Nutty for Butter
by Cricket Azima
Nut butters have seen a spike in popularity recently, due in part to reports touting the nutritional benefits of nuts. Although many people are most familiar with peanut butter, any nut—from a walnut to a high-end macadamia—as well as a number of seeds, can produce a thick, luscious spread. The scrumptious flavors of these butters mean they work just as well in a recipe as they do in a sandwich. They’re perfect for putting on crackers, dipping celery into, embellishing a favorite dessert or flavoring savory dishes.
Sunflower Butter Soup (open/close)
Colin Cooke
Sunflower Butter Soup
Serves 6 to 8
Per serving: calories 322, fat 22g, protein 16g, carbohydrate 20g, dietary fiber 2g
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 small white onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp. ginger
- 1 lb. chicken breast, cubed (optional)
- 1 large carrot
- 1 6" to 8" sweet potato
- 1 11-oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup sunflower butter
- 4 to 6 cups chicken broth (depending on desired consistency)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup roasted sunflower seeds
- ½ bunch scallions, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 3 limes, cut into wedges
- In a large stockpot, warm oil over medium heat.
- Dice onion and mince garlic and ginger. Add to warm oil and cook for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
- Add diced chicken; raise heat to medium-high temperature and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 8 minutes, until cooked through.
- While chicken is cooking, peel the carrot and sweet potato and cut both into fine dice.
- Add carrot and sweet potato to pot.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and sunflower butter; mix to combine.
- Add broth and raise heat to high temperature. Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Ladle soup into bowls; serve with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds, scallions, cilantro leaves and a wedge of lime (to be juiced into bowl prior to eating).
For more recipes check out kiwimagonline.com.
Cashew Chicken Wrap (open/close)
Colin Cooke
Cashew Chicken Wrap
Makes 4 sandwiches
Per serving: calories 389, fat 15g, protein 20g, carbohydrate 45g, dietary fiber 6g
- 4 whole wheat wraps
- ¼ cup cashew butter
- 4 leaves romaine lettuce
- 1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cooked (baked, sautéed, boiled, grilled or roasted) and sliced
- 1 cup grated carrot
- ¼ to ½ cup raisins, to taste
- Generously smear cashew butter in the center of each whole wheat wrap.
- Leaving about 2" on the bottom of the wrap, place one piece of lettuce on top of the cashew butter.
- Evenly divide the cooked, sliced chicken amongst the wraps, arranging it on top of the lettuce.
- Sprinkle ¼ cup grated carrot onto each sandwich.
- Scatter raisins, to taste, on top of carrot.
- Fold the bottom 2" of the wrap up toward the filling. Tightly fold each side of the wrap toward the center to create the shape of the sandwich.
For more recipes check out kiwimagonline.com.
Almond Butter Clusters (open/close)
Colin Cooke
Almond Butter Clusters
Makes about 6 cups
Per serving (1/2 cup): calories 410, fat 27g, protein 9g, carbohydrate 37g, dietary fiber 4g
- 2 cups allergy-friendly granola
- 1 cup almond butter
- ½ cup shelled, raw sunflower seeds
- ½ cup white chocolate chips
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raw almonds
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tbsp. vanilla
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Grease 9" x 13" baking pan and preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Pour mixture into greased baking pan and use spatula to pack down firmly.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool well (place in freezer to speed this step up).
- Use serrated knife to cut the cool mixture into bite-sized clusters.
For more recipes check out kiwimagonline.com.
