Vegan Cooking Tips
Quick and Easy Ideas for Nuts
by Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RDMany health experts suggest that we limit saturated fat and replace it with unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat can be found in some vegetables and vegetable oils (avocados and olives come to mind) and nuts! If you feel the need for something luscious and creamy as well as healthful, nuts are the way to go.
Yes, nuts have lots of calories from fat. You still need to calculate so your diet is 30% or fewer calories from fat. With your fat allowance you can choose from almonds, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, peanuts (which are actually a legume), pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts — you get the idea.
Nuts are not just fat calories. The fat that the nuts have is polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, the “heart healthy” kind. Many people avoid nuts, seeds, and their butters because of concerns that they are too high in fat and calories. Americans, on average, eat less than half an ounce of nuts and nut butters daily. An ounce of nuts or seeds has between 150 and 200 calories. A Tablespoon of nut butter has about 80-100 calories. Nuts and seeds have 12-22 grams of fat in an ounce (but most of this is unsaturated fat), and they contain no cholesterol. Nut butters have 7-10 grams of fat in a Tablespoon, also mostly unsaturated fat. Nuts, seeds, and their butters are good sources of many nutrients, including protein, zinc, fiber, vitamin E, folic acid, copper, and potassium.
Here are some ideas for using almond, cashew, hazelnut, peanut, and soy butters: spread nut butters on fruit, celery, or carrots, or add dried or chopped fresh fruit or grated carrots to a nut butter sandwich.
Slice an apple into rounds and spread with peanut butter. Raisins stick easily to the peanut butter, and you can make smiley faces to delight children. Use nuts as a garnish for salads or stir-fries. Make pesto with pecans, pine nuts, or walnuts.
Prepare a creamy sauce or salad dressing with nut butter by blending nut butters with a small amount of vegan milk or water and vinegar, dried seasonings, and sesame seeds. For example, combine almond butter in a blender with a small amount of water and balsamic vinegar, dried parsley, powdered ginger, and red pepper flakes, or combine peanut butter with water, sesame seeds, and garlic powder.
Nuts, seeds, and nut butters can be added to baked goods such as breads, cobblers, cookies, muffins, and even pie crusts.
Here are more ideas for adding nuts to your menu...
•Add to salad dressings: Creations include a basil walnut vinaigrette or creamy salad dressing with almonds, mustard, and dill with added chopped pine nuts.
•Add to sandwiches: Chopped walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and pecans add a toasty flavor and extra texture to grilled vegetable sandwiches, falafel, and hummus. Or add chopped nuts to smooth peanut, almond, or soy butters to make a crunchy sandwich.
•Use as garnish: Increase protein, flavor, and texture by adding to bean and rice casseroles, baked potatoes, hot and cold cereal, baking batters, puddings, or vegan ice cream sundaes.
•Add to pasta: Top tomato-sauced pasta with chopped almonds or pine nuts, creamy-sauced pastas with walnuts or pecans, or toss pasta with olive oil, sautéed garlic, and chopped almonds.
•Add to sauces: Stir peanut butter or soy butter into mushroom sauces for a Thai effect; add ground almonds or pine nuts to creamy sauces and pecans or pistachios to fruit sauces.
•Add to breakfast: Baked apples, oatmeal, hot cereals, cold cereals, and muffins can all benefit from a variety of chopped nuts.
