Tag: spread

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Butter

It feels like forever since I’ve posted real recipes! I’ve been so busy with the ebook, cooking demos and traveling abroad that I haven’t had a chance to really get in the kitchen. Luckily, I have a few recipes that I’ve been saving for days like these, and I’m finally digging them up.

Making your own nut butter is a lot easier than it looks. And the possibilities are endless! Almond butter, peanut butter, pecan butter, hazelnut butter (hello nutella!)….there are so many to choose from! Some people opt to soak and dehydrate their nuts before processing (it makes it easier to digest, improves the flavor, and removes bitterness), but that just takes the easy out of it! I go the quick route – blend, blend and blend some more until they go from piecey to mealy to ground to creamy…yummy! Stay tuned for the perfect compliment to this butter – banana oat pancakes, coming to the blog next week!

Cinnamon Honey Walnut Butter

7 oz. raw walnuts
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toast the walnuts for 3-5 minutes, until fragrant. Be careful not to let them burn! Set aside to cool. Place walnuts in a food processor and blend until mealy. Scrape down the sides and continue to process until creamy and smooth. Add salt, honey and cinnamon and blend until incorporated. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

VARIATION: use maple syrup instead of honey or add melted chocolate.

Related Recipes: sugared almonds

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Marcona Almond Pesto

You gotta love the way our bodies work. We are born with more than 10,000 taste buds that are housed inside papillae — those bumps you see at the back of your tongue. Inside those buds are tons of taste cells that detect what you’re eating and send that information to your brain. As we age, our taste buds become less sensitive, so the foods that we once found unappealing, don’t send as many strong signals to our brains. That’s why, as we get older, our palates change and we discover a newfound love for foods we may have hated during our childhood.

Over the last few years, I’ve taken a “leap of food” and dived right into the foods that I used to stay away from. I discovered a taste for fresh ginger, creamy mayonaisse, artichokes, and pesto. Of course there are still foods that I won’t touch with a 10-foot-pole like liver (or any offal), cilantro, fennel, and pattypan squash, but I’m coming around.

Once I really began to appreciate pesto, I went all out with different flavor combinations. I’ve tried spinach, walnut & cheddar, garlic scape, parsley pistachio (hope to blog that one soon!) and of course the classic basil & pine nut. But marcona almond pesto is by far my favorite. If you’ve never heard of Marcona almonds, they are native to Spain and are rounder and more plump than traditional California almonds that we’re used to. Their higher fat content gives them an unsurpassed taste and texture. In pesto, they add an amazing butteriness that is unmatched by any ingredient.

With the holiday of Shavuos coming up in a few weeks, I’ll be making the most of dairy recipes! Stay tuned for fun ways to use pesto as well as other fabulous milky creations!

Marcona Almond Pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
½ cup marcona almonds
½ cup grated Natural & Kosher parmesan
2 garlic cloves, peeled
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Place everything besides the olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until roughly chopped. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil until the mixture turns into a creamy spread. Add more olive oil if you plan to use it as a sauce, and less olive oil if you plan to use it as a dip/spread.

TIP: Marcona almonds can be found at gourmet markets, including Costco (their Kirkland almonds can also be found on Amazon). If you can’t source them, you can use blanched toasted almonds instead.


This post was sponsored by Natural & Kosher Cheese. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+, or via their Blog

Related Recipes:

spinach, walnut & cheddar pesto
pesto pinwheels
pesto & goat cheese crostini

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Persimmon Guacamole

It’s no secret that I’m kinda obsessed with persimmon. I gushed about it’s awesomeness here and here and even made some persimmon coconut ice cream here. But as long as persimmon are in season, I’m gonna keep eating them. And if I’m eating them, I’m blogging about them. So there.

When it comes to fuyu persimmon, you can eat them straight-up. No need to wait till their uber-ripe. That’s why they work so great in guacamole – it’s almost like using mango, except so much more delicious!

Guacamole is a great base for interesting add-ins. I love to make use of seasonal fruits and veggies and add them to creamy avocado dip. Pomegranates make an appearance in the fall, persimmon in the winter, and corn, of course, in the summer. The only classic ingredient not making it into my guacamole? cilantro. I’ve tried eating it, I really have. But it just tastes like soap over and over again.

No matter how you take your guacamole – make sure to add some persimmon, they’ll be gone before you know it!

Fuyu Persimmon Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1 persimmon, peeled and diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1 jalapeño, seeds and veins removed, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
kosher salt, to taste
1-2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

Method:

Peel and dice 1 avocado. Add to a bowl and mash. Peel and dice the second avocado and add to the bowl without mashing. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Serve with chips.

NOTE: I’m not a fan of cilantro so I leave it out, but it is a classic accompaniment to guacamole, so if you like it, go ahead and add it in!

1 year ago: smoked paprika popcorn cauliflower
2 years ago: my ultimate guilt-free breakfast
3 years ago: chicken pot pie from leftover chicken soup

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