Vanilla almond butter

I have a confession. I love vanilla. It has a reputation for being plain and boring but I do not understand why. It gives such a distinctive flavour and I enjoy desserts and bakes flavoured purely with this exotic spice. Vanilla also complements and lifts so many other flavours such as chocolate and berry fruits.

Vanilla also pairs extremely well with nuts and, as I found out, lifts the already delicious almond butter to a whole new level. I am a big fan of making my own nut butters for a number of reasons 1) it is much cheaper to make my own 2) I know exactly what is going into it 3) I can experiment with new flavour combinations.

It could not be simpler to make nut butter, you simply need a powerful food processor and a little patience!

Vanilla almond nut butter

150g skin on almonds
1 tsp unrefined coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla paste

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and blend! First the nuts will turn to a fine flour-like texture, keep going and it will come together as a ball, jut let it keep going and you will be rewarded with a super creamy almond butter. The time this takes will depend on your processor. 

The amounts in this recipe make a small jar, I am definitely doubling it next time!

I have experimented with this almond butter a number of ways.

It is delicious stirred into porridge, especially delicious if raw cacao and a dash of maple are also stirred through, chocolate almondy porridge topped with a sliced banana is an oh so delicious and nutritious start to the day!

It is also fabulous in chia seed pudding. I made chia pudding with almond milk and left overnight, I then blended with a good dollop of almond butter and a third of a frozen banana, before layering up with a little extra banana. So good.

I also stirred a spoonful through pear overnight oats served with blueberry chia jam. More on the jam in a later post.

I also plan to experiment with other homemade nut butters... if I can drag myself away from this vanilla almond one that is!

Spicy peanut butter and vegetable stew

Its cold outside and I am wrapped in a blanket, is it really the last day of July!? I need food that is warming and delicious but it is not really the time of year for meaty, slow cooked stews and casseroles, with plenty of root vegetables, it feels a bit wrong, not to mention many of the ingredients are out of season.

The sweet potato and chickpeas make this a substantial meal and the whole dish provides plenty of different textures, a good meal to feed those people who think a meal without meat is not a meal.

This recipe is warming, hearty and delicious, comfort food that nourishes from the inside out, a dish that can be eaten all year round. 

I love that this recipe contains both spice and peanut butter! The spice level can be adapted to suit our own palette.

Spicy peanut butter and vegetable stew 

serves 2, easily doubled

1/2 red pepper, diced

stick of celery. diced

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 tsp hot smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

pinch of cayenne

100ml of vegetable stock

2 heaped tablespoons of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
tin of chopped tomatoes

1/2 tin of chickpeas

good couple of handfuls of spinach or kale

brown rice to serve

yoghurt (soya if avoiding dairy) and chilli flakes to finish (optional)

In a nice big casserole pot sauté the pepper, celery and potato in a 1/2 tbsp of  oil of your choice (olive, coconut, vegetable, whatever) for 5-10 minutes, add in the spices and cook for a minute more. 

Combine the peanut butter and hot stock , just whisk to combine with a fork, and add this along with the tomatoes to the pot. Give it all a stir and pop on  lid, leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Check on it after 15 minutes, give it a stir and add a splash more stock/water it it needs it.

After 30 minutes add in the chickpeas and kale/spinach and cook, without the lid, for 5 more minutes.

Serve with brown rice, if you like, and a dollop of natural/greek yoghurt and sprinkle of chilli flakes.