You Have to Roast the Nuts
😉
Hi friends 🙂 How are ya doin’? Thanks for all of the lovely comments this morning- I enjoyed reading about all of the things you’re loving. Expect a Clarisonic review per your requests within the next couple of days 🙂
So I’ve been on a roll over here with trying new things! First the abomination muffins from yesterday, and today I made THREE things that I rarely or almost never make.
1. Fresh toast. FT is right up there with muffins for me. If it’s breakfast, I want eggs, oats or pancakes. Not some eggy toast that I could eat twelve of and be hungry again 5 minutes later.
I found an awesome savory-sweet combo that kept me full for the standard amount of breakfast time (3-4 hours until snack) AND tasted foodgasmic
Goat cream cheese and strawberry stuffed brown rice French toast <— there’s a lot going on there 😀
First, I spread some goat cream cheese on each piece of brown rice toast and topped with defrosted organic strawberries
Dipped in a mixture of egg, 1 T almond milk, cinnamon and nutmeg
and fried up in a little organic butterrrrr
Ka pow!
So stanking good. I ate it like a sandwich- no need for syrup 🙂
2. Homemade almond butter
I’ve made homemade almond butter maybe 3 times, and every time I finish, I’m left with mediocre almond butter that’s super chunky. Even so, I tell myself I’ll never buy almond butter again, because it’s inexpensive and *in theory* easy to make. To be realistic, since I go through at least a jar a week, I keep buying it 😉
This time I was wise and checked the expert for a recipe before attempting to get my almond butter action on.
The secret? Roasting the nuts! I had no idea.
It started to look hopeless because I had held down the grind butter for at least 10 minutes and had packed my mini food chopper to the brim.
(Patience is not my virtue)
But then,
THIS happened!
Creamy, cinnamon-y, almond butter glory.
I did the Almond Butter Success dance 😉
Half of it is gone already.
3. Soup.
To be real, I hate soup- it’s the section I skip in all of my cookbooks. I prefer to chew my food like a savage beast and soup really doesn’t do it for me 😉 It’s healthy, I might enjoy it when we go out for dinner every blue moon, but it’s really not a fave.
In the spirit of being adventurous, I decided to make some for dinner, but since I’m not a soup expert and wasn’t about to wing a recipe, I consulted my cooking Bible.
Dreena knows best 😀
I made big pot of the White Bean Rosemary soup:
The verdict?
Deeeelicious.
Next time, I’ll probably add in some brown rice noodles, more beans (chickpeas, more white beans) and sun dried tomatoes, just to get a little more texture.
What foods do you rarely or never make? I challenge you this week to make one of them- you may change your mind 🙂
Any awesome French toast, almond butter or soup recipes that I should try? (Feel free to link away!)
Have a great night and I’ll see ya in the morning <3
xoxo
Gina
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I never make…most foods! I manage to survive on whole wheat pasta, grilled cheese sandwiches and homemade pizza. Every year I vow to try more recipes, and I’ve bookmarked a ton from various blogs. Just gotta get cooking now…literally!
MMM.. that white bean soup reminded me of the White Bean Chicken Chili I made last night. Super Easy, and so good!
You can find it over at my blog 🙂
I made this Butternut Squash soup that pretty much changed my life!
http://www.amysquesttoskinny.com/2010/12/comfort-in-bowl.html
I made a vegan creamy basil tomato sauce for spaghetti. From Vegan Yum Yum. And it was yummy!!
I never make soup either. I can never seem to make it as good as my mom did. I’ve been craving cabbage soup lately, so I think it’s time to give it a try.
Hi Gina – I know that you used a homeopathic doctor not long ago. I was wondering if you could share with us some information about where to find a homeopathic doctor and whether or not they take health insurance. I am asking because I have suspected that I may have borderline hypothyroidism. I read many blogs that stress the importance of fueling your body when you do a lot of exercise. I have tried their suggestions of upping calories to fuel additional workouts, but I always end up gaining weight when I do this.
Sorry for so many questions! Love reading your blog each day!
hey girl,
the best way to find a good homeopath is through a friend- if your friend has one and has been successful, then you know they’re good!
my doc doesn’t take insurance (and is balls to the wall expensive) but i’ve been thrilled so far. when i get the results i’m looking for (i should know by summer), i’m going to do a whole post about him and give out his contact info
xoxo
I never make almond butter either but thatlooks awsome, I should try it! Sometimes I eat so much almond butter in a day that I try to stay away from it a bit. Me and that jar have a love/hate relationship;)
ps. That french toast looks de-lish!
“and every time I finish, I’m left with mediocre almond butter that’s super chunky”–
Girl that is EXACTLY why i never make nut butter. Fresh/raw/whole nuts are expensive and I hate to waste them AND go to the work of making nut butter to be left with a meh so-so mediocre result. Which has been me the previous 3x ive tried so have never tried again. Glad you had success. I was just talking w/ a friend about this the other day on email. And I also saw Ashley’s posts about it…right then! And now you. So maybe that will be the thing I make this week.
I just made a microwave banana oat cake that doesnt call for protein powder, eggs, or flour. So GF and Vegan and no prot powder which was something I am happy with!
And I want to eat french toast so bad. But the gluten. And i am too cheap to buy GF bread just to make french toast w/ it. lol
Soup, was scared of it til like 6 mos ago..now i make it all the time! And I keep it BASIC and never follow recipes..wing it 🙂
i love ricotta-stuffed french toast! don’t knock it ’til you try it. 🙂 http://www.pbfingers.com/2010/02/20/ricotta-stuffed-french-toast/
I have totally been wanting to make almond butter myself! I’m glad to see you were able to pull it off in a mini food chopper, because that’s all I have too. Hmmmm, so mayyyyybe it’s time to go pick up the ingredients…. 😉
way to go with trying new things and branching out, gina!
not a soup fan – i prefer chili. has a little more texture and substance to it.
making nut butter sounds intimidating! i think i’ll stick with my kraft all-natural! glad it came together for you, though!
I really want to break out my slow cooker. For some reason, I’m so intimiated. Do you have any chicken recipes? I know you’re just starting to eat chic again, but maybe you made some for the Pilot? Thanks doll 🙂
yup, check under “slow cooker and casserole recipes” on the cookbook tab up top 🙂
I seriously need to make new breakfast yums in my life, been just oats and fiber bowls of cereal! lol! I did make oats though for tomorrow with some hazlenut coffee extract ; ) and justins hazlenut Almond Butter mixed in too , so its a new combo, guess that counts a little 🙂
Love me sone french toast! How about french toast with raspberries a goat cream cheese or blueberries! Guess its not that different but different fruit!
Have a goodnight Gina!
try mamma peas weeding soup! so gooooooddd.
🙂
love this post. its perfect for me b.c i’m cooking a little differently these days. I actually made soup today. I steamed 2 cups of califlower, added 1/2 cup water w/ some veggie bullion (spelling?) and pureed it in the blender. then i poured in to two bowls, and crudely blended 1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts, 1/2 onion, 1 piece of celery, and 1 carrot (all the veggies left in my fridge). I poured it over the bowls and added a tablespoon of tahini. It was so yummy. I’m going to keep working on my califlower and tahini pairing because they’re so great together.
I don’t cook, the boyfriend does, and last Valentine’s Day he made us some really yummy sushi and hasn’t made it since. 🙁 Apparently it was so much work or something… pff. It’s one of those foods that we are in love with, and would save mucho dinero if we made it at home more often!
I LOVE FRENCH TOAST!!! Okay, so I do make breakfast on the weekends and french toast is definitely my go-to brekkie. Sometimes if I’m feeling in the mood, I’ll sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. Holy yum! I also love it with melted almond butter AND sizzurp. 🙂
Anything that will leave a lot of leftovers (desserts, bread, casseroles, etc) because my lack of self control can be damaging, haha. I leave those as treats for when I go out;)
That french toast looks amazing. I have to try it! I make a killer veggie soup. I’ll have to add it to the blog soon! Loving all your creative new recipe adventures.
I’m not a good cook so there’s a lot I dont make 🙂 I would be interested to hear how you made the almond butter! (If you added anything, what temp you roasted the almonds at, etc). I think that is one thing I could handle making..
check out ashley’s blog- she has amazing almond butter recipes! (edible perspective) i just followed her maple almond butter recipe
I never have made hummus though Oh She Glows makes it seems not too challenging.
Oh sweet mother of all that is wonderful, that french tooast looks amazing. All I need to do is pick up some goat cream cheese and I will be in business!
I’m like you, I never make french toast! I spend way too much time getting ready in the morning, oatmeal or a smoothie always seems like the quickest route. I also rarely make eggs but this should change since they are delicious and satisfying 🙂
i really want to make my own nut butter and hummus! now i just need a food processor… (it’s on the wedding registry – i just have to be patient!)
I’m so excited you made almond butter! I kept reading about it but was too scared my food processor wouldn’t be strong enough.
Did you add anything to it? Salt or anything? I can’t wait to make this! Does it taste like it came out of a jar?
i added salt, cinnamon, a little canola oil and stevia. it tasted BETTER than the jar stuff. in fact.. it’s almost gone 😉
Savory + sweet = foodgasmic. I love almond buttah, I eat it like it’s going out of style. Slash toast is always gone in two seconds, I love me some oatmeal! Pancakes too:)
That sandy sounds freakin amazing! I LOVE goat cheese and fruit, so this sounds like a killer combo even though I’ve never tried the two together, and how could french toast ever be bad?
I also seriously need to get a food processor or vitamix or something so I can make my own almond butttttah- that looks great!
Girl, I am right there with you on the soup feelings! And I love roasted Almond Butter…YUM!
I never make french toast or pancakes (unless it’s for my son of course)–but I think I’m going to make an exception for that sandwich! YUM!! 🙂
That french toast looks awesome! So happy I have goat cheese in my fridge right now.
We had chimichangas tonight…mine with tofu, black beans, zucchini and salsa inside 🙂 YUM!
I can’t believe you made almond butter. SO awesome.
yummmmmmm!
Who knew roasted nuts are necessary for homemade almond butter!?
Dreena does know best, especially with soups! I love that cookbook and all the recipes I’ve made have been amazing. I really urge you to try the Lemon Chickpea Lentil soup. To. Die. For! So comforting!
I was JUST about to say, “Look at Ashley’s blog about buttery, whole made nut butters”. But you beat me to the punch and already did. Roasting really is the trick to creamy and buttery nut butters. I tried making my own with raw, and it was much too chunky and weird- textured for me. I have a 3 lb. bag of raw almonds, so I may have to make me some cinnamon- maple almond butter. Thanks for reminding me 🙂
I NEVER use to make pancakes or french toast- I thought they were too “unhealthy”. Not until I learned how to health-ify and oomp them up, that is 🙂
I tried making almond butter once an I got crumbs instead :/! So I used those crumbs to make a pie crust instead! Maybe I should try again and be more patient! 🙂
wow, they all sound so good, especially the almond butter and your french toast…what!
Ok, I am a French Toast LOVERRR! but your idea- I am impressed with and I will try fo shiz!
Girl, I feel the same way about soup!! Usually, it’s only something I eat when I’m sick. Otherwise, no thank you!
I looove almond butter stuffed french toast. I make it for my guy friend almost every weekend. He pretty much demands it now 😉
How do you not like soup?! That’s weird. It must be an Arizona thing – too warm down there to really enjoy 🙂
That breakfast and almond butter looks amazing! I really need to get up the courage to make my own. If I have to hold down the grind button for more than 3 minutes I start to get really nervous that I am going to break my baby food processor! My goal is to be more daring when it comes to breakfast. I usually go with scrabled egg whites or oatmeal.
I love your measuring spoons! *blush* I have a weird obsession. Lol.
I’ve always wanted to try making my own almond butter, but I have no food processor. 🙁
I think you need to embrace the soup world!
There are so many fantastic flavor combinations out there.
And I love how you can pack so much healthy goodness into one bowl.
I could eat soup every day, but i have a complex about it b/c anna nicole smith said that what she and her husband had in common was their love for soup! kath’s recipes always come out great
Check out healthyhappylife’s vegan soup roundup link below- she has the best soup recipes- full of flavor and loads of texture!
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/11/soup-post-vegan-tips-recipe-roundup.html
A nice hot bowl of soup with a slice of buttered brown rice toast really hits the spot on cold days 🙂
i always use sourdough to make french toast because it gives it a tang! but being from san francisco, i love it.
how are you handling giving the puppers away deary?
hanging in there <3
Holy crap! You made it in your baby processor??? That’s all I have and I thought it would be pissed if I pressed the button for so long!!! The motor didn’t smell funny or anything? It seems like in mine if I hold the button down for more than a couple minutes at a time the motor smells like it’s working too hard!!!
nope, it worked!! i think it’s because the nuts were softer from roasting them– when i tried to make raw almond butter, it overheated the vitamix and the mini food chopper couldn’t handle it
Oh man, I’m practically shaking with excitement! I’ve gotta roast some dang nuts! 🙂
I infuse my almond butter with flax seeds for a healthy omega3 shot in the morning (oh who am I kidding, all throughout the day ;)). I make about 2 jars of nut butter each week, but the boy also enjoys them a lot!
http://thefruitpursuit.com/2010/11/25/recipe-flax-infused-almond-butter/
and yes, I roast the nuts;)
wow that french toast looks amazing! does the goat’s cheese melt? i wish i could get goat cream cheese here 🙁
my favourite soup is just butternut squash, roasted with spices, and then pureed with veggie stock! SO warming and lovely 🙂
it doesnt really melt, but gets lovely and warm 🙂
This is the best name for a blog post ever. That’s all I have to contribute today, haha.
hahah, thank you 🙂
my dad use to make us grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I’m thinking I need to bring back this dish with the almond butter love! 🙂
I tried some of Ashley’s nut butter at Foodbuzz and ohmygod it’s amazing. I was going to make some for myself, but I hate cleaning the food processor!
It’s rare that I make breakfast foods. I’m such a cereal (or occasionally oatmeal) kinda girl that if I’m making pancakes or waffles or French toast it’s usually for lunch or dinner!
i love soup so much!! i have to get a food processor stat to make some of that AB!! yum! did you have to add any oil or water to get it smooth?
yes, 1/2 T of canola oil