Great as an afternoon snack or appetizer, these crisp cucumber cups are filled with roasted red pepper hummus and topped with tomatoes, crumbled feta and chopped walnuts for added crunch. Recipe by Beth Stark, RDN, LDN.
Ingredients
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (8 tablespoons)
1 English cucumber, ends trimmed (about 14 ounces)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper hummus
1/4 cup reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese
5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F and arrange walnuts evenly on a small baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, checking frequently, until toasted.
Slice cucumber crosswise into 18, ~3/4-inch thick slices. Using a small spoon, gently scoop out and discard the center of each cucumber slice, leaving bottom and sides intact.
In a small bowl, stir 6 tablespoons chopped walnuts and hummus. Spoon walnut-hummus mixture into each cucumber slice and top with 2 reserved tablespoons of chopped walnuts, feta cheese and quartered tomatoes.
Need a mid-day energy boost? These easy, no-bake Maple Walnut Energy Balls combine walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup and are rolled in diced walnuts for added crunch. Recipe by Crowded Kitchen.
Ingredients
2 cups walnuts, plus 1/4 cup for coating
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted (about 7 dates)
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
Add 2 cups walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup, vanilla and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth and the dough forms together into cohesive balls, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Finely dice the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts and add to a plate.
Form the dough into 16 balls and roll each ball in the diced walnuts to coat. Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Mini bites of almond “truffles” are rolled in a globally inspired flavor-packed coating.
Ingredients
1.18 oz cacao nibs
0.2 oz ground cinnamon
0.02 oz ancho chile powder
0.29 oz pure coconut sugar
9.8 oz creamy almond butter
0.59 oz unblanched almond meal or flour
1.47 oz honey
0.29 oz pure vanilla extract
0.2 oz cocoa powder, unsweetened
0.49 oz natural California Almonds, chopped fine
0.49 oz puffed quinoa
Instructions
Prepare Coating
Place cacao nibs in a spice grinder and pulse to a small grind. Finished texture should be a mixture of fine ground with small flecks of cacao nibs intact.
Place ground cacao nibs in a mixing bowl, then add cinnamon, ancho chile powder and coconut sugar. Whisk to combine evenly. Reserve for coating truffles.
Prepare Truffles
Place almond butter, almond meal, honey, vanilla extract and cocoa powder in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Blend lightly until creamy smooth and all ingredients are evenly combined.
Add the fine chopped almonds and puffed quinoa and blend just until evenly combined.
Scoop the mixture into one tablespoon-sized portions, then roll in your hands to form truffle balls.
Roll each almond truffle in the reserved cacao-cinnamon-ancho chile powder, fully and evenly coating each truffle (pressing the powder on to the truffles). Enjoy at room temperature and store in a sealed container.
Ditch traditional bread for sweet potato slices for this gluten-free take on classic avocado toast. Diced walnuts offer some added crunch while red pepper flakes kick things up with a little heat. Recipe by Crowded Kitchen.
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes
2 avocados, thinly sliced
1/2 cup walnuts, diced
1-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, plus more if desired
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon flaky salt
Instructions
Slice a small plank off one side of each sweet potato lengthwise. This will act as a base, so you can cut the sweet potato into toast slices easily. Prop the sweet potato on the flat side you created and slice each potato into planks about 1/4 inch thick.
For toaster preparation, pop the sweet potato planks in the toaster and toast until tender. This may take a few times, depending on your toaster.
For oven preparation, preheat your oven to 350° F. Lay the sweet potato planks on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Roast for 6-7 minutes per side, until they are easily pierced with a fork.
When they’re done toasting, lay the sweet potato toasts on plates and top with sliced avocado. Mash the avocado gently with a fork. Sprinkle with diced walnuts, red pepper flakes and drizzle with olive oil. Top with flaky salt.
Baked apples are a classic fall dessert and this version is made sweeter (and more nutritious) with pecans. Combine pecans, brown sugar and fresh apple slices for a comforting dessert that can be served on its own or alongside ice cream.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raw pecan pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room-temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5 apples, cored and cut in half
3 1/3 cups vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish.
In a bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt. Stir to combine. Using a fork, cut the butter into the brown sugar mixture until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.
Add the apple halves to the prepared casserole dish. Evenly sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the apples. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the apples are tender.
Serve warm. If you’d like, top each apple with around 2/3 cup ice cream and a generous drizzle of the caramelized brown sugar mixture at the bottom of the pan.
Using 3-ingredient mini pecan crusts as your base, these light and springy lemon berry tarts are flavorful individual desserts perfect for your next gathering.
Ingredients
Mini Pecan Crusts
2 cups pecan pieces or halves
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Lemon Filling
1/2 cup lemon curd
1/2 cup berries (blueberries or raspberries)
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
Make the mini pecan crusts: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a mini muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
Add pecans, butter, and sugar to a food processor. Blend until mixture comes together to form a coarse dough.
Scoop about 2 teaspoons of the pecan mixture in each muffin tin. Use the back of a wooden spoon or your fingers to press mixture evenly along the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup.
Bake for 12 minutes or until crusts are golden brown. Allow crusts to cool completely before removing them from pan.
Assemble crusts: Spoon 1 teaspoon of lemon curd into each mini pecan crust. Top with 1 raspberry or 3 small blueberries. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Makes 24 crusts.
With just a few simple ingredients, whip up these cherry pecan energy bites in under 10 minutes for a nutritious, power-packed snack! Chock full of super foods including pecans, cherries and oats – they’re deliciously packed with nutrients.
Ingredients
1 cup toasted pecan halves or pieces
1 cup dried cherries
4 medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon cacao powder, plus more for coating
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse until the ingredients begin to bind and form a loose dough-like ball.
Roll into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in cacao powder (optional) and transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 10 to 12 energy bites.
Notes
To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute 1/4 cup of certified gluten-free old-fashioned oats.
The energy balls will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
A fresh Atlantic salmon is gently drizzled with olive oil, lightly coated with a sweet honey and topped with finely crushed pistachios. Recipe by Chef Jesse Brune.
INGREDIENTS
10 ounces of fresh Atlantic salmon (a little more than half a pound)*
½ tablespoon olive oil (optional)
1 tablespoon raw honey
1/4 cup pistachios, finely crushed and chopped
Salt and pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut salmon in half to make two 5-ounce pieces. If salmon has skin still attached, leave it on to lock in extra moisture.
Gently drizzle olive oil on salmon, leaving an extremely light coat.
Lightly season with salt and pepper.
Pour honey over salmon halves and gently rub honey into meat using the back of a spoon.
Spread chopped pistachios over flat surface of plate and place glazed portion of the fish onto the pistachios, generously covering surface.
Place pistachio-covered salmon into an oven-safe dish or on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Place in heated oven for 10 minutes or until done (shouldn’t take more than 12 minutes max).
To make sure the salmon is done, gently press surface of fish with a fork. There should be a firm bounce.
These kid-friendly banana pops are the perfect sweet treat (and superfood snack) to have on hand! Dipped in dark chocolate and crunchy pecans – they’ll satisfy your sweet tooth in a nutritious way.
Ingredients
3 large bananas
8 ounces dark chocolate, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coconut or pecan oil (optional)*
1 cup toasted pecan pieces
6 popsicle sticks
INSTRUCTIONS
Line a baking sheet with wax or parchment paper.
Melt the chocolate, and oil if using, in a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth.
Peel and cut each banana in half. Place a popsicle stick in each half.
Dip each banana half into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off, and then dip into the chopped pecans. Place the banana on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the same process with the remaining banana halves.
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and allow the bananas to chill for at least 4 hours. The bananas will stay fresh in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 7 days.
