What’s the best thing to put on morning toast? This week Chefs Lili Dagan and Sarah Entwistle both found themselves looking for a way to give their breakfast a boost, and ended up turning to seeds. Chef Lili created a homemade almond butter, and Chef Sarah whipped up a quick and easy jam.
Pick a team: jam and jelly, or nut butters. Don’t want to choose? I suppose you can make both. The Blue Apron test kitchen put a few healthful tweaks on each of these familiar ingredients. Enjoy them on their own, or make both to create a hearty twist on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Raspberry and Chia Seed Jam
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh raspberries (or your favorite berry)
- 1/2 cup sugar (most recipes call for more sugar— we like to use less because berries are naturally sweet)
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoon chia seeds [optional]
- 2 lemon wedges, deseeded [optional]
Process:
1. Wash your berries.
2. Place the berries in a medium pot with the sugar and water; stir to combine. Heat to boiling on medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and stir in the chia seeds (if using). Simmer, stirring occasionally for 20-30 minutes, or until the water has evaporated and the jam has thickened (you should be able to see the bottom of the pot when you run a spatula through the jam).
3. Turn off the heat. Squeeze in the juice of your lemon wedges and let cool for at least 10 minutes (jam will continue to thicken as it cools). Store in your refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to one month. Enjoy it on toast, in your yogurt bowl, on a PB&J, or even drizzle some over your favorite pastry.
Please note: the chia seeds absorb liquid and help thicken the jam. If you are not using chia seeds, you may have to cook down the jam a bit longer.
Almond Butter with Coconut and Seeds
Ingredients:
- 4 cups raw almonds
- 4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons seeds (We used chia, hemp, and flax. Anything you’d sprinkle on oatmeal or a smoothie bowl would work)
- Pinch of salt
Process:
1. Toast your almonds for 7-10 minutes in a 350°F oven. This will release their natural oils, and help them blend easily. Be sure to cool them completely before blending.
2. Place the cooled nuts and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a food processor. (Note: I have used a vitamix to make this before, and while it’s faster, a food processor is easier to clean). Blitz, alternating between the chop and grind function, until the nuts have started to break down, periodically scraping the sides down. Add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil at a time, ensuring that it incorporates fully, until your desired consistency is reached. Usually, this takes anywhere from 5-10 minutes. Add your seeds and nuts and a pinch of salt, and blitz just a couple of times to just incorporate.
3. Enjoy with toast or fruit.
Looking or a more indulgent twist on peanut butter and jelly? Try these sweet and salty peanut butter and jelly bars.
