DESCRIPTION
Give your toast a boost! Make pecans and blueberries the star of your daily breakfast routine with this sweet and savory recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup honey, divided
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 4 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425o
- In a 2-quart baking dish, toss together blueberries, 3 tablespoons of honey, olive oil, thyme, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until blueberries start to burst and juices are bubbly and slightly thickened.
- Spread ricotta cheese over toast. Top with roasted blueberries and toasted pecan pieces, and drizzle with remaining honey.
DESCRIPTION
This avocado walnut smoothie gets its naturally green hue from matcha powder and a handful of fresh mint leaves. California walnuts and avocado add nutrients and body to this rich and creamy smoothie.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup low fat milk (or substitute non-dairy milk of choice)
- 2 tablespoons California Walnuts
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon matcha powder
- 12 fresh mint leaves
- 2 ice cubes
- 1 frozen banana
- 1/4 avocado
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Recipe courtesy of Nuts for Life (www.nutsforlife.com.au)
Ingredients
- 7 eggs
- 2 tablespoons self-rising flour, sifted
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped basil
- 2 1/2 ounces raw pine nuts
- 2 1/2 ounces goat’s cheese, roughly crumbled
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
- 3 1/2 ounces cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray six (¾ cup capacity) ramekins lightly with oil spray.
- Place the eggs in a bowl and whisk lightly. Add flour, herbs, pine nuts, goat’s cheese and pepper. Stir until just combined.
- Divide mixture between the ramekins. Place a few cherry tomato pieces in each ramekin.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and set.
- Remove from oven, stand for 5 minutes then serve warm or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe courtesy of Nuts for Life (www.nutsforlife.com.au)
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw, unsalted cashews
- 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 small banana
- 1 cup almond milk, or milk of your choice (dairy, soy and nut milks all work well)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
Tips: Smoothie can be prepared in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Recipe can be multiplied, as desired. Substitute blueberries with an equal quantity of another berry.
Recipe courtesy of Nuts for Life (www.nutsforlife.com.au)
Ingredients
- Cooking oil spray such as canola or olive oil
- 2 ½ ounces sliced Swiss brown mushrooms
- 2 slices red capsicum
- 2 ounces baby English spinach
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons water
- Cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
- 1 ounce chopped toasted macadamias
Instructions
- Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking oil spray such as olive or canola oils. Sauté mushrooms, red capsicum and spinach until golden and tender and the spinach has wilted. Remove from pan and wipe out pan.
- Combine whisked eggs, water and pepper and add to the pan. Cook over medium low heat until omelette is just firm, then fold over in half.
- Combine the parsley, lemon rind and macadamias in a separate bowl. Transfer the omelette to a plate, spoon over sauteed mushroom mixture and then top with the macadamia mix.
Description
This breakfast has lots of variations. The grains you use are totally up to your taste preference, and the more you use, the greater the nutrient content, flavor and texture. You can cook a week’s worth ahead of time, and store sealed in the refrigerator, so all you have to do is add the accompaniments. If you want gluten free, go for quinoa, millet, whole oats or even grits for a Southern twist! Other great grains are farro, barley, and rye. All have different cooking times, so be sure to read the package before cooking.
Ingredients
Sweet Version
- 1 cup cooked grains of choice
- ¼ cup apple or orange juice
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup fruit of choice, such as berries, peaches, apple or pear
- ½ cup chopped mixed tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and/or walnuts)
Instructions
- Toss the grains with the juice in a bowl. Spoon over yogurt and berries and scatter with nuts. If making a savory version, omit juice and spoon toppings over cooked grains.
Savory Version
- 1 cup cooked grains of choice
- Topping suggestions: Sautéed spinach, mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, avocado, bacon, poached egg and/or fresh herbs
- Toasted nuts
Description
Tree nuts add a crunchy twist to this Avocado Toast.
Ingredients
Spicy Nuts
- ¼ cup mixed nuts, roughly chopped (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, macadamias and/or walnuts)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons spicy seasoning of preference. such as cajun, Sriracha or tabasco
Avocado Toast
- 2 thick slices grain or sourdough bread
- 2 tablespoons Ricotta cheese
- 1 avocado
- Juice of ½ lemon
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup arugula
- 2 poached eggs, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss nuts with butter then add chili seasoning to taste. Lay on a baking tray and roast for 6-8 minutes or until aromatic and starting to brown. Allow to cool.
- Toast bread and spread with ricotta cheese. Lay slices of avocado over cheese, then sprinkle with lemon and season. Place a small mound of arugula on top, then scatter spicy nuts over top.
- If desired add a poached egg.
Description
What a delicious way to start your morning, with a mix of blueberries and your favorite nuts.
Ingredients
- 4 cups self-rising flour (for plain flour, add 2 teaspoons baking powder per cup of flour)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 ounces butter, chilled
- ½ cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios (or nuts of choice)
- ½ cup blueberries (or seasonal fruit)
- 1¾ cup milk or buttermilk*
- 2 teaspoon milk, plus extra
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or brush with melted butter.
- Sift flour and salt into a large bowl. Stir in sugar.
- Dice butter into small pieces and add to flour. Rub butter lightly with fingertips through the flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. (You can also use a food processor, pulsing until texture is reached.)
- Add nuts and blueberries and fold through, careful not to break up blueberries.
- Make a well in the center and pour in milk. Stir quickly and lightly with a knife until mixture forms a dough, then turn onto a floured board. Knead gently to a smooth dough.
- Press dough out to 1-inch thickness then cut into desired size (in triangles or circles) and transfer to prepared trays. Brush with extra milk and transfer to center of oven.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Allow to cool slightly on wire racks.
- Serve warm, spread with jam and a spoon of yogurt (or, if feeling luxurious, double cream).
*Buttermilk adds an airy lightness and slight tang to the finished bread.
Variations
- Pumpkin puree with the classic spices added to the milk (use less milk), and pecans is a true American breakfast.
- Peaches and sliced almonds
- Add unsweetened cocoa to flour and roast hazelnuts
- Pears and walnuts
- Dried currants and cranberries with pistachios
- Mango and macadamias
- Go savory with fresh basil and pine nuts
Description
You won’t go back to store bought nut butter after making your own. It’s easy to do, tastes so much fresher, you can use any nut or even a blend, and, most importantly, you know exactly what’s going in it. All you need is a food processor or high-speed blender. Each nut behaves differently because of texture and oil content, and different processors will take different times, so it’s really a matter of experimentation.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of tree nuts (choose your favorite)
Instructions
- Roast 1 cup of nuts. You can use raw nuts, but the flavors and ability to make butter are greatly enhanced after roasting in a 350°F oven for 8-12 minutes. The denser nuts – almonds, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and macadamias – take a bit longer than walnuts, pecans and pistachios. Check after 8 minutes; they should be just browning and aromatic. Allow to cool to room temperature. Hazelnuts can be bitter if you keep on the skin, so place the nuts in a dish towel and rub off most of the skin before processing.
- Add nuts to food processor and pulse on and off, first to crumbs, then continue to process until a paste starts to form. Scrape down sides, then continue to process until desired consistency. This may take 10-12 minutes, sometimes up to 20 minutes in less powerful processors. If it’s not looking like a paste is forming, add a few drops of a nut or olive oil to help the process.
- Flavor (or not). You may just like to eat your nut butter pure and natural, or make your own designer butter adding ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, soy, chili, nutmeg, chocolate (think Nutella) truffle oil, or stir in jam or jelly to make a swirl.
Tips
Storage – It’s best to store the nut butter in a sealed jar in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to a month.
Variations
- Almond butter: Spread on warm bruschetta and top with sautéed mushrooms (wonderful with chanterelles if they’re in season) and sage. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and pepper.
- Walnut butter: Spread crackers with walnut butter, then top with brie cheese and a fruit paste such as quince or fig. Then all you need is wine!
- Hazelnut butter: Add to a toasted tomato and cheese sandwich with some fresh basil leaves or arugula and a drizzle of good olive oil to complete the experience.
- Pecan butter: The sweet, rich and toasty notes of pecan butter need little to make it great. Simply spread on grain toast with honey and a sliced banana for a delicious meal.
- Pistachio butter: Spread on pizza crust before topping with vegetables, mortadella and mozzarella.
- Cashew butter: Perfect for Asian-inspired dishes. Whisk cashew butter with soy sauce and lime juice and toss through noodles just before serving.
- Brazil nut butter: Avocado toast spread with Brazil nut butter adds a unique depth and is especially great with a garnish of cherry tomatoes, mint and ricotta.
- Macadamia Butter: Just like real butter, macadamia butter makes the base to a wonderful healthier shortbread, or spread it on hot scones with jam for a decadent treat.
Description
As seen on the Hallmark Home & Family Channel. Featuring nutrient-rich cranberries, walnuts and orange juice, this tart-sweet combination is perfect for your holiday breakfast or brunch. Make ahead the night before and pop in the oven in the morning!
* Nutrition information is for French Toast only
Ingredients
Overnight Walnut French Toast
- 8 slices Texas Toast or 1-inch thick slices French bread
- 2 1/2 cups milk or walnut milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (plus extra for baking dish)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 eggs
Cranberry Walnut Ginger Compote
- 1/2 cup toasted California Walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups cranberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice (juice from 2 oranges)
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Zest from 1 orange
Instructions
Overnight Walnut French Toast
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place bread on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes or until it’s lightly toasted on the outside, but still very soft on the inside. Butter a 13 X 9– inch baking dish.
- Whisk together milk, sugar, butter, extract, cinnamon and eggs in a large bowl. Dip each bread slice into mixture and let soak for about 15 seconds on each side. Place in prepared baking dish, overlapping slices slightly if necessary.
- Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until it’s golden brown and somewhat firm to the touch. Serve immediately.
Cranberry Walnut Ginger Compote
- To toast walnuts: Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350°F. Place walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and chop coarsely.
- On medium heat, bring to a boil and stir frequently for 12-15 minutes until the cranberries pop and the liquid starts to reduce.
- Serve warm or transfer to container and refrigerate once cooled.
