Let’s Go Nuts, 80 Vegan Recipe Cookbook

When I mention nuts and seeds in food conversations, I’ll get a plethora of mixed opinions and views. Nuts and seeds have been given a bad rap due to their high protein and high-fat content. With that in mind, we have to determine how much fat we want in our diet. I think it’s reflective of our overall health condition. But there again, you’ll get different opinions. One expert says you need fat to restore your brain, whereas the Medical Medium says in his best selling book Liver Rescue, that if you are ill and eager to heal, you need to significantly reduce or cut off all fats… “a high-fat diet is central to the development of chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases, and countless symptoms… And when the diet is too high in fat, it’s almost impossible for the pathogens, heavy metals and toxins that are responsible for these illnesses and symptoms to leave the body as the blood is too thick from all the fat plus a host of these pathogens, toxins, metals and more in the bloodstream.

I believe most of us are fairly reasonable when it comes to nuts and seeds. But if we want to learn how to use them wisely in healthy recipes, then you may be interested in Let’s Go Nuts, 80 Vegan Recipes with Nuts and Seeds. The author uses nuts and seeds to complement other ingredients with their scrumptious flavors and crunchy textures. She brings nuts out of their shells and makes them superstars by maximizing their flavor potential.

Let's Go Nuts Vegan Recipe book

At first glance, the cover has no curb appeal so I’m not sure if I would have cracked open this hard-cover recipe book if I hadn’t received a copy. But as I perused the pages, I was completely impressed. It’s well laid out and the images are in full color, making the recipes all the more scrumptious and tempting.

The onset of the book shares the benefits of nuts and seeds, how-tos, and interpreting the recipes. Focused on the four seasons, you’ll have to flip to each section to find recipes that hone in on organic ingredients that are available during that time of the year. Aside from being divided into the seasons, you can read the profiles on 12 nuts and 5 different seeds.

Carrot and Banana Bread
No!tella

I really enjoyed reading about the nut profiles. They share whether each nut is a genuine nut or a stone fruit. Did you know that pecans and cashews are examples of stone nuts? When I think of stone fruits, peaches, nectarines, plums, mangos, cherries, and so on, not nuts. You’ll also read about their health benefit, economic challenges, where they grow, and culinary uses. In a nutshell, here’s what you’ll find inside!

  • Why we should eat nuts
  • The benefits of processing nuts where they are grown
  • How to use this book
  • The theory and practice of cooking with nuts
  • Basic recipes for nut milks & nut milk products
  • Basic recipes for dressings, marinades and sauces
  • My pantry essentials and equipment for everyday cooking
  • Nut profiles
  • Recipes – Seasonal

No!tella

Scrumptious Spread made from hazelnuts. Makes I medium jar.

  • Free standing or Immersion blender
  • 1 ounce cocoa butter (30 grams)
  • 3 ½ ounces dates, pitted and soaked overnight in water (100 grams)
  • ¾ cup hazelnut butter (150 grams)
  • ¼ cup cocoa power (30 grams)
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsps of plant based milk
  • 1 pinch bourbon vanilla powder or other ground spices of your choice (optional)
  1. Heat teh cocoa butter in a small saucepan until melted

  2. Puree the dates with 1/3 to 2/3 cups (80 – 150 grams) of the soaking water until you have a thick paste.

  3. Add the hazelnut butter, cocoa powder, and salt, then process until smooth and creamy.

  4. Finally, add the melted cocoa butter and plant based milk and process again.

  5. If you like, add vanilla powder or other spices to the creamy paste. Transfer to a storage jar with a lid and store in cool place.

Tips

  1. A pretty jar of the hazelnut and chocolate spread makes a lovely gift, and it is delicious eaten with a sweet yeast loaf or some banana bread. It will keep for at least 4 – 5 days if refrigerated in an airtight container.

Snack
American

When you flip to a recipe, you’ll be greeted with a large full-page, full-color image. The written instructions are clear and include prep time, equipment needed and of course your list of ingredients. They’ll also share a tip or idea that is useful. The ingredients might not necessarily be a complete nut, but quite a few of the recipes will incorporate nut flours and or nut butters.

Some of the recipes you can make include the Warm Sugar Snap Pea and Apple Salad, Kohlrabi Pasta with Cashew Carbonara, Tiger Nut and Oat Muffins with a Coffee and Cashew Topping, Buckwheat and Mushroom Risotto, Bean and Orange Hummus and No Cheese Fondue.

There is something for everyone’s taste buds, even if they are not vegan. I was a little skeptical about nut recipes, but honestly, I have a lot more respect for these little crunchy edibles. They are infused graciously with other ingredients to create hearty and tasty recipes. I’m delighted to have Let’s Go Nuts as part of my culinary collection.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary products to facilitate a review. All opinions are my own, yours may differ.