Mr. Peanut Bread, Almond Style

My Mr.  Peanut Bread is still the most popular post ever on this blog. I have had quite a few questions lately, so I thought I would devote another post to a popular variation. Almonds. Quite a few folk avoid peanuts, and choose to make the bread with almond butter. Yes, it is more expensive, because almonds are more expensive than peanuts. Yes, it is a little calorie rich. Other than those factors, it makes a great bread.

The flavor is much milder than the peanut version, making it suitable for any sandwich. The prep work is just as simple. No specialty flours, no hard to find ingredients. Great texture--so much like wheat bread. If you make your own almond butter, the price is reduced considerably. ( I told you how to make that in the January Diner News) It really is not that hard if you have a sturdy food processor. But of course, if you don't mind the cost of one cup of almond butter, then that is the simplest route to amazing sandwiches.

If you are ready to take the plunge, I have a few tips. Let the bread cool before cutting. For the photo, I needed the daylight, so I sliced it hot and got a few crumbs. You should get either 12 or 16 slices per loaf, depending on your preference. I use my ceramic loaf pan, which measures 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" and makes half sized slices. Therefore, you need 4 slices to make a full sized sandwich. The bread is so filling, though, I have found that half a sandwich is generally plenty, especially if paired with a yummy soup. If you use a larger loaf pan, you get shorter slices which make more like finger sandwiches.

I haven't tried the variations with the all almond bread, but the peanut version does really well in muffin cups, individual loaf pans and even plopped on a cookie sheet as artisan style bread. This recipe is so forgiving, you can also blend in other nut butters with the peanut or almond. Beware the sunflower butter. Chemical reactions can cause the bread to turn green. Who knows, I might try that out for St. Patrick's day.

Here is the variation recipe:

Almond Butter Bread

1 cup almond butter
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 packet stevia (optional)

Blend almond butter and eggs until smooth. Add in remaining ingredients. Pour into a sprayed 8 1/2" by 4 1/2" loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Let cool before slicing. Can also be baked in muffin tins for slider buns.
 
This is the sandwich I made today. A yummy lemon pepper tuna salad. Mmm.

Moroccan Red Pepper Salad

This is a salad I made last year, especially pretty for Valentine's Day. Last February's Diner News was devoted to special Valentine dishes, and this beauty fit the bill. All those gorgeous red bell peppers offer a wonderful sweet taste too. The spices are so different from the usual fare--they make this a really unique salad. It is definitely a star attraction on a menu, able to stand out with a steak or grilled breast of chicken.

Cumin lovers will be really attracted to this salad, too. It is so flavorful; it needs very little dressing. Being featured in wintertime, I used jarred roasted bell peppers, but you can roast your own from fresh if desired. If you are serving it for a special Valentine dinner, go ahead and peel the cucumber, and the salad will be mostly red. I was serving this for our family friends who came over for dinner and a game night. I wasn't trying to make a pretty table, since we had to clear everything off to play games anyway. It is just as delicious with the green left on the cucumber, so all was good. I am not even a huge cucumber fan, but I like this. Of course, it helps that I love red bell peppers.

So if you don't have last February's Diner News, here is the recipe. We are working on the bundles for past years Diner News, so be watching for them to be available to download soon

Morocccan Red Bell Pepper Salad

12 ounce jar roasted red bell peppers

1 cucumber

1 roma tomato, diced

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion

1 clove minced garlic

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon fresh minced ginger

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 Tablespoons feta cheese

Salt and pepper

Chop bell peppers into bite sized pieces. Add all remaining ingredients to a bowl. Toss to blend flavors. Serve at room temperature.

If you are eating dairy free, this is almost as good without the feta cheese. You can also add just a sprinkle of powdered ginger if you don't have fresh. When I had the problem finding kale, the stores also seemed to have a problem stocking ginger. I got just about a pinky toe worth, and all that went in a stir fry. Yes, the cashier did laugh when I bought 14 cents worth of ginger. But then, my assortment of groceries has been know to bewilder cashiers before. Do you ever get odd comments? I do on occasion. Maybe that is the best way to spread the word about healthier choices. I do know I sometimes want to cry when I see what people load into their carts. One time I even held a nutritional intervention with the dairy guy at the grocery store. Let's just keep eating healthy and spread the word.

Among Friends Thursday - Spicy Sausage and Kale Soup

Kale is everywhere these days. Except the grocery store it seems. From the press it is getting, one would think God just invented it. It is so much the buzz, I am wondering if kale has its own PR agent. I have been using it in my spoon salad for years, and have made soups with it too. But when I had it on my grocery list to make this recipe of Carolyn's from the Among Friends cookbook, I ran into problems. First grocery store I hit, I was met with sticker shock. What was 99 cents a bunch before Christmas was suddenly $2.69 a bunch. Ouch. I started to get it anyway, the dug under the mustard greens around to find they were out. Went to check the organic section. The organic farmers have always pushed fresh kale, and somehow it was priced even lower than the non organic.  But, the store was out there too. Either way, I left empty handed.

Store number two does not carry kale. Granted, that was Aldi, and you never know what they will stock. Store number three had a place for it, a great price of 99 cents, but alas, no greens. Not wanting to go home kaleless, I decided to track down the Target produce guy. With my best smile and a cheerful whine (yes you can do both) I convinced him to run in the store room to check. He found some. Three bunches. We took two and left the last remaining bunch of kale to whatever shopper was as desperate as I. Who could take all three knowing the shortage? I only wish my friend NeeCee had been with me because the next day she was lamenting that there was no kale to be found in Tulsa! I wonder if it was that way all over the country? Suddenly, Americans care about their health? Is kale the new superstar veggie? Must be that it is January, with all those fresh resolutions and such.

So soup was back on the menu. Carolyn's recipe says to use spicy Italian sausage, My choice said hot or mild, so I went with the hot. Gotta say, hot it was. I had a little trouble getting the casings off my brand. I have a thing about over handling raw meat. I am just a bit squeamish there, but I finally figured out that I could twist a whole link in the center (think balloon animal) and squeeze the sausage out the ends. That was better.

The soup is really easy to prepare after that. It is so good for you, with all those veggies--especially that elusive kale. Carolyn calls for red pepper flakes. Knowing my guy's feelings about that, I halved the amount. Even with that reduction, the soup was plenty spicy.  I am assuming my sausage was extra hot, because I know Carolyn's recipes are always spot on. Once I tasted it, I knew I would have to do something for the hubby. To tone his down a bit, I stirred in some cream cheese. Wow was that good! I had mine plain, true to Carolyn's recipe. If you enjoy the spice, it is really all you need. I even skipped the Parmesan cheese. Next time to make it more hubby friendly, I will choose a sweet Italian sausage instead. Either way, this soup is nutritious whole food and very satisfying.

If you don't own a copy of Low Carbing Among Friends, you really need to get a book. (see the link to the right of the page) With so many recipes, it will keep you happy in the kitchen for a long time. I know my Among Friends Thursdays will not run out for a long, long time! If any of you Diners make a recipe you recommend from the book, take a photo and I will be happy to publish your version here on the Diner blog.

Rotel Red

Obviously I like chili. It is one of those foods I could eat almost every day. Summer or winter, chili always sounds good. I even tried to make chili when I was trying to eat vegetarian. This is better.

Chili is one of those foods I can change up with my mood, the ingredients in the cupboard, the time I have, etc. My absolute favorite is my 24 Hour Chili, because the extended cooking time does so much for the flavor. That is one of those recipes I like to keep handy in individual servings in the freezer. Great when I don't wanna cook. Sadly for me, I don't always have that in the freezer. Like today, when the cold rainy weather made me crave a good bowl of red.

Checking my cupboard, I discover that I MIGHT have all the ingredients for a quick pot. Forget the long slow simmer today. I am hungry. I put the lunch items I packed for hubby back in the fridge. I will eat those another day. That is what happens when chili calls. Fortunately, since he is happily dining on my orginal planned meal, I can sneak in some ingredients he won't eat. Ha! I go digging for the can of Rotel tomatoes with chilies. I always buy that, despite knowing my husband threatens to call the fire department when I add it to a recipe. Even when I dilute it with lots of other ingredients, he breaks out in a sweat. He won't be eating today, so I reach for the can opener.

This chili is thick. Really thick, because I have half a can of pumpkin leftover from a Rumple I made for dinner last night. (Remember Rumple from the November Diner News? It is nice and spicy too.) I must be on a roll with the spiciness, poor hubby. Maybe it is hormones? I love adding pumpkin to my chili because it adds a touch of sweetness and makes it look more like those cans of Wolf brand I remember from my single days. Sad to admit but yes, I would eat chili straight from the can back in college and my early working days. Who would have thought that girl would ever write  a cookbook?

This is easy to throw together, and easy to change ingredients around to suit your tastes. Almost everything here is a cupboard staple. It is hard to go wrong with chili. .Never made a bad one. Never won a chili cook-off either, though. Oh well, suits me.

Rotel Red

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1/2 chopped onion
10 oz. can Rotel type tomatoes with green chilies
1 cup pumpkin puree
6 oz. can of tomato paste
2 cups water or beef broth
1 1/2 tbsp chili powder ( mine was guajillo, but you can choose milder)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp cocoa powder 
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp powdered Mexican oregano
1/2 tsp salt or to taste

Chop onion. Brown onion and beef in a dutch oven. Drain fat if not using a lean grind of beef. Stir in tomatoes, pumpkin and tomato paste. Slowly add the can of water while stirring. Add spices and cocoa. Simmer at least 30 minutes.  Check salt and serve.



The leftovers are going into the freezer so the next day I am on my own for lunch, this will be a no brainer meal that will make me happy. For more ideas on what to do with lots of chili, check this post. Come to think of it, maybe a chili stuffed omelet would be good tomorrow morning.

Coconut Curry Chicken Nuggets

I hate hearing the talk about what goes into chicken nuggets. And believe me, I don't want to know about it. I love the concept of chicken nuggets, so what is a girl to do? As usual, make her own. These are not breaded and fried, and they don't need the breading to impart flavor. These have a fantastic flavor all their own. Leave the ketchup and honey to the sugarvores. We have Coconut Curry Nuggets. Kinda a take off of the Naked Nuggets I told you about in the October Diner News, but these are better.

Nuggets are fun. Fun color with the curry. Fun to pick up with your fingers. Fun to surprise your friends with the secret ingredients. All so good for you too! Great for dinner and lunch boxes too. Make a big batch and freeze them up for later. You will be so glad you did! They might even be a go to late night snack.

You can buy pre-ground chicken and mix it all in, but I prefer to grind my own in my Ninja. It really is easy.

Coconut Curry Chicken Nuggets

1 1/2 pounds chicken breast or ground chicken
1/2 cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 egg
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red curry paste


Grind your own: Trim fat from chicken breasts. Place them into the food processor and blend until coarsely chopped. Add the coconut, roughly chopped cilantro, egg, curry, garlic, curry paste and salt. Process again until ingredients are well mixed in and the chicken is smoothly ground. Proceed to cooking instructions (below)

Pre-ground: Place chicken in a large bowl. Add coconut, finely chopped cilantro, egg, curry, garlic and salt. Stir or mash by hand to incorporate all ingredients into the chicken. Proceed to cooking instructions below.

Pan Fried: Melt a tablespoon of coconut oil in a skillet over a medium heat. When hot, drop large spoonfuls of the chicken mixture into the skillet. Use the back of a spoon dipped in the coconut oil to smooth the tops and shape the nuggets in the pan. Cook a few minutes until the bottom is browned. Turn with a spatula and brown the other side. This will take just a couple of minutes.

Oven Baked: This method allows you to bake more at a time than the skillet method, sacrificing only a little bit of browning. Spritz a rimmed cookie sheet with olive oil or brush with melted coconut oil. Drop by large spoonfuls onto the sheet. Use an oiled spoon back to shape and smooth the nuggets. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

These nuggets will be yellow tinted from the curry powder. I think my guys secretly did not want to like them, as they tend to shy away from Indian restaurants and always look concerned when I say curry. It always amazes me when they announce they like a new curry recipe everytime I serve one. Never fails, like it is always a surprise to them! Oh well, at least it is a good surprise! One of these days they might admit to liking curry.

The flavor combos are great in this dish. None of the spices are overpowering, and the coconut is not too strong. They have enough flavor though, that they will hold up to be eaten at room temperature in lunch boxes or for picnics. They would be great sliced and added to a spinach salad. They could be made into meatballs too; similar to the recipe from which I adapted my version, a Mark Sisson recipe in Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals. They would also be made into full sized patties for a yummy sandwich.

This is one of the arsenal of Paleo friendly recipes I am featuring in February's Diner News. Included are several ways to flavor ground meats for make ahead Paleo fare. Even if you are not following a Paleo eating plan, this recipes serves all low carbers with a great change of pace. Delish!

Sunbuttery Salad

Can you say "healthy?" I thought so. Sometimes saying that with "yummy" in the same sentence is not so easy. Easy here though! Yesterday I busied myself making some more home made nut butters. Sunflower seed butter, commercially known by its brand, Sunbutter. I put the recipe I use in the January Diner News under the blender feature. My Ninja does right by nut butters. It made a way too delicious tahini yesterday. I have to hold myself back on that stuff! (more on that one in another post, as I am still playing around with it)

There are two camps when it comes to nut butters. Raw or Roasted. Here, I am on the fence. Raw is more nutritious, especially soaked. I admit I seldom take that time. Roasted, however has a huge flavor appeal for me. So I vote to compromise. I use half and half. My version of Sunbutter is not quite as good as peanut butter, but then it is not a legume either, with more of those objectionable qualities. I like to ignore those because I doubt I will abandon my love of the peanut forever. Still, a step in the right direction is a good thing. First step, moderation. Second step, healthier substitutes.

Part of the moderation step is not to eat this stuff by the spoonful out of the jar. I tried making some coconut oil candies with it, but it just wasn't all that...at least not in comparison to my peanut butter variety. Trying to lessen sweet treats, after all, except for my daily coconut oil treats. Who needs to feed a sweet tooth to be healthy?

I switched my brain to salad, yah, that's healthy, I tell myself. Turns out I am right. This salad is terrific. Not only that, but it does not require lettuce. Do you ever get tired of lettuce like I do? Even when I have a fresh salad in jar looking down at me from the top shelf of my fridge, sometimes I just can't face another piece of lettuce. That is why this salad (and its delicious dressing) is so great. It doesn't taste like all the rest. The dressing is so good I could eat it by the spoonful and be happy, but I am also pleased with how it flavors cucumber, a veggie never known to be my favorite. That is an understatement of my feelings about cucumber, but the creaminess of the avocado makes up for it. I threw in some of my favorite leaf in the world--cilantro, so it has almost a Thai flavor here. You decide what it tastes like. I just know this fusion is good, and I will definitely make it again the next time a cucumber finds its way into the crisper drawer.

First the salad--you decide what goes in, but I added bite sized chunks of these--cucumber, roma tomato, and avocado. Onion lovers might appreciate a little red onion. Then a handful of chopped cilantro. I added some crumbled bacon, but it was kinda lost, so I would not bother the next time. Make enough for 4 large servings. Now that dressing...oh yeah.


Sunbuttery Dressing


4 tbsp sunflower nut butter (home made or the Sunbutter brand)
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 clove of minced garlic
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red curry paste
salt to taste if your butter is unsalted

Blend all ingredients by hand or in a bullet blender. Pour over salad greens or use as a dipping sauce.

Up the curry paste if you like. I feed a lightweight when it comes to spiciness, so just a tad is all he will eat without sweat beads popping out on his forehead. I however, once won a pepper eating contest. Just how did we get together? I digress...This is a good side for some simple grilled meat. Nothing fussy needed.

If you like the jar the dressing is in, I got mine at Hobby Lobby. These jars are perfect for small amounts of home made condiments. The tight seal keeps everything fresh. Sometimes, I use my chalk marker to write what dressing is inside and the day I made it, so I don't forget. The chalk just washes off when it is empty.


My oldest son and his girlfriend are coming for the weekend, so I had better get to my dinner preparations. I am thinking Kristen might like this salad--too bad I ate it all up for lunch!

Among Friends Thursday - A "Girly" Day with Friends

Another Among Friends feature starring my hometown friends and Jennifer's Chicken Mushroom Casserole (pg. 39), that is. My friend NeeCee and two of her sweet daughters understand that having all boys, I don't get many frilly things in my life. They shipped their guys off, and invited me over last Saturday for a girly day, complete with a pretty luncheon, tea party, and a fun time doing our designer nails. What a treat! She even photographed the dishes for me.

NeeCee had told me how tasty Jennifer's casserole was. My men don't care for many mushrooms, so I had not made this recipe, refusing to allow all the mushrooms to go to waste. NeeCee made it for me though, and it was delicious. Even better on her gorgeous china. Knowing Jennifer prefers beautiful place settings, I am betting she appreciates seeing her recipe done up with style. The curry and mustard flavor the dish wonderfully; just the right amount. The almonds, which were slivers here rather than sliced, added the perfect crunch. I think either style is a great addition to the casserole. We had a nice salad on the side, and some of my Snow Capped Chocolate Muffins topped with whipped cream for dessert.

After doing our nails with flowers and butterflies, we went back for more. The girls served a delicious cinnamon tea. I will have to pass the brand along to you when I track some more down. I want a can of my own. It was great with the chocolate muffins/cupcakes that I brought. What a fun day we had--so much so that we are planning another one at my house so I can break out some fancy tableware too.

I am thinking I might try Carolyn's Eggplant Rollatini with Bechamel Sauce when the next girly day is at my house. What would you choose out of our cookbook? If you don't have it yet, just click on the photo of it to the right and it will take you where you need to go. I promise there is something for every occasion in there. Girly menus and man pleasing meals too. So gather some of your close friends and practice hospitality. It feels so good to be among friends.