturedowntoabout200°F(100°C)andcookitalittlelonger,checkingitevery5minutes.Itwillburneasilyifyou’renotcareful.
Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstopuremaplesyrup,rawhoneyworksfine,althoughitalterstheflavorabit.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About45minutes
If you asked me what my favorite meal of the day is, I wouldinstantly tellyou,breakfast.After fastingallnightwhileIsleep, Iappreciate nothing more than a bowl of oats with my morningcoffee. But why stop at oatmeal? There are so many ways toincorporatenutmilksandbutters intoyourmorning routine,andthese breakfasts will keep you satisfied and satiated untillunchtime.
AlmondButterandJellyMuffinsWEMAKEFILLEDmuffinsquiteoften inourhouse—they’resuchatreatforthechildren(andadults!).Myfour-year-olddaughterreferstothemas“muffinswithlittlesurprises.”Bitingintothesealmondbuttermuffinstofindsomejellywaitinginsidewillmakeyoufeellikeakidagain.They’reperfecttobringtoapartyortoyouroffice,wherethey’llquicklydisappearafterpeoplegetataste.
MAKES12 MUFFINS
2tablespoonsflaxmeal
¼cupplus2tablespoonswater
2cups(180g)gluten-freeoatflour
1teaspoonbakingpowder
1teaspoonbakingsoda
½teaspoonseasalt
½cup(120g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
⅓cup(80ml)puremaplesyrup
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoonvanillaextract
½cup(170g)yourfavoritejam(seeBonusRecipebelow)
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtheoatflour,bakingpowder,bakingsoda,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.
4. Mixthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasauce-panovermediumheat.Usingasiliconespatula,stiruntilsmooth,about2minutes.
5. Addthealmondbuttermixtureandtheflax/watermixturetothedryingredientsandmixwell,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
6. Spoonalittledollopofbatterintoeachcupofalinedorgreasedmuffinpan,fillingthemabout¼-inch(.6cm)high.Thebatterwillbeverythickbecauseofthealmondbutter,soIrecommendwettingaspoonorspatulatohelpkeepitfromsticking.Oncealittlebatterisinthebottomofeachcup,useyourfingertocreateasmalldepressioninthemiddle.Thisiswherethejamwillsit.Becarefulnottomaketheholetoodeep,orthejamwilloozeoutthebottom.
7. Spoonadollopofjamintotheindentation.
8. Spoonsomemorebatterintoeachmuffincup,untilthey’reaboutthree-quartersfull.
9. Bakethemuffinsfor10to12minutes,untilatoothpickinsertedintothemiddlecomesoutclean.Waitforthemtocoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthepans.
10. Storethemuffinsinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTE
Ifyou’renoteatinggluten-free,feelfreetousewholewheatpastryflourorspeltflour.
PREPANDBAKETIME:20to25minutes
HomemadeJamIliketomakemyownjamusing1cup(150g)ofberries,1tablespoonofchiaseeds,and1teaspoonofpuremaplesyrup.Mixtheingredientsinafoodprocessorfor30seconds,thenplacethejaminthefridgefor30minutes.
BananaWalnutOatmealMuffinsINMYHOUSEbreakfasthastobekid-friendlyorelseIwindupmakingtwomeals.Thesemuffinsarealwaysgreetedwithsmilingfacesbymywholefamilyandneverlastverylong.Youcanmakethemaheadoftimeandfreezethemforaneasybreakfastonbusydays. Ipullmineout thenightbefore Iwanttoservethemsothatbymorningthey’reperfectlythawedandreadytoeat.Thisrecipeyieldsasmallbatch,soyoumightwanttodoubleortripleitifyouintendtofeedmorethanafewpeople.
MAKES3 JUMBOOR6 STANDARDMUFFINS
3cups(300g)gluten-freerolledoats
1teaspooncinnamon
½teaspoonseasalt
2ripebananas,mashed
⅓cup(85g)walnutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
2to3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixtheoats,cinnamon,andseasalttogetherinalargebowl.Setitaside.
3. Mixthebanana,walnutbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2to3minutes.
4. Addthebananamixturetothebowlwiththeoats.Stiruntiltheingredientsarecompletelymixed,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
5. Spoonthemixtureintothecupsofalinedorgreasedmuffinpan.Bakefor15to18minutes,untilslightlygolden.Waituntilthey’recompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthemuffinpan.
6. Storethemuffinsintherefrigeratorforupto1weekorinthefreezerforupto3months.Iliketokeepmineinaziplockbag.
VARIATIONS
Ifyouwanttogivetheseanextraboost,trysprinklingacinnamon–coconutsugarblendontopofeachmuffin.Use1tablespoonofcoconutsugarand¼teaspoonofcinnamon.
Thisrecipeisalsodeliciouswhenyouusealmondbutterinsteadofwalnutbutter,omitthecinnamon,andadd¼cup(40g)ofchocolatechips.
Otherpotentialadd-insinclude2tablespoonsofshreddedcoconut,raisins,chiaseeds,orhempseeds.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About25minutes
BananaMuffinswithChocolateHazelnutFilling
IFYOU’REAseasonedbaker,youprobablyknowthatbananabreadsare a great way to use up bananas that are beginning to brown. Thesewonderfullymoistmuffinshavebeensuperchargedwithalusciouschocolatehazelnutfilling.Ireallydon’tseehowtheycouldgetanybetterthanthis.
MAKES12 MUFFINS
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
1¾cup(160g)gluten-freeoatflour
1teaspoonbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
2ripebananas,mashed
⅓cup(80ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
¼cup(60ml)puremaplesyrup
5tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1tablespooncoconutoil
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpreadoryourfavoritenutbutterforfilling(seeNutButters)
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.
4. Mixthebananas,applesauce,maplesyrup,almondmilk,coconutoil,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntilalltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.
5. Addthebananamixturetothebowlwiththeoats.Stiruntiltheingredientsarecompletelymixed,1to2minutes.
6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
7. Spoonasmallamountofbatterintothebottomofeachcupinalinedorgreasedmuffinpan.AddadollopoftheChocolateHazelnutSpreadontop,thenfilleachcupwithmoremuffinbatteruntilthey’reaboutthree-quartersfull.
8. Bakethemuffinsfor12to15minutes,untilgolden.Waituntilthemuffinshavecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthepans.
9. Storethemuffinsinanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforupto4days,forupto2weeksintherefrigerator,orforupto6monthsinthefreezer.
VARIATION
Trymakingthesewithalmondbutterorcashewbutter,whichareequallydelicious.
PREPANDBAKETIME:20to25minutes
PeanutButterCupGranolaBEFOREISTARTEDdownmywhole-foodjourney,Iadoredpeanutbutter cups. I remember going to chocolatiers when I lived in Las Vegas,lookingfortheperfectpeanutbuttercuptodevour.AlthoughI’mnolongeronasearchfortheperfectpeanutbuttercup,Imadethisrecipetoincorporatemyloveofeverythingpeanutbuttercupintomymorningmeal.Itmightbeabreakfast food, but I promise it tastes like you’re eating dessert. Andwhodoesn’tlikealittlesomethingsweettostarttheday?Thisdishwillgiveyousomethingtolookforwardtowhenyougotobedatnight.
MAKES4 CUPS (480 G)
3cups(300g)gluten-freerolledoats
3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder
1teaspoonseasalt
½cup(125g)ClassicPeanutButter
⅓cup(80ml)puremaplesyrup
¼cup(60ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
2tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoongroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixtogethertheoats,cocoapowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.
3. Mixthepeanutbutter,maplesyrup,applesauce,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatusingasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2minutes.
4. Addthepeanutbuttermixturetothebowlwiththeoatsandstirwiththespatulauntileverythingiswellcoated.
5. Spreadthemixtureoutevenlyontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakeforabout25minutes,stoppinghalfwaythroughtoshakethegranolaaroundabit.Youcantellit’sreadywhenthegranolahasagoldencolortoit.
6. Waituntilthegranolaiscompletelycooledbeforeremovingitfromthebakingsheet.
7. Storethegranolainanairtightcontaineratroomtemperatureforupto7days,intherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About35minutes
PeanutButterCupGranolaCookies
Youcaneasilyturnthisrecipeintocookies.Allyouneedtodoisaddanother¼cup(60g)ofpeanutbutter.Aftermixing,dropscoopsofthebatterontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetandbakefor15minutes.It’shardtovisuallytellwhenthesearedone,soIlightlypressmyfingerintoacookietofeelifit’sfirmenough.Useacookiescooportwospoonstodropthecookiesontothebakingsheet;eithermethodworksfine.
PeanutButterChocolateChipDonutsDIDSOMEONESAY donuts?Yes, please! These iconicAmericanbreakfast(well,possiblydessert)treatsbringasmiletoeveryone’sface.Myhusbandlovesdonutssomuchthathetakesoff for theclosestdonutshopwheneverIturnmyback.Okay,maybethat’sanexaggeration,butIpromise,it would be impossible for him to live without the occasional donut. So Icreatedthesepeanutbutterchocolatechipversionsforhimtohaveathome.Donuts are traditionally deep fried in peanut or vegetable oil, but tomakemineabithealthierthantheirstore-boughtcounterparts,Ibakethemtoavoidthegreaseoverload.I’llbetyou’llgethookedonthesethefirst timeyoutrythem,justlikemyfamilydid.
MAKES12 DONUTS
½cup(120ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
⅓cup(80ml)puremaplesyrup
½cup(125g)ClassicPeanutButter
3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1teaspoonvanillaextract
2cups(180g)gluten-freeoatflour
1teaspoonbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
⅓cup(50g)darkchocolatechips
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixtheapplesauce,maplesyrup,peanutbutter,almondmilk,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandletitcoolfor5minutes.
3. Whiletheapplesaucemixturecools,mixtogethertheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.
4. Whentheapplesaucemixturehascooled,addittothedryingredientsandmixwell,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
5. Foldinthechocolatechipswithaspoonorspatula.
6. Spoonthebatterintogreaseddonutpansandbakefor10minutes,untilgolden.Letthedonutscoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthepans.
7. Storethedonutsintherefrigeratorforatleastaweek,ifnotafewdaysmore,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Todefrost,pullthemoutthenightbeforeandletthemthawatroomtemperatureovernight.
NOTE
Ifyoudon’thavedonutpans,youcanmakethisrecipeinastandardmuffinpan.Simplycookthemafewextraminutestoallowthecenterstocookthrough.Theyturnoutjustastasty.
PREPANDBAKETIME:20to25minutes
Four-IngredientAlmondButterBreakfastCookies
IFBAKINGISN’Tyourthing,whetheritintimidatesyouoryou’renewto it, this is one of the easiest recipes you could ever make. If you’re aseasonedprofessional,thesecookieswillremindyouthatsimplefoodcanbeexquisite. One of the best things about this recipe is that you probablyalreadyhavealltheingredientsyouneedonhand!Sostepintothekitchenandgetbusy—you’llbefinishedinnotime.
MAKESS IXTEEN2 - INCH (5 CM) COOKIES
2cups(200g)gluten-freerolledoats
½teaspoonseasalt
2bananas,mashed
1cup(240g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup,optional
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixtheoatsandseasaltinalargebowl.
3. Mixthebananaswiththealmondbutterandmaplesyrup(ifyouchoosetouseit)inasmallsaucepan.Cookovermediumheat,stirringconstantly,untiltheingredientsaremixedwell,about2minutes.
4. Addthebananamixturetotheoatsandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell),ormixitbyhandwithasiliconespatula.
5. Usingacookiescooportwospoons,dropdollopsofthedoughontoaparchment-linedbakingsheet,about1inchapart.
6. Bakethecookiesfor10minutes,untillightlygolden.Letthemcompletelycoolbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.
7. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTE
Foranaddedboostofprotein,add2tablespoonsofchiaseedsorhemphearts(shelledhempseeds).
PREPANDBAKETIME:About15minutes
Pecan“Caramel”OvernightOatsIMAGINE A BREAKFAST that takes only minutes to make,requiresnocooking,andwillleaveyousatisfiedforhours.Itexists!Overnightoats are my favorite breakfast, partly because of the endless number offlavorcombinationsyoucanenjoy.Imakefivejars’worthatatimeforeasybreakfastoptionsallweek. Itmakeshavingahealthymealandstillgettingoutthedoorontimeonweekdaymorningseasy.
MAKESONE12 -OUNCE (340 G) SERVING
½cup(150g)gluten-freerolledoatsorgluten-freesteel-cutoats
2teaspoonschiaseeds
1teaspooncinnamon
½to¾cup(125to180ml)almondmilk(amountdependsonhowthickyoulikeyouroatmeal;seeBasicNutMilk)
1tablespoonpecanbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
1Medjooldate,pitremovedandfinelychopped
1. Mixtheoats,chiaseeds,andcinnamontogetherinaglassjarthatholdsatleast12ounces(340ml).Iprefermasonjars,butyoucanuseanykindyoulike;recycledjamjarsworkwell,too.
2. Addthealmondmilk,peanutbutter,andchoppeddate,andstiruntiltheingredientsarewellcombined.Makesuretoblendthepecanbutterevenlyinsidethejar.Iuse
thebackofmyspoontobreakupanychunkswhileI’mstirring.
3. Storetheoatscoveredovernightintherefrigerator.Makesuretomixthemwellinthemorningjustbeforeeating.
NOTES
Steel-cutsoatswillstillretainacrunchinthemorning,whichIenjoy.Youcanuserolledoatsifyoupreferasmootheroatmeal.Don’tusequickoats;theygettoosoggy.
Ifyou’resensitivetooats,youcanusemilletinstead.
Insteadofthedate,youcanuse2teaspoonsofpuremaplesyrup,althoughitwon’thaveasmuchofacaramel-liketextureandtaste.
Thisoatmealalsoworkswellwarmedup.Heatitinthemicrowavefornomorethan30seconds,orplacethejarinapotofwaterandheatitgentlyonthestove.
VARIATIONS
Agreatalterationtothisrecipeistosubstitutealmondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)forthepecanbutter,omitthecinnamon,andadd2teaspoonsofunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder.
Ialsoliketoadd1to2teaspoonsofmacapowdertothisrecipeforanaturalenergyboost!
PREPTIME:About5minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoak)
TripleBerryChiaSeedPuddingINTHE1980Schiaseedsweresomethingyouspreadoveraceramicanimaltowatchthemsprout.Todaythey’rerecognizedasanancientAztecsuperfood.Didyouknowthatoneservingofchiaseedscontains11gramsoffiber?That’s42percentof thedaily recommendation!They’realsoagreatsourceofproteinandhealthyfats.Withtheirhighfibercontent, they’llkeepyousatiatedforalongtime.Sincetheyexpandinliquid,alittlegoesalongway,andtheyfillyouupmorethanyoumightthink.Therearesomanywaystoeatchiaseeds,butmyfavoriteisinpudding,likeinthissimplerecipe.Youcaneveneasilytakeitonthego!
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (250 G) SERVINGS
2cups(480ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
½cup(80g)chiaseeds
½cup(47g)shreddedunsweetenedcoconut
1cup(125g)slicedstrawberries(seeNotesbelow)
1cup(150g)blueberries(seeNotesbelow)
½cup(70g)blackberries(seeNotesbelow)
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1. Placealltheingredientsinalargebowlandmixthemverywell.Thechiaseeds
haveatendencytoclumptogetheratthebottomofthebowl,somakesuretostircompletelyforseveralminutes.Usingasiliconespatulahelpsblendthosestubbornchiaseedsatthebottom.
2. Placethebowl,covered,intherefrigeratorfor4hourstofirmup.Thepuddingshouldlastintherefrigeratorfor4to5days.
NOTES
Chiaseedshaveatexturesimilartotapioca,althoughtheseedsaremuchsmaller.Ifyou’renotafanofthetexture,aftertheseedshaveexpanded,throwthewholemixtureintoablenderandmixittoasmoothertexture.
Youcanusefreshorfrozenberriesforthisrecipe.Ifyouusefrozenones,makesurethey’recompletelythawedbeforemixing.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About5minutes,plus4hourstosetinthefridge
Theperfectbreakfastforthoseonthego,oradelicioustreatanytimeoftheday,smoothiescangoincountlessdirections:vibrantand green, healthfully protein-packed, rich and dessert-like,refreshingly fruity. The possibilities are endless. I’m pleased toshare several different smoothie recipes that are sure to put asmile on your face. If you want to add a protein boost to yoursmoothies, I suggest adding a few tablespoons of oats, chiaseeds,hempseeds,ornuts.Youcanuseaproteinpowderifyouwish,butItrytogetmyproteinfromnaturalsources,sincemostprotein powders are highly processed, compromising thenutrients.
StrawberryBananaGreenSmoothieONEOF THE most classic green smoothie recipes, this delectablecombination of strawberries and bananasmakes it hard to resist. If you’renewtogreensmoothies,thisisagreatonetostartwith,sincethefruitmasksany flavor from the greens. My kids eat this up and have no idea they’regettingahiddenservingofveggies.Youdon’thave touse thegojiberries,althoughIreallyenjoytheflavortheybringtothissmoothie,nottomentionthat they contain highamounts of vitaminAandantioxidants andare verygoodforyou.Ifyou’renotafanofspinach,don’tworry—youcan’ttasteitatall.
MAKES10 OUNCES (295ML)
1cup(240ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2cups(20g)looselypackedspinach
1frozenbanana(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)
1cup(220g)frozenstrawberries
1tablespoondriedgojiberries
1. MixtheBrazilnutmilkandthespinachwellinahigh-poweredblenderonmediumspeed,about2minutes.Youmightneedtostopandscrapedownthesidesofthecanisterafewtimes.It’simportanttodothisstepfirsttomakesurethespinachbreaksdowncompletelysothatyoudon’tendupwithchunksofgreeneryinyour
drink.
2. Addthefruitandcontinuetoblendwell,1to2minutes.
3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTES
Ifyou’dliketoincreasetheproteininthissmoothie,add2tablespoonsofhempseeds,chiaseeds,oats,ornuts.Ifyoupreferproteinpowder,feelfreetousethataswell;justaddtheservingamountlistedonyourcontainer.
Ihighlyrecommendusingahigh-poweredblenderforgreensmoothies,sinceitdoesthebestjobofbreakingupthegreens.
WhenIfreezebananas,Isimplypeelthemandputtheminaziplockbag.ThenIslicethebananaintosmallpiecesrightbeforeputtingitintotheblender.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
ChocolateAlmondButterSmoothieTHIS DECADENT YET nutritious smoothie makes a healthybreakfast and is indulgent enough for dessert as well. I like to pour themixtureintoice-popmoldsandsticktheminthefreezertoenjoywithmykidsonhotsummerdays.
MAKES2 CUPS (480 ML)
½to1cup(20g)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1cup(240ml)looselypackedfreshspinach
2frozenbananas(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)
2tablespoonsalmondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
1heapingtablespoonunsweetenedcocoapowder
1tablespoonchiaseeds
1. Mixthealmondmilkandspinachwellinahigh-poweredblenderonmediumspeed,about2minutes.Makesuretobreakupthegreensthoroughlytoavoidbigchunksinyourdrink.
2. Addtheremainingingredientsandblendforanother1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothiemixtureintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,just
putsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTE
Inplaceof thealmondbutteryoucan substitute anothernutbutterorSunflower SeedButterifyouprefer.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
MixedBerryandKaleSmoothieKALESEEMSTO be the superfood everyone’s talking about thesedays.However,thetastecantakeabitofgettingusedto.Smoothiesareagreat way to get some of this nutritious green into your diet without reallytastingitatall.Anyofthemanyvarietiesofkaleworkinthisrecipe;Ilikeredkalethebest,butfeelfreetosubstituteyourownpersonalfavorite.Ifyou’resensitivetothetaste,Isuggestusingbabykale,whichismuchmilder.
MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)
1cup(240ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2cups(20g)looselypackedfreshkale,stalksremoved
2cups(460g)frozenmixedberries
1. Mixthealmondmilkandthekaleinahigh-poweredblender,startingonalowspeedandworkinguptohigh,untilwellblended,about2minutes.Youcandothisinaregularblender,butahigh-poweredblenderdoesabetterjobofbreakingupthegreens.
2. Addtheberriesandblendforanotherminuteorso,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justputsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTES
Ifyoudon’tcareforkale,2cups(20g)ofspinachorSwisschard,looselypacked,withstalksremoved,makesagreatreplacement.
Ifyoujuiceathome,savethestalksforjuicinglater,sincetheyholdmostoftheliquidfromtheleaf.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
SuperfoodChocolateSmoothieAVOCADOSMAKEEVERYTHINGalittlebetter.Thisdeliciousandsuperhealthysmoothieisnoexception.Avocadolendsanextra-specialcreaminess, and the chia seeds expand to help keep you full.With cacaopowder you get the added health benefits of using chocolate in one of itspurestforms.
MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)
2½cups(600ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2frozenbananas(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)
1ripeavocado(skinandseedremoved)
2tablespoonscacaopowderorunsweetenedcocoapowder
1tablespoonchiaseeds
2Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1. Addthealmondmilk,banana,andavocadotoahigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeedforabout2minutes,untilcreamyandwellmixed.
2. Addthecacaopowder,chiaseeds,anddatesandblendfor1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrow
someofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTE
Togivethissmoothieanextraboost,add2tablespoonsofdriedgojiberries.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
TropicalProteinSmoothieTHISSMOOTHIE IS quite the breakfast treat.Who needs proteinpowderwhenalmondpulp cangive youa natural protein boost?Andwhyreachforrefinedsugartosweetenyourbreakfastwhentherefreshingflavorsof pineapple, banana, andmangowill satisfy any sweet tooth?With all ofthesebenefits,plusthehighfiberfromthealmondpulp,youshouldbekeptfullandcontentuntillunchtimewiththistropicalsmoothie.
MAKES2 CUPS (480 ML)
1cup(240ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
¼cup(25g)almondpulp(seeHowtoUseNutPulp,andNotebelow)
1frozenbanana(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)
1cup(245g)frozenpineapple
½cup(75g)frozenmango
1. Combinethealmondmilkandpulpinahigh-poweredblenderandblendfor2minutes.Ifyouhaveavariable-speedblender,Isuggeststartingatalowspeedandworkingyourwayuptohigh.Makesuretoblendtheingredientswell.
2. Addtheremainingingredientsandcontinuetoblenduntilthemixtureissmooth,aboutanother2minutes.
3. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthe
smoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Tomakeaquickbreakfastonbusymornings,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTE
If you don’t have any almond pulp, substitute almondmeal or even 2 tablespoons ofgroundrawalmonds.
VARIATION
If youwant tomix somegreens inwith this, I suggest adding1 cup (20g)of greens(spinach,kale,oranyotherkind),looselypacked,atthesametimeyouaddthemilkandalmondpulp.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
PeanutButterandJellySmoothiePEANUTBUTTERANDjellyisastapleinmostchildren’sdiets,sowhy not turn it into a smoothie?This recipemakes the perfect kid-friendlybreakfast for on-the-go mornings. Filled with fiber, protein, and a littlesweetness, this will keep your kids full until lunchtime, then have themcomingbackformore.Inourhouse,evenmyhusbandcomesbackformore!—maybebecausehe’sakidatheart!
MAKES1 CUP (240 ML)
1cup(240ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1frozenbanana(seeNoteunderStrawberryBananaGreenSmoothie)
1cup(150g)frozenblueberriesorstrawberries
2tablespoonsClassicPeanutButter
1. Combinealltheingredientsinahigh-poweredblender.Blendonhighspeeduntilsmooth,1to2minutes.
2. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justthrowsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
NOTE
Ifyouwanttoaddanextrakickofproteinandfibertothisdrink,add1tablespoonof
chiaseeds.
PREPTIME:About3minutes
OrangesandCreamSmoothieASALITTLEgirl,oneofmyfavoritedessertswasaCreamsicle.Thattangy orange outside with a creamy vanilla center—what kid doesn’t lovethem?Itriedtorecreatethoseflavorshereinahealthierway.IchoseBrazilnutmilktouseinthissmoothiebecauseofitsincrediblycreamytexture.
MAKES4 CUPS (960 ML)
1cup(240ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1cup(140g)ice
2largecarrots,peeledandchoppedintosmallcircles
2Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1½largeoranges,suchasnavel,or3smalloranges,suchasmandarin,peeledandcutintosegments
1. Addalltheingredientstoablenderandblendfor2to3minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
2. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justputsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
VARIATION
If you want to make this even more fun for kids to eat, you can pour the smoothiemixtureintoicepopmoldsandfreezethem.Theyshouldtakeabout6hourstoset,and
thenyourkidscanenjoyyummyicepopswithahiddenservingofveggiesinside.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
ApplePieSmoothieIFYOUWANTtoenjoyapplepieforbreakfastwithouttheguilt,trythissmoothie.Ithasthetasteofapplepiebutwithfarfewercalories!Manyapplevarietieswillworkinthisrecipe;IlikeHoneycrispsbecausethey’resosweetandfullofflavor.CortlandorGalaapplesalsoworkbeautifully.Ifyoulikealittlemoretartness,tryMcIntoshorGrannySmith.
MAKES3½CUPS (840 ML)
1½cups(360ml)cashewmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1½cups(210g)ice
2largeapples,coredandcutintoquarters
1to2Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1½teaspoonscinnamon
¼teaspoongroundnutmeg,optional
1. Mixalltheingredientsinahigh-poweredblenderonhighspeedfor1to2minutes,untilthesmoothiereachestheconsistencyyoudesire.
2. Serveimmediately,orrefrigerateforupto24hours.Youcanalsopourthesmoothieintoicecubetraysandfreezeitforupto6months.Touse,justputsomeofthefrozencubesbackintotheblenderforaminute.
PREPTIME:About5minutes
Did you know thatmost fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts aremorenutritious in their rawstate?Cookingorprocessingwholefoodsoftendepletessomeofthepreciousnutrientsweneedforgoodhealth.Whenitcomestorawdesserts,nutsandseedsarethestars,andtheyusuallyformthemainbaseforcookies,fudge,tarts, and truffles. In this chapter you’ll see how much varietythese few simple ingredients can provide. Once you becomeusedtonotbakingyourdesserts,it’llbea“pieceofcake”towhipupsweettreatsthateveryonewilllove.Ifthere’sonerecipeinthissectionyoushouldn’tmiss,it’sfortheChocolateAlmondBananaCups,whichwerefeaturedontheTodayshow.
StrawberryTartswithCashewCreamSPRING ISMY favorite time of year, especially since all the bestseasonal fruits start to become available then. One of the absolute bestthingsaboutspringtimehastobethestrawberries.SinceItrytobuyproduceonly inseason,whenstrawberriesbegin topopup, I take fulladvantage. Iincludedthisrecipetodemonstratetwothings:tartsareprettyeasytomake,andcashewcreamisdeliciousandversatile.Ihopeyouenjoytheseasmuchasmyfamilydoes.
MAKESFOUR4 - INCH (10 CM) MIN I -TARTS
FORTHECRUST:
1cup(125g)raw,unsaltedalmonds
1cup(100g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts
½teaspoonseasalt
8Medjooldates,pitsremoved
2tablespoonswater
Oil,togreasethetartpan(Iusecoconutoil,butanykindwilldo)
FORTHEFILLING:
2cups(260g)raw,unsaltedcashews,soakedovernight
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2to3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeans
1½cups(180g)slicedstrawberries(seeNotesbelow)
1. Tomakethecrust,putthealmonds,walnuts,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about1to2minutes.Addthedatesandwaterandpulseuntiladoughstartstoform.Thiswilltakeanotherminuteorso.
2. Greasethetartpanswithalittleoil.Iusepanswithdetachablebottoms,whichmakesthetartsmucheasiertoremovewhenyou’rereadytoservethem.
3. Gentlypressthedoughmixtureintothegreasedtartshells,toabout¼-inch(.6cm)thickness.Onceallofthedoughhasbeenevenlydistributedandpressedintothepans,stickthemintothefridgetofirmup.
4. Whilethetartshellsset,makethefilling:Drainandrinsethecashews.Placetheminahigh-poweredblenderwiththealmondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanilla.Blendonhighspeeduntilsmooth,2to3minutes.
5. Spoonthecashewcreammixtureintoeachtartshell,thentopwithslicedstrawberries.Serveimmediately,orstoreintherefrigeratorforuptoaweek(seeNotesbelow).
NOTES
Youcanuseeitherfreshorfrozenstrawberriesinthisrecipe.Ifyou’reusingfrozenberries,you’llneedtoletthemthawfirst.Isetmineoutonthecounterandletthemgentlydefrostforaboutanhour.
Thesetartsarebestwhenthecashewcreamisfresh.Oncethecreamsitsinthefridgeforawhile,itstartstohardenabit.It’sstillverygoodlikethis,butthe“cream”willbethickerandstarttoresembleanutbutterconsistency.Ifyouplanonfeaturingthetartsataparty,maketheshellsaheadoftime,andthenblendthecashewcreamrightbeforeservingthem.
Ifyoucan’tfindgroundvanillabeans,use1teaspoonofvanillaextractinstead.Youcanalsouseawholevanillabean;justslitthepodopenandscrapetheseedsintothemixture,thenincorporatethemfully.Don’tthrowawaythepod,sinceitcanbeusedtoaddflavortosaucesandmilks.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:20minutes(notincludingtheovernightsoakforthecashews)
ChocolateHazelnutCoconutTartTARTS,ASTAPLEdessert in the raw foodworld,canbe filledwithfruit,chocolate,nutspread,orwhateverelsecomestomind.Theymightlookfancy,butthey’reactuallyeasytoputtogether.Makingthemismainlyabouthavingthepropertools.Istronglysuggestusingatartpanwitharemovablebottomsothatwhenyou’rereadytoserve,youcanjustliftoutthetartwithalittlecare,andvoilà!Youhaveabeautifultartthattookminutestomake,withanevenquickerpresentation.
MAKESONE9 - INCH (23 CM) TART
FORTHECRUST:
1cup(140g)raw,unsaltedBrazilnuts
1cup(100g)raw,unsaltedwalnuts
½cup(65g)flaxmeal
½teaspoonseasalt
8to10Medjooldates,pitsremoved
2to3tablespoonswater
FORTHEFILLING:
1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpread
1cup(200g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
FORTHEWHIPPEDCREAMTOPPING:
One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk,refrigeratedovernight(seeCoconutWhippedCream)
1tablespoonpuremaplesyrup
1teaspoongroundvanillabeanorvanillaextract
1. Tomakethecrust,combinetheBrazilnuts,walnuts,flaxmeal,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about2minutes.Addthedatesandpulseanother2minutes,thenaddthewaterandpulseuntiladoughforms,anotherminuteorso.
2. Carefullypressthedoughintoagreased9-inch(23cm)tartshell.Onceithasbeenpressedevenlyintothetartshell,placeitinthefridge.Itdoesn’ttakelongforthecrusttoset,about10minutes.Bythetimeyou’refinishedmakingthefilling,thecrustshouldbeready.
3. Whilethecrustissettinginthefridge,makethefilling:Combineallthefillingingredientsinablenderandmixuntilsmooth,about3to5minutes.
4. Oncethefillingiscompletelymixed,spreaditevenlyintothetartcrust,usingasiliconespatula.Themixturewillbeslightlythickbutspreadable.Ifitseemsalittletoosticky,wetthespatulaabit.Placethetartbackinthefridgewhileyoumakethewhippedcreamtopping.
5. Tocreatethewhippedcreamtopping,maketheCoconutWhippedCreamaccordingtothedirections,addingthemaplesyrupandvanillatothebowlwiththecoconutmilkfatbeforewhippingeverythingtogether.
6. Topipethewhippedcreamintothetart,simplytransferittoaziplockbag,thencutasmallholeinoneofthecorners.Slowlysqueezethecreamoutalittleatatimetodecoratethetartanywayyouwish.
7. Serveimmediately,orstoreintherefrigeratorforuptoaweek(seeNotebelow).
NOTE
Ifyou’re topping this tartwith the coconutwhippedcream, Ihighly suggest adding itright before serving. Once the coconut whipped cream is stored in the fridge, it willbegintoharden.
VARIATION
Thistartalsolooksbeautifultoppedwithraspberriesorstrawberries.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About20minutes(notincludingtheovernightrefrigerationofthecoconutmilk)
SaltedHoneyCashewTrufflesWHENITHINKoftruffles,Iimaginehigh-endchocolateshops.Trufflesseem so decadent, like something only a well-trained professional couldmake.Thetruth is, though, it’ssupereasytocreateamazingtruffleswithacrunchy,chocolatyshellandasweetsurprise inside.Thisrecipefeaturesabuttery, velvety-smooth filling that will literallymelt right in yourmouth. It’spurebliss,Ipromise.
MAKESE IGHT1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) TRUFFLES
1cup(240g)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
2tablespoonsrawhoneyorpuremaplesyrup
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
½teaspoonseasalt
One3-ounce(85g)darkchocolatebaror1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips
3tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1. Combinethecashewbutter,honey,vanilla,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntiltheingredientsarewellmixed,2to3minutes.
2. Rollthemixtureintobite-sizeballsbyhand,oruseacookiescooptomakethem.I’vetriedbothmethodsandcomeoutwitheighttruffleseachway.Idofindthatthecookiescoopkeepsthingsneater,though.
3. Placetheballsonaparchment-linedbakingsheet,andstickthemintothefreezerforatleastanhourtoharden.
4. Whilethecashewballsarefreezing,heatthechocolateandthemilkinadoubleboiler(seeNotesinthenextcolumn)overmedium-highheat.Stirconstantlyuntilallthechocolateismelted,about5minutes.
5. Usingtwoforks,rollthefrozencashewballsinthechocolate,workingquicklysothatthecashewbutterdoesn’tmelt,thenplacethembackontheparchment-linedbakingsheet.Oncealltheballsarecoatedinchocolate,transferthemtothefreezerfor3hourssothatthechocolatecoatingcanfirmup.
6. Storethetrufflesinanairtightcontainerinthefridgeforupto2weeks.
NOTES
Thecashewbuttermightseemasifitdoesn’twanttosticktogetherasyourollit,butitwillfirmupwhilechillinginthefreezer.
Tocreateadoubleboiler,fillamediumsaucepanwithwaterandbringittoaboil.Oncethewaterisboiling,placeaheatproofglassbowlontopoftheboilingpotofwater.Addthechocolateandalmondmilktotheglassbowltogentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About30minutes,plus4hoursforchillingthetruffles
WhiteChocolateCoconutFudgeALTHOUGHIDON’T talk about being a vegan all that often, I dofollowthatlifestyle.OnethingIthoughtIwouldhavetogiveupwhenIwentveganwaswhitechocolate.ForalmosttwoyearsIdidn’ttouchthestuff.OnedayIsimplycouldn’ttakeitanymore.Ihadtohavesome.SoIdevelopedmyownalternative.I’mheretotellyouthat,yes,youcanenjoythetasteofwhitechocolate on a vegan, whole-food diet without feeling guilty—just try thisrecipe.
MAKESS IX 2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) ORTWELVE1¼- INCH (4 CM) P IECES
1cup(130g)rawcashewsor½cup(120ml)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter,andNotebelow)
1cup(200g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)
½cup(220g)cocoabutter
¼cup(60ml)puremaplesyrup
¼teaspoonseasalt
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeanor1teaspoonvanillaextract
1. Chopthecashewsinablenderorfoodprocessoruntiltheyareveryfine.Itshouldtake2to3minutes.
2. Mixthecoconutbutter,cocoabutter,maplesyrup,cashews,seasalt,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined
andthecocoabutterhasmelted,3to5minutes.
3. Spoonthemixtureintothecupsofalinedorgreasedmuffinpanuntileachcupisaboutthree-quartersfull.Iliketouseastandardmuffinpanwithsiliconeliners,althoughpaperlinerswork,too.Ifyouusestandardmuffinpans,you’llget6largepiecesoffudge;mini-muffinpanswillgiveyou12smallpieces.Anotheroptionistousechocolatemolds.Ifyougothisroute,besuretogreasethemoldsfirsttoensurethefudgecomesouteasily.
4. Stickthefudgeintothefreezerforabout40minutesorintothefridgeforabout3hourstofirmup.Oncefirm,storethepiecesoffudgeinthefridgeforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Ifyoufreezethefudge,you’llneedtoletitthawforabout5minutesbeforeeating.
NOTE
Ifyou’dliketousecashewbutterinsteadofrawcashews,cuttheamountbyhalf,to½cup(120g)ofcashewbutter.
Ifyoudon’thavemuffinpansorchocolatemolds,linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)bakingpanwithparchmentpaperandspreadthefudgemixtureintoitevenly.Cutitintobarsorsquaresoncethefudgehasset.
VARIATION
Tomakecoconutalmondfudge,omitthecocoabutter,substitutealmondbutterforthecashews,add2tablespoonsofcoconutoil,and½teaspoonofalmondextract.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About40minutesifchillingfudgeinthefreezer;upto3hoursifchillingfudgeintherefrigerator.
ChocolatePeanutButterFudgeIT’S AMAZINGHOW much these little gems taste like traditionaldairy fudge.Coconutbutter is theperfectchoicetogivethisveganfudgeavelvetytexture.Ifyou’renotafanofcoconut,don’tworry—theflavorsofthechocolateandpeanutbutteralmostcompletelymaskthecoconut.Infact,thefirst time my family tried this recipe, they didn’t even know it includedcoconut.Theonlyroleitplaysinthisfudgeisgivingitanappropriatetexture.Weallknowpeanutbutterandchocolateweremade foreachother,sogoaheadanddivein!
MAKESTWELVE2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) P IECES
One3.5ounce(100g)darkchocolatebar,roughlychopped,or1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips
1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter
½cup(100g)coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)
¾cup(180ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
¼cuppuremaplesyrup
1. Mixalltheingredientsinamediumsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheyarewellcombined,about2minutes.
2. Spoonthemixtureinto12linedorgreasedmuffincups.Iusestandardsize-muffinpanswithsiliconeliners,althoughpaperlinerswillalsowork.Ifyouwanttomake24smallerpieces,useamini-muffinpaninstead.Ifyoudon’thavemuffinpans,
makethisfudgeinan8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishlinedwithparchmentpaper.
3. Stickthefudgeintothefridgetoset.Itshouldtakeabout30minutesto1hour.
4. Storethefudgeintherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto3months.Ifyoukeepitinthefreezer,you’llneedtoletitthawslightly,about5minutes,beforeeating.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:30minutesto1hour
AlmondButterMousseMY HUSBAND AND I were on vacation in Austin, Texas, onesummer, sampling the local fare and talkingabout recipes tomake for theblog.Wehad thegood fortuneofeatingaveganmousseon that trip,andfromthatdelightfultreatthisrecipewasborn.It’safancydessertthattakesverylittleefforttomake,soyoucanwowyourguestswitharichmousseinminutes.
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (120 G) SERVINGS
One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk,refrigeratedovernight
½cup(120g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1teaspoonvanillaextract
1. Stickanunopenedcanofcoconutmilkintothefridgethenightbeforeyouplantomakethisrecipe.Whenyouopenitthenextmorning,thefattypartofthecoconutmilkwillhaveseparatedfromthewater.
2. Spoonoutthefattypartofthecoconutmilkintoalargemixingbowl.Freezetheleftovercoconutwaterinicecubetraystoaddtosmoothiesinthefuture.
3. Mixthealmondbutter,almondmilk,maplesyrup,andvanillainasmallsaucepan.
Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarejustcombined,about2minutes.Removeitfromtheheat.
4. Usingthewhippingattachmentonyourmixer,whipthecoconutfatintoacream.Thiswilltake2to3minutesonhighspeed.Itshouldresembleawhippedcreammadefromheavydairycream.
5. Slowlyandgentlyfoldthealmondbuttermixtureintothewhippedcream.
6. Scoopthemousseintoindividualservingbowlsandrefrigerateuntilyou’rereadytoserveit.Themousseshouldkeepforaboutaweekinthefridge.
VARIATIONS
Foranextraboostofalmondflavor,add½teaspoonofalmondextract.
ChocolateloverscanuseChocolateHazelnutSpreadinplaceofalmondbutter.
ForagreatThanksgivingtreat,substitutepumpkinpureeforthealmondbutter,andadd1teaspoonofcinnamon,¼teaspoonofnutmeg,and¼teaspoonofginger.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About30minutes(notincludingtheovernightrefrigerationofthecoconutmilk)
BrownieBarsIFYOU’REAseriouschocolatelover,looknofurther.Thecreamytasteofthemacadamianutbutter inthisrecipepairssowellwiththerichnessofthechocolatechips,it’samatchmadeinheaven,recreatedinyourkitchen.Beware—youmightwanttoeatallofthebrowniesinonesitting,soit’sbesttohaveabuddywithyou!Ifthereareanyleftaftertwenty-fourhours,you’rebetteratself-controlthanIam.
MAKESN INE2 - INCH ( 5 CM) SQUARES
1cup(100g)gluten-freerolledoats
1cup(240g)macadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
12Medjooldates,pitsremoved
¾cup(120g)darkchocolatechips
2tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowder
½teaspoonseasalt
3to4tablespoonswater
1. Combinetheoatsandthemacadamianutbutterinafoodprocessor.Pulseuntilthemixturehasacoarseconsistency,about2minutes.
2. Addtherestoftheingredientsexceptthewater.
3. Grindforaminute,thenslowlyaddthewater1tablespoonatatime.You’llseethe
mixturebegintocometogethertoformathickbatter.
4. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilypullthebrowniesoutoncethey’refirm.
5. Spoonthebatterintothedishevenly.Thebatterwillbeextremelysticky,soithelpstowetthespatulafirst.Afterthebatterisspreadinthedish,placeitinthefridgetoset,about1hour.
6. Whenthebrowniesarefirm,grabthesidesoftheparchmentpaperandpullthebrowniesout.Cutthemintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.
7. Thesebarsmustbestoredintherefrigerator,wheretheywilllastforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About65minutes
CookieDoughBallsONEMAJORRITE of passage in childhood is eating raw cookiedoughstraightoutofthemixingbowl.It’sbecomesoingrainedinAmericanculture that you can even buy cookie dough candy and ice cream now.There’sacatchtoeatingthehomemadestuff,ofcourse:asalmosteveryoneknows, eating raw egg can be harmful. That’s what makes this recipe sogreat—there’snoegginit!Eatthesetreatstoyourheart’scontent.Theonlythingthat’severunsatisfyingaboutthisdishisthatitrunsoutsoquickly!
MAKESF IFTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) BALLS
1cup(100g)gluten-freeoats
10Medjooldates,pitsremoved
1cup(240g)macadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
2tablespoonswater
½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips
1. Blendtheoatsinafoodprocessoruntiltheyarecoarselyground.Thistakesabout2minutes.
2. Addthedates,macadamianutbutter,vanilla,andwater.Pulseuntiladoughstartstoform,2to3minutes.
3. Foldthechocolatechipsintothedough,orusetheminthenextsteptocoatthe
outsideoftheballs.
4. Rollthedoughintobite-sizeballs.Ifyou’recoveringthemwithchocolatechips,rolltheballsaroundonaplateofchocolatechipsandthengentlypressthechipsin.
5. Placetheballsonaparchment-linedbakingsheet.Stickthebakingsheetintothefridgesothattheballscanfirmup,about30minutes.
6. Storethecookiedoughballsintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTE
Ifyouwanttobumpuptheproteininthisrecipe,add2tablespoonsofchiaseeds,hempseeds,orleftovernutmilkpulp(seeHowtoUseNutPulp).
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About40minutes
ChocolateAlmondBananaCupsTHETODAYSHOWonNBCfeaturedthisrecipeasa“TooGoodtoBeHealthy”contestwinner inFebruary2014.Onceyoumake it,you’llseewhy.It’sperfectforwhenyouwantalittlebiteofsomethingsweetbutdon’twanttoindulgetothepointofguilt.Thesecupsaresodeliciousthatoneofthe Today show’s hosts even served them at her Super Bowl party—andfromwhat Iwas told, theywerequite thehit.Withaccolades like that, youcanbesureyouwon’tbedisappointed.
MAKESTWELVE2½- INCH (6 .4 CM) P IECES
1veryripebanana,mashed
⅓cup(80g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
½teaspoongroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract
4.5-ounces(125g)darkchocolateor½cup(80g)chocolatechips
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1. Mixtogetherthebanana,almondbutter,andvanillainasmallbowl.
2. Mixthechocolateandthemilkinadoubleboiler(seeNotesbelow).Heatandkeepstirringuntilthechocolateismeltedandverysmooth,about5minutes.
3. Pourasmallamountofchocolateintothebottomofalinedmuffincup.Onceyouhavealittlechocolateinthebottomofeachcup,placethemuffinpaninthefreezertoset,5to10minutes.
4. Whenthechocolateisfirm,spoonalittledollopofthebananamixtureintoeachcup,ontopofthechocolate.Onceallthecupshaveanevenamountofbananamixture,fillthemwiththeremainingchocolateandplacetheminthefreezertoset.Thisshouldtakeafewhours.
5. Serveimmediatelyafterremovingthemfromthefreezer(seeNotesbelow).Thesewilllastforupto6monthsfrozen.
NOTES
Tocreateadoubleboiler,fillamediumsaucepanwithwater.Bringthewatertoaboil,thenplaceaheatproofglassbowlontopofthepot.Addthechocolatechipsandnutmilktotheglassbowl.Thiswillallowyoutogentlymeltthechocolatewithoutburningit.
Therearetwothingstonoteaboutstoringthesecups:First,theymustbekeptinthefreezer,orelsethebananagetstoomushy.Second,theymeltveryquicklyonceoutofthefreezer,soonlypullthemoutrightbeforeyouintendtoeatthem.
VARIATION
Youcangothesimpleroutewiththisrecipeandfill thecupswiththebanana,almondbutter, andvanillamixture only. Itmakes a delightfully healthy snack that is lower incaloriesandfat.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About3hours
I love to bake. In fact, I’ve enjoyed baking since I was a kid,mainly because I love sweets. Over the years I’ve refined mycraft,andthelittlegirl insidemestillenjoyseatingthegoodiesIcreate. The following recipes represent some of my favoritethings not only to bake, but also to devour. None of them aredifficult tomake,andnutbuttersalwayssatisfymysweet tooth.Allofthedelectabletreatsinthischapterwillfillyourkitchenwithgreat aromas and will taste even better than they smell. Don’tforgettowashthemdownwithaglassofnutmilk!
AlmondJoyCookiesIFYOU’REA fan of Almond Joys, you’ll love these cookies. They’reevenmuchbetter than thecandybar,because theywon’tspikeyourbloodsugar and cause you to come crashing down, cravingmore sugar. ThesecookiesincludealltheflavorsofanAlmondJoy—withouttheguilt.Naturallysweetenedandgluten-free,they’rewortheverybite.Trythemoutandseeforyourself.
MAKESTWELVE2 - INCH (5 CM) COOKIES
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
1½cups(135g)gluten-freeoatflour
½cup(45g)shreddedunsweetenedcoconut
1teaspoonbakingpowder
1teaspoonseasalt
½cup(120g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
⅓cup(80ml)puremaplesyrup
¼cup(60ml)coconutoil
1teaspoongroundvanillabeanorvanillaextract
½teaspoonalmondextract
1.75ounces(50g)darkchocolate,roughlychopped,or½cup(80g)
darkchocolatechips
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtheoatflour,coconut,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.
4. Mixthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,coconutoil,vanilla,andalmondextractinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntilsmooth,aboutaminuteorso.
5. Whenthealmondbuttermixtureissmooth,addittothebowlofdryingredients.Mixwell,1to2minutes,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandstirtheingredientsuntiltheyarewellcombined.Foldinthechocolate.
7. Usingasmallcookiescooporrollingthedoughintobite-sizeballs,placethedoughonaparchment-linedbakingsheetatleast1inch(2.5cm)apartfromoneanother.Bakefor12minutes,oruntilthecookiesstarttobrownaroundtheedges.
8. Letthecookiescompletelycoolonthebakingsheetbeforestoringtheminanairtightcontainer.Storeintherefrigeratorforupto3weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.Iffrozen,letthemthawatroomtemperatureforabout5minutesbeforeeating.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About20minutes
AlmondButterSandwichCookiesSANDWICHCOOKIESCOMEinmanyshapesandforms.Whenyoumakeyourown,youcancreatewhateverflavorcomboscometomind.Inthiscase,Icombinedmybelovedalmondbutterwithadecadentchocolatespread.Theoutcomeispureheaveninyourmouth.Onceyouseehoweasythisis,you’llwanttomakeevenmorenewflavorfusions.
MAKESS IXTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
2cups(180g)gluten-freeoatflour
½cup(115g)coconutsugar
1teaspoongroundvanillabeans
½teaspoonseasalt
1cupplus2tablespoons(270g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
¾cup(180ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
½cup(125g)ChocolatePeanutButterSpread
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigerator
foraminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtogethertheoatflour,coconutsugar,vanilla,andseasaltinalargebowl.Setitaside.
4. Mixthealmondbutterandmilkinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,1to2minutes.Removefromtheheat.
5. Addthealmondbuttermixturetothebowlofdryingredientsandmixfor1to2minutes,untiltheingredientsarewellcombined,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandcontinuetomixforanotherminute.
7. Formthecookiesintobite-sizeballs,usingeitheryourhandsoracookiescoop,andplacethemonaparchment-linedorgreasedbakingsheet,about½inch(1.3cm)apart.Youshouldhave32balls.Flatteneachcookiewithyourpalm.
8. Bakefor10to11minutes.It’shardtovisuallytellwhenthesearedone,soIlightlypressmyfingerintoacookietofeelifit’sfirmenough.Letthecookiescompletelycoolbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.
9. Oncethecookiesarecool,spreadsomeChocolatePeanutButterSpreadontoone,andthenmakeasandwichbyputtinganothercookieontop.Repeatthesestepsuntilallthesandwichcookiesaremade.
10. Setthecookiesinthefridgetofirmup,about30minutes.
11. Storethemintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTES
Youcansubstitutevanillaextractforthegroundvanillabeans.Ijusthappentolovethestrong,freshflavorofthevanillabeans.
Youcanusearegularlargeegginplaceoftheflaxmealandwaterifyoulike.
VARIATIONS
AfunflavorcombinationistouseyourfavoriteHomemadeJaminsteadofthechocolatespread.
Coconutbutter(seeshreddedcoconut)workswellinthemiddle,too.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About50minutes
PeanutButterandChocolateBrowniesTHESETHICK,FUDGYbrowniesaretheultimateindulgence.Icallfor dark chocolate as well as unsweetened cocoa powder to make themextra-rich.Whenyouaddcashewbuttertothemix,ittakesthesebrowniestothenextlevel.
MAKESN INE2 - INCH (5 CM) BROWNIES
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
2cups(180g)gluten-freeoatflour
½cup(60g)unsweetenedcocoapowder
1½teaspoonsbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter
1.75ounces(50g)darkchocolateor½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips
½cup(120ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
½cup(120ml)coconutoil
¼cup(60ml)unsweetenedapplesauce
1teaspoongroundvanillabeanorvanillaextract
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwarmwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtheoatflour,cocoapowder,bakingpowder,andseasaltinalargebowlandsetitaside.
4. Mixtheremainingingredientsinasmallsaucepan.Stirconstantlywithasiliconespatulaovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.
5. Addthemixturefromthesaucepantothebowlofdryingredientsandmixuntilwellcombined,1to2minutes,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
6. Addtheflax/watermixtureandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about1minute.
7. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyremovethebrowniesafterbaking.
8. Spoonthebatterevenlyintothebakingdish,pressingitdownfirmly.Bakefor15minutes,oruntilatoothpickinsertedintothemiddlecomesoutclean.Ilikemineextra-moistsothatthey’realittlegooeyinthemiddle,butifyoupreferamorecake-likebrownie,youcanbakethemforanadditional5minutes.
9. Waituntilthebrowniesarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingdish.Toremovethebrownies,simplygrabtheextraparchmentpaperatthesidesandliftthemoutofthebakingdish.Cutthebrowniesintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.
10. Storethebrowniesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorforupto2weeksorinthefreezerforupto6months.WhenI’mreadytoeatoneoutofthefreezer,Iletitthawatroomtemperatureforanhourortwo.Youcanalsothawtheminamicrowaveusingthedefrostsetting.
NOTE
Ifthisrecipecallsformoreoilthanyoucaretouse,youcancutitdownto¼cup(60ml)andaddanextra¼cup(60ml)ofapplesauceornondairyplainyogurt.
PREPANDBAKETIME:25to30minutes
ChocolateChipMacadamiaCookiesWHEN ISWITCHED to a healthier diet, I thought chocolate chipcookieswereoutofmyreach.Well,myfriends,I’mheretotellyouthat’snottrue.Macadamia butter is so naturally buttery that it does a superb job ofmimickingthetasteandtextureofdairy inamoretraditionalchocolatechipcookie recipe. There’s very little oil in this recipe, but it’ll never taste dry,thankstothemacadamias.
MAKESTWENTY-TWO1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES
2tablespoonsflaxmeal
¼cupplus2tablespoonswarmwater
2¾cups(248g)gluten-freeoatflour
½cup(47g)shreddedunsweetenedcoconut
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeans
1teaspoonbakingpowder
1teaspoonbakingsoda
½teaspoonseasalt
¾cup(180g)macadamiabutter(seeBasicNutButter)
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
2tablespoonscoconutoil
½cup(80g)chocolatechips
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
3. Mixtheflour,coconut,vanilla,bakingpowder,bakingsoda,andseasaltinalargebowlandsetitaside.
4. Mixthemacadamiabutter,maplesyrup,andcoconutoilinasmallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatwithasiliconespatulauntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.Addthemixturetothebowlofdryingredients.
5. Addtheflaxmeal/watermixtureandmixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
6. Foldinthechocolatechipsusingaspatula,thenplacethebowlofdoughinthefridgefor20minutestofirmup.
7. Droptablespoonsofthedoughontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetabout1inch(2.5cm)apartfromoneanother.Bakefor10to12minutes,oruntiltheedgeslookslightlygolden.Makesurethecookiesarecompletelycooledbeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheet.
8. Storethecookiesintherefrigeratorforupto2weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About45minutes
ChocolateCashewButterThumbprintCookies
WHENITHINKofthumbprintcookies,Ipictureabutterycookiewithacrispoutsideandachewycenter.Cashewbutterisveryrichandcreamyintexture,makingittheperfectingredienttouseinthesethumbprintcookies.Ifilledthemwithchocolatehere,butyoucanalsousehomemadejamorevenadifferentnutbutter.
MAKESE IGHTEEN1 - INCH (2 .5 CM) COOKIES
1cup(135g)cashewbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
¼cup(60ml)almondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2tablespoonscoconutoil
2teaspoonsgroundvanillabeansorvanillaextract
1½cups(135g)gluten-freeoatflour
½teaspoonbakingpowder
½teaspoonseasalt
½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips(seeNotebelow)
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Mixthecashewbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,coconutoil,andvanillaina
smallsaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsaresmoothandwellcombined,2to3minutes.Removethemixturefromtheheatandletitcooltoroomtemperature.
3. Whilethemixtureinthesaucepancools,mixtogethertheoatflour,bakingpowder,andseasaltinamediumbowl.
4. Oncethecashewbuttermixtureiscooled,addittothebowlofdryingredients.Usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer,mixuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about2minutes,Youmightneedtoscrapedownthesidesofthebowlafewtimes.
5. Dropbite-sizedollopsofbatterontoaparchment-linedbakingsheetabout1inch(2.5cm)apart,usingeithertwospoonsoracookiescoop.Sincethisbatteristhickandsticky,Ipreferthecookiescoop.
6. Pressyourthumbintothecenterofeachcookie,thenaddthechocolatechipsintotheindentation.Iput5to6chocolatechipsintoeachthumbprint.Thisstepprovidesagreatopportunityforsmallchildrentohelp—mykidslovetodothis.Theyalsolovetosneakchocolatechips!
7. Bakethecookiesfor10to12minutes,untilslightlygoldenaroundtheedges.Letthemcoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthebakingsheets.
8. Storethecookiesinanairtightcontainerintherefrigerator,wheretheyshouldlast7to10days,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
NOTE
Forthedarkchocolateinthisrecipe,Iuse63percentcacaoasopposedtomynormal72percent(seecacaopowder),sinceIthinktheslightlysweetertasteworksbetterhere,butyoucanuseanykindyoulike.
VARIATION
Toswitchup this recipe,youcan substitute¼cup (85g)ofyour favorite jam for thechocolate.HomemadeJamisperfecttouseinthesethumbprintcookies.
PREPANDBAKETIME:20to25minutes
FlourlessAlmondButterBlondiesMUCH LIKE THE Chocolate Chip Macadamia Cookies, theseblondieshavearichandbutterytastewithoutanyoil,flour,ordairyproducts.They also have a surprise element: chickpeas, which work really well insweet dishes.My kidswere totally fooled—they had no idea that a secrethealthy ingredient was hiding in these treats. Neither did my husband. Iactuallyusechickpeasquiteoften in thekitchen, sometimes roasting themwithatouchofmaplesyrupandcinnamonforaquicksweettreat.
MAKESN INE2 - INCH (5 CM) SQUARES
1cup(200g)driedorone14-ounce(480ml)canchickpeas
1tablespoonflaxmeal
3tablespoonswarmwater
1cup(100g)gluten-freerolledoats
½teaspoonseasalt
1cup(250g)almondbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
½cup(50g)shreddedunsweetenedcoconut
1teaspoonvanillaextract
½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips
1. Preheattheovento350°F(175°C).
2. Ifyou’reusingdriedchickpeas,soakthemovernight,rinsethem,andthenboilthemuntiltheyaresoft.Ifyouareusingcannedchickpeas,drainthem,thenrinsewellandpatthemdry.
3. Whisktogethertheflaxmealandwaterinasmallbowl.Placeitintherefrigeratorforaminutetoset.Itwillbecomegummy,likeanegg.
4. Combinethechickpeas,oats,andseasaltinafoodprocessor.Mixthemslightly,about1minute.
5. Addthealmondbutter,maplesyrup,coconut,vanilla,andflax/watermixture.Continuetopulsethefoodprocessoruntiltheingredientsarewellmixed,2to3minutes.Youmighthavetostopandscrapedownthesidesofthecanisterafewtimes.
6. Linean8x8-inch(20cmx20cm)glassbakingdishwithparchmentpaper.Makesurethereisenoughpaperhangingoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyremovetheblondiesafterbaking.
7. Carefullyspoonthebatterintothebakingdish.Youmightneedtowetthespatula,becausethedoughwillbeverysticky.Makesurethebatterispresseddownevenly.
8. Sprinklethechocolatechipsontopandgentlypressthemintotheblondies.Bakethemforabout20minutes.Totellwhenthesearedone,carefullytouchyourfingertothetoptoseeifthey’refirm,whichmeansthey’rereadytocomeoutoftheoven.
9. Lettheblondiescoolcompletelybeforeremovingthemfromthebakingdish.Toremovethem,grabtheparchmentpaperthat’sstickingoutandcarefullyliftthewholethingoutofthepan.Cuttheblondiesintonineevensquaresusingapizzacutterorasharpknife.
10. Storetheminanairtightcontainerintherefrigeratorfor7to10days,orinthefreezerforupto6months.Whenyouwanttoenjoysomeblondiesthathavebeenfrozen,it’sbesttothawthematroomtemperature.Becauseofthechocolatechipsonthetop,reheatingtheminthemicrowavemightmakeamess.
NOTE
Youcanusewhitebeansinplaceofchickpeasifyoupreferthetaste;bothworkwellinthisrecipe.
PREPANDBAKETIME:About30minutes,notincludingtheovernightsoakifusing
driedchickpeas
SlowCookerPeanutButterGranolaBarsTHESLOWCOOKERshouldn’tbereservedjustforsoupsandchili;you canactually use it formanyother things, suchas thesegranolabars.Cooking foodslowlyallows for fargreater flavor todevelop. In thesummerthe slowcooker can come in quite handywhen youdon’twant to heat upyourwholekitchenwiththeoven.Thebestpart?Youdon’tevenneedtobehometomakethesesoftandchewygranolabars!
MAKESTEN3 X 1 - INCH (7 .5 X 2 .5 CM) BARS
1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter
½cup(120ml)puremaplesyrup
2tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
2teaspoonsvanillaextract
2cups(200g)gluten-freerolledoats
¼cup(35g)flaxmeal
¼cup(25g)unsweetenedshreddedcoconut
2tablespoonschiaseeds
½teaspoonseasalt
½cup(80g)darkchocolatechips
1. Mixthepeanutbutter,maplesyrup,almondmilk,andvanillainasaucepan.Stirovermediumheatuntiltheingredientsarewellcombined,about5minutes.
Removefromtheheatandletthemixturecooltoroomtemperature.
2. Whilethepeanutbuttermixturecools,mixtogethertheoats,flaxmeal,coconut,chiaseeds,andseasaltinalargebowl.
3. Addthemixturefromthesaucepantothedryingredientsandstiruntilwellcombined,about1minute,usingeitherahandheldorstandmixer(bothworkwell).
4. Foldinthechocolatechipsusingaspatulaorwoodenspoon.
5. Linetheslowcookerwithparchmentpaper,makingsurethereisenoughpapertohangoffthesidessothatyoucaneasilyliftoutthebarsoncethey’recooked.Brushtheparchmentpaperwithalittlecoconutoil.
6. Spoonthemixtureintothebottomoftheslowcooker,pressingitdownevenly.It’simportanttopackthemixturedownfirmlytomakesurethebarsholdtogether.
7. Settheslowcookeronlowandcookfor1½to2½hours.Everyone’sslowcookerseemstorunatadifferenttemperature,andolderonesareknowntorunhotter.You’llknowthatthegranolabarsaredonewhenthemiddlenolongerseemsmushy.Whenthey’redone,liftthemoutbygrabbingtheparchmentpaperthat’shangingoffthesides.Setthemasidetocoolforabout25minutes.Ifyoucutthebarsbeforethey’vefullycooled,theymightcrumble.
8. Oncethemixtureiscompletelycooled,useapizzacutterorasharpknifetomake3x1-inch(7.5cmx2.5cm)bars.
9. Storetheseinacontainerwithasheetofparchmentpaperinbetweeneachbar.Ifyouwanttobethrifty,youcanusethesameparchmentthatyoucookedthemin.Theywilllastatroomtemperatureforupto4days,intherefrigeratorforupto3weeks,orinthefreezerforupto6months.
VARIATIONS
Thereare lotsofvariations for this recipe.Youcanaddanykindofdried fruit, seeds,choppednuts,orevencacaonibs.Isuggest¼cupofanyofthoseitemsforachangeoftaste.
PREPANDCOOKTIME:About3½hours
If you have certain dietary limitations (such as being gluten- ordairy-free), findinganaffordable store-bought ice creamcanbealmost impossible—and very expensive. Here’s a goodalternative:makescrumptiousfrozentreatsinthecomfortofyourownhome.Mostoftheserecipesrequireanicecreammachine,whichwillpayforitselfafteronlyafewbatches,plusyou’llhavethe power to control the ingredients and createwhatever flavoryour heart desires.Once you beginmaking ice creamand seehow fun it is, you’ll find yourself constantly thinking of newvariationstotry.Thiswasbyfaroneofmyfavoritesectionstoputtogether,especiallywhenitcametosamplingtheresults!
Three-IngredientPeanutButterIceCreamTHISRECIPEPROVIDES a great intro tomaking your own icecream.It’ssimple,withveryfewingredients,yetcomesouttastingsuperb.
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (120 ML) SERVINGS
One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk(seeNotebelow)
1cup(250g)ClassicPeanutButter
3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
Optionaladd-ins:2tablespoonschocolatechips,nuts,ordriedfruit
1. Chillyouricecreammachine’sbowlinthefreezerforatleast18hoursbeforemakingthisrecipe.
2. Combinealltheingredientsinablenderandblendfor1to2minutes.
3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,addtheoptionaladd-insofyourchoiceifdesired.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyoueatit.
4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.
NOTES
Makesuretousecannedcoconutmilk,notthecoconutmilkthatcomesinacarton.Themilkincartonshasafarlowerfatcontent,sotheicecreamwillcomeoutrathericy(seecoconutmilk).
SunflowerSeedButteroranyothernutbuttercanbesubstitutedforpeanutbutterinthisrecipe.
Ifyoudon’thaveanicecreammachine,youcanmixeverythinginablender,pouritintoicecubetrays,andthenblenditagainoncethemixtureisfrozen.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About25minutes,orupto2hoursforahardericecream(notcountingthe18hourstheicecreammachine’sbowlneedstochillbeforehand)
ChocolateHazelnutIceCreamCHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUTS are always a winningcombination. As soon as I mention those two words together, I’ll bet yourmind instantly conjures up an image of that famous chocolate hazelnutspread.Whatifyoucouldhavethattastewithoutalltheadditives,intheformofadecadenticecream?Well,hereyougo!You’llneverbelievethere’sonly2tablespoonsofaddedsugarinthisentirebatch.
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (75 G) SERVINGS
One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk(Notebelow)
1cup(240g)ChocolateHazelnutSpread
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
½teaspoonseasalt
1. Chillyouricecreammachine’sbowlinthefreezerforatleast18hoursbeforemakingthisrecipe.
2. Mixalltheingredientstogetherinahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutes.
3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanextrahourortwobeforeyoueatit.
4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceit
doesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.
NOTE
Makesuretousecannedcoconutmilk,notthecoconutmilkthatcomesinacarton(seecoconutmilk).
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About25minutes,orupto2hoursforahardericecream(notcountingthe18hourstheicecreammachine’sbowlneedstochillbeforehand)
PistachioIceCreamNOMATTERTHEweather,sometimesagirljustneedsabowloficecream,andpistachioisanexcellentflavortochoose.Eatingthelittlenutsallbythemselvescanbelikeagameofhide-and-seek—ifyoucangetthatdarnshelloff,you’vewon.Soforthisrecipe,eventhoughtheycostabitmore,Isuggestbuyingpistachios thathavealreadybeenshelled. Itwill drasticallyreduce your preparation time and save your fingers for spooning up thisdeliciousicecream.
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (75 G) SERVINGS
One14-ounce(400ml)canfull-fatcoconutmilk
1½cups(190g)raw,unsaltedpistachios,plus2tablespoonsformixingintotheicecreamforcrunch
2to3tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
½teaspoonseasalt
1. Chillyouricecreammachine’sbowlinthefreezerforatleast18hoursbeforemakingthisrecipe.
2. Mixtogetherthecoconutmilk,1½cups(190g)ofpistachios,maplesyrup,andseasaltinahigh-poweredblenderfor2to3minutes.
3. Pourthecontentsintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.
4. Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,sprinklethe2tablespoonsofextrapistachiosintotheicecreamtoaddsomecrunch.Youmightneedtogentlyguidetheicecreamasitspinsinthemachinetomakesurethepistachiosarethoroughlymixedin.Iuseasiliconespatulaforthis.Thisicecreamwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyoueatit.
5. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringitinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.
NOTE
Ifyoudon’thavean icecreammachine, tryblendingeverything together inablenderand then pouring themixture into ice cube trays.Once the ice cube trays are frozen,blendthemintheblenderforatreatsimilartosoft-serveicecream.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About30minutes,orupto2hoursforahardericecream(notcountingthe18hourstheicecreammachine’sbowlneedstochillbeforehand)
ChocolatePeanutButterChunkIceCream
ITYPICALLYMAKEallofmyicecreamsusingfull-fatcoconutmilkasabase,butthisrecipeisabitdifferent.SincehomemadeBrazilnutmilkisso creamy, I decided to try it inan ice cream recipe.The texture isa littledifferent from ice cream made with coconut milk; it’s rather similar to asorbet. The flavor definitely isn’t lacking, with a big chocolate punch andpeanutbutterchunksscatteredaroundlikelittlebitesofheaven.
MAKESFOUR½-CUP (75 G) SERVINGS
2cups(480ml)Brazilnutmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1cup(160g)darkchocolatechips
2to3tablespoonsunsweetenedcocoapowderorcacaopowder
2tablespoonspuremaplesyrup
1teaspoonvanillaextract
½cup(125g)ClassicPeanutButter
1. Chillyouricecreammachine’sbowlinthefreezerforatleast18hoursbeforemakingthisrecipe.
2. CombinetheBrazilnutmilk,chocolatechips,cocoapowder,maplesyrup,andvanillainahigh-poweredblender.Blendfor1to2minutesonhigh,untilwellmixed.
3. Pourthemixtureintoyouricecreammachineandfollowthemanufacturer’sinstructions.Itshouldtakeabout20minutesuntiltheicecreamisready.Whentheicecreamhasabout5minutesleft,startdroppingchunksofpeanutbutterintothemachineasitruns.There’sreallynomeasurementforthis;itjustdependsonhowbigorsmallyoulikeyourchunkstobe.Youmightneedtohelpguidetheicecreamasitspinsinthemachinetomakesurethatallthechunksofpeanutbutteraredistributedevenly;Iuseasiliconespatulaforthis.Whentheicecreamisready,itwillhaveasoft-serveconsistency.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickthemixtureintothefreezerforanotherhourortwobeforeyou’regoingtoeatit.
4. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.
NOTE
Feelfreetosubstituteanothernutbutterforthepeanutbutterifyouwish.YoucanalsotrySunflowerSeedButter.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About25minutes,orupto2hoursforahardericecream(notcountingthe18hourstheicecreammachine’sbowlneedstochillbeforehand)
BananaMacadamiaIceCreamILOVEMAKING icecreamwithbananas,especiallysince thereareseveralbenefits: less fatandsugar,andno icecreammaker isnecessary.Forthosewhohaveallergies,restassuredthatthisrecipeisalsodairy-free.Whenyoufreezeabanana,itbecomesincrediblyrichandsilkyintexture.It’sactuallyquiteamazing. Ibuytwobunchesofbananaseachweek,andonegoesdirectlyintothefreezerforsmoothiesandicecream.
MAKESTHREE½-CUP (75 G) SERVINGS
3frozenbananas(seeNotebelow)
2tablespoonsmacadamianutbutter(seeBasicNutButter)
1to2tablespoonsalmondmilk(seeBasicNutMilk)
1. Slicethefrozenbananasintothinslices.Puttheminahigh-poweredblenderwiththeotheringredients.Blendfor1to2minutes,scrapingdownthesidesafewtimes.Youmightneedtoaddabitmorealmondmilktoachievetheconsistencyyoudesire.
2. Onceyouseethemixturebecomeasoft-serveconsistency,it’sready.Ifyoulikeahardericecream,stickitintothefreezerforaboutanhourortwobeforeserving.
3. Eattheicecreamimmediately,orstoreitinthefreezerforupto6months.Sinceitdoesn’tcontainanyemulsifiersoradditives,homemadeicecreamwillgetveryhardwhenfrozen.Ifyouplantoeatitafterstoringinthefreezer,pullitoutabout45minutesbeforeservingtomakesureit’ssoftenoughtoscoop.
VARIATIONS
Feelfreetoaddwhatevertoppingsyoulike:choppednuts,cacaonibs,driedfruit,chocolatechips.Thepossibilitiesareendless.
Afunthingtodowiththekidsiscreateyourownsundaebar.Spoonascoopoficecreamintoeachbowlandsetoutsometoppingsforthemtochoose.
PREPANDCHILLTIME:About5minutes,oruptoanhourforahardertexture
ResourcesIngredientRetailersBob’sRedMillNaturalFoodsbobsredmill.com
Gluten-freeoatflour,rolledoats,coconutflour,flaxseedsandflaxmeal;nutsandseeds;unsweetenedshreddedcoconut
CocoaSupplycocoasupply.com
Cacaonibs,cocoabutter,chiaseeds,vanillabeans
EatRaweatraw.com
Bulknutsandseeds,cacaonibsandpowder,cocoabutter,coconutbutter,gojiberries
Nuts.comnuts.com
Bulknutsandseeds;cacaobutter,nibs,andpowder;carobchips;cocoabutter;coconutmilk,oil,andsugar;chiaseeds;dates;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freecoconutflourandrolledoats;gojiberries;rawhoney;unsweetenedshreddedcoconut;vanillabeans
SunfoodSuperfoodssunfood.com
Bulknutsandseeds;cacaobutter,nibs,andpowder;coconutoilandsugar;dates;gojiberries;rawhoney;vanillapowder
TrueFoodsMarkettruefoodsmarket.com
Bulknutsandseeds;cacaonibsandpowder;chiaseeds;coconutflour,oil,andsugar;dates;Ener-GEggReplacer;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freerolledoatsandcoconutflour;gojiberries;puremaplesyrup;rawhoney;vanillapowder
Vitacostvitacost.com
Cacaonibsandpowder;carobchips;cocoabutter;coconutbutter,flour,milk,oil,andsugar;dates;EndangeredSpeciesChocolatebars;Ener-GEggReplacer;EnjoyLifechocolatechips;flaxseedsandflaxmeal;gluten-freerolledoats,oatflour,andcoconutflour;gojiberries;nutsandseeds;puremaplesyrup;rawhoney;unsweetenedapplesauceandshreddedcoconut;vanillabeans
KindredSpiritsIhavebeeninspiredbymanytalentedbloggers,including:
AngelaLiddon,creatorofOhSheGlows(ohsheglows.com)
EmilyvonEuw,creatorofThisRawsomeVeganLife(thisrawsomeveganlife.com)
KatieHiggins,creatorofChocolateCoveredKatie(chocolatecoveredkatie.com)
KierstenFrase,creatorofOhMyVeggies(ohmyveggies.com)
AcknowledgmentsFirstandforemost,Iwouldliketothankmyhusband,Marcus,forhissupport.He has been there from day one, helping me with the edits and also taste-testing therecipes.
Thankyoutomyin-laws,SteveandHeidi,forwatchingthegirlsforcountlesshoursasIwrotethisbook.
Thankyoutoeveryonewhotestedtheserecipesforme.Yourfeedbackwasveryhelpful.
Thank you tomy editors at The Experiment,MollyCavanaugh and Sasha Tropp, forhelpingme every step of theway. Thanks also to PaulineNeuwirth for her wonderfulbookdesign.
Lastly,thankyoutomyloyalreaders.Iappreciateeachandeveryoneofyou.Withoutyoursupport,thisbookandmyblog,MyWholeFoodLife,wouldnotbepossible.
AbouttheAuthorMelissaKingisthewriter,photographer,andrecipedeveloperforthepopularblogMyWholeFoodLife,atwww.mywholefoodlife.com.Her recipes havebeen featuredontheToday show, iVillage,Greatist, andPopsugarMoms.Melissa lives inDallas,Texas,withherhusbandandtwogirls.
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