I am so excited to share my review of this wonderful new release, Back to Butter.
I had the pleasure of review the kindle edition of Back to Butter. Once I started reading through, I had wished I requested the paperback version, as the photos are absolutely beautiful! I will be sharing some of those photos with you, along with some recipes (with permission).
What is Back to Butter?
Quite simply, Back to Butter is a traditional foods-based resource full of real foods education, practical advice, recipes, and lots of photos. Although another popular traditional foods book has left many with the feeling of intimidation, the authors of Back to Butter leave us with the feeling of motivation and encouragement.
What’s Inside? Part I
Part 1 is all about the traditional foods pantry. Beginning with a beautiful visual of different fats and oils, you will read about traditional fats, their smoke point, and a brief description. Here is an excerpt (read the whole book excerpt on fats here):
Butter: The Friendly Fat
Type: Saturated/Solid at Room Temperature
Smoke Point: Medium Heat
Look For: Organic, Unsalted, and Pastured/Grass-FedDescription: Butter is a saturated fat that never should have fallen from grace. Its plastic counterpart, better known as margarine, entered our kitchens after World War II, and though it maintains its space on supermarket shelves, it is simply not real food. That said, not all real butter is created equal. The vitamin and nutritional content of butter made from the milk of cows that grazed on pasture under the open sun is far superior to that in the butter of factory-farmed cow s. Instead of allocating funds for vitamins, consider purchasing a quality grass-fed butter, commonly known as pastured butter in the store. And when you find it, try the Fresh Herb–Crusted Sea Bass with Sour dough Bread Crumbs (page 118). Oh my!
Ghee: Butter’s Kin
Type: Saturated/Solid at Room Temperature
Smoke Point: High Heat
Look For: Organic and Pastured/Grass-FedDescription: When butter is gently simmered over low heat, the milk solids eventually fall to the bottom, leaving behind a clear yellow, clarified liquid called ghee. Because the milk solids have been removed, ghee has a higher smoke point than butter does and can be used to properly fry foods. The absence of milk solids also means that many lactose-intolerant people can tolerate ghee. As with butter, we prefer to use ghee made from the butter of grass-fed cows. Scallops brown beautifully with ghee, as in the Seared Scallops with Creamy Carrot Purée (page 114).
Coconut Oil: A Tropical Treat
Type: Saturated/Solid at Room Temperature
Smoke Point: Medium Heat
Look For: Organic, Unrefined, Virgin, and Centrifuged or Cold-PressedDescription: Coconut oil contains both antifungal and antimicrobial properties that assist in keeping a family strong and resilient. The oil does have a mild coconut flavor, which can be masked when sautéing by folding in a bit of butter to the dish once removed from the heat. Conversely, its coconut flavor can also help a dish reach new heights, as in the Sprouted Apple Butter Dots (page 199).
Other chapters in this section of Back to Butter discuss:
- sustainable meat - along with methods which include how to to cook chicken and beef
- dairy - along with how-to’s on making yogurt and cream cheese, among others BONUS BOOK EXCERPT: Dairy Decisions
- nuts, seeds, beans, and grains - includes soaking tips as well as a sourdough starter featuring rye
- natural sweeteners - includes a visual of different natural sweeteners and includes this quote:
“Radiant health cannot be achieved without sugar becoming a condiment and not an entrée.”
What’s Inside? Part II
Part II is the recipes! If you have the kindle version, you will find page links within each recipe that connect back to each applicable technique.
Below you will find several full recipes from Back to Butter with photos so you can get an idea for what is inside…
Roasted Shrimp Salsa with Multi-Seed Crackers from Chapter 6: First Bites
| ROASTED SHRIMP SALSA If you only grow one thing, grow a tomato plant. Upon your first taste of a homegrown, sun-ripened tomato, you’ll understand why. And if you grow little grape tomatoes, this recipe is a must. Serve with Multi-Seed Crackers (page 76) for a great way to start off a cookout. For shrimp:
For salsa:
To make the shrimp: Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC, or gas mark 6). Rinse the shrimp and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Add the coconut oil to a small-size sheet tray (although any size will do). If the coconut oil is solidified, place the tray in the oven as it preheats for 2 minutes, to melt the oil. To the pan, add the shrimp, coriander, sea salt, and pepper. Toss well with a spatula and bake for 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and re-toss the shrimp. Transfer to a plate to cool. To make the salsa: In a medium-size bowl, combine the tomatoes, yellow pepper, cucumber, jalapeño, red onion, and parsley. Set aside. In a small-size bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, coriander, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine. Dice the cooled shrimp into ½-inch (1.3 cm) pieces. If serving immediately, add the shrimp and avocado to the tomato mixture. Toss gently with a spatula to combine and serve. If not serving immediately, toss the shrimp with the tomato mixture and chill. Right before serving, add the avocado and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings, or 3 cups (780 g) |
Hearty Beef Soup with Brussels Sprouts from Chapter 7: Soup’s On
| HEARTY BEEF SOUP WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS This recipe is a perfect one-pot meal. It is also quite simple to prepare—and did I mention gluten-free? In fact, the only grain in this soup is corn, whose omission would not compromise the recipe one bit. Ingredients:
In a large-size soup pot over medium-high heat, melt the bacon fat until it glistens. Add half of the meat in a single layer and let it cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, until browned. Use a spatula to flip the meat over. Repeat, browning the meat on all sides, then transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining half of the meat and repeat the browning process. Once all the meat is browned, return it all to the pot and lower the hea t to medium. Add the onion and celery to pot and sauté for 5 minutes, stir - ring frequently, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add 2 cups (470 ml) of the stock and use a spatula to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the soup pot. Add the remaining 6 cups (1410 ml) stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a rolling simmer. Cover and simmer for 1 to 4 hours; additional time simply yields more tender meat. After simmering, add the cabbage and carrots to the pot. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to a rolling simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add all the remaining ingredients except the spinach. Bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat to a rolling simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Right before serving, stir the fresh spinach into the simmering soup. Turn off the heat, wait 5 minutes, and serve. Yield: 8 to 10 servings |
Classy Chicken Salad with Dates and Walnuts from Chapter 8: A Salad, Please!
| CLASSY CHICKEN SALAD WITH DATES AND WALNUTS The first bold soul to combine fruit, chicken, and mayo should get a mighty high-five. Our homemade Simply Mayonnaise recipe (page 178) is an easy and valuable nutritional upgrade from store-bought, as it allows the cook to control the quality of oil used (and leave out the preservatives). Perfect for a gourmet sandwich or salad, crisp bacon and the deep flavor of dates take this classic dish over the top. Ingredients:
Place the chicken, bacon, dates, scallion, celery, and grapes in a medium-size glass mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Pour the mayonnaise on top and sprinkle with the sea salt. Toss to combine, making sure to coat all ingredients well. Refrigerate until chilled, adding the nuts just prior to serving, but after the salad is chilled (to keep them crunchy). Yield: 4 to 6 servings Recipe Notes: |
Sticky Chicken from Chapter 9: Nourishing Suppers
| STICKY CHICKEN This dish was first named Maple Dijon Chicken, but you’ll see why it quickly became Sticky Chicken! Perfect for a cookout, football game, or casual dinner, it is delicious whether hot right from the oven or sliced cold and stuffed in a sourdough sandwich the next day. The sauce is rich and flavorful, and the meat is fall-off-the-bone moist. Kids love this meal. Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, or gas mark 4). Combine the butter, maple syrup, mustard, curry powder, 2 teaspoons (12 g) of the sea salt, and the cayenne in a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish. While the oven is preheating, place the dish in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the butter fully melts but does not brown. Remove the pan from the oven and whisk the ingredients to combine. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then liberally dredge each piece of the chicken in the sauce. Gently slide your fingers between the skin and the flesh of the chicken, being careful not to tear the skin. Using a pastry brush, coat both the flesh and the skin thoroughly with sauce. Gently pull the skin back into place. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the pan, skin-side up. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon sea salt and the pepper. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove and baste with the pastry brush using the pan sauces. Bake, uncovered, for an additional 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat the broiler. Baste the chicken one final time, then broil for 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken skin browns nicely. Be careful not to burn. Yield: 4 servings |
Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Parmesan from Chapter 10: Seasonal Sides
| ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH PINE NUTS AND PARMESAN Cooking feels the best to me when it has an element of “throwing it all together.” I love to feel the freedom of tossing things into a dish, popping it in the oven, and coming out the other side with a roasted, delicious pile of good food. This dish is a perfect example. Case in point: If you can’t find golden raisins, regular raisins or currants will work just fine. Ingredients:
Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC, or gas mark 7). Melt the fat in a small-size pot over medium heat. In a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) glass baking dish, combine the smashed garlic, cauliflower, and pine nuts. Drizzle the melted renderings over the cauliflower mixture, and sprinkle the sea salt and pepper over the top. Toss well with a spatula until the cauliflower is evenly coated. Place the thyme sprigs on top. Bake for 25 minutes, then turn with a spatula, and sprinkle the Place the pan on a cooling rack and remove the thyme stems. Add the raisins and toss well. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings Recipe Note |
Beet Kavas from Chapter 11: Fermented Fixin’s
| BEET KAVAS One 4-ounce (120 ml) glass of beet kvass morning and night serves as an excellent blood tonic, digestive regulator, blood alkalizer, liver cleanser, and overall healing tonic. In general, it keeps things moving! Remember, this is a detox tool, not a sugary beverage! The taste is acquired, and we find it most palatable when served cold. And if you’re heading to a party tonight, avoid purple hands by wearing rubber gloves when peeling the beets! Ingredients:
Peel the beets and chop into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks. Place in the bottom of a clean 1-quart (1 L) Mason jar. To the jar, add the sea salt and whey. Fill the jar with water up to 1 inch (2.5 cm) below the top. Put the lid on and shake thoroughly. Leave the jar on the counter, at room temperature, for 2 days without opening, then transfer to the refrigerator to store. The jar does not need to be “ burped.” Once chilled and ready to serve, carefully pour the desired amount into a glass, leaving the beets in the bottom of the jar to continue strengthening the liquid. Enjoy as a tonic beverage. When all the liquid has been consumed, the process may be repeated one more time by adding the same amount of whey, sea salt, and water to the jar (which now only contains beets). Leave at room temperature for another 2 days without opening before transferring to the refrigerator for use. When the second batch of liquid has been consumed, compost the beets and start fresh. Yield: 2 quarts (1.8 L) Recipe Note |
Red Cabbage Kraut with Fresh Dill from Chapter 11: Fermented Fixin’s
| RED CABBAGE KRAUT WITH FRESH DILL Ultimately, fermented foods, such as kraut (a.k.a. sauerkraut), should be eaten with every meal in order to properly assist digestion. Although this recipe may be eaten after a week of room-temperature fermentation, the kraut is best when allowed to continue to slowly ferment in the refrigerator for one or two additional months. The longer it ferments, the more probiotics infuse and break down this living food! Ingredients:
Pull off and set aside one outer leaf of the red cabbage. Using a knife, roughly chop the cabbage into approximately 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces, resulting in 6 cups (420 g) loosely packed chopped cabbage, a perfect amount to fit in a 1-quart (1 L) Mason jar. If the cabbage yields too much, simply store the excess for another use. Divide the cabbage into 2 batches and, in the bowl of a food processer fitted with the traditional blade attachment, finely chop, scraping down the sides as necessary. Once processed, combine both batches in a large-size wooden or stainless steel bowl. Add the lemon juice, dill (and/or garlic), and sea salt. Toss well with a spatula to combine. Using your fists, the blunt top of a meat mallet, or a wooden pounder, pound the cabbage mixture for about 10 minutes, until a generous amount of juice is released. Pour the water over the top of the cabbage and toss well with a spatula to combine. Pack the mixture into a 1-quart (1 L) Mason jar that has been cleaned thoroughly with hot, soapy water. A wide-mouth canning funnel aids this process. Press the cabbage down into the jar firmly with your fist, a spoon, or a pounder until the juices rise above the cabbage. Check to make sure the top of the cabbage is at least 1 ½ inches (3.8 cm) below the top of the jar. If not, remove some. Clean the rim of the jar with a clean cloth or paper towel. Rinse the reserved cabbage leaf, and with kitchen shears, cut from the leaf a circle slightly larger than the circumference of the jar. Push the circle down into the jar, covering the shredded cabbage. Gently press down, allowing a bit of juice to flow over the top of the cabbage leaf. The leaf edges will rest against the edges of the jar and seal in the cabbage. Cover and place in a shaded space at room temperature for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer to the refrigerator for 1 to 2 (optional) months. The kraut may be eaten after 1 week of fermentation. Remove the lid and discard the cabbage leaf. If any mold sits on the top of the cabbage, scoop off and discard. A thin layer of mold does not mean the batch has spoiled. Start with a teaspoon of kraut with each meal, working up to a tablespoon or more to suit your body. Yield: 1 quart (568 g) Recipe Note |
Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Drops from Chapter 13: Save Room for Dessert!
| OLD-FASHIONED SOUR CREAM DROPS These cookies have been a family favorite since forever, but replacing the white flour and sugar with sprouted flour and natural sweetener was risky business and no easy task! But we did it! Keep in mind, the sour cream makes them even moister the second day. For frosting:
For cookies:
To make the frosting: In a small-size saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Combine the honey granules, milk, and vanilla in a medium-size mixing bowl and pour the hot, melted butter over the top. Blend with an electric mixer for 3 minutes. To make the cookies: Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC, or gas mark 4). Line 3 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large-size mixing bowl, beat the butter, honey granules, and eggs with an electric mixer on low speed to combine. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla, blending well. Add 2 cups (240 g) of the flour and the baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt and blend thoroughly. Add the remaining 2 cups (240 g) flour and blend for about 30 seconds. Chill, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Using a 1½-inch (3.8 cm) cookie scoop, drop the batter on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake for 10 minutes. Do not overbake; remove just as the edges of the cookie begin to turn brown. Cool completely before frosting. Store frosted cookies in an airtight container. Yield: 3½ dozen cookies |
Whew! I hope that gives you a good taste of what’s in store for you when you look through your own copy of Back to Butter. Remember, you will find lots of encouragement and many fantastic recipes
Here are the authors enjoying the sun and their chickens.
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proud contributor |
| Lea Harris founded Nourishing Treasures in 2006. A mom passionate about her family's health and well-being, Lea believes education is power. Encouraging others to take baby steps in the right direction of health for their families, Lea's goal is to raise awareness of what goes into our mouths and on our bodies, providing natural alternative information that promotes health and prevents disease by using traditional foods and nature's medicine.
Lea is a Certified Health Coach graduate from Beyond Organic University, and a Certified Aromatherapist graduate from Aromahead Institute. "Like" Nourishing Treasures on Facebook, join the Nourishing Treasures Group on Facebook, follow @NourishTreasure on Twitter, and subscribe to our newsletter. You can also find me on Learning About Essential Oils forum, and Fido Fermentation Facebook group. Disclaimer: I use affiliate links wherever possible. So if you click on a link, and make a purchase, I might make a small commission, but it doesn't cost you any more. |
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