gluten free Archives | Page 204 of 205

You know that $7 or $8 jar of cashew butter you paid for in the store? It’s probably got added oil, sugar, and other things you don’t really need. Wouldn’t it be lovely if you could make your own without any additives and adjust it just right for your tastes? If you have a powerful food processor in working order, you are in luck. I would love to tell you that making homemade cashew butter is laborious and I slaved over it all day for you, but that would be a bold faced lie. It is quite simple. So simple, in fact, that you will slap yourself for having ever paid money for cashew butter in the grocery store.

This time around, I made my cashew butter with only roasted cashews and nothing else because I was planning on using it in a recipe and wanted to control the salt level. Feel free to add salt or honey to suit your tastebuds. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, maybe you could throw in some curry powder or other spices to complement your cashew butter.

This first step is hard, so pay attention: grab a few handfuls of raw, unsalted cashews.

Next, place them on a baking sheet and roast them at 375 degrees until they become fragrant and they start to turn golden, about 7 minutes or so.

Let the cashews cool a bit, then put them in the bowl of a food processor (along with some salt or honey if you would like) and turn it on high. During the first few minutes, it will look like cashew meal. Next, it will start sticking to the sides. When this starts to happen, stop the processor every now and then to scrape it down with a spatula. At some point, it will stop sticking to the sides and will start to form a bit of a ball. At this point it is done and will have formed a nice, thick cashew butter. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t look like what you buy at the store. It will not look like the store bought version as you do not have a high powdered grinder and are not adding additional oil. Store your homemade cashew butter in a jar and keep it in the fridge between uses to prevent it from spoiling quickly. One of my favorite ways to eat it is to spread it on whole wheat toast and top it with thinly sliced apples for a nice breakfast or snack, but the possibilities are endless!

When I am in the field for work, every meal has to be eaten out. It may sound awesome, but it gets tiring, especially on a longer 10 day stretch. There comes a point when all I want are fruits, vegetables, and just plain, healthy food. It is also frustrating because I don’t have the ability to cook something with my own two hands.

The last time I came home, I did not have the energy to go to the store, so I decided to see what I could do with what I already had. I wanted something rather plain, but healthy and delicious. I had a few sweet raspberries and a banana left over. Somehow, while standing in my kitchen staring at my refrigerator, I came up with Buckwheat Banana pancakes.

I mashed up the banana and it became part of the batter, while the raspberries got mashed with a bit of agave nectar to act as the “syrup”. If you don’t like bananas, I suggest trying these at least once because the buckwheat flour balances them out and makes for one tasty pancake. The batter is quite thick, almost like a cake batter, so when you put some in your skillet, you may have to lightly spread it around to even it out and make a somewhat round shape. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Buckwheat Banana Pancakes with Raspberry “Syrup”

These pancakes are gluten free and can be made vegan by using an egg replacer. This recipe makes about 6 medium to large sized pancakes.

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
2 tbsp baking powder (yes, that’s 2 tablespoons, just trust me)
1 verrry ripe banana
1 tbsp raw cane sugar (or agave nectar)
1 large egg
3/4 cup almond milk (any type of milk would work here)
1 tbsp barely warmed coconut oil, plus more for the pan

1/2 cup fresh raspberries
about 2 tsp agave nectar, depending on how sweet your raspberries are

Mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Mash in the raw cane sugar until it is incorporated. Next, mix in the egg, almond milk, and 1 tbsp of barely warmed coconut oil until well blended.

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until they just come together in a thick batter.

Heat a heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Brush it with more coconut oil, then place about 1/4 cup of batter on the skillet, making sure to spread it out a bit if it’s too thick. When you start to see bubbles form around the edges, it is ready to flip (about 3 minutes per side). Cook each pancake until brown on each side.

To make the raspberry syrup, mash the raspberries with the agave nectar until a sauce forms. If it is too thick, add a bit of water. Drizzle the mixture over the pancakes and enjoy!

Homemade Goodness: Roasted Cashew Butter

Home Sweet Home: Buckwheat Banana Pancakes