Coconut butter is widely available, but you can also make your own. The best tool to use is a high-speed blender (I use the Blendtec Twister Jar). You can also use a food processor, but it will take longer and the final puree may not be as smooth.
Add 2–4 cups of unsweetened flaked or shredded coconut to a blender or food processor. The amount depends on your blender jar/food processor (if you have a large jar/vessel, you will need more coconut to get the mixture moving; if using the Blendtec you can make a smaller batch). Puree, scraping down the sides as needed, until very smooth (a minute or two with a high-speed blender). The butter will be runny after pureeing, but it will solidify as it cools.
I’ve been using macadamia nut butter in my recipes for years. It’s not as widely available as other nut butters, however. So, I decided to include this section on making it and other nut butters.
You can use a food processor or a high-speed blender to make nut butters. In a food processor, it can take 10–15 minutes or longer, depending on the nut (cashews take 7–9 minutes, harder nuts like almonds take longer), but I like using it for harder nuts like almonds. I use my Blendtec Twister Jar for softer nut butters (macadamia, pecan, cashews), because it’s quicker and easier than the food processor.
With the Blendtec, you need just 1–2 cups to get the mixture going. It’s as simple as pureeing and scraping down the jar once or twice.
With an average 12-cup food processor, use 2–4 cups of nuts. If there’s not enough, they won’t get moving. (But don’t overfill, or it will become too tight to process.) When you start processing it will seem like nothing is happening, as the nuts turn to dust and then get clumpy for several minutes. Scrape down the bowl and keep going. Eventually the puree becomes smooth.
You can opt to use raw or roasted nuts (unsalted). Roasted nuts will have a nuttier, deeper flavor and will yield a creamier texture. Also, for nuts like walnuts and pecans, roasting can lessen the bitter taste of tannins in the skins.
With macadamia nut butter, I prefer raw nuts for baking and other recipe purposes— raw nuts have the most mellow, buttery flavor that cannot be easily matched! But, in a pinch, you can use roasted macadamia nuts (just make sure they are unsalted).
Refer to recipes on pages 44 and 46.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place an even layer of seeds or nuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 7–12 minutes, tossing through once or twice during baking to cook evenly, until the nuts are golden and release a nutty aroma. While baking, watch carefully because toasting times vary by nut, and they can turn from golden to burnt in just seconds.
| Bean and Legume Cooking Times | |
|---|---|
| Legume | Cooking Time |
| Adzuki beans | 45–60 mins |
| Black beans | 60–90 mins |
| Black-eyed peas | 45–60 mins |
| Cannellini beans (white kidney) | 60–90 mins |
| Chickpeas | 1½–2 hrs |
| Kidney beans (red) | 1½–2 hrs |
| Lentils (brown/green)* | 30–40 mins |
| Lentils (le puy/French)* | 35–45 mins |
| Lentils (red)* | 15–25 mins |
| Mung beans* | 40–50 mins |
| Navy beans | 70–90 mins |
| Pinto beans | 60–90 mins |
| Split peas* | 40–60 mins |
| Soy beans | 3 hrs |
*No presoaking needed.
Soaking beans before cooking them improves digestibility. For a long soaking, rinse the beans and cover with water. Soak overnight (or 8 hours). Drain, rinse, and proceed with cooking.
For a quick soak, rinse the beans, add to a large pot, and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5–7 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1–2 hours. Drain, rinse, and proceed with cooking.
To cook beans, combine 4 parts water to 1 part beans in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, until tender.
To add flavor to the beans, you can add a piece of fresh ginger while cooking, or a sprinkle of fennel seeds, or a strip of kombu seaweed. Don’t add salt while cooking; season after the beans are cooked through.
Once the beans are cooked, they can be frozen for later use (see Batch Food and Recipe Preparation, page 15).
For all grains, rinse before cooking to remove any dirt (amaranth and quinoa will need to be rinsed in a very fine strainer). To cook, combine the grain and cooking water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer. About 5 minutes before the cooking time is complete, remove the cover and check for doneness. Once cooked, remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 4–5 minutes.
| Grain Cooking Times | ||
|---|---|---|
| Grain (per 1 cup) | Water Required to Cook | Cooking Time |
| Amaranth | 2½–3 cups | 20–25 mins |
| Barley (pearl) | 3 cups | 40–50 mins |
| Barley (pot) | 3 cups | 55–65 mins |
| Buckwheat | 2 cups | 15–20 mins |
| Bulgur | 2 cups | 5–10 mins |
| Cracked wheat | 2 cups | 20–30 mins |
| Kamut | 4 cups | 70–90 mins |
| Millet | 2½–3 cups | 18–25 mins |
| Oat groats | 3 cups | 50–60 mins |
| Oats (rolled) | 2 cups | 10–20 mins |
| Oats (steel cut) | 3 cups | 20–30 mins |
| Quinoa | 2 cups | 12–15 mins |
| Rice (short-grain brown) | 2 cups | 35–45 mins |
| Rice (brown basmati) | 2 cups | 35–45 mins |
| Spelt berries | 3 cups | 55–70 mins |
| Wheat berries | 3 cups | 55–70 mins |
| Wild rice | 3 cups | 45–60 mins |
