Description
This is your chance to create your own nut delight, whether sweet, salty, bitter, sour or umami. These nuts can be used just to nibble on their own, or as added flavor in a dish. For example, pepper dusted cashews over a salad in place of pepper, honey cinnamon macadamias over cereal rather than sugar, or soy almonds in stir fry. There are many methods for flavoring nuts – here are a few ideas.
Roasted Nuts
There are a few different ways to add seasoning to nuts in the oven:
- Toss 1 cup of nuts in a teaspoon of oil, then dust with spices of choice – chili, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, Chinese five spice, mustard powder or any other powdered herb. Lay on a lined baking tray and roast for 15-20 minutes at 350°F until golden brown.
- Place nuts in a casserole dish, drizzle with olive (or preferred nut oil) and scatter fresh sprigs of herbs over top, such as rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage or bay leaves. Even a few thin slices of lemon or orange zest work well. Toss to combine. Place in 350°F oven and bake for 10–15 minutes, tossing once or twice during cooking, until nuts are golden brown and aromatic. Cool and place in sealed jars with the seasonings and zest so flavors can develop.
Sautéed Nuts
Sautéing provides a rich coating for nuts and is best eaten straight away or within a week. These are great on cheese platters and in rice, pasta and stir fries.
- Melt a mixture of 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan.
- When melted, add a teaspoon of powdered seasoning, such as the combinations listed above, and stir until well blended.
- Add a cup of nuts of choice and stir to coat. Cook over medium-low heat, tossing pan constantly, until nuts are golden brown. Pour into a strainer and allow to cool.
Caramelized Nuts
Stove Top:
- Place 1 cup of nuts, ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Seasonings such as cinnamon and nutmeg can be added while stirring.
- Pour onto parchment paper and allow to cool, then break apart with hands. Store in a sealed container at room temperature.
Oven then Stovetop Version
- Toast the nuts in the oven first. Next, make a traditional caramel in a saucepan with 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon butter and toss in the nuts when ready. Try using a bit of Grand Marnier or other liqueur in the caramel and then pour onto parchment paper to cool.
Sweet-Dusted Nuts
Whether it’s cocoa, mint powder, cinnamon or vanilla, making sweetened nuts is simple and a great alternative to chocolate and candy. Sweet-dusted nuts are great chopped and sprinkled on oatmeal, yogurt or ice cream.
- Toss nuts in whisked egg white, just enough to coat, then add powdered spices, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ginger, and a sprinkle of sugar.
- Toss well then transfer to a lined baking sheet and bake on a low heat, 250°F, for 30-40 minutes or until golden and the mixture is caramelized on the nuts.
For Cocoa- or Mint-Dusted Nuts:
- Soften ¼ cup honey until runny. Add a few drops of vanilla if desired, then add 1 cup roasted nuts and toss to coat well. Strain off excess liquid.
- Place cocoa in bowl, add nuts and toss to coat all nuts. The best way to do this is to lift and shake the bowl. Spread on a lined tray to dry.
- For Mint-dusted Nuts, combine ¼ cup each: powdered sugar and cornstarch. Add a few drops of peppermint essence.
- Add nuts to coat and proceed as above.
Description
Enjoy this salad with crackers or in a tortilla wrap too.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, light if preferred
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- 1 cup julienne or diced apple (tart apples are best such as Granny Smith, Fuji or Honeycrisp)
- 1 cup sliced celery
- ½ cup red grapes, halved
- ½ cup roasted walnuts and pecans (or nuts of choice)
- 2 endives, sliced lengthwise
- 1 small radicchio, shaved
Instructions
- Whisk together the yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season to taste.
- Place apple, celery, grapes and nuts in a large bowl. Add dressing and mix well.
- Combine lettuces and arrange in a bowl, top with apple mixture, and serve straight away with some crusty bread.
Variations
Bring a seasonal touch to this recipe:
- Pears and pine nuts
- Papaya and cashews
- Strawberries and pistachios
- Figs and hazelnuts
- Cantaloupe and almonds
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
By Jenny Shea Rawn, MS, MPH, RD, recipe developer and healthy food blogger at My Cape Cod Kitchen
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) salted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Pierce sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or sharp knife. Let sweet potatoes cool slightly then slice open lengthwise and spread open slightly. Mash pulp of each sweet potato with a fork.
- Combine chopped walnuts, cranberries, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt into a medium bowl; mix well.
- Mound each sweet potato with 1/3 cup cranberry walnut mixture. Place sweet potatoes back in oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, until topping is warm and fragrant. Remove sweet potatoes from oven.
- Drizzle sweet potatoes with maple syrup and serve warm.
Description
This classic spinach salad is dressed up with Candied California walnuts, blue cheese, prosciutto and pomegranate arils.
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Candied Walnuts
- 1 cup California walnuts
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salad
- 10 cups baby spinach
- 8 strips prosciutto
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
- 2 firm but ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced
Instructions
- To prepare dressing, stir together onion, vinegar and Dijon in a small bowl. Slowly add olive oil and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.
- To prepare Candied Walnuts, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add walnuts and cook for 5 minutes to toast. Add sugar and cook for a few minutes more or until walnuts are nicely glazed.
- Place salad ingredients in a large bowl and sprinkle with Candied Walnuts. Toss well to coat and serve immediately.
Description
You will fall in love with this ultimate pumpkin bread recipe loaded with California walnuts, aromatic fall spices and a crunchy sugar crust.
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 3/4 cup chopped California walnuts
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- Top with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and coat with flour.
- Whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a large. Add walnuts and toss to coat.
- Whisk together pumpkin puree, oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened, being careful not to over mix.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and sprinkle sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake for 65 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan and slicing.
Hazelnuts, cake and chocolate–three things that just belong together. This sweet potato variation will delight the palate of any cake connoisseur!
Description
- 1-2 sweet potatoes, peeled, resulting in 1 cup mashed
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Oregon hazelnuts, finely chopped
- 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Bring a medium sized pot of water to boil. Add peeled sweet potato and boil until potato is soft. Drain and let cool slightly, then mash. Measure out 1 cup.
- In a large bowl, beat together mashed sweet potatoes and canola oil. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well blended.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sweet potato mixture, mixing until well combined. Finally, add chopped hazelnuts.
- Using a double boiler pot (or two pots stacked together), fill the bottom pot with 2 inches of water. In the top pot, combine chocolate, vanilla extract, and half and half. Turn heat on high and bring water in bottom pot to a boil, stirring the chocolate mixture until it’s fully melted. Remove from heat.
- Transfer ⅓ of the sweet potato mixture to melted chocolate and mix until fully blended.
- Butter the bottom of a 10-inch bundt cake pan. Pour chocolate mixture in and spread evenly. Next, pour sweet potato mixture in. Bake for 45 minutes. Test to make sure the thickest part is done. Let cool slightly before flipping.
Description
These tender, lightly sauteed green beans will look gorgeous on any Thanksgiving table, but are also simple enough to make quickly for a casual dinner. Hazelnuts add their famous crunch and flavor in a surprisingly delicious pairing.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of fresh, slender green beans, trimmed
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped darkly roasted and skinned Oregon hazelnuts
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the beans and cook just until the beans are becoming tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and immediately plunge the beans into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.
- Drain well and set aside for up to several hours in the refrigerator.
- When ready to serve, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the thyme and gently sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the mustard and salt and stir to blend it into the butter.
- Add the beans to the skillet and sauté until the beans are just barely tender, which will take about 7 minutes.
- Toss with most of the hazelnuts and then transfer the beans to a serving bowl.
- Sprinkle with the remaining hazelnuts and the remaining 1 tablespoon of thyme.
Description
Created by Chef Christine Farkas of IHeart Food Consulting on behalf of the Almond Board of California. Perfect for enjoying as is, including in snack packs!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 sheets of roasted sushi nori, crushed into small pieces, reserve some for garnish
- 6 tablespoons brown rice syrup
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons tamari
Directions
- Preheat oven to 320F. Prepare nonstick baking mat on baking traying, ready for use.
- Coat a large mixing bowl with the melted coconut oil, along with a spoon you plan to use for mixing.
- Lightly toast almonds and seeds and combine fully in bowl with the crushed nori.
- In a small saucepan combine brown rice syrup, honey, and tamari with a whisk. Heat, bring to a controlled gentle boil and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the base has thickened, whisking often.
- Pour the thickened syrup over the almond mixture and combine thoroughly, ensuring that all the nuts and seeds have been coated and combined well.
- Pour the mixture immediately on top of a non-stick baking mat and tray, press firmly down, evenly, approximately 12” by 9” for the length and width. Sprinkle remaining garnishing nori on top.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and cool until easy to manage with hands.
- Cut into pieces and allow to cool fully. Enjoy immediately, or store in airtight container and enjoy later as a snack.
Description
Blogger Dani Breiner of Dani’s Healthy Eats shares a delicious vegan and gluten-free treat that is perfect for breakfast or anytime snacking – Banana Pecan Chia Parfaits!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pecan pieces
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 1/2 cups plant milk
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 banana
- 1-2 tablespoons pecan butter, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
Instructions
- Blend the milk, half the banana, half of the pecan pieces, vanilla, maple (if using), & cinnamon in a blender until smooth. Then pulse in the chia seeds.
- Divide amongst two jars & place in the fridge for 45min-an hour to thicken.
- Then layer with remaining 1/2 sliced banana & pecans.
- Top with a little vanilla coconut yogurt if you want a little extra somethin’ somethin’! Enjoy!
