Almond Butter Sauce

on June 9, 2010
in All Posts

You know what I hate about most cookbooks?  The really, really long ingredient lists for things that are suppose to be simple.  And I never have 2/3 of the items in my pantry, which means I’d have to go out and buy $15 worth of spices just to make a simple almond butter sauce.  Cooking shouldn’t be that complicated.  Or intimidating.

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Complex, this is not…  But it certainly is delicious.  And that’s what you come to Healthy Tipping Point for, right?  🙂

 

Simple Almond Butter Sauce

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 2 tablespoons almond butter
  • 2 tablespoons rice milk (or regular milk)
  • Heavy sprinkle of chili powder
  • Sprinkle of pepper
  • Sprinkle of salt

 

Directions:

 

  • In a small pot over low heat, combine all ingredients and stir constantly until the liquid combines totally.
  • Don’t overcook!  Keep your eye on it!
  • Pour over noodle dish.

 

Tada!

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My noodle dish included 1/3 block of firm baked tofu, a serving of whole wheat spaghetti, and roasted broccoli.

 

Easy, easy, easy.  I like easy!

IMG_6335 

There is more writing to be done… Write, write, write!  Story of my life.  🙂

{ 70 comments }

 

  • Jessica @ How Sweet June 9, 2010, 1:36 pm

    I love nut butter sauces so I’m sure it is delicious! I don’t usually like almond butter, but probably would mixed with something else.

  • Bethany @ More Fruit Please June 9, 2010, 1:36 pm

    So simple… I love it! As soon as I see a long ingredient list I skip the recipe. Or if there are more than two ingredients that I currently don’t have… it’s so frustrating!

    • Kaye June 9, 2010, 1:47 pm

      This is so funny, I totally veto recipes with crazy ingredient lists too!

      • Joelle (The Pancake Girl) June 9, 2010, 9:50 pm

        Haha i do the exact same- if I don’t have more than two or three, it’s over. I’ve tried making this kind of sauce with far lengthier ingredients’ list and couldn’t successfully shorten it myself without the taste being a bit off..

  • Beth @ Beth's Journey to Thin June 9, 2010, 1:38 pm

    I love making almond butter sauce with just a few things. if you want it even simpler, you can just do it in the microwave! Less dirty dishes, too. 🙂

  • allison @ livingoneday June 9, 2010, 1:40 pm

    YUM caitlin! that looks awesome. such a simple simple meal!

  • shannon (the daily balance) June 9, 2010, 1:41 pm

    looks delish – and obviously LOVING the simplicity! thanks for sharing 😉

  • Freya @ Brit Chick Runs June 9, 2010, 1:41 pm

    OH MY. That sauce sound so lovely 🙂 I’ve made many a peanut butter sauce in my time, but not AB – next on my list!

  • Lisa June 9, 2010, 1:42 pm

    I’m with you. If there are too many ingredients I’m less likely to try the recipe.

  • Coco @ Opera Girl Cooks June 9, 2010, 1:46 pm

    Looks great! Your first paragraph made me think of a great tip for you and your readers. While getting whole jars of spices can be expensive, buying just as much as you need for a recipe is cheap. Health food stores with bulk spice bins make this possible — they’re a boon to a cook who wants to experiment with spices but not commit to a whole bottle!

    • Caitlin June 9, 2010, 1:47 pm

      thats an awesome tip!

    • Sarah for Real June 9, 2010, 3:52 pm

      I was just going to suggest bulk spices myself. I even get salt from bulk bins. It’s fun to go up to the checkout and see $0.76 for something that would have been $6 to buy a whole bottle of.

      Plus, did you know spices expire after about a year?! I never use a whole bottle in a year. Yeah, I’m all over the bulk bins.

  • Kaye June 9, 2010, 1:46 pm

    Oooo…this looks so good! I think it’d be a great cold noodle dish with a little chopped garlic stirred in at the end!

  • Trish June 9, 2010, 1:48 pm

    I totally agree! Cookbooks are insane. So much work and so much stuff for one recipe. It’s just dumb! I have a bunch of ingredients (full packages) of stuff that I’ve bought just to try out a recipe. I like short lists, easy to make, fast. I don’t want to go out and buy some random ingredient I won’t ever use again.

  • Laura@FindingAHealthyBalance....after a 100+ Pound weight loss!!! June 9, 2010, 1:55 pm

    Looks super yummy and easy is always good! =)

  • Cynthia (It All Changes) June 9, 2010, 1:55 pm

    Simple is always better.

  • Kelly June 9, 2010, 1:59 pm

    OH I hate complicated recipes too! I refuse to make anything that I don’t already have all the ingredients for, or at least that the ingredients I will use again in my lifetime 🙂

    Your sauce looks great.. I bet peanut version would be awesome too!

  • Sana June 9, 2010, 2:00 pm

    Would adding soy/hot sauce also work in a jam?

    • Caitlin June 9, 2010, 2:02 pm

      that would taste great! i just didnt have any 🙂

  • Erin @ A Girl & Her Mutt June 9, 2010, 2:04 pm

    The addition of chili powder is absolutely brilliant! Can’t wait to try it.

  • Robyn @ Frugal 'n' Fit! June 9, 2010, 2:14 pm

    Almond butter sauce. Of course! I love the addition of the chili powder.

  • Julie @ Pickley Pear June 9, 2010, 2:20 pm

    I totally agree with cookbook recipes having too many ingredients. I rarely use any of my nearly 100 books because I don’t have everything in the list. The Almond Butter Sauce is easy enough, and for us non-veg’s it would be great with chicken!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin June 9, 2010, 2:22 pm

    I like your approach to recipes. Simple is sometimes so much better! 😀

  • Michelle @ Give Me the Almond Butter June 9, 2010, 2:26 pm

    I’m such a fan of simple recipes. They make me want to actually make them haha.

  • Jessica @ Jessica Balances June 9, 2010, 2:27 pm

    I dislike cookbooks for the same reasons! Your recipe sounds easy and delicious 🙂 yeah girl!

  • macey June 9, 2010, 2:33 pm

    Ok, this is going to sound silly, but I am scared to death of tofu. Alright, I admitted it. Were you afraid to try it at first? I don’t want to hate it, so I shy away from trying it at all. :S
    What would you recommend I try first, so I’m guaranteed to like it?
    Thanks 🙂

    • Caitlin June 9, 2010, 2:37 pm

      haha it is a strange food, but it tastes like whatever you marinade it with. honestly, i recommend getting fried tofu from a chinese or thai place to start off with. it’s the yummiest 🙂

      my perfect baked tofu is good too! http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/the-perfect-baked-tofu

      • Macey June 9, 2010, 2:39 pm

        thanks! I’ll try it 🙂

        • Nikky June 9, 2010, 4:03 pm

          And if you make it at home and have run out of paper towels for pressing (provided it’s not pre cubed).. no, terry cloth wash rags are NOT a suitable substitute. Does. Not. Work.

          Yea, that was my first experience. 🙁

        • Macey June 9, 2010, 4:36 pm

          Haha! Good to know!

  • Kristina June 9, 2010, 2:42 pm

    this sounds like a perfect meal to me… it has everything I love and that sauce looks amazing…

    I’m the same way, I like straightforward recipes with short ingredient lists, most of the time.

  • Rachel June 9, 2010, 2:52 pm

    I totally agree with you on this. Why does the ingredient list for a recipe have to be a mile long?

    Can’t wait to try another one of your recipes. 🙂

  • Heather (Heather's Dish) June 9, 2010, 2:55 pm

    yum! i would love to try this with peanut butter too…HOLY YUM! sounds like the perfect, easy lunch 🙂

  • Lindsay @ The Ketchup Diaries June 9, 2010, 3:00 pm

    Totally with you on the simplicity front!

  • Amy B @ Second City Randomness June 9, 2010, 3:03 pm

    Totally agree- I think that’s why I tend to do my own thing cooking with what I’ve got… I’m not much for recipes. But this may be bookmarked… 🙂

  • Kerry June 9, 2010, 3:04 pm

    I thought I was the only one! Long lists totally scare me which is why I barely cook! 🙁 haha.

  • Molly @fuelherup June 9, 2010, 3:11 pm

    That sounds great! My favorite Asian sauce is a tablespoon of almond butter, a tablespoon of soy sauce, plus chili powder, ginger, & garlic.

  • Marina June 9, 2010, 3:12 pm

    I usually don’t follow the recipe when it has so many ingredients, I just threw them out of the mix 😀
    almond butter and tofu… sounds amazing!

  • *Andrea* June 9, 2010, 3:24 pm

    i have all the ingredients!!!! haha i always feel this NEVER
    happens when i see long lists with random gums and spices and herbs and oils etc etc

    …more of a reason for a healthytippingpoint cookbook 😀

  • Diana (Mymarblerye) June 9, 2010, 3:35 pm

    from almond butter in oats to nut crusted parsnip fries to THIS??? jeez louise..I’m gonna be eating an almond butter WEDDING CAKE if this trend keeps going!

  • Marilou @ Mostly Healthy June 9, 2010, 3:45 pm

    I think I’m gonna eat exactly that for dinner. You gotta love the blog world 😉

  • claire June 9, 2010, 3:51 pm

    I love nut butter sauces…that one looks great lady!

  • Emily Eats and Exercises June 9, 2010, 3:52 pm

    Yum.

    When you baked your tofu did you just bake it plain? I have a few tofu recipes I’ve been liking (like yours!) but I still can’t always get that yummy chewy texture (not quite like deep fried but not mushy either.) More pressing? Bake longer? Any other suggestions?

    • caitlin June 9, 2010, 3:55 pm

      buy the nasoya pre-cut extra firm. you dont have to drain it and it bakes up really crispy. it’s foolproof.

  • Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg June 9, 2010, 3:54 pm

    I hate long ingredient lists too– that’s one of the things that bugs me most about Cooking Light!

    This sauce looks great!

  • Kait June 9, 2010, 4:36 pm

    Mmmm almond butter sauce sounds delicious. And I agree, its the worst when you need SO MANY igredients just for the simplest (or I guess not so simple) thing!

  • runnerforever June 9, 2010, 4:40 pm

    Great recipe! I like almond butter pretty much any way and on almost anything haha.

  • Annie@stronghealthyfit June 9, 2010, 4:40 pm

    YUM! I don’t think it would have occured to me to make an almond butter sauce (although my husband and I like to make PB sauce for stir fry) and I will definitely try that out!

  • Catherine June 9, 2010, 5:29 pm

    Loves it! I absolutely hate long recipes… fresh lemongrass, kiffir lime leaves… who keeps that kind of stuff on hand on a regular basis??

    You should check out Mark Bittman’s “How to cook everything vegetarian”. He writes for the NY Times and doesn’t believe in long ingredient lists. I swear everything is about 5 items, it’s awesome!!

  • Nora@LifeLifeEatRight June 9, 2010, 5:47 pm

    I love making spicy peanut butter sauce with chilli flakes, soy sauce and lime juice to put with raw veggies and soba noodles! This looks right up my alley 🙂 I think I want to make a sauce with sunflower seed butter. For some reason I love sunflower seed butter with savory things…I just had a sandwich with sunflower butter, red bell pepper and spinach and it blew my mind. Your food looks great as always!

    • Cheri September 28, 2011, 3:08 pm

      did you try this with sunflower seed butter? this is what I have on hand. curious to know how it turned out 🙂

  • Rebecca @ How the Cookie's Crumble June 9, 2010, 6:07 pm

    Easy is the best! Whenever I come across a long recipe I end up just creating my own. I’m not good at following directions! 😉

  • Cassie @ A Very Busy Mind June 9, 2010, 6:18 pm

    LOVE THIS because I am soooo anti-long/difficult recipes. I’ve vetoed so many after just glancing at them. A gourmet chef, I am not.

  • Amy @ Amy Starts To Run June 9, 2010, 6:20 pm

    I have, on numerous occasions, gone through the process of purchasing all the mystery ingredients not currently in my pantry and inevitably end up forgetting 1-2 ingredients (even after having made a second trip to the store) and I give up on the recipe completely. And that is why I still have an unopened jar of kiffir lime leaves in my cupboard.

  • Dorry June 9, 2010, 6:22 pm

    that sauce looks delicious and so versatile!

  • Lisa (bakebikeblog) June 9, 2010, 7:08 pm

    What a simple but lovely looking sauce!!!!

  • Kelly @ Healthy Living With Kelly June 9, 2010, 7:38 pm

    Totally agree…simple is the name of my game too! This sounds and looks delicious! Going to try it out!

  • Carly @ The Road To Health June 9, 2010, 7:51 pm

    That looks amazing. I am totally making that! Thanks Caitlin – your blog rocks 🙂

  • Wei-Wei June 9, 2010, 8:01 pm

    Mmm, this sounds really delicious! Whenever I look for recipes I always look for things that I have at home. What’s the difference in taste between almond and peanut butter? Does almond butter taste like almonds…? :S

    Wei-Wei

    • caitlin June 9, 2010, 10:31 pm

      yup!! its made with almonds. 🙂

  • Lauren June 9, 2010, 8:07 pm

    I know what you mean, I can NEVER follow a recipe to a T from a cookbook. I guess that is why I can’t bake! 🙂

  • Jessica @ The Process of Healing June 9, 2010, 8:46 pm

    Wow that sauce DOES sound good and easy!!

  • Jolene (www.everydayfoodie.ca) June 9, 2010, 9:29 pm

    I agree with you about the cookbooks!

  • Janelle June 9, 2010, 9:44 pm

    The natural food store near me sells spices in bulk – the best thing ever. That way, if you need 1 t of some random spice you don’t know if you’ll use again or like, you can buy just one teaspoon and not have to spring for an entire jar. I actually once bought the 7 cloves I needed for a recipe. Just 7. Payed around $.13 for them. It was awesome…

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) June 9, 2010, 10:26 pm

    I could not agree more! Food should be easy. I hate all the silly complex stuff that people try to pass off as food. I want to taste the basics of a dish. I want to identify the ingredients. I am ok with the occasional splurge on ingredients, but when I am cooking everyday…I want it to be something I can easily cook from my pantry!

  • Amber K @ sparkpeople June 9, 2010, 11:23 pm

    I could not agree more. I hate most cookbooks for that very reason. Is there a reason the ingredient list needs to be longer than the last novel I read?

    Sounds like an amazing recipe! I know my husband would LOVE it.

  • Marieke June 10, 2010, 6:36 am

    Looks interesting! Like Satay sauce, but then with almonds! I will give that a try soon.

  • Anne June 10, 2010, 11:20 am

    I see I’m in the minority here, BUT…;) I spent a period of several months gradually building my spice collection and it actually encourages me to try new things so I use them! I stopped shying away from complicated recipes about a year ago and I’ve never been happier with the way my cooking turns out. However…you can’t do this every night, and I wouldn’t have been able to do this when I was in college (lack of resources), so it’s definitely nice to have simple recipes on hand as well!

  • Dee June 12, 2010, 9:50 am

    Oh this looks great! I must try it! 🙂

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