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Nut butter

Homemade Tahini Recipe
Vegan

Make Your Own: Sesame Tahini

While everyone I know seems to be on an almond butter kick, one of my favorite peanut butter alternatives is tahini.
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While everyone I know seems to be on an almond butter kick, one of my favorite peanut butter alternatives is tahini. Spread on toast, dipped in apples, and used in my favorite vegan alfredo sauce, tahini has many versatile applications beyond homemade hummus.

Making it couldn't be easier. The trick is toasting the seeds prior to processing, which bolsters the seeds' natural nuttiness, lending a complex, toasted flavor that's reminiscent of browned butter. Just be sure to diligently set your kitchen timer and check the seeds often, because they burn fast! Now that I have all this leftover tahini, I'm thinking it calls for a batch of tahini cookies . . .

From Anna Monette Roberts, YumSugar

Homemade Tahini

Homemade Tahini Recipe

Ingredients

8 ounces (about 1 cup) sesame seeds
1/4 cup olive oil, more if needed
Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread sesame seeds on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet, and bake for 6 minutes. Mix and respread sesame seeds, and return to oven for 6 to 8 minutes more, or until sesame seeds are fragrant and golden brown. Immediately transfer toasted seeds to a separate bowl to prevent carryover cooking.
  2. Add sesame seeds to the bowl of a food processor and grind for 1 minute, or until seeds have broken down. While processor is on, drizzle in olive oil, and continue to grind for 1 or 2 minutes more, or until a smooth paste forms. If mixture is too dry, then add more olive oil, 1 teaspoon at a time. Season to taste. Transfer tahini to a mason jar, and store in the fridge for up to one month.

Makes one 10-ounce jar.

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Almond Nutella Recipe
recipes

Spread It on Thick: Milk Chocolate Almond Spread

Time for another confession: I'm harboring a full-blown addiction to anything Nutella or nut butter-related.
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Time for another confession: I'm harboring a full-blown addiction to anything Nutella or nut butter-related. Think I'm joking? When left to my own devices, I've been known to down an entire tub of the unctuous spread in the span of a week. Now, rather than lament my (no longer) secret shame, I've chosen instead to be proactive and make my own, so at the very least I'm enjoying the treat to its fullest, rather than supping on the saccharine mass-manufactured spread once more.

Keep reading to learn how to whip up a batch of your own.

Ways to Eat Nut Butter
healthy eating tips

5 Surprising Ways to Eat Nut Butter

Nut butters are good for more than just sandwiches.
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Nut butters are good for more than just sandwiches. As a source of healthy fats and plant-based protein, nut butters can be a nutritional powerhouse. Whether you prefer classic peanut butter or one of the healthy peanut butter alternatives, here are five unexpected ways to incorporate nut butter into your diet:

  1. Blend it into your smoothie: Make your breakfast sip a bit creamier — and more satisfying — by adding some nut butter to the mix. For a bit of indulgence, try a chocolate strawberry banana smoothie. The healthy fats and dose of protein will help you to stay full and get your day off to an energized start.
  2. Add it to your soups: Boost pureed soups with a spoonful of nut butter. Not only will it create a thicker texture, but it will also add rich, unexpected flavor to standard recipes. Surprise your taste buds by adding almond butter to butternut squash and or blending walnut butter into a beet soup.
  3. Turn it into a dipping sauce: Marinate meats in your favorite nut butter before grilling, or use it as a dipping sauce for fruits and vegetables. Get creative with your combinations: try jicama dipped in cashew butter for a fresh twist on peanut butter apples.
  4. Toss it into Greek yogurt. Get double the protein punch by mixing nut butter into your serving of Greek yogurt. For extra energy and nutrients, add fresh berries and rolled oats to the bowl.
  5. Use it in your salad dressing. Blend nut butter with other oils and spices to create a smooth, rich salad dressing. Not sure where to start? Try a Thai dish, like this kale slaw with peanut dressing recipe.

Source: Flickr User Rusvaplauke

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Mixed Nut Butter
Food

Weekend Well-Being: Make Your Own Mixed Nut Butter

Spreading nut butter on bread or crackers makes a great snack, but I was getting a little tired of plain old boring peanut butter.
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Spreading nut butter on bread or crackers makes a great snack, but I was getting a little tired of plain old boring peanut butter. So I thought, why not make my own with all my favorite nuts and seeds? It tastes so fresh and unique, and since there are so many different nuts and seeds to choose from, the possibilities are endless.

This recipe can't be any easier. To see it read more

FDA Warns About Peanut Butter
Behavior Tips

Delilicious: Peanut Butter Packets

Need a quick snack that packs a fast protein punch?
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Need a quick snack that packs a fast protein punch? My daughter can't get enough of Justin's Honey Peanut Butter Packs. The 1.15 ounce sleeves (.50) are slim and portable, which make them kid-friendly and easy to slip in mommy's purse. Each one contains 7 grams of protein. Original and cinnamon peanut butters are also available as are the same flavors of almond butter. Swap out the old soggy sandwich with this delicious and nutritious organic snack.

Update: This post was timed before the FDA issued its warning. Click the link to get more information.

Nutritional Information of Nut Butters
calorie breakdown

Nutty For Nutritional Info on Nut Butters

When I was a child, I loved peanut butter.
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When I was a child, I loved peanut butter. In college I experimented with almond butter. Cashew butter, which I dabble in every once in a while, is just heavenly. My girls, however, only like peanut butter, which made me curious — are all nut butters created equal? Does it matter which nut butter you choose? Is one more healthy than the other?




To see a side-by-side nutritional comparison of many popular nut butters read more

Peanut Butter Is Made From Peanuts, Right?
peanut butter

Peanut Butter Is Made From Peanuts, Right?

Peanut butter is quite possibly a perfect food.
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Peanut butter is quite possibly a perfect food. You can buy it just about anywhere, it's tasty, and a great source of protein.

But beware - not all peanut butters are created equal. You want to make sure you're buying the natural kind - we're talking just peanuts. Other brands you grew up with like Jif and Skippy contain sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil and a stabilizer to keep the oil from separating. Gross.

In the U.S., peanut butter must contain at least 90% peanuts to be called peanut butter. That's why some companies call theirs peanut spread.

You can buy natural peanut butter at health food stores. Look for the jars that have the oil separated on the top - that's the good stuff. Or some stores sell peanut butter in bulk, so the oil is already mixed in for you.

Fit's Tip: I'll admit - it's annoying when you open the jar, and the oil is separated on the top. When you try to mix it up, the oil overflows and spills everywhere. Try warming the opened jar a little bit in the microwave - then it's easier to mix.