Heather Thomas - The Nut Butter Cookbook

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Australia HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd. Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia http://www.harpercollins.com.au Canada HarperCollins Canada Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower 22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor Toronto, ON, M5H 4E3, Canada http://www.harpercollins.ca India HarperCollins India A 75, Sector 57 Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201 301, India http://www.harpercollins.co.in New Zealand HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited P.O. Box 1 Auckland, New Zealand http://www.harpercollins.co.nz United Kingdom HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF http://www.harpercollins.co.uk United States HarperCollins Publishers Inc. 195 Broadway New York, NY 10007 http://www.harpercollins.com VEGAN OPTION

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Nothing compares with the natural goodness of homemade peanut butter, whether its smooth and creamy or crunchy and nutty.

This recipe shows you how you can adapt it to make either version, and its a lot easier than you think. MAKES 500G (1LB 2OZ) PREP 1015 MINUTES COOK 1015 MINUTES 500g (1lb 2oz/3 cups) shelled raw peanuts 1 tbsp sunflower, vegetable or peanut (groundnut) oil 12 tbsp clear honey or agave syrup (optional) sea salt (optional) Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Put the nuts on a large baking tray (cookie sheet), spreading them out in a single layer, and roast for about 1015 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. When the nuts are completely cold, blitz them in a food processor until they are coarse and gritty. At this stage you can remove some if you prefer a crunchy rather than a smooth, creamy texture.

Add the oil through the feed tube and keep blitzing, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, until the nuts release their oils and you have a moist, creamy textured paste. Stir in the coarsely ground nuts, if you removed them earlier, together with salt and honey or agave, to taste (if using). Store in a sterilized 500g (1lb 2oz) glass jar with a screw-top lid or a Mason jar and keep in the fridge for 12 months. ALMOND, CASHEW AND MACADAMIA BUTTERS

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To make cashew butter and almond butter or more unusual butters, such as hazelnut, walnut, macadamia nut, pecan or Brazil nut, follow the basic recipe above for peanut butter, adding salt and honey to taste. Roast and grind the nuts in exactly the same way until you have a creamy paste. If wished, you can use a combination of different nuts.

NUT AND SEED COMBO BUTTERS

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For a more nutritious and crunchy paste, try blitzing the nuts with edible seeds, such as unsalted raw sunflower, sesame, chia, flax or pumpkin seeds. Tip: To sterilize the jar, wash it in warm, soapy water, then rinse thoroughly. Put the jar and lid on a baking tray (cookie sheet) and leave in a low oven at 120C (100C fan)/the lowest gas mark for at least 30 minutes until completely dry. If youre using a Mason or Kilner jar, remove the rubber seal and wash separately in boiling water. VEGAN OPTION

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These granola bars are a great breakfast when youre in a hurry and dont even have time for a bowl of cereal before leaving home. Alternatively, you can enjoy them as a healthy, energy-boosting snack at any time of the day.

The bars will be less sweet and more crunchy if you use cacao nibs instead of chocolate. MAKES 8 BARS OR 9 SQUARES PREP 15 MINUTES COOK 34 MINUTES CHILL 1 HOUR 225g (8oz/1 cup) stoned (pitted) fresh dates 100g (4oz/generous 1 cup) roasted almonds (unsalted), coarsely chopped 125g (4oz/scant 1 cups) rolled oats 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal) 2 tbsp chia seeds 50g (2oz/generous cup) dark (semi-sweet) chocolate chips or cacao nibs 60g (2oz/ cup) almond butter 5 tbsp honey or maple syrup a few drops of almond or vanilla extract Line a 20cm (8 inch) square cake tin (baking pan) with baking parchment. Blitz the dates briefly in a food processor until you have a sticky pure. Transfer them to a mixing bowl and stir in the almonds, oats, seeds and chocolate chips. Put the almond butter and honey in a small pan and set over a low heat. Warm through gently, stirring occasionally until the nut butter softens and the mixture blends.

Add the almond or vanilla extract and stir into the dry ingredients until well mixed and everything is evenly distributed. Spoon the mixture into the lined tin, pressing it down evenly to level the top. Cover with kitchen foil or cling film (plastic wrap) and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour until the mixture is firm. Cut the mixture into bars or squares, remove from the tin and keep in an airtight container in the fridge or a cool place for up to 10 days.

VARIATIONS

• Add some dried cherries, cranberries, raisins or coconut flakes.
• Use peanut butter and chopped roasted peanuts instead of almonds.

VEGETARIAN

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If you dont have time to make the falafels yourself, you can heat up some ready-made ones. Almond or cashew butter makes a slightly more subtle version of the pesto.

SERVES 4 PREP 20 MINUTES COOK 510 MINUTES 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 400g (14oz) can (1 cups) chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 carrot, grated 1 small red chilli, deseeded and diced 1 garlic clove, crushed grated zest of 1 lemon 1 small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped 2 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour tsp baking powder sea salt and black pepper sunflower oil, for shallow frying 4 wholewheat tortilla wraps crisp lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber, to serve 4 tbsp 0% fat Greek yoghurt, to serve (optional) PEANUT BUTTER PESTO 1 large bunch of fresh basil (about 2 cups) 120ml (4fl oz/ cup) olive oil 2 garlic cloves, crushed 4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter 40g (1oz/generous cup) grated Parmesan cheese a squeeze of lemon juice Make the peanut butter pesto: blitz all the ingredients in a blender until you have a thick green paste. Set aside while you make the falafels. Toast the seeds in a small pan set over a medium heat for 1 minute until they release their fragrance. Remove immediately and blitz in a food processor with the chickpeas, carrot, chilli, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, flour, baking powder and some salt and pepper. When you have a smooth, well-combined mixture, check the seasoning and then divide into 12 portions, shaping each one into a small ball. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan (skillet) set over a medium heat.

Cook the falafels, in batches, for about 24 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown all over. Remove and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels). Warm the wraps on a griddle pan or in a low oven and divide the salad vegetables and falafels among them. Top with the yoghurt (if using) and drizzle with the peanut butter pesto. Roll up or fold over and serve warm.

VEGAN OPTION

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You can buy protein powder in most health-food stores.

Ground flaxseed is not only gluten-free; its also a great source of fibre and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. MAKES APPROX. 24 BALLS PREP 15 MINUTES CHILL 12 HOURS 150g (5oz/cup) smooth peanut butter 75g (3oz/ cup) rolled oats 50g (2oz/generous cup) diced dates 2 tbsp protein powder 5 tbsp ground flaxseed (flaxseed meal) 2 tbsp chia seeds 5 tbsp clear honey or maple syrup Warm and soften the peanut butter in a microwave to make it easier to mix. Stir in the other ingredients until you have a smooth, well-mixed dough. If the mixture is too sticky, add some more oats; if its too dry, add some more honey, syrup or peanut butter. Take small spoonfuls of the mixture and, with your hands, roll into small balls.

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