Peanut Butter Roundup... 15 recipes for #nationalpeanutbutterday
Do you know what day it is today?
January 24th 2018 = National Peanut Butter Day!
I almost missed it - again! It was brought to my attention in the nick of time by the peanut overload as I scrolled through Instagram. So yep, I am now adding to the noise by giving you a round up of top peanutty recipes from my archives to try! Plenty of sweet and savoury options to inspire you. Or maybe you've come up with a recipe combo of your own?
If nothing else... I hope you celebrate today by grabbing a spoon and dipping it in the peanut butter jar!
Mmmm, if you want to know my top two favorites out of ALL of these recipes, it would have to be...
1) Nutty Chocolate Truffles
2) Sweet Potato Rostis
If you make any of these recipes please tag @johodson on Instagram so I can see too! :-)
Enjoy...
Salted peanut butter glaze (on chocolate balls) ...keto friendly!
This is a crazy simple recipe.. and accidental one if I'm honest!
I made some raw chocolate balls and felt they needed pepping up a bit. They probably didn't really but because I make so many of these types of snacks for people I felt the need to 'add' something to this batch. I was also in the midst of a nut butter craving at the time! :-)
Enter the salted peanut butter glaze!
This would also make a great drizzle topping over a loaf, a cake or ice cream!! Raw treats that are served chilled or cold are best as the nature of the cocoa butter is that it needs to be cool to form the glaze.
I made a batch of these nutty truffle balls for a friend, but since the glaze itself if totally keto friendly, you could by all means make these keto choc hemp bites into balls and dip them in this glaze for another twist.
Recipe: Salted peanut butter glaze
Makes approx 1/3 cup of glaze
Ingredients:
- 3 tbs cocoa butter
- 3 tbs peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
- large pinch sea salt (less if PB is salted or to taste)
- 3-4 drops stevia for a slight sweetness
Method:
Melty the cocoa butter then stir through peanut butter and stevia until melty and well mixed.
Ensure the glaze is fairly cool and starting to thicken before dipping or drizzling to get the thickest coverage. Chill the balls to set the glaze firmly and then best keep chilled (or frozen) to prevent potential softening.
Note: you could also use other nut butters of choice... roasted hazelnut or almond would be amazing!
Raw cocoa butter... love this stuff! I ground up a large chunk and then melted it (quicker too melt down that way)
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PB&J cinnamon tofu sandwich... protein packed!
Whilst I was experimenting with Keto eating, boosting my protein without beans and pulses needed a little more planning.
I don't tend to cook with a lot of tofu, partly because I don't really enjoy it as a meat substitute but also because tofu tends to get a bit of a bad rap on terms of digestibility and it being more processed than other food options. I also eat soy yoghurt as my go-to non dairy option (convenience more than anything) so I don't want to rely on tofu in other forms and overdo it.
All that said, there are times when it is a great low carb, high protein boost. I really enjoy it in chocolate mousses an baked croutons (recipe in my book) or now ...as a sandwich! It made great 'bread'.
It worked really well here as a sweet option. Though I imagine a savoury filling and seasoning would be good. I served it hot and crisp from the pan. If it cooled I imagine it could get a little rubbery... i'll leave you to test that :-)
I used a handful of raspberries that I mashed with chia seed to make a quick 'jam'. Depending on how much fruit you used would depend if it fell into the keto camp in terms of carb count. You could literally use a thin layer as a little taste which a big slather of peanut (or even better almond) butter.
Recipe: PB&J cinnamon tofu sandwich
Ingredients:
- 4 slices packaged tofu (approx 8-10mm thick)
- 1 tbs coconut oil
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)
- few drops stevia
Filling:
- handful raspberries (or other berries)
- 2 tsp chia seeds
- approx 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
Method:
Mix the berries and chia on a small bowl and set aside.
Slice the tofu and lightly press it to rid some of the water. Warm the coconut oil in a frying pan (or griddle for pretty lines!) then add the cinnamon, vanilla and stevia and swirl around the pan to mix.
Fry the tofu slices in the oil mix until cooked through, crispy and golden- approx 5 mins turning halfway.
Serve hot as a stack layered up with nut butter and the chia jam.
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Nutty chocolate truffles... the perfect last minute christmas treats and gifts!
Christmas is so nearly here now… I can't believe it's been a whole week since I've posted, and I had so many things I want to write up for you!
However, I have been struck down with a horrible cold for the most of this last week, not that it stopped me from doing anything I wanted to, but it has reminded me I have to take my health bit more seriously and factor in that crucial downtime.
I'll write a little bit more about this coming days. It's so important for all of us take time to centre ourselves that recalibrate. In the rush and overwhelm of setting up my coaching business and my food business over these last twelve months I realised I had been putting my own wellness on the back burner....yes i'd been eating the right foods, but that plays such a small part in the overall picture as I have personally come to appreciate more than ever before.
Christmas is the ideal time for rest and recuperation. It's as if the whole world breathes a sigh and slows down.
I have more recipes I am prepping today up today for the main meal tomorrow and I hope i'll be able to capture a few photos to blog later in the week if they turn out to be winners! I really hope they do!
For now a final recipe that I can't believe I haven't already shared (I checked back through my posts and couldn't find them!) I previously made a version of these with almond butter for The Real Food Source quite a few months back and I have been making countless variations ever since, usually with peanut butter as it's so much more cost effective.
If you make one chocolately treat this Christmas time... make it this one!!
The ground almonds give these raw bites and almost cake texture unlike the regular 'larabar' style raw bite. As I mentioned you can change up the nut butter base for almond, cashew, or even something like hazelnut butter for a ferrero rocher style treat!!
These freeze really well too. I made some about three weeks ago that I put in the freezer specifically for Christmas, but I kept stealing them and now I need to make another batch as I don't think there will be enough! oops...
I also makes these as gifts and they always go down very well!
Recipe: Nutty chocolate truffles
Makes approx. 12 truffles
Ingredients
¾ cup ground almonds
1 cup peanut butter (or other buy butter)
2 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
12 pitted dates (this is based on deglet noor dates but if using larger medjool dates reduce to 7 dates)
¼ tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
Dark chocolate for coating
Method:
Soak the dates in boiling water for 5 mins and then drain. In a food processor, mix all the truffle ingredients together to form a thick paste, it should be sticky but not too sticky to handle.
Roll into walnut sized balls and chill until they are a little firmer.
Melt the chocolate and either dip the firm truffles into the chocolate to half coat them, or just drizzle the chocolate over the top of the truffles on a tray.
Best kept refrigerated. Eat within 1 week or freeze.
Chocolate Peanut butter fridge fudge... a new favourite!
Have you checkout out the Real Food Source Coconut Oil book yet?
One of my favourite recipes that I created for the book is the chocolate walnut fridge fudge, for both it's simplicity and versatility (yup, two of my favourite words on this blog!) so I have since made numerous variations on the theme with slightly different ingredient profiles... today I want to share my current favourite...
Chocolate Peanut butter fridge fudge.
Mmmm, doesn't that just sound amazing. Just say it slowly and let the words roll over your tongue...
You can use other nut butters, but peanut imparts a beautiful complimentary flavour whilst being the most cost effective nut butter out there so perfect for experiments when you aren't sure how things will turn out (yep that's me then!). For those with nut allergies sunbutter can be substituted too. I used cacao liquor and cocoa butter to help create a lovely firm fudge, but I have also made this with ¼ cup coconut oil instead of the cocoa butter which produces a slightly softer fudge.
I have been investigating and experimenting a little with low carb diets recently, and for those that follow a lower carb food philosophy (or not) this little treat is perfect. You can make a big batch and store chunks in the freezer. I also like this approach since when treats are in front of my eyes on the counter top or in the fridge, i'm often tempted to go a little overboard.
P.s I've made this fudge as gifts already so I will say now that this will be perfect for Christmas. Are we allowed to talk about Christmas yet? It's November so I say yes!! :-)
Recipe: Chocolate Peanut butter fridge fudge
Makes approx 24 squares
Ingredients:
300g peanut butter (or other nut butter)
¼ cup cacao liquor
½ cup dates coarsely ground (or approx. 3 tbs syrup of choice)
3 tbs cocoa butter*
1 tbs vanilla
handful of cacoa nibs on top- optional
Method:
Melt the cocoa butter and cacoa liquor and then mash/blend all ingredients together ensuring no lumps remain mix the broken walnut pieces through last, if using.
Spread and press the soft mixture into the bottom of a lined loaf pan, add the cacao nibs to the top and allow to set hard in the fridge before slicing. Keep stored in the fridge or freezer.
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Chocolate peanut bars
The last 'Chocolate Week' recipe is here!
I used my very own Wholeplus Toppers as i've been wrapped up in the depths of festive flavour experiments and so my classic chocolate sprinkle was on my mind. But have no fear, I have also noted instructions below so you can simply make your own version too.
This no-bake bar is a variation of a traditional 'bliss ball' and in this instance peanut butter is the champion. We all know how well chocolate peanut butter go together! Of course you could use any other form of nut butter- how about hazelnut butter for a ferrero rocher style bar (oh my gosh I might just have to do that!!), that would be amazing...
You can form balls instead if you prefer and dust lightly with cocoa to make a chocolate peanut butter truffles. Super duper indulgent and perfect for parties for halloween if you press a round nut for an eyeball in the top ;-)
If you do try making your own 'Toppers' they should look like this before you mix the peanut butter into them:
Why not keep some aside for a tasty porridge or dessert sprinkle as well. They store for weeks in a sealed container and are perfect have on hand when you simply need a little natural sweetness.
PS. for those of you in UK I'm launching my Wholplus Christmas Range of flavours in the next couple of days so keep your eyes peeled. It's exciting time of year!!
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Recipe: Chocolate peanut butter bars
Approx. 10 bars (depending on size)
Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate Wholeplus Toppers mix (dates, cocoa, flax)*
1 tbs lemon juice
½ cup crunchy peanut butter (crunchy is best for nutty flecks and texture)
Method
Blend ingredients together until sticky. Press into the bottom of a line small pan or loaf tin making sure the mix is around 15mm-20mm thick. Chill until firm and slice into bars. Can be frozen.
*To make your own similar version of my Wholeplus Toppers process dates, cocoa and flax together until you have small slightly sticky pieces.
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Spicy peanut and broccoli... with a high protein twist!
Let me tell you right now how much I love this spaghetti! Don't get me wrong I love black beans in their natural form, it's just that sometimes I get a little bit 'beaned out' and I want to get my protein hit in other ways.
Plus it looks super cool :-)
This simple 10 minutes dish ramps up the protein count to crazy numbers. We talking up 40g per serving (depending on your serving size obviously-mine was quite large). Black beans, broccoli and peanut butter all combined in one easy dish. It's a no-brainer for those looking to increase their protein count on a plant based diet. And for that matter it's great for those looking for a high protein and/or low carb meal in general. I don't accurately measure the ingredients when I make this dish so the measurement below are estimates- you don't need to be too accurate- it's more the concept! You could of course add other veggies too, this is really stripped back to basics.
For the last few months I've actually struggled to get hold of this pasta (they do other bean pasta types in their range too), however I recently went to a vegan food show in London and spoke to the supplier who said they'd had some issues with the EU allergy labelling regulations, but all was now sorted now it should be back in UK stores within the next few weeks… Yeah!! I assume the same is available worldwide whether it be this brand or another similar version.
The only ingredient is black beans, ok I appreciate it is processed to a certain degree since it has been made into a spaghetti style product, but considering its pure ingredient profile and variety it can bring to my meals I'm totally cool with that as an alternative to beans or other types of pasta once in a while.
So tell me, what's your favourite go-to high protein vegan meal?
Have you tried bean pasta yet?
P.s this post isn't sponsored in anyway... I just love the bean pasta ;-)
Recipe: Black beans spaghetti with broccoli and spicy peanut drizzle
Serves 1 hungry person! (me after an intense workout)
Ingredients:
1 small head of broccoli- chopped
1 cup/2 handfuls of bean spaghetti
sauce- 2 tbs peanut butter, 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp hot sauce, 3 tbs boiling water
Method:
Steam the chopped broccoli florets for 5-8 minutes until cooked to your preference.
Meanwhile boil the bean spaghetti for 5 minutes according to pack instructions.
Serve the spaghetti and pile the broccoli on top.
Mix the sauce ingredients together and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with extra chilli flakes if you fancy.
Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus my FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus.
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Salted peanut butter fudge! (and chocolate giveaway reminder!)
If you are a peanut butter addict then you'll love this fudge! The smoothest, creamiest, treaty-ist form of peanut butter you'll find!
I drizzled my fudge with dark chocolate for extra decadence. Of course I used my Real Food Source chocolate which is the best chocolate I've ever found for melting down in recipes (or just eating on its own!)
...Oh, and what a good way to bring in a little reminder about my giveaway. Oh so subtle! :-)
There are just 3 days left on the giveaway for a pack of 10 organic dark chocolate bars by Real Food Source. There are 3 individual prize packs in total so you stand a good chance to win!
I've copied the entry form below again.... please join in and share the love. Once you've done then scroll on the down to make the fudge!
Recipe: Salted peanut butter fudge
Recipe adapted from I Quit Sugar
Approx. 24 squares
Ingredients
- 2 tbs coconut oil- melted
- 2 tbs syrup of choice*
- 2-3 drops stevia to taste (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbs coconut cream (I used the thick part of the top of a can of coconut milk)
- ½ a jar of smooth unsalted peanut butter (175g)
- A sprinkle of sea salt- for topping
- Dark chocolate- for topping
Method
Melt the coconut oil, syrup, vanilla and stevia together in a pan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well until softened and completely blended. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
Pour/spoon the fudge into a lined loaf tin (mine was approx 9x3” in size) smooth the top level and then add ridges with a fork. Sprinkle with the sea salt.
Freeze the fudge for 1-2 hours until set. Slice and drizzle with dark chocolate if desired. Store in the fridge to prevent softening.
*I used yacon syrup as it’s a nice thick syrup but brown rice syrup or coconut syrup would also work well. If omitting the stevia you’ll need to add 2tbs extra syrup.
I'd love you to join me in other places too!
Why not sign up for my newsletter in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers plus me FREE ebook. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can always find me in these places: