Julie Hasson

Nut Butter Universe & Giveaway

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This morning we have a special guest blogger, that I am so excited about. I would like to introduce Robin Robertson, who has a fabulous new cook book out called Nut Butter Universe, which you guys are going to love! Oh, and don’t forget to add your name in the comment section, as well as to tell us what your favorite nut butter is, since Robin and the generous folks at Vegan Heritage Press are offering a giveaway too (must be a U.S. resident). Take it away Robin!

Nut Butters Around the World

Nut butters were well known millennia before the first public appearance of peanut butter at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. For example, peanuts were known to have been cultivated as early as 950 B.C., and peanut butter has long been a staple for the people of Asia, Africa, and South America. A peanutty cream was made by the Incas, while in China and other Asian countries, creamy peanut sauces have been around for centuries. In Africa, peanuts have been ground for stews since at least the 15th century.

A wide variety of other nut butters have long been used worldwide, including almond butter and sesame butter. Herodotus wrote about the cultivation of sesame seeds 3,500 years ago near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Tahini and sesame paste have long been important ingredients in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking.

Almonds were among the earliest cultivated foods, probably before 3,000 B.C. In Morocco, almond butter (or “paste”) is used to make pastry fillings and other desserts. Moroccans also combine almond paste with anise, cinnamon, fennel, sesame seeds, and flour to make a nutritious snack called sellou. In Spain, the traditional sauce known as romesco features almond or hazelnut butter.

Whether we use nut butters to make transporting global recipes or to simply slather on a piece of bread, they give us a world of rich flavors to enjoy.

This recipe from my new book, Nut Butter Universe, is for an Indonesian main-dish salad of raw and cooked vegetables tossed with a spicy peanut sauce. Called Gado-Gado, the flavor of this crunchy salad improves with time, so plan on making it a few hours to a day before you need it.

Gado Gado

Indonesian Gado-Gado

Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil or 1/4 cup water
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons wheat-free tamari
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon natural sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 
1/3 cup roasted peanuts

Directions:
1. Heat the oil or water in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter, tamari, lemon juice, sugar, cayenne, and coconut milk. Simmer over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring to blend.
2. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender, and puree until smooth, adding water or more coconut milk to thin, if needed.
3. Steam the green beans and cauliflower just until ten- der and place them in a large bowl. Add the carrots and cabbage. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to combine. Sprinkle the bean sprouts and peanuts on top. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serves 6

From Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson. ©2013 Robin Robertson. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press. Photo by Lori Maffei.

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. Victoria McCloskey

    Thank you for this recipe. It looks scrumptious! Peanut butter is tops in our flavor book, but almond butter is a close second.

  8. J O Miller

    Wow, this cookbook looks like a winner. I find that cashew and almond are my go-to nut butters, but I will get peanut cravings every now and then, too.

  9. Mary

    I love peanut butter. But also hazelnut butter. I grew up eating Nutella but now I can’t have it as a vegan unless I make it myself, and I do! Mixing melted chocolate chips, hazelnut butter and soymilk makes a pretty close to the original vegan Nutella! I never won any giveaway but maybe this is is the one I will!! 😛

  13. Mindy

    Almond butter is my favorite! Mmmm, it is so rich and flavorful. I like to make a ‘lazy dessert’ of a spoonful of almond butter, a few chocolate chips and some raisins. Yumm!! 🙂

  21. Michelle

    That cookbook looks awesome! My favorite nut butter is pistachio, but peanut butter is the good ol’ standard. 😛

  25. Patt

    My favorite nut butter is peanut butter – and Gado Gado is one of my favorite dishes in the entire world! Thanks for the recipe and the give away!

  30. Lee Ann

    Hazelnut butter is my favorite, but peanut butter is amazing when you think about how versatile it is.

  32. Jessica Caneal

    I love all nut butters but peanut butter will never stop being my favorite. Particularly in a spicy peanut sauce or mixed with chocolate in powdered form (e.g. PB2 & Just Great Stuff brands). Love it!

  33. Sarah Kaden

    I love all nut butters but peanut butter is probably my favorite! A spoonful with chocolate chips does the trick for a sweet tooth and I always have it on hand. Crossing my fingers to win Robin’s book 🙂

  47. Sandra

    Peanut butter is still the favourite, but also enjoy almond butter, tahini.
    This recipe looks nice, and I think I will give it a try later this week.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  50. Martha

    I love almond butter the best. I really like any I’ve tried. But then my experience is limited. Maybe winning Robin’s book will spread my wings to try other nut butters. I have loved all of Robin’s cookbooks. And the Indonesian Gado-Gado recipe above has ignited my Pavlovian response. 🙂 So I’m sure this book is another winner! Thanks for giving us the opportunity to win a copy.

  51. The Peace Patch

    Cashew butter with flax seeds is my favorite…so healthy and yumful! I love experimenting with nut butters, adding seeds and spices and all sorts of things, and trying them in recipes. Many thanks!

  54. Cee

    Almond butter followed closely by peanut butter! I also enjoy pecan butter. Well…really ANY nut butter 🙂

  58. Jennifer K

    My favorite is peanut butter, but I seriously love ’em all. I think I would die if I had a nut allergy!!

  59. Jessica Caneal

    I love the new chocolate peanut butter powder that is all the rage (i.e. Just Great Stuff brand).

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