Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them!

It’s two weeks before I will be posting this entry, and I’m about to mutilate my fingertips. I’m talking rip them to pieces, tear my nails, all in the name of turning out a pistachio butter, one of four nut butters I’m making for this month’s Daring Cooks challenge. Pistachio butter isn’t even one of the nut butters provided to us, but I love pistachio nuts, so why not a pistachio butter? Bright green (didn’t exactly work out that way; more like swamp thing green) spreadable goodness that can be applied to so many dishes, both sweet and savory!

I’m also making peanut, cashew and pecan nut butters, but those won’t require spending hours of shelling and skinning, leaving me with raw, red fingertips, bandages, and a tube of Neosporin.

I just realized that I forgot to make almond butter, macadamia butter. and hazelnut butter Oh well, more nuts for another day. Oh, I know it’s not technically a ‘nut’, but did you know you can make coconut butter?

Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them!

Fast forward two weeks later; thumbnails a tad shorter, and a possible lack of fingerprints, but none the worse for wear. It’s amazing how small a yield of pistachios you get once shelled, and an even a smaller yield once ground down to nut butter (barely a scant cup of pistachio butter out of a whole pound of pistachios). Those shells take up a hell of a lot of space in those 1 lb bags!

Question of the day – why don’t they sell shelled and skinned pistachios in the bag like they do for just about every other nut out there?  I had to know, so I looked it up.  Well, it looks like they DO, although not in any markets near me, but now I know why. The price is outrageous for 1 lb.  I suppose they’re charging for the labor and raw fingertips, but truth be told, they have machines that do it..so W-T-eff?  At these prices, I’m more than happy to keep temporarily mutilating my fingertips, thank you.

Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them!

Homemade Nut Butters in the Food Processor:
Peanut Butter – Grind for about 4 minutes for a smooth, creamy peanut butter.
Pecan Butter – Form a very soft, oily, pourable butter in 1 or 2 minutes.
Pistachio Butter – Grind with a few drops of oil or water for 3.5 to 4 minutes.
Cashew Butter – Form a smooth, spreadable butter after about 2 minutes of processing.

So here’s the deal; as mentioned above, I made four nut butters – peanut, cashew, pecan and the fingernail ripping, pistachio. Each nut butter was used in a savory dish, one of which I came up with myself, one that Martha Stewart lent me, and two provided to us by the hosts of this month’s Daring Cooks challenge, one of which I morphed into something else.

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butters from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them! These are miniature beef kofte with pistachio butter to bind them.

The first dish I made, using the aforementioned pistachios (in which I added a little warm water when grinding them into a butter, because without it, you end up with a pasty clump of pistachio paste), is a miniature version of kofte, which are oblong rolls of well spiced ground meat on a skewer, grilled until crisp on the outside. They’re of Turkish origin, and very delicious, so I decided to make baby koftes on toothpicks served with some Oikos Greek Yogurt (they sent me a ton of coupons over a year ago and I kept eating them.  It finally gets its due), strained overnight, then combined with chopped red bell pepper, shredded cucumber, minced garlic, grayed onion, salt and pepper, and topped with toasted, ground pistachio.

The pistachio butter adds a rich, lovely texture to the meat (beef in this case), and also eliminated any need for an egg or two. They are truly the perfect appetizer plate, amuse bouche (if you serve only one, I suppose) and hors d’oeuvres for any party or get together!

ANYHOO..

UPDATE: We used this kofte mixture to make burgers! The yogurt sauce referenced above (minus the cucumber) was warmed with spices and tahini and used as the ‘special sauce’. Thinly sliced cucumbers instead of pickles, feta cheese, and greens, on a sumac spiced sesame (or nigella) seed bun.

A Turkish version of the Whopper!?!

Seriously, who are you?

Whoa, I sound like a tagline of a recipe page straight out of any lifestyle magazine. Your guests will love it!

Miniature Beef and Pistachio Kofte
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: About 24 miniature kofte meatballs
 
Chill time: 2 hours or overnight.
ingredients:
  • 1 cup shelled, skinned lightly salted pistachio nuts
  • 1 pound ground beef, (you can substitute ground chicken, lamb or turkey, if desired)
  • 1 roasted red bell pepper, peeled, seeded and diced finely
  • 1 medium onion, grated
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon red chile pepper flakes (or cayenne)
  • ¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ¼ cup finely chopped mint
  • 2 tablespoons pure olive oil
directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until lightly browned; let cool. When cool, grind the pistachios into a rustic butter in a food processor with a few drops of warm water, or use a mortar and pestle.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, pistachio butter, roasted red bell pepper, grated onion, minced garlic clove, cumin, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper and mix with your hands. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Remove meat from fridge and lightly/gently knead the chopped parsley and mint into the meat. Cook one meatball first to taste and adjust seasonings since my spice and seasoning amounts are approximate. In other words, I threw in a pinch of this..a pinch of that etc.
  4. Roll the meat into scant tablespoon-size balls. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet. Add half of the meatballs and cook over moderate heat until browned all over, about 8 minutes; reduce the heat if the meatballs brown too quickly. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and kofte meatballs. Alternatively, bake the meatballs at 350 F on greased baking sheet, lightly spraying the tops with oil and turning kofte meatballs over half way through baking, for 25 minutes. I recommend the latter for large amounts.
  5. Skewer cooked kofte meatballs with toothpicks and serve them hot or at room temperature with yogurt dip I mentioned in post, or sauce of your choice.
  6. Kofte can be made and frozen, uncooked, for up to three months. Double recipe for 40 kofte.

Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them! These are Fresh Shrimp and Noodles Rice Paper Rolls with Cashew Dressing!

Next on my nutty agenda was using the cashew butter to make the cashew dressing and Asian inspired cold noodles given to us by our hosts. However, I did something a little different; I took the whole salad and wrapped it up in spring roll wrappers. Every component of that salad is in there; a layer of shrimp, a layer of soft lettuce, a layer of basil, a layer of thinly sliced japanese cucumber, a layer of rice vermicelli dressed with the amazing cashew dressing (I could eat the stuff with a giant spoon, and I did), and a layer of green onions and red bell pepper strips, plus some chives from my little deck garden. And, of course, extra cashew dressing to dip them in.

These turned out gorgeous, as well as delicious, but as luck would have it, I couldn’t get a decent, damn photo of them –  NOT for lack of trying, as in 200 shots. Dear Natural Light Gods, PLEASE find a way through all the trees and kiss my humble abode!!  Lowel Ego lights are nice, but, unless you really know what you’re doing (which I do not), you ‘ll never get the detailed, lovely shots natural light provides.

Oh. by the way, these rolls are usually called spring or summer rolls, but I think the two other seasons should get their due because you can make and eat them any time of thee year! So, WinterSpringSummerFall rolls it is!

Shrimp and WinterSpringSummerFall Noodle Rolls with Cashew Dressing
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: About 10 to 12 Spring Rolls
 
ingredients:
Cashew Butter:
  • 1 cup (240 ml) cashews*
Cashew Dressing:
  • ½ inch (1 cm) slice of fresh ginger, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup (120 ml) cashew butter
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) sugar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons (45 ml) toasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) water
  • Hot sauce to taste (optional)
Noodles:
  • ½ pound (225 g) thin rice noodles or regular vermicelli
  • 1 cup or more cashew dressing
WinterSpringSummerFallRolls
  • 10 large raw shrimp, shelled
  • 1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
  • 10 to 12 spring roll wrappers (rice paper)
  • warm water for softening rice paper
  • 10 small leaves Boston, Butter, or Bibb lettuce
  • fresh basil, about two leaves per roll.
  • 10 green onions, ends trimmed, most of dark green part cut off, sliced vertically down the middle so you have two long strips of the light green part.
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeded, cut into thin strips (2 strips per roll)
  • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, sliced into thin, finger long, strips
  • 1 bunch chives
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped cashews (optional garnish)
  • Lime wedges (optional)
directions:
  1. Make cashew (or peanut) butter: Grind cashews in food processor for about 2 minutes until smooth. (*Or start with ½ cup (120 ml) prepared cashew butter.)
  2. Make cashew (or peanut) dressing: Combine ginger, garlic, cashew butter, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and water in food processor or blender. Process/blend until smooth. Be sure to process long enough to puree the ginger and garlic. The dressing should be pourable, about the same thickness as cream. Adjust consistency – thinner or thicker -- to your liking by adding more water or cashew butter. Taste and add your favorite hot sauce if desired. (If the cashew butter was unsalted, you may want to add salt or more soy sauce to taste.) Makes about 1 ½ cups (360 ml) dressing. Store any leftover dressing in the refrigerator.
  3. Prepare noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Rinse and drain noodles. Toss noodles with about 1 cup or more of cashew dressing, until coated, but not too saucy. Portion the noodles into 10 to 12 equal portions. Set aside, covered.
  4. Prepare shrimp: Heat oil in large non-stick pan over medium heat. Add shrimp to the pan and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque throughout. Alternatively, cook shrimp in boiling water for about 2 to 3 minutes or until done (leave shell on if boiling). Slice each shrimp in half horizontally when cool (refer to video on how to roll spring rolls, linked above, to see how to do this)
  5. Assemble spring rolls. Soak rice paper in warm water according to package directions, until soft. Layer in order, one leaf Bibb, Butter or Boston lettuce, 2 basil leaves, 1 split green onion, portion of dressed noodles, 2 red bell pepper strips and 2 cucumber strips. Top with a few chives so they stick out the ends. Place the halved shrimp, sliced side up, at the end of the roll. Squeeze a little lime juice on top of vegetables and herbs and sprinkle with cashews (if desired). Roll so shrimp are facing up on top of roll. Again, see video linked above recipe to see how to do this; as it's confusing in text! Repeat all of the above with the rest of the spring roll wrappers and fillings.
  6. Serve with extra cashew dressing to dip.

Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them! These are Creamy Cashew (or peanut) Noodles in Cucumber Cups

I wish this was a ‘finally’, but it’s not. I’m already two days late and it seems to be a pattern the past few months. I almost wish I made just one nut butter and one dish, yet I am currently tempted to use the remaining pistachio butter to make pistachio cookies before I post this. OK, maybe I’ll add them later if I do ( I didn’t).

So, my next nutty endeavor was Spicylicious Peanut Noodles in Cucumber Cups a la Martha Stewart. It’s not called spicylicious on her site; just my new take on it. ANYWAY, I used cashew nuts instead of peanuts, and the dressing was lick the bowl clean – spicy, rich and delightful, which I could not stop digging into before I even dressed the noodles!

Unfortunately, it was so good, I poured a ton of it over the noodles. Because of that, I couldn’t get that perfect ‘Martha Stewartesque’ pasta fork spiral tower of noodles that make these look so special.  After twirling the fork in the drowning pasta for what seemed like hours, I finally succumbed to my saucy overindulgence and spooned the noodles into each cucumber cup.  They may not be pretty, but they tasted great; just the right amount of smooth cashew butter and spicy bite, the cool cucumber putting out any fire on the tongue. With that said, when I was grinding the cashews, I drizzled in a bit of peanut oil to achieve a smoother consistency.

Spicylicious Cashew (or Peanut) Noodles in Cucumber Cups
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Yield: About 3 dozen cucumber cups
 
ingredients:
Cashew Butter
  • 1 cup (240 ml) cashews (Or use ½ cup (120 ml) already prepared cashew butter).*
  • peanut oil
Cashew Dressing
  • 1 large garlic clove
  • 1¾-inch piece ginger, peeled and halved
  • 3 teaspoons red-chile paste
  • ½ cup cashew butter (above)
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3½ tablespoons sugar
  • 4½ tablespoons peanut oil
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 6 ounces vermicelli, or capellini
  • 3½ Japanese, or 6 Kirby cucumbers, peeled
  • ¼ cup roasted cashew nuts, finely chopped
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 small diced, roasted red pepper
directions:
  1. Add cashew nuts to a food processor. Grind until chopped fine, them slowly drizzle in about 1 tablespoon peanut oil and continue running until smooth.
  2. In a food processor, pulse garlic and ginger until finely minced. Add chile paste, ½ cup cashew butter, soy sauce, sugar, peanut oil, lime juice, and 4 tablespoons water;, then puree until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until al dente, following package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander; then rinse with cold water to cool them quickly,, shaking the strainer until they are dry. In a large bowl, toss the noodles with 1 cup of the cashew dressing . Set aside.
  4. Cut cucumbers into about thirty-six 1-inch rounds, then scoop out the seeds with a melon baller, forming deep cups. Dab some cashew dressing on the bottom of a cucumber cup. Using a small cocktail fork, twirl a few noodles together, and place in cucumber cup. Garnish sliced scallions, diced roasted red pepper, and finaely chopped cashews. Repeat with remaining cucumber cups, cashew noodles, and toppings.
notes:
* You can use peanut butter instead of cashew butter, like Martha does!

Chicken Noodles with Pecan Cream

FINALLY (Yes..I made it!), I made the recipe for Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms because it looked and sounded so good. Granted, photographing brown food is tough (see kofte above), but it was well worth it. I ended up adding more seasoning because it needed it, but otherwise, it was just as I thought it would be. I didn’t let the pecan butter run in the processor until completely smooth, which was no big deal since once the water was added, it morphed into a lovely, silky cream. How cool is that?  Creamy using pecans instead of heavy cream, but tasting just as creamy.  I like it!

Chicken with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Yield: 4 servings
 
Recipe notes: Substitute your favorite pasta or rice in place of the egg noodles. Use fresh rosemary or parsley in place of thyme if you prefer.
ingredients:
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) coarsely chopped pecans*, toasted
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water
  • ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt, more as needed
  • ½ pound (225 g) egg noodles or pasta
  • 4 (6-ounce / 170 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
  • Salt & pepper to taste
Sauce
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) deglazing liquid (water, or broth, or wine, your choice)
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil, more as needed
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) finely chopped shallots
  • ½ pound (225 g) mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh thyme leaves
  • Chopped pecans, (optional garnish)
directions:
  1. Prepare pecan cream. Grind pecans in a food processor for about a minute or so until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed. Add water and ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) salt; process until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Set aside pecan cream. (*If starting with prepared pecan butter, blend ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons (90 ml) pecan butter with the water and salt until smooth.)
  2. Cook noodles according to package instructions in salted water. Drain, rinse, and keep warm.
  3. If desired, pound chicken to ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness to promote even cooking. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 teaspoon (5 ml) olive oil a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken; sauté 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Cook the chicken in 2 batches, adding more oil if needed for second batch. Set aside cooked chicken on a clean plate, cover to keep warm.
  4. Add deglazing liquid to pan if using and stir up any browned bits. If needed, add another teaspoon (5 ml) of oil (or more) to pan for sautéing the shallots and mushrooms. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and starting to brown. Add fresh thyme to the pan. Stir in pecan cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 1½ minutes till reduced slightly.
  5. Slice chicken into thin strips. Divide the noodles among serving plates. Add a scoop of the mushroom pecan sauce on top of noodles. Lay sliced chicken on top and drizzle with more cream, if desired. Garnish with fresh thyme and/or a pinch of chopped pecans if desired.
  6. NOTE - I doubled the pecan cream in this recipe because I like a lot of sauce. If you want to do that, double the sauce ingredients, and double the pecan butter that goes into the sauce,

 

On July 13, 2010, George Steinbrenner, the owner of the NY Yankees, passed away.  I didn’t initially include this in this entry since I had plans to write an entry entirely dedicated to him.  Upon reflection, and knowing how long it could be, I decided not to do that and instead add a little tribute to him here.  George, you were loved (and hated) by many, and despite your mistakes and temper, had a heart of gold.  Thank you for all the amazing WS winning teams you gave us. May you rest in peace for eternity, and now, in heaven, you can fire Billy Martin all you want!

Also, RIP Bob Sheppard (1910-2010), the ‘Voice of Yankee Stadium’ from 1951 to 2007.  A classy man with no frills other than being ‘clear, concise and correct’ .  I’m glad I will get to hear your voice prior to every Derek Jeter at bat for the remainder of his career.

Noodles with a Creamy Cashew Dressing in Cucumber Cups. The perfect party hors d'oeuvres, canape, appetizer, amuse bouche, or just a scaled down, healthy snack! Recipe makes 36 cucumber cups. #cashewnoodles #canapes #cucumbercups #appetizers #healthy
Chicken Noodles with Pecan Cream & Mushrooms. THIS does not look as amazing as it tastes!! Also, not a drop of cream in this recipe! You've got to try it!! #chickennoodles #Pecancream #pecanchicken #eggnoodles #chicken

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53 Responses to Peanut Butter is not the only Nut Butter! Homemade Nut Butters + 4 Recipes Using Them!

  1. Rosa says:

    I love nuts, so I adore nut butters! Everything looks so good and extremely scrumptious. Nut butters are very adaptable.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  2. You know you are one of my special blogger friends I always wait with delicous anticipation for your (nearly always late LOL LOL) postings.

    Your photos this time are not stunning they are astonishingly superb you actually photographed brown food gorgeously! And I can’t believe you think you didn’t get a good picture of the inspiring spring rolls they look like cathedral stain glass windows shaped as rolls just love the colour coming through the wrappings they are so so beautiful.

    Sorry to hear about the bloody injuries in the line of duty. Hope the wounds heal fast.

    I agree totally about the Asian noddle sauce it is the best thing I have tasted in a long long time and I have made it about a dozen times since the start of the challenge for numerous BBQs and parties (always a smash hit)!

    Everything looks so tasty and so mouthwateringly excellent SUPERB results on this challenge. Kudos to you.

    OBTW I’m in the BBD now also and have posted this month’s bread already.

    Cheers from Audax in Sydney Australia.

  3. I forgot mention which posted recipe I liked the most for me the Miniature Beef and Pistachio Kofte looks and sounds like a party winner to me <3<3<3

  4. Memoria says:

    I agree with Audax. All of your photos are superb and gorgeous! I don’t even like nuts, and I think those nut butters look so tantalizing!! You did a fantastic job on this challenge. You truly did. For the record, I was two days late, too!!

  5. chef_d says:

    I love all the photos you took of the food, you made brown food look good! Wrapping the asian noodle salad in rice paper made it extra special, and the beef koftes look soooo yummy. I will definitely try making pistachio butter and sacrifice my fingerprints :)) Excellent job as always!

  6. I love nut butters! I could eat them all just plain. I feel your pain with the pistachio, also one of my fave nuts. Here they also don’t sell unsalted pistachios, just salted (on supermarkets). They do sell huge ones to restaurants and bakeries but are SO expensive that when I want to do somethinng at home I rather hurt my fingertips like you did and shell some. Well done you, all the diches look great too!

  7. Shelley says:

    This post and the photos were definitely worth the wait! I have had your blog up for two days, refreshing it every time I pass, waiting to see what beautiful and amazing concoctions you came up with for this challenge, and it was seriously worth the wait. WOW. You went all out. The pistachio butter and resulting kofte look and sound delicious, as do the other dishes that you prepared with the other nuts (LOVED the cashew dressing here, too – and great idea to put the noodle salad in a wrap!). As always, amazing, awesome and inspiring work on the challenge.

  8. shaz says:

    Wow Lisa, you always go above and beyond! Four fantastic butters and all the savoury dishes look mouthwatering. Hats off to you, and well done! We are lucky we can find shelled pistachios relatively easily but they tend to go stale quicker and also cost quite a bit more than the other kind.

  9. Pia says:

    Watcha’ talking about, Lisa?!!! All your photos are gorgeous=;) Wow you went to town…i love all your dishes esp. kofte. As i was reading your “mishap” i was telling myself, why didn’t she buy the shelled and cleaned pistachio but you figured it out! lol!

    Better late than never! As usual i enjoyed reading your blog and drooling at your inviting shots.

  10. Valérie says:

    Ah, I was awaiting your post! Worth the wait, as usual! Your take on the noodle salad is just genius! And those kofte sound delicious, love all the flavours in there! I really want to try pistachio butter now (and I know my nearby store sells shelled pistachios at a reasonable price, lucky me). Fantastic job, Lisa!

  11. Jenni says:

    Lovely job, as usual! I had thought about doing a pistachio butter myself, but after reading about your raw fingers, I am glad I decided to just stick with the challenge recipe as is. I think you must have some sort of weird complex- I, along with everyone else who has already posted, think that your photographs are beautiful. As always! The spring roll pictures are great – and did you actually make brown sauce on pasta look appetizing? I think so! Your Kofte and cucumber cups sound great! Such fun little finger food!

  12. Sue says:

    I, too, could eat these straight from the spoon! You went all out, once again! Four nut butters are better than one:)

  13. Margie says:

    Move over Martha! So many creative ideas. I can’t wait to try your pistachio-beef kofte, though I’ll heed your warning and pay for shelled (or delegate to the kids)! Great idea to wrap the noodle salad in spring rolls and those cucumber cups are the cutest things ever. Fab photos!

  14. ingrid says:

    Classic Lisa Michelle! Come on late or not you nailed this challenge! 🙂

    Hope all is well!
    ~ingrid

  15. monkeyshines says:

    Beautiful food, beautifully photographed: great job on this challenge! (We cheated a bit and bought our pistachios pre-shelled…)

  16. Simone says:

    Wow…. I am totally impressed… Sure a little late but you did go out of your way to make all those gorgeous dishes! We can also buy pistachio’s already shelled here but I never do. The thing is; they do not taste as good as the ones that make your fingernails crack all over. Seriously… maybe it is the brand but they tasted stale when I tried them. Anyway…. putting that noodle salad in the springrolls is just genius to me. It looks absolutely delicious!

  17. Kenna says:

    I love the pistachio butter! GREAT recipe ideas. Thanks!

  18. Comfy Cook says:

    I love the photos of the different butters. I have used almond butter and cashew butter and of course, peanut butter. THey are all terrific. I have to print some of these recipes to use the butters with.

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  20. Brian says:

    Very impressive. I really enjoyed reading this one.

  21. Suz says:

    I didn’t see your post in my feed & thought sadly that perhaps you’d sat this month out. I’m so glad I was wrong – these are absolutely wonderful! I’m particularly taken with the Asian noodle rolls and the kofte. Beautiful pics too, all of them.

  22. Trissa says:

    Pistachios are my all time favorite nuts as well. The pain of shelling them is all worth it! I’m going to have a go at that yummy kofte!

  23. Kara says:

    Oh wow. Everything you made looks awesome. I’m going to have to try the meatballs and the noodles in the cucumber cups. How cute!

    Oddly enough I was at the grocery store today and saw a bag of shelled pistachios – I think it was a 1/2 lb bag for $12. *thud*

  24. Natalie says:

    Ooh wow ive seen peanut butter and cashew nut butter before but never pecan or pistachio they look really tasty! I loev the look of what youve made YUM!

  25. Sophie says:

    I also love varioua nuts so I will certainly love these lovely nut butters,…mmmmmmmmmm!!

    That yummie kofte, I will make!

  26. I can’t thank you enough for offering not just one but three alternatives to PB! I have a peanut intolerance so nut butters like cashew (my current fave) and almond are musts. But I’ve got to try pecan and pistachio – fantastic! All of the recipes look and sound great although the beef kofte and cuke cups really caught my eye (and appetite). 😎

  27. Anula says:

    WOW! You made so many things…!!! I wish I had more time to experiment with nut butters. Great looking dishes – all of them look so delicious 🙂

    Cheers. Anula.

  28. LOVE pistachio, wanted to make that butter but did not get around to it. When I do however I am going to the Middle-Eastern grocery store that sells it without shell by weight. So sorry about your fingers. Hope they are healing and it looks like it was worth it taste wise.

  29. Amazing, Lisa, what else can I say? Every time I see already shelled pistachios in the store, I will now think of you! I guess you can compare it to shelling favas; however, some of this prepping is actually quite therapeutic…stunning photography, as always. I’ll also be thinking of your kofte tonight, as our foodie group meets for Challenge Turkish Cuisine at our weekly Concert in the Park.

  30. Katrina says:

    You rock these Daring challenges! And I totally agree with all your sentiments (and complaints) about pistachios! Never really thought about pecan butter (but I love pecans). Yum to all four!

  31. FOODESSA says:

    Michelle…once again you have prouved how incredibly talented you are in that kitchen of yours.
    Your passionate dedication pushes you to create wonderful dishes.

    I’ll take some of those fresh, mouthwatering spring rolls please;o)

    Ciao for now and flavourful wishes,
    Claudia

  32. Mary says:

    You operate a really cool kitchen, my friend. I really love what you’ve done for this challenge. I love the way you’ve used the nut butters. I hope the day treats you kindly. Blessings…Mary

  33. Elle says:

    As usual, well worth the wait! Who knew there were so many excellent ways to use nut butters in savory dishes. Sounds like you should have a big party…can I come?

  34. Juliana says:

    Oh! I love the pictures of the different nut butter 🙂 And wow for all the dishes with nut butters…the miniature kofte looks delicious.

  35. Linda V says:

    Wow what a huge effort and I think the pictures look great.Had my mouth watering.

  36. Lori says:

    Yes, you are always late but might I say that it is worth the wait. Everthing always looks stunning. You rock girl. Sorry about your fingers!

  37. Mark says:

    Woweeee..you are serving up some good stuff! Your blog is looking sharp!!

  38. Heavenly housewife says:

    I am absolutely mad for pistachio. I think its like my favorite flavor evvvvaaaaa, so I would love to try your pistachio butter (although I may end up kidnapping it ;))
    *kisses* HH

  39. Laura says:

    Mmmm. .. everything looks fabulous. As always, so creative, so above and beyond the call of duty. I can’t decide if I like the spring rolls or the cucumber cups better!

  40. Denise says:

    I am drooling over those spring rolls. Perfect summer fare! Who knew nut butters could be so versatile?

  41. ap269 says:

    I LOVE the idea of making kofte! My kids will praise me when I make those! Great pictures, as always!

  42. Totally feel your pistachio pain. We, however, have sucked it up and pay for someone else to shell them for us…

    Your interpretation of the shrimp dish looks awesome! We’ve used cucumber cups a couple times and were pleased to see them appear here.

    Well done on all your dishes!

    Stay JOLLY!
    D&S

  43. Swamp thing green is a perfect description for the green. lol. But the meat balls look delicious, as do all the dishes. The spring rolls were a fabulous idea.

  44. As I read this, I started feeling guilty that I can get shelled pistachios at my regular grocery store. Sorry! All of these dishes look incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever craved spring rolls with a cashew dressing for breakfast before, but that just happened this morning!

    • lisamichele says:

      Lisa – Actually, I just found out my local markets DO sell them…I just never looked since I always zero in on pistachios in the shell because that’s how I like to eat them. HOWEVER – double the price, so I’ll continue to shell them, unless I’m limited time wise 🙂

  45. Anita says:

    I know the feeling with pistachios – and their stupid shells… I’ve hurt my hand before shelling them for dukkah. I often give in and buy them shelled even though they’re more expensive…
    Either way, I love you butters and the dishes they go with. What a great challenge, wish I was a daring cook.

  46. yasmeen says:

    I totally love all kinds of nut butters 😀

  47. Leslie says:

    It’s been an eternity since I’ve looked at an issue of Good Housekeeping (the dentist never runs late) but I’m almost certain they aren’t featuring spreads of amuse bouche. I adore kofta but never would have thought you could use a nut butter in it. I made the chicken with pecan butter recipe when it was in Cooking Light and it was wonderful. Must. Resist. Daring. Cooks.

  48. Pretty darned impressive! When you take on a challenge – you TAKE ON A CHALLENGE! WHich one do you like the best? ANd which recipe?
    🙂
    I have a few extra wireless minutes here while I wait for my husband in Bijeljina, Bosnia and just posted another lunch in Paris. I am so glad to start catching up on my reading… we just made Serbian Kubassa Sausage yesterday with real pig intestines.
    🙂
    Valerie

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  51. Catherine says:

    YUMMY.never thought of using pecans as a creamy topping for noodles, and I love those spring rolls!

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