Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Sunflower seeds may be tiny but they certainly pack a big nutritional punch! One ounce of roasted kernels contains 170 calories, is a good source of protein, fiber, zinc, folate and vitamin B6, and supplies about one-third of the Daily Value for vitamin E and phosphorus. The seeds are also rich in healthful unsaturated fatty acids.
Try this amazing Sun Butter with a a twist!
Cinnamon Vanilla Sunflower Butter
Developed by Marisa McClellan
Ingredients
2 cups raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sunflower oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste, plus more as needed
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more as needed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread sunflower seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast in oven until seeds are fragrant and golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring at least twice during baking to ensure even roasting.
- Remove baking sheet from oven and let seeds cool for 10 minutes.
- Pour toasted seeds into a food processor. Add sea salt and 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil; begin to run the processor.
- As seeds break down, drizzle in remaining sunflower oil. Continue to process in 10- to 20-second intervals, stopping the processor after each interval to break up clumps and scrape down sides of bowl.
- As the mixture begins to look like butter, add vanilla paste and cinnamon and pulse to incorporate.
- Taste; add an additional pinch of cinnamon, vanilla or salt if necessary.
- Scrape the sunflower seed butter into a jar and store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.
- Makes 1 ½ cups
Nutritional Info
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Calories: 180
Total Fat: 17g; Saturated Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 120mg
Carbohydrates: 6g; Fiber: 2g; Sugars: 1g
Protein: 5g; Potassium: n/a; Phosphorus: n/a
Recipe reprinted from Food in Jars (Running Press 2012) by Marisa McClellan. Also sourced at Food & Nutrition Magazine
