HOMEMADE BUTTER

SOYA BUTTER

As homemade vegan butters, such as this soya butter, do not keep for very long, I recommend you put it in small containers and freeze it. Defrost small portions as required.

Makes: about 320g

• 115ml (½ cup) soya milk, homemade or shop-bought

• 200g (1 cup) coconut cooking fat, liquid or soft

• 2 tsp sunflower lecithin

• 2 pinches turmeric (for colour)

• 1 pinch Himalayan salt

1 Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until the salt has dissolved and the mixture is well emulsified.

2 Pour the mixture into small silicon or flexible plastic moulds and chill in the refrigerator for several hours until the butter is hard.

3 The soya butter can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days.

• Recipes and photographs extracted from Homemade Vegan Cheese, Yoghurt and Milk by Yvonne Hölzl-Singh, published by Grub Street Publishing Ltd.

TOP TIP

As olive oil butter is very soft and melts easily, we prefer to use it in winter. Soya butter is better on toast, warm bread or pastries.

OLIVE OIL BUTTER

Homemade vegan butter has the advantage of not using any palm oil. This recipe uses olive oil as a base.

Makes: about 180g

• 100g (½ cup) coconut cooking fat, liquid or soft

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp corn oil or another neutral-tasting vegetable oil

• 1 pinch turmeric (for colour)

• ⅛ tsp Himalayan salt

1 Mix all the ingredients using a stick blender until the salt has dissolved.

2 Then put the mixture in small silicon muffin trays and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

3 The olive oil butter can then be kept in the refrigerator or stored in the freezer until needed. It will keep in the refrigerator for about five days.

TOP TIP FOR COOKING MILLET

150g millet and 150 ml water produce around 270g cooked millet. Wash the millet well, first with hot, then with cold water. Then bring to the boil with the water in a small saucepan covered with a lid. The water should cover the millet by approx. 1 cm.

As soon as the millet boils, turn the heat down to its lowest setting and simmer covered for 20 minutes. Remove from the hob and steep for ten minutes.

MILLET BUTTER

This millet butter is a lower fat mixture of butter substitute and spread.

Makes: about 250g

• 50g (⅓ cup) cashew nuts, soaked

• 100g cooked millet, cooled

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• ½ tsp Himalayan salt

• 50g coconut cooking fat, liquid or soft

• 2 pinches turmeric (for colour)

• 30–40ml water

1 Soak the cashew nuts overnight. Cook the millet, then leave to cool.

2 Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until the cashews and millet are chopped into small pieces. If necessary, add some more water. Depending on your blender, stop it several times throughout the process and scrape the mixture towards the blade.

3 The butter can be kept in the refrigerator for about five days. Remove it from the refrigerator a few minutes before using otherwise it will be very hard. This millet butter can be frozen in small portions and defrosted as required.

Recipes and photographs extracted from Homemade Vegan Cheese, Yoghurt and Milk by Yvonne Hölzl-Singh, published by Grub Street Publishing Ltd.

GIGANTES PLAKI (BUTTER BEANS IN TOMATO SAUCE)

Serves 6-8 (as a side) or serves 3 (as a main)

• 80ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped