Vanilla Almond Sun Butter

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

1. Preheat your oven to 300* F and place nuts/seeds in a single layer spread on a baking pan.
2. Roast for 12-15min, stirring once halfway through, until light golden brown.
3. 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.
4. Turn on and let spin, scraping down the sides as needed, until buttery and smooth. ~7-10 minutes
5. Add the vanilla bean paste and let spin again until smooth and very spreadable.
6. Taste and add more salt if needed. 
7. 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 recommendyou trya few out!

Have a good one!

Ashley

simple black bean burgers

A simple post for a simple recipe.

I was in a pinch to make dinner last night with a fairly empty kitchen.  I didn’t just want to throw together scraps and call it a meal.  Sometimes that totally works and is nice and easy but it’s been happening a bit too frequently.  I wanted a meal, instead of 4-5 disjointed foods cooked separately + thrown on a plate.

Veggie burgers are about the greatest thing ever.  I almost always have the ingredients on hand that it takes to make a batch of burgers.

It’s not that other burger recipes are too involved, it’s just that this recipe is less involved.

No food processor.

No cooking quinoa, millet, or potatoes to bulk them up and add texture.

No eggs or breadcrumbs for binding.

But not to worry, they have one of my favorite veggie burger textures ever and are easily packed into patty form.

You’ll need a fork, a bowl, a pan, and the ingredients you see below.  To help bind this burger together I used a surprise ingredient.  Almond butter!  It worked like a charm.

Print this!

Simple Smoky Black Bean Burgers 

vegan, gluten-free // yields 6 patties

revised 2/21/2013

• 1 3/4 cups black beans, rinsed + drained
• 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
• 1/3 cup roasted corn
• 4-6 tablespoons partially ground [gluten free] oats
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 2 tablespoons almond butter or tahini
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne [optional]
• 1-2 tablespoon oil for cooking

1. In a small pan over medium-high heat add 1 tsp of oil and once hot add your corn [fresh or frozen].
2. Cook for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, stirring every minute or so.  Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl combine the black beans and almond butter and mash with a fork until about 2/3 of the beans are mashed. 
4. Add in the onion, corn, seeds, garlic, and all of the spices.  Gently mix until combined.
5. Add in the partially ground oats and mix gently to combine.  Avoid mashing and over-mixing.
6. At this point the mixture should form a sticky dough that can be formed between your palms into patties.  Compact into a ball and then carefully flatten in between your palms, cupping/pressing the edges until a firm patty is formed.
7. Place a large pan or flat griddle over medium heat with 1-2 Tbsp oil. 
8. Form the mixture into 6 medium patties, about 3/4 – 1” thick.  Tightly packed.
9. Place them in the pan [avoiding overcrowding] and cook for 5-7 minutes per side until golden brown.  Make sure your heat is not above medium and possibly even a touch below.  You may need to cook them in two batches.  If they’re placed too tightly together it makes them hard to flip.
10. Flip carefully and cook on the other side for another 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
11. Serve with your favorite salsa, cheese, avocado, and/or the topping below.

notes:  It’s important that the onion is finely diced to avoid large pieces that won’t hold well in the burger.  To partially grind oats, place rolled oats [certified GF if needed] in a food processor, blender, coffee grinder, magic bullet, etc. and grind them about half-way to flour.  If your burgers are not holding together try mashing the mixture more and/or adding 1 more tablespoon of almond butter or tahini.

Tomato Corn Pepper Topping

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup corn
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
• 1.5 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• pinch of salt + pepper

1. Set a medium size pan over medium heat with the oil.
2. Once hot cook the pepper for 2-3 minutes, then add the corn and cook for another 5-7 minutes until starting to brown.  Stir frequently.
3. Add the tomatoes, smoked paprika, salt + pepper and cook for about 3 minutes until some of the tomato liquid cooks off.
4. Serve on top of burgers.

…

The easiest and possibly best tasting veggie burger in my lineup. 

As always, I recommend doubling the recipe for quick + easy leftovers.

Enjoy!

Ashley