Archive

Nut: Pistachios

Baked Potato and Melon Salad with Pistachio Vinaigrette

Description

This is the perfect picnic food, salad can be served warm or room temperature. The mix of the salty potatoes and the sweet melon is just perfect. Tastes amazing with some salty cured meat.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup shelled pistachio
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley
  • 1/2 fresh basil
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Pinch of salt and pepper
  • 20 small potatoes, cut in half
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 honeydew melon, in chunks
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon grated parmesan

Instructions

  1. Start with the vinaigrette. Place the pistachios in a blender and grind fine.
  2. Add herbs, vinegar and oil and blend until smooth. If the vinaigrette is too thick just add a little more oil.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bake the potatoes tossed in oil, salt and pepper in the oven at 380F for about 20 minutes or 15 minutes in a air fryer. Let them cool off a little.
  5. In a serving bowl mix potatoes, melon, red onion and the vinaigrette, mix well and serve.

Pistachio Arugula Brown Rice Salad

Description

Pistachio Arugula Brown Rice Salad

Ingredients

  • 3 cups arugula, lightly packed
  • 1 cup cooked brown Jasmine rice, cooled
  • 3 persimmons, chopped (may substitute with other seasonal sliced fruit, such as peaches, apples, or pears)
  • 1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • ⅓ cup pistachios

Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime, zest and juice
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked red paprika
  • ½ teaspoon agave nectar
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • Pinch salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Mix together the arugula, rice, persimmons, chickpeas, parsley and pistachios in a salad bowl.
  2. Toss together the tahini, olive oil, lime juice and zest, paprika, agave nectar, fresh ginger, and garlic until smooth.
  3. Fold dressing into salad and mix well to combine.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Crumble and Green onion Cremè Fraiche

Description

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Pistachio Crumble and Green Onion Crème Fraiche by Nancy Silverton.

Ingredients

Pistachio Paste:

  • ¼ cup / 55 g blended olive oil
  • ¼ cup / 30 g whole pistachios
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 each, zest of lemon, peeled with peeler
  • 2 tablespoons / 3 g fresh oregano, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon / 1 g fresh thyme, finely chopped
  • ½ teaspoon / 3 g kosher salt

Green Onion Crème Fraiche:

  • ½ cup / 120 g crème fraiche
  • ¼ cup / 30 g scallions, minced
  • ¼ cup / 30 g shallots, minced
  • 1 garlic, grated with Microplane®
  • 1 teaspoon / 6 g kosher salt
  • ½ lemon, juiced

Whole Roasted Cauliflower: 

  • 1 each cauliflower, leaves intact
  • Kosher salt for seasoning cooking water / as needed
  • 3 tablespoons / 20 g olive oil blend
  • 1 teaspoon / 5 g kosher salt

Pistachio Topping:

  • 3 tablespoons / 20 g extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon / 3 g flaky sea salt, such as Maldon sea salt
  • 3 tablespoons / 20 g pistachios, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon /3 g Micro Cilantro

Instructions

Pistachio Paste:
In a small sauce pot, combine oil, pistachios, garlic, and lemon zest and cook over medium heat until the garlic is light golden brown, and the nuts are toasted. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. In a food processor, add the mixture, oregano, thyme and salt. Pulse the mixture until the lemon zest is broken down and the nuts are chopped. Mixture will be like a chunky paste.

Green Onion Crème Fraiche:
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, combine and set aside.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower: 

  1. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add kosher salt until the water tastes like the ocean. Place the whole cauliflower into the water. The cauliflower will float, and the leaves will stick out of the water. Cook for about 7 minutes. Using tongs, flip the cauliflower so the leaves are submerged and cook for another 3 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the water and place onto a baking sheet. Allow to cool to room temperature. Pour off any excess water that had accumulated on the sheet pan and wipe dry. Drizzle the cauliflower with olive oil blend and sprinkle with 2 tsp (5 g) kosher salt.

Assembly:
Spread the pistachio paste evenly over the cauliflower. Place into the oven and roast for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and some spots have a slight char. Place on a plate or wooden board. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle flaky sea salt, chopped pistachios and Micro Cilantro. Serve with a side of the Green Onion Crème Fraiche.

Pistachio Chocolate Soufflé

Description

Pistachio Chocolate Soufflé by Chef Wolfgang Puck.

Ingredients

Pistachio Caramel

  • ½ cup / 100 g sugar, granulated
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 g water
  • 1 teaspoon / 6 g kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup / 45 g pistachios, coarsely chopped

Whipped Cream

  • 1 cup / 240 g heavy cream
  • ⅓ cup / 80 g pistachio butter

Pistachio Chocolate Soufflé

  • 2 ¼ cups / 385 g dark chocolate chips (66% to 70% Cocoa)
  • 7 tablespoons / 100 g butter, unsalted plus more for coating ceramic ramekins
  • ½ cup / 120 g pistachio butter
  • 6 each / 120 g egg yolks
  • ¾ cup / 150 g sugar, granulated
  • ¼ teaspoon / 1 g cream of tartar
  • 1 ¾ cups / 380 g egg whites

Instructions

Pistachio Caramel

Combine sugar, water and sea salt in a medium sauté pan or skillet. Heat over low heat to melt sugar. Simmer until syrup turns amber color, like honey. Add chopped pistachios and stir in until coated with syrup. Pour onto a silicon baking mat or parchment paper and spread mixture out with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool completely and chop into pistachio-size pieces.  

Whipped Cream

Pour cream into a cold mixing bowl and whisk until medium soft peak. Fold in pistachio butter and continue whisking to medium stiff peaks.   

Pistachio Chocolate Soufflé

  1. Prepare 6-oz. (175 ml) baking cups by coating sides and bottoms with soft butter and coating with sugar. Set aside. 
  2. Over a double boiler, melt together chocolate, butter and pistachio butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs yolks and sugar for about 3 minutes. Combine the two mixtures and fold together until fully combined.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer at medium speed until the egg whites are fluffy and hold soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until whites hold stiff peaks.
  4. Add equal amount of egg whites in three stages. Pour mixture into baking cups all the way to the top. Scrape off any excess with an offset spatula or knife to make an even top. Run your finger around inside of rim to create a separation between soufflé batter and baking dish. Bake in a preheated 375 °F (190 °C) for approximately 15 minutes, or until soufflés have risen.

Assembly

  1. Arrange small plates in a row. Next to plates arrange whipped cream, chopped pistachio caramel and powdered sugar in shaker with fine mesh. 
  2. Remove soufflés from the oven, and moving quickly, but carefully place a soufflé on each plate. Spoon a dollop of whipped cream onto each soufflé, sprinkle with chopped pistachio crumble and sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Plating the souffles is best done with two people.

Poached Halibut with Pistachio Soup

Description

Poached Halibut with Pistachio Soup by Chef Gerald Hirigoyen.

Ingredients

Warm Pistachio Soup:

  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml olive oil
  • 2⁄3 cup / 75 g onion, chopped
  • 2 springs fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 each garlic clove
  • ½ cup / 80 g pistachios, whole
  • 4¼ cup / 1000 ml chicken broth
  • Salt as needed
  • Pepper as needed

Garnish:

  • ¼ cup / 60 ml olive oil
  • 1 cup / 120 g onion, diced
  • ½ cup / 120 g butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1⅓ cups / 120 g fennel, sliced
  • ¾ cup / 120 g celery root, diced
  • 2 2/3 cups / 120 g carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
  • 2 cups, 1 tablespoon / 500 ml white wine
  • 1 cup / 250 ml chicken stock
  • Salt as needed
  • Pepper as needed

Pistachio Pesto Topping: 

  • 15 basil leaves
  • 1 garlic clove, whole
  • 2 tablespoons / 20 g potato, cooked
  • ⅓ cup / 50 g pistachios, whole
  • ½ cup / 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • Salt as needed
  • Pepper as needed

Assembly:

  • 1 pound / 500 g halibut filet, cut into cubes
  • Salt as needed
  • Pepper as needed
  • Extra virgin olive oil as needed

Instructions

Warm Pistachio Soup:

  1. In a large saucepan on medium heat, combine olive oil, onion, thyme, garlic, and pistachio kernels. Sauté for about five minutes, or until golden brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for about twenty minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  2. When finished, pour saucepan contents into a blender and mix on high. Strain through a small sieve and set aside.

Garnish:

  1. In a large sauté pan, on medium heat, combine olive oil, onion, butternut squash, fennel, celery root, and carrots. Sauté for about five minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Add white wine and bring to a boil until all the liquid is gone. When the liquid has evaporated, add the chicken broth and continue to boil until all the liquid is gone and the vegetables are cooked through. Set aside.

Pistachio Pesto Topping:

  1. Combine basil, garlic, potato, pistachio kernels, and salt in a mortar and mash it together. When it starts to break down a bit, gradually add the olive oil and continue to mash it all together.
  2. After it has been mixed well, add the lemon juice and mix together. Set aside.

Assembly:

  1. Add salt and pepper to the halibut cubes and sauté in a medium sized sauté pan on medium high for about two minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
  2. Place a towel on a plate, and when fish is golden brown, pour the cooked fish on top of the towel (to remove excess oil).
  3. In a separate shallow bowl, pour in some of the hot pistachio soup with a ladle, add vegetables on top, and place about five or six cubes of halibut on top of the vegetables.
  4. Sprinkle the pistachio pesto topping over the soup and finish with some extra virgin olive oil over the dish.

Pistachio Florentine Cookies

Description

Beautiful Pistachio Florentine Cookies by Chef Nancy Silverton.

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry Dough:

  • 2 ¾ cups / 330 g all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup / 100 g granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces / 226 g unsalted butter
  • 2 each / 40 g egg yolks
  • ¼ cup / 58 g heavy cream

Florentine FIlling:

  • ½ cup / 60 g pistachios, cut in half lengthwise
  • ⅓ cup / 76 g heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons / 61 g mild-flavored honey, such as clover
  • 3 tablespoons / 40 g granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 ounce / 30 g unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons / 24 g all-purpose flour

Assembly: 

  • ½ cup / 32 g dried cranberries
  • ½ cup / 60 g whole pistachios, shelled
  • 1 lemon, zested with a bar zester

Instructions

Sweet Pastry Dough

  1. Sift the flour in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar. Cut the butter into ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) pieces and toss with the flour until fully coated. Crumble the butter into the flour by rubbing it between your fingertips, lifting the pieces and letting it fall back down. Continue until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and heavy cream and pour into the flour mixture. Gather the dough together with your hands until it forms into a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least two hours.
  3. Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 330 °F (165 °C).

For the Cookies:

Divide the dough in half and return the remainder to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 12 inches (30.0 cm) circle, about ¼ inch (6.5 mm) thick. Cut out four 5 ¼ inches (13.5 cm) circles leaving the scraps intact. Transfer the circles to a parchment lined baking sheet and prick the surface of the circles about ten times with the tines of a fork. Using a 1-inch (2.5 cm) cutter, cut out small circles from the scraps of the dough. Brush the edge of the larger circles with water and place the smaller circles, touching, around the entire edge to create a border. Chill until firm.

Florentine Filling:

  1. In a medium heavy-duty saucepan, stir together the cream, honey, and sugar. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape out the pulp and seeds with the back of the knife.
  2. Add the scraping and the pod to the mixture. Add the butter and over medium heat bring the mixture to a boil without stirring, tilting and swirling the pan to ensure it cooks evening without coloring. Cooking for 5-6 minutes until it reaches 230 °F (110 °C). Remove from the heat and sift in the flour, whisking to combine. Remove the vanilla bean. Stir in the chopped pistachios.

Assembly:

Spoon the mixture into the center of the cookies and spread it out and fills into the border. Sprinkle dried cranberries and lemon zest on top of the sugar mixture. With the remainder of the caramel stir in the whole pistachios. Place one pistachio on the center of each small circle around the border. Using a spoon, decorate the cookies using the remaining sugar mixture by dipping it into the mixture and waving it over the cookie creating sugar threads.

Happy Seafood in a Lettuce Cup

Description

Recipe by celebrity Chef Martin Yan, who has traveled around the world, sharing the best of Chinese and American culture, food, and personal enrichment with multiple generations of audiences. His grand vision is shaped by more than 3,500 culinary and travel TV shows, 32 cookbooks, and several restaurants in North America and Asia.

Ingredients

Marinade:

1 tsp / 3.0 g cornstarch

¼ tsp / 1.5 g salt

1/8 tsp / 0.5 g white pepper

2 tsp / 9 g cooking oil

Seafood:

8 oz / 225 g medium raw shrimp, shelled, deveined and diced

4 oz / 115 g raw scallops, diced

Stir-fry Mixture:

2 tbsp / 27 g cooking oil

¼ cup / 20 g green onions, diced

¼ cup / 35 g water chestnuts, diced

¼ cup / 30 g carrot, diced

¼ cup / 60 ml broth, seafood, chicken or vegetarian

1 tbsp / 18 g oyster-flavored sauce

1 tsp / 5 g sesame seed oil

1 tsp / 3 g cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp / 10 g water

1/2 cup / 65 g pistachios, roasted

Assembly:

2 – 3 tbsp / 32 – 48 g Hoisin sauce

Lettuce (iceberg, butter or romaine), cut into 12 lettuce cups

DIRECTIONS

  1. Marinade: In a medium bowl, combine ingredients.
  2. Seafood: Add shrimp and scallops to marinade; stir to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  3. Stir-fry Mixture: Heat a wok or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides.  Add seafood; toss and stir-fry for 2 minutes.  Remove seafood from wok.  Add green onions, water chestnuts and carrot; stir-fry until carrot is crisp tender.  Return seafood.  Add broth, oyster sauce and sesame oil. Add cornstarch solution; cook, stirring, until slightly thickened.  Add pistachios; toss well. 
  4. Assembly: To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce in center of a lettuce cup. Add about 2- 3 tablespoons of stir-fry mixture in each lettuce cup and serve.

PISTACHIO BERRY GOAT CHEESE SALAD

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Roasted, salted pistachios, chopped
  • 6 ounces Goat cheese
  • ½ cup Sliced strawberries
  • 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 – 2 teaspoons Honey
  • 3 tablespoons Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 8 ounces Prewashed baby lettuce salad greens or spring mix
  • 1 pint Raspberries
  • 1 cup Blueberries

Instructions

  1. Place the chopped pistachios on a plate. Divide the goat cheese into 16 equal pieces (about 1 teaspoon each) and roll into balls. Roll the cheese balls in the pistachios. Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
  2. Put the strawberries in a blender with the vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, olive oil and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more honey, salt and/or pepper if desired. Can be made a day ahead. Store in a small jar or covered container and give a good shake before using.
  3. Put the salad greens in a large mixing bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the raspberries and blueberries and gently toss. Divide the salad among 6 salad plates and top each with 4 pistachio goat cheese balls.

BBQ POTATOES WITH CANDIED SPICED PISTACHIOS, PISTACHIO CREMA & WATERCRESS

Ingredients

  • 2 Large sweet potatoes
  • 3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons BBQ spice or rub
  • ¼ pound Butter, melted
  • Salt, to taste

FOR THE PISTACHIO CREMA

  • ¼ cup Mexican Crema or creme fraiche
  • 3 tablespoons Pistachio, toasted and ground
  • Salt, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat sweet potatoes with vegetable oil. Rub sweet potatoes with half of the BBQ spice. Bake in oven until the sweet potatoes are cooked about ¾ of the way through. There should be slight resistance if you push a small knife or skewer into the center of the potatoes. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into wedges. Usually I cut them in half and then cut each half into thirds yielding six pieces total. Baste the sweet potato wedges with melted butter and liberally season with salt and the remaining BBQ spice. Grill over hot coals until the potatoes are golden brown and cooked all the way through.
  2. Serve hot. Garnish with spiced pistachios, drizzle of pistachio crema and watercress sprigs.

PISTACHIO TART WITH SHORTBREAD CRUST

Ingredients

FOR THE CRUST:

  • 6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • Salt, pinch
  • 1¾ cups plus 1 tablespoons flour

FOR THE FILLING:

  • 1⅓ cups unsalted pistachio kernels
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

FOR THE CRUST

  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine all ingredients and mix with paddle attachment until fully incorporated. Remove from bowl and press evenly into a fluted 9-inch tart pan that has been sprayed with pan spray. Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, line bottom of tart pan with a circle of parchment paper, cut to size. Fill with dry beans, enough to cover the parchment paper. Par-bake the shell until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool completely. Once cool, discard the beans (or store for later use).

FOR THE FILLING

  1. Pulse the pistachios in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (some of the pistachio will be mealy and the remainder will be coarse). Turn pistachios into a mixing bowl, add all other ingredients and combine with a spatula until fully incorporated.
  2. Fill the par-baked tart shell with the pistachio filling, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 30-40 minutes, until filling is golden brown and set. Test for doneness by inserting a clean knife or toothpick in the center—it should come out clean and the tart should not jiggle. If the crust begins to brown before the pie filling is set, cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake until done.
  3. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Note: Baking time may vary depending on oven and altitude.