Category: Nut Usage Ideas

Welcome 2023!  We’ve been through a whirlwind few years and look forward to a new year full of vitality, health and new hopes.  And after the holiday season, we’re looking forward to getting out and getting active, in nature, the gym or just in the neighborhood. 

Professional and amateur sports enthusiasts alike value the contribution of nuts to their daily eating regime. Not only do tree nuts contain important vitamins and minerals, they’re also a great source of sustainable energy.

The simplest way to enjoy nuts on a hike, bike ride or other outdoor adventure, is to simply put a handful of mixed tree nuts in a bag with some dried fruit. But there’s so many more delicious ways to add nuts to your work out plan.

Nut butter – Start the day with your favorite nut butter on toast for breakfast. Or add it to a smoothie, to help keep hunger at bay longer. Nut butters are great on the road, spread on sandwiches, or put into small containers for dipping apples, celery, carrots and crackers. Nut butters are easy to make, and you can add your own flavors and make the texture as chunky and smooth as you like. Check our recipes here for some ideas to get your creative juices going!

Nut bars – In gas stations you see a whole variety of bars with nuts, but they’re usually laden with sugar, and much more expensive than making your own. Here are two ideas using pistachios and pecans.

Muffins – Muffins are a great mid-morning snack and kids love them. You can freeze them to pull out and take on the run – they’ll thaw out in a half-hour or so. Here’s some inspiration from our recipe collection.

Cheese and nuts – A delicious picnic idea for hikers or kayakers, is to pack a nut and cheese box, with some honey or fruit jam, crackers, and fruit such as sliced apple. It’s a lovely way to stop and enjoy the outdoors while you snack slowly and get energized for the rest of the day.  Check out the blog we wrote on great nut and cheese pairings.

Salads to go – A good one for all-day activities – whether it’s a simple green salad, pasta, rice or quinoa, adding some sliced, diced or whole nuts will give you a boost of protein, healthy fats and sustaining energy.

May 2023 be a wonderful year, full of health and happiness!

The holidays are here – full of joy, friends and family, celebration and parties!  It’s time to search for creative ways to entertain and come up with new ideas for party nibbles and small bites to serve with drinks.

Incorporating nuts into the menu has a number of benefits –they pair wonderfully with wine, they offer a multitude of flavors, and they add a heathy dose of nutrients often lacking in party food. So put out some bowls of mixed nuts, or go a step further and try some of these great ideas:

Cheese Platter – Nuts and cheese are nothing new – we’ve even done a whole blog on the topic. Think of a ball of goat cheese crusted in roasted chopped nuts and fresh herbs, or honey and walnuts drizzled over Manchego. Or, some camembert cheese baked in oiled ramekins with a splash of whisky, and some chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Bake for 10-15 minutes in a 350° oven. It’s delicious spooned onto flatbread crackers.

Bruschetta – Mushrooms are in season. Imagine a bruschetta with burrata or ricotta cheese and braised mushrooms, such as chanterelles, with a crumbling of roasted walnuts, pine nuts or Brazil nuts and fresh oregano or thyme.

Flavored Nuts – Whether sweet or hot, adding a delicious, flavored crust to nuts enables you to craft your own party nibble. We have a multitude of ideas for ways to season nuts in our recipe column, or use your own inspiration by adding your favorite herbs and spices. (They also make a great party gift bag for guests to take home).

Mini Pizzas – Turn our pistachio and zucchini pizza into pizza bites or use any nuts of choice. Simply cut small discs out of your pizza dough with a cookie cutter before putting on the topping and bake as usual.

Chicken and Shrimp Skewers – A real crowd pleaser, simply thread strips of chicken or a few raw shrimp onto soaked bamboo skewers, brush with some sesame oil and soy sauce, then serve with a nut sauce for dipping. Blend together nuts such as cashews, macadamias, almonds or hazelnuts with a squeeze of lime juice, soy, ginger and mirin (rice wine) or rice vinegar, adding enough liquid to make a dipping consistency.

Nut-stuffed Olives – You’ll often see almonds in olives in market olive bars, but you can really put any nut inside an olive. Make it even more special by finely dicing the nuts, adding goat cheese with some herbs or garlic and gently piping this mixture into the olives.

Chocolate Slabs – There’s always room for sweets on your party table and making your own chocolate slabs is a fun way to surprise guests with your creativity. Try chili flakes with dark chocolate and roasted almonds; salt, milk chocolate and pistachios; honey, white chocolate and walnuts, or fresh rosemary and hazelnuts on a mixed swirl of chocolates. Simply line a baking tray with parchment, pour over with melted chocolate and scatter with nuts and seasoning of choice. They go wonderfully with a glass of red wine or sparkling! Or if cocktails are the event, mix a little liqueur such as brandy or Cointreau into the chocolate.

Wishing you all a happy, safe and healthy holiday season!

Thankfully the world is gradually returning to a pre-pandemic state, and we can gather families and friends around the Thanksgiving table. As we look to create something special to celebrate, nuts can enhance so many of our traditional and not-so-traditional dishes. Here are some ideas to jazz up your Thanksgiving table with tree nuts.

Thanksgiving Toast – The party begins with a glass of bubbles or cider, and there’s no better accompaniment than a bowl of roasted nuts. They’ll keep your hunger craving at bay until the feast arrives.

Soup for starters – Switch from squash soup to our Mediterranean Carrot soup with a sweet and sour nut and dried fruit topping. Very fitting for a Fall table!

Stuffing – Add some crunch to your stuffing mix with nuts such as walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts, and perhaps the sweet touch of cranberries or currants.

Go Nuts with your Turkey – There are many ways to add some nuts to your turkey aside from the stuffing. Try bringing an Italian flair with either a pesto or a Spanish Romesco – you can substitute any tree nuts in these recipes. If you’re just going with roasted breasts, make a crumb of chopped nuts, cheese and mixed fresh herbs to crust the outsides.

Sweet Potato Casserole – Give your casserole a nutty sweet topping as the crowning glory. A scattering of pistachios, pecans and/or pine nuts, mixed with brown sugar and a few dollops of butter, turns a side into a treat! This is especially great if you have a non-meat eater in the group!

Green Beans –  Green beans and sliced toasted almonds are made in heaven, just with a kiss of honey, lemon zest and butter, and hazelnuts bring a beautiful earthiness to this green bean dish. Cashews and macadamias are also lovely with beans, but especially with pan roasted Brussel sprouts!

Nut Pastry for your Pie? – Pastry made with nuts makes a delicious and healthy alternative to traditional pastry. Try an Apple Gallette to use up the last of the season’s apples. Or if you want to go more traditional, here’s a part Pumpkin Pie, part cheesecake that’s sure to please anyone.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Nutty Chef!

It’s National Dessert Day and we decided to pay tribute to some of the many wonderful desserts enjoyed around the world, where nuts are a key ingredient!

Baklava – The first known record of Baklava dates back to 800BC in the Assyrian empire. Now credited to Greek, Turkish and Middle Eastern cuisines, that sweet and sumptuous layering of filo dough, honey and spiced nuts can be found all around the world. Here’s a classic Greek recipe for you to try!

Schnecken – This traditional German pastry is also commonly found in Austria, France and Northern European countries. A pastry formed into the shape of a snail (translation of Schnecken), is glazed and dusted with nuts. This version, which you’ll find on our website, is made with hazelnuts.

Macaroons (Macarons) – The dessert you have when you’re not having dessert, these small nut-based meringues are filled with a succulent cream and come in a range of flavors. Fabulous with coffee or tea, they are now very popular in cafes around America. Here is one featuring almonds and a sweet raspberry filling.

Gelato – Who would say no to a classic Italian gelato, which often includes a base of nuts such as pistachio, nocciola (hazelnut) or almonds? Gelato is traditionally made using a milk-based custard rather than cream, so it’s often lower in fat and sugar than ice cream. An Indian version called Kulfi, uses condensed sweetened milk, saffron, turmeric, pistachios and cashews, and is perfect after a curry dish!

Rosewater Rice Pudding with Nuts and Pomegranate – There are many versions of sweet rice puddings from Lebanon, which use the floral notes of rosewater and a dusting of nuts, to Asia and Britain where either ginger or nutmeg lift the sweet rice and are always more appealing with a sprinkling of nuts!

Bon Appétit!