Baklava Butter Recipe

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute.

I have been on a huge nut kick lately. They taste delicious and are a great source of nutrients. A recent, large-scale Harvard study just titled their findings, “Nut consumption reduces risk of death.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty huge benefit of eating nuts to me! ;p

I’ve loved pistachios since I first tried them in pistachio ice cream the summer of 2004. I was 14 years old, working down the shore at my first job as an ice cream scooper at Kohrs Frozen Custard. That job was the life. I was feet from the ocean and could eat as much ice cream I wanted. I remember balking at the ice cream with pieces of green nuts in it, thinking it looked so weird and would taste gross. All my coworkers insisted that it was delicious and I had to try it. (Is this an example of ice cream peer pressure?) I had one bite and was hooked.

Now that I am no longer 14 and have realized eating ice cream all day every day is not the healthiest decision my relationship with pistachios has changed. I now grab a handful for after a workout, or to pair with some popcorn for a snack at work. Pistachios are one of the lowest fat, lowest calorie snack nuts, and are among the highest in protein. A serving of pistachios is 49 kernels, compared to 23 almonds, 14 walnut halves, or 18 cashews. I eat a variety of nuts multiple times a day and count out the serving size each time to make sure I’m not going overboard. I love that with pistachios I get more food.

I’ve been really trying to make healthy lifestyle choices. Along with ramping up my exercise and working on increasing my sleep, I’ve started planning out my meals more. When I have a plan I feel in control and am way less likely to deviate from it. Also, by having my food all ready to go I spare myself the headaches of trying to make early morning decisions. The less opportunity I give myself to be lazy and chose a candy bar the better.

Baklava butter is a recipe Josh and I came up with that is perfect for prepping ahead of time and snacking on during the week. It will taste like you’re eating a dessert, when in actuality you’re eating a pretty well rounded snack.

Baklava Butter

• 2 cups roasted, salted pistachios in shells (1 cup if using shelled pistachios)
• 1½ Tbsp honey
• ½ Tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• If you are not using a high powered blender like a Vitamix you will probably need to add 1 ounce of water as well to help soften things up to mix.

• Shell the pistachios and add to your blender or food processor.
• Add the oil, honey, and cinnamon, and blend on medium on the mixture turns into a thick paste.
• Depending on your blender/food processor, you may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides of the mixing vessel. If the mixture gets too thick to blend, add water a few drops at a time and pulse to combine.
• Continue blending on medium until mixture is smooth.

• Transfer to a small bowl and serve.

This literally tastes like baklava. It’s amazing. We spread it on a piece of Ezekiel bread for an evening treat. Another benefit of pistachios is all the fiber. A serving of pistachios has 12% of your daily recommended fiber. Fiber helps you stay fuller longer and keeps you from wanting to eat everything in site.

Valerie Waters has teamed up with The Pistachio Health Institute to share tips on how to make healthy lifestyle choices even when you’re feeling busy and are pressed for time. Her workouts are available at Valslide.

If you’re a pistachio and workout fan then you should enter to win The Pistachio Health Institute’s Shine Like Stars sweepstakes! All you have to do is like their Facebook page and enter the information prompted. You’ll then be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card, pistachios, Valerie Waters Valslide training program, and some fun fitness gear. Good luck!

Questions of the Day: Are you a pistachio fan? What’s your favorite way to eat them?

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute.