1. How is it already September 9th?

2. It’s finally cooling down here after a month-long heat wave.

3. I despise painting ceilings.

4. Taping off walls and trim is worse than painting ceilings.

Phew. Okay. Now I can move on.

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This is long overdue.

Just like my library books.

I should probably have to pay you guys because it’s been so long.

I don’t even remember the last time I made a new nut butter recipe. I almost went savory with this batch, but at the last minute decided to give it a vanilla-sweet spin.

vanilla almond sun butter | edible perspective

While I typically use maple syrup or honey for a sweetener I decided to do a little something different this time.

I used muscovado sugar to give this nut-butter a hint of caramel sweetness. What is muscovado sugar, you ask? It’s basically an unrefined version of brown sugar. The natural caramel + molasses flavors that come from sugar cane are retained instead of being processed out. This results in the most amazing caramel-vanilla-molasses-sugar flavor, pretty much ever.

Did you know that typical brown sugar is actually highly refined white sugar with caramel color and molasses flavor added back into it? Believe it or not brown sugar is actually more refined than white table sugar. I learned this a few years ago and it kind of blew my mind. I figured because it was brown it was more “natural.” Whoops.

Muscovado sugar is great for baking because of the deep flavor it lends, similar to sucanat and coconut sugar. So I thought, why not add it to nut butter?

vanilla almond sun butter | edible perspective

A little sweet, a little salty, a little vanilla-kick.

Totally spreadable. Slightly addicting.

vanilla almond sun butter | edible perspective

For a little change of pace from your typical almond butter, I decided to use a 50/50 mix of almonds + sunflower seeds with this batch.

While I love sunflower seedsI’m not a huge fan of actual sun-butter. However, the mix of almonds and sunflower seeds did the trick for me.

vanilla almond sun butter | edible perspective

Print this!

Vanilla Almond Sun Butter

gluten-free, vegan // yields ~1 1/4 cups

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 tablespoons muscovado sugar, sucanat or coconut sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat your oven to 300* F and place nuts/seeds in a single layer spread on a baking pan.
Roast for 12-15min, stirring once halfway through, until light golden brown.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes then place in your high powered food processor [I use an 11c capacity] and add the salt and sugar.
Turn on and let spin, scraping down the sides as needed, until buttery and smooth. ~7-10 minutes
Add the vanilla bean paste and let spin again until smooth and very spreadable.
Taste and add more salt if needed.
Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for 1-3 months.

Spread over anything!

Toast. Oatmeal. Your finger. Apples. Pears. Crackers. Waffles. Pancakes. Crepes.

vanilla almond sun butter | edible perspective

Ahhh, feels good to be caught back up with a new nut butter. Hopefully, you won’t make me incur any late fees.

I’m thinking savory for the next round. With an herb-infused twist. If you’re new to the idea of savory nut-butters I highly recommend you try a few out!

Have a good one!

Ashley

Summer Veggie Salad with Garden Herb Dressing

gluten-free, vegan // yields 4 large salads

for the salad:

1 head lacinato kale

1 medium head romaine

1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas

16oz package baby bella mushrooms

1 pint cherry/grape tomatoes

2 medium zucchini squash

1 medium yellow squash

2 avocados

2 cups cooked quinoa, fully cooled

Thoroughly wash kale + romaine, pat dry, remove stems/ends, and chop.

Rinse + drain chickpeas.

Remove mushroom stems, wipe with a damp towel, and chop.

Slice tomatoes in half.

Trim squash ends. With a vegetable peeler, peel the first few layers from the squash and discard.

Peel until rest of the each squash [flip and start on the other side if needed] and curl them around your finger to make the squash curls. Chop any remaining squash that can’t be peeled.

Pit and slice the avocado.

Mix the romaine and kale in 4 bowls and toss with dressing, massaging well with your hands.

Place an even mix of chickpeas, mushrooms, tomatoes, squash curls, avocado, and 1/2 cup quinoa* in each bowl.

Spoon more dressing over top and serve.

*I cooked plain quinoa as a topping for this salad but forgot to add it in the bowl for the photographs. My apologies! The salad is delicious with or without the quinoa [or brown rice!].

for the dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

4-6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, oregano/thyme/chives

1-2 teaspoons agave, or honey

1 teaspoon brown mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2+ teaspoon salt/pepper

Place ingredients in a blender and blend on low working up to high until fully combined. Taste and add more lemon juice/oil, salt/pepper, or sweetener if desired. I typically like an even amount of oil and lemon juice or slightly more lemon. You can adapt the herbs with whatever you have on hand. If you’re not using any basil, add 1-2 tablespoons of other herbs instead, taste + add more if desired.

The next night we made taco salads and I adapted the dressing with lime juice and about 1/2 teaspoon cumin. It was excellent!