Walnut butter
30/01/11 16:38
I’m doing an elimination diet right now and one of the things I’ve eliminated is my beloved chocolate! To successfully abstain, it was crucial that I plan out some great non-chocolate snacks. One great substitute for me has been walnut butter. It is really easy to make and tastes amazing! Plus, walnuts are full of healthy fats and are a diamond superfood on my SWAMI. You can also add other nuts to this mix. Today I added pecans too (another superfood).
Walnut Butter
(makes about 400-500g of nut butter - enough to fill a large Nuts to You jar!)
Ingredients:
Walnuts
Other nuts to your liking (pecans work well, I think almonds would be too hard, but haven’t tried them)
Sea salt
Oil of your choice (I used grapeseed oil because that is all I had, but using walnut oil makes a lot of sense or any other oil you prefer)
Directions:
1. Fill a chopper/grinder/food processor with nuts, like so:
2. Sprinkle in sea salt to taste. I have no idea how much I use, just a few shakes.
3. Chop the nuts until they are in tiny pieces, then switch to grinding until they are in even smaler pieces. They will look somewhat like this:
4. Add oil and keep grinding the mixture until it reaches the consistency you want. Again, I have no idea how much oil I use! Enough to make a thick, but not dry paste.
5. Empty walnut butter into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Enjoy on rice crackers, rice cakes, as a dip for veggies, or any other way you can think of.
Walnut Butter
(makes about 400-500g of nut butter - enough to fill a large Nuts to You jar!)
Ingredients:
Walnuts
Other nuts to your liking (pecans work well, I think almonds would be too hard, but haven’t tried them)
Sea salt
Oil of your choice (I used grapeseed oil because that is all I had, but using walnut oil makes a lot of sense or any other oil you prefer)
Directions:
1. Fill a chopper/grinder/food processor with nuts, like so:
2. Sprinkle in sea salt to taste. I have no idea how much I use, just a few shakes.
3. Chop the nuts until they are in tiny pieces, then switch to grinding until they are in even smaler pieces. They will look somewhat like this:
4. Add oil and keep grinding the mixture until it reaches the consistency you want. Again, I have no idea how much oil I use! Enough to make a thick, but not dry paste.
5. Empty walnut butter into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Enjoy on rice crackers, rice cakes, as a dip for veggies, or any other way you can think of.
Comments
Kate's walnutty chocolate
21/01/11 10:56
Yes, another post about chocolate! This is my other major chocolate “substitute.” Back in 2003, I decided to stop eating sugar entirely for one month as an experiment. This was actually a lot easier than I expected and completely changed the way I eat since. It made me realize how often I was eating sugar to sooth uncomfortable emotions and that I didn’t need to eat cookies, cake, and other desserts to have a good time or connect with people. However, the biggest thing I missed was chocolate! Not even really sweet chocolate, just that distinct taste! So I came up with this recipe for making my own fudge-type dessert using some healthier ingredients.
Kate’s Walnutty Chocolate
(makes about 36 small pieces)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I now use raw cacao powder)
1/2 cup butter or ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see recipe here) - ghee is these softer/wetter than butter, so use a bit less
1/2 cup almond butter (you can also use tahini or any other nut butter you like)
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
2-3 handfuls walnuts
1 handful cacao beans or nibs (optional)
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2-1 cup puffed rice or quinoa
Directions:
1. Melt cocoa powder, butter, and almond butter in a medium pot over low-medium heat.
2. While those are melting, chop the walnuts (and cacao beans or nibs if you are using these) using a chopper/grinder until they are a size you desire.
3. Once the cocoa mixture in the pot is melted and blended, remove from heat and add vegetable glycerine and combine.
4. Next, add the walnuts, cacao nibs, ground flax, and puffed rice and combine.
5. Press the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Place in fridge or freezer to cool.
Kate’s Walnutty Chocolate
(makes about 36 small pieces)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cocoa powder (I now use raw cacao powder)
1/2 cup butter or ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see recipe here) - ghee is these softer/wetter than butter, so use a bit less
1/2 cup almond butter (you can also use tahini or any other nut butter you like)
1/4-1/2 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar) or agave syrup - adjust according to desired sweetness
2-3 handfuls walnuts
1 handful cacao beans or nibs (optional)
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2-1 cup puffed rice or quinoa
Directions:
1. Melt cocoa powder, butter, and almond butter in a medium pot over low-medium heat.
2. While those are melting, chop the walnuts (and cacao beans or nibs if you are using these) using a chopper/grinder until they are a size you desire.
3. Once the cocoa mixture in the pot is melted and blended, remove from heat and add vegetable glycerine and combine.
4. Next, add the walnuts, cacao nibs, ground flax, and puffed rice and combine.
5. Press the mixture into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Place in fridge or freezer to cool.
Antioxidant brownies
16/12/10 10:29
I LOVE chocolate, but I try to avoid sugar because I feel so much better without it. When I stopped eating sugar in 2003, I was faced with the dilemma of how the heck I could still feed my chocolate cravings while avoiding sugar? Necessity is the mother of invention and the result was that I have come up with a few creative recipes to make chocolatey things without sugar. I also avoid gluten and dairy, so I have had to modify my recipes for those too.
One of the most popular recipes I’ve created has been for gluten-free, dairy-free (if you use ghee instead of butter), sugar-free (if you use vegetable glycerine instead of agave syrup) brownies. I recently had the idea to make them more nutritious by using raw cacao powder (instead of traditional cocoa) which is high in antioxidants!
Antioxidant Brownies
(makes about 36 small brownies)
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar) or agave syrup - adjust according to how sweet you want the brownies to be
1 cup almond meal (you could also use hazelnut meal if you can find it)
4 eggs, separated
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the ghee/butter and combine in a medium bowl with the cacao powder until smooth.
3. Add vegetable glycerine/agave, almond meal, and egg yolks and combine.
4. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into other bowl with the chocolate mixture.
5. Gently combine until blended and pour into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then turn 1/4 turn and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.
7. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then continue cooling in fridge.
One of the most popular recipes I’ve created has been for gluten-free, dairy-free (if you use ghee instead of butter), sugar-free (if you use vegetable glycerine instead of agave syrup) brownies. I recently had the idea to make them more nutritious by using raw cacao powder (instead of traditional cocoa) which is high in antioxidants!
Antioxidant Brownies
(makes about 36 small brownies)
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cacao powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup ghee (I make my own ghee using organic, cultured butter, see recipe here) or butter - ghee is wetter than butter, so adjust accordingly
1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable glycerine (very sweet but does not spike blood sugar) or agave syrup - adjust according to how sweet you want the brownies to be
1 cup almond meal (you could also use hazelnut meal if you can find it)
4 eggs, separated
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the ghee/butter and combine in a medium bowl with the cacao powder until smooth.
3. Add vegetable glycerine/agave, almond meal, and egg yolks and combine.
4. Beat the egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into other bowl with the chocolate mixture.
5. Gently combine until blended and pour into a square pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then turn 1/4 turn and bake for another 10-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out nearly clean.
7. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then continue cooling in fridge.
Bone broth
03/12/10 14:17
In honour of recent discussion about calcium and vitamin D supplementation, I’m sharing my easy, simple recipe for bone broth. This is a great way to get calcium and other minerals from the bones, as well as other nutrients from the meat and cartilage. Plus it feels great to truly use every beneficial part of your food before throwing it away.
I like to buy a roasted chicken (the ones from Whole Foods are amazing!), cut off the meat (which I store in the freezer and pull out for a quick meal), and use the leftover bones. Basically you can just get some bones, throw whatever else you like in there too, and boil it all. There is really no way to mess this up, except if you boil it too long, in which case it turns kind of gelatinous... Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how long from my own experience!
You can use the broth to cook rice or other grains, as a base for soups, or in any variety of ways to add taste and nutrition to other dishes.
Bone Broth
(makes about 2-3L of broth)
Ingredients:
Bones! You can use chicken or beef, whichever you prefer.
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like apple cider because it is less vinegary tasting)
Spices of your choice to taste (salt and pepper are great)
Veggies of your choice (I use chopped garlic and onions, sometimes some carrots and celery too)
Immune boosting option! Add ingredients for Change of Season Soup (I’ve bought packages of this from Herbie’s Herbs) along with your veggies! Change of Season soup is an Asian medicine recipe using four herbs (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Dioscorea, and Lycii) which helps your body adjust to the transition between seasons to prevent getting sick.
Directions:
1. Place bones and vinegar in a large stockpot and cover with filtered water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat to between low and medium and let simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Add spices and veggies.
5. Turn heat up again to boil more vigourously, then turn it down to simmer again for another hour.
6. Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl.
7. Discard bones and other solids.
8. Place bowl in refrigerator overnight and in the morning skim off the top layer of fat.
9. Decant the liquid into airtight, leakproof, and ideally glass containers and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes:
I like to buy a roasted chicken (the ones from Whole Foods are amazing!), cut off the meat (which I store in the freezer and pull out for a quick meal), and use the leftover bones. Basically you can just get some bones, throw whatever else you like in there too, and boil it all. There is really no way to mess this up, except if you boil it too long, in which case it turns kind of gelatinous... Don’t worry, I’ll tell you how long from my own experience!
You can use the broth to cook rice or other grains, as a base for soups, or in any variety of ways to add taste and nutrition to other dishes.
Bone Broth
(makes about 2-3L of broth)
Ingredients:
Bones! You can use chicken or beef, whichever you prefer.
1 Tbsp vinegar (I like apple cider because it is less vinegary tasting)
Spices of your choice to taste (salt and pepper are great)
Veggies of your choice (I use chopped garlic and onions, sometimes some carrots and celery too)
Immune boosting option! Add ingredients for Change of Season Soup (I’ve bought packages of this from Herbie’s Herbs) along with your veggies! Change of Season soup is an Asian medicine recipe using four herbs (Astragalus, Codonopsis, Dioscorea, and Lycii) which helps your body adjust to the transition between seasons to prevent getting sick.
Directions:
1. Place bones and vinegar in a large stockpot and cover with filtered water.
2. Cover and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat to between low and medium and let simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours.
4. Add spices and veggies.
5. Turn heat up again to boil more vigourously, then turn it down to simmer again for another hour.
6. Remove from heat and strain into a large bowl.
7. Discard bones and other solids.
8. Place bowl in refrigerator overnight and in the morning skim off the top layer of fat.
9. Decant the liquid into airtight, leakproof, and ideally glass containers and store in the fridge or freezer.
Notes:
- Simmering for more than 3-4 hours can result in a gelatinous broth!
- Use refrigerated broth within 7 days
- Use frozen broth within 6 months
Homemade ghee
20/11/10 07:52
by Kate Whimster, ND
Those who know me know that I love ghee! Ghee is “clarified butter” meaning that it is butter minus water and dairy solids. Bhavaprakash, a major Ayurvedic text, states that “Ghee is … good for the eyes, stimulant for digestion, supports glow and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, promotes longevity, and protects the body from various diseases.” (1)
Ghee production increases levels of butyric acid, which is believed to improve digestion and nourish tissues (2). Ghee also contains elevated levels of the unsaturated fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), “a chemical that may have anticarcinogenic properties” (1), compared to milk and butter. “Milk fats … from cow or buffalo milk contained 0.6 and 0.5% CLAs, respectively … microbial fermentation during curd formation increases the CLA content of milk fats to 1.0% … Heating of milk fats … as in ghee making, is known to increase CLA content. There is a further increase of CLA content (2.5-2.8%) in ghee samples when butter is clarified at higher temperatures (120˚C) than at the 110˚C (1.1-1.3%) traditionally used in villages to make ghee.” (3)
In my opinion, ghee tastes better than butter and is a great substitute in baking if you want to avoid dairy. It is possible to find ghee in some stores, but I have found that making my own is easier and tastes better! So, here is my recipe for homemade ghee, complete with photos!
Homemade Ghee
(makes about 1.5 cups of ghee)
Ingredients:
One pound of organic, cultured, unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat down to between low and medium. Leave it at this heat uncovered and undisturbed. It is fine if the butter boils!
3. About 10 minutes after the butter boiling, you will notice steam rising off the butter, foam forming on top, and gurgling, crackling, or squeaking noises. At this point the butter will smell somewhat rancid. Don’t worry! You’re getting there... Your butter should look something like this:
And then, as the foam thickens, like this:
4. About 25-30 minutes after the butter boiling, the foam will dissipate, the noises have quieted, and the ghee smells like hot popcorn. The milk solids at the bottom will be golden coloured and the ghee will be clear. These are all signs that the ghee is done! It will look something like this:
5. Remove the ghee from heat and skim off the remaining foam using a spoon.
6. Filter the ghee into a clean glass jar through cheesecloth. I fold the cheesecloth so there are 4 layers.
This is what the hot ghee looks like:
7. Let the ghee cool, then cover and store in the fridge, where it will become solid. This is what it looks like once it cools and hardens:
References:
1. Sharma, H., & Clark, C. (1998). Contemporary Ayurveda. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone.
2. Lad, V. D. (1998). The complete book of Ayurvedic home remedies. New York:
Three Rivers Press.
3. Aneja, R. P., & Murthi, T. N. (1991). Beneficial effects of ghee. Nature, 350, 280.
Those who know me know that I love ghee! Ghee is “clarified butter” meaning that it is butter minus water and dairy solids. Bhavaprakash, a major Ayurvedic text, states that “Ghee is … good for the eyes, stimulant for digestion, supports glow and beauty, enhances memory and stamina, promotes longevity, and protects the body from various diseases.” (1)
Ghee production increases levels of butyric acid, which is believed to improve digestion and nourish tissues (2). Ghee also contains elevated levels of the unsaturated fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), “a chemical that may have anticarcinogenic properties” (1), compared to milk and butter. “Milk fats … from cow or buffalo milk contained 0.6 and 0.5% CLAs, respectively … microbial fermentation during curd formation increases the CLA content of milk fats to 1.0% … Heating of milk fats … as in ghee making, is known to increase CLA content. There is a further increase of CLA content (2.5-2.8%) in ghee samples when butter is clarified at higher temperatures (120˚C) than at the 110˚C (1.1-1.3%) traditionally used in villages to make ghee.” (3)
In my opinion, ghee tastes better than butter and is a great substitute in baking if you want to avoid dairy. It is possible to find ghee in some stores, but I have found that making my own is easier and tastes better! So, here is my recipe for homemade ghee, complete with photos!
Homemade Ghee
(makes about 1.5 cups of ghee)
Ingredients:
One pound of organic, cultured, unsalted butter
Directions:
1. Melt butter in a saucepan at medium heat.
2. Once the butter is melted, turn the heat down to between low and medium. Leave it at this heat uncovered and undisturbed. It is fine if the butter boils!
3. About 10 minutes after the butter boiling, you will notice steam rising off the butter, foam forming on top, and gurgling, crackling, or squeaking noises. At this point the butter will smell somewhat rancid. Don’t worry! You’re getting there... Your butter should look something like this:
And then, as the foam thickens, like this:
4. About 25-30 minutes after the butter boiling, the foam will dissipate, the noises have quieted, and the ghee smells like hot popcorn. The milk solids at the bottom will be golden coloured and the ghee will be clear. These are all signs that the ghee is done! It will look something like this:
5. Remove the ghee from heat and skim off the remaining foam using a spoon.
6. Filter the ghee into a clean glass jar through cheesecloth. I fold the cheesecloth so there are 4 layers.
This is what the hot ghee looks like:
7. Let the ghee cool, then cover and store in the fridge, where it will become solid. This is what it looks like once it cools and hardens:
References:
1. Sharma, H., & Clark, C. (1998). Contemporary Ayurveda. Philadelphia: Churchill Livingstone.
2. Lad, V. D. (1998). The complete book of Ayurvedic home remedies. New York:
Three Rivers Press.
3. Aneja, R. P., & Murthi, T. N. (1991). Beneficial effects of ghee. Nature, 350, 280.
Kate's favourite smoothie
31/10/10 16:42
For at least 7 years, I have started my day with a smoothie and I love it! Smoothies are a great way to widen the variety of foods you eat and to add what are called “functional foods” or nutrients to your diet. Plus they taste great and are easy and quick to make! Get creative about adding foods with high nutritional content to start your day right. Also a great way to sneak more nutritious foods to kids!
Over time, the ingredients have evolved to what is currently my “go-to” recipe. I follow my personalized SWAMI GenoType plan based on the work of Peter D’Adamo, which categorizes foods as superfood (including a subset of “diamond” superfoods), neutral, or avoid for you based on what is the best fuel for your body. All the ingredients in my smoothie are neutrals, superfoods, or diamond superfoods for me.
Kate’s Favourite Smoothie (for now - subject to change!)
(Made in a 2 cup container)
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 heaping Tbsp ground flax (yay for extra fibre!)
1 heaping Tbsp lecithin (emulsifier, supports healthy cell membranes, and lots of other healthy functions)
1/2 large leaf of swiss chard (diamond superfood and a great way to add more veggies to your diet - drink them!)
1/2 avocado (healthy fats)
1/4 cup each of frozen mango, blueberries, and raspberries (beta carotene and antioxidants)
1 tsp Harmonia Deluxe sprouted greens powder (even more fruits and veggies)
1 tsp spirulina powder (diamond superfood for me)
1 tsp glutamine powder (supports gut health)
A few splashes of juice - could be black cherry, pineapple, mango, goji berry, pomegranate
Fill the rest of the cup with filtered water
I let this all sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften up while I get dressed and then I blend it up using a hand blender. I drink 1 cup in the morning as part of my breakfast (which includes lots of other food since breakfast is the most important meal of the day) and the other cup before dinner.
Over time, the ingredients have evolved to what is currently my “go-to” recipe. I follow my personalized SWAMI GenoType plan based on the work of Peter D’Adamo, which categorizes foods as superfood (including a subset of “diamond” superfoods), neutral, or avoid for you based on what is the best fuel for your body. All the ingredients in my smoothie are neutrals, superfoods, or diamond superfoods for me.
Kate’s Favourite Smoothie (for now - subject to change!)
(Made in a 2 cup container)
Ingredients:
1 banana
1 heaping Tbsp ground flax (yay for extra fibre!)
1 heaping Tbsp lecithin (emulsifier, supports healthy cell membranes, and lots of other healthy functions)
1/2 large leaf of swiss chard (diamond superfood and a great way to add more veggies to your diet - drink them!)
1/2 avocado (healthy fats)
1/4 cup each of frozen mango, blueberries, and raspberries (beta carotene and antioxidants)
1 tsp Harmonia Deluxe sprouted greens powder (even more fruits and veggies)
1 tsp spirulina powder (diamond superfood for me)
1 tsp glutamine powder (supports gut health)
A few splashes of juice - could be black cherry, pineapple, mango, goji berry, pomegranate
Fill the rest of the cup with filtered water
I let this all sit for about 10-15 minutes to soften up while I get dressed and then I blend it up using a hand blender. I drink 1 cup in the morning as part of my breakfast (which includes lots of other food since breakfast is the most important meal of the day) and the other cup before dinner.