Recipes

Nuts and nut butters are an excellent source of many nutrients: calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium, copper, manganese, vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and fiber.

Almost any variety of nut can be made into nut butter!
Nut butters are very easy to make with a good juicer (e.g., Champion).
You may use raw or roasted nuts (buy them raw, and lightly roast them yourself).
Feed the nuts through the feeder as you would fruits or vegetables.

Because most nuts don't contain enough natural oil to make a smooth butter, oil must be added. To add oil, pour the oil into the feeder as the nuts are being blended. Use an oil with a neutral flavor; or use flax seed oil. If you like, add some sea salt to taste.

Feeding the nuts slowly will produce a creamy nut butter.
Fast feeding will result in a crunchy nut butter.

It is best to make nut butters in very small quantities.
If the juicer becomes very warm, stop until it cools off.

ALMOND BUTTER

2 cups blanched almonds
1/3 cup canola oil
sea salt to taste

If you have a juicer which makes nut butters, slowly add almonds. Follow with a light stream of oil. Add salt and stir until well mixed.

If you are using a food processor or blender, grind nuts to a fine powder. Add oil and salt. Mix well.

HOT ON THE TRAIL MIX

1 cup almonds
1 cup peanuts
1 cup cashews
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. hot sauce

Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 300°F/150°C. Place nuts on a baking sheet and lightly roast (about 5 minutes). Don't turn the oven off.
Stir salt, pepper, ½ tsp. cayenne pepper and hot sauce into the olive oil.
Add the roasted nuts and toss to coat.
Place nuts back on the baking sheet. Lightly toast for another 5-10 minutes.
Add remaining cayenne pepper. Cool.

Makes 3 cups.