California Walnut and Wild Mushroom Hand Pies
Ingredients:
Pastry:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
- 1/4 cup (50 mL) cold cream cheese, cubed
- 3 tablespoons whipping cream (35 % M.F.)
Filling:
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 2 tablespoons dried porcini mushrooms, crumbled
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cups combination of shiitake caps, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup California walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
Preparation:
Pastry:
- Pulse flour and salt in food processor.
- Add butter and cream cheese, pulse just until dough forms pea-sized pieces. Drizzle cream evenly over dough and pulse until it begins to clump.
- Remove dough from processor, pat into round (add 1 tablespoon cream if dough does not hold together), wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).
Filling:
- Pour boiling water over crumbled porcini mushrooms, let stand 10 minutes.
- Melt butter in sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add fresh mushrooms and California walnuts to pan, cook 5 minutes.
- Add wine and porcini mushrooms with water, cook 7 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, cool. Stir in cheese. Can be covered and refrigerated up to 2 days.
- Roll dough on lightly floured surface to ¼ inch thickness. Using 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut 24 circles.
- Add 1 heaping tablespoon mushroom mixture to centre of 12 circles. Brush edges of pastry with egg, place remaining rounds of dough on top and crimp edges with fork.
- Slit tops with knife. Arrange 2-inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush tops with egg.
- Bake in centre of 180° C heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is golden. Serve warm.
Mini Graveyard Dirt Cakes with California Walnuts
Ingredients:
Gravestones:
- 70ml white chocolate melting wafers
- 8 California walnut halves
- 1 small tube black decorating gel
Graveyards:
- 70ml white chocolate melting wafers
- 8 California walnut halves
- 1 small tube black decorating gel
Preparation:
Gravestones:
- Prepare a baking sheet with wax paper.
- Place white chocolate in a small microwave safe dish. Heat chocolate in 15 second intervals, stirring with a spoon between each interval, until white chocolate is almost melted (you don’t want the chocolate to burn). Stir chocolate vigorously until all wafers are melted.
- Using a fork, dip each California walnut half into the chocolate, cover with chocolate, then remove, shaking excess back into the bowl. Place walnut halves onto wax paper.
- Refrigerate 15 minutes. Remove halves from refrigerator and write the letters “RIP” on each walnut halve using the black decorating gel.
Graveyards:
- Layer yogurt at the bottom of four short and wide mason jars or glass bowls.
- Add cookies and walnut halves to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form, about one minute.
- Spoon crumbs overtop yogurt. Place two gravestones in each mason jar graveyard. Serve or refrigerate until serving.
Pear & Walnut crumbles
Ingredients:
- 50g wholemeal flour
- 1 tablespoon light muscovado sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 25g sunflower spread
- 50g oats
- 25g California walnuts, chopped + extra to serve
- 25g raisins
- 2 tablespoons plain soya yogurt + extra to serve
- ½ tablespoon sunflower oil
- 4 Conference pears, halved and cored
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 200oC,.
Mix together the flour, sugar and ginger in a bowl, add the sunflower spread and rub in with your fingertip to give coarse breadcrumbs. Stir the oats, Walnuts and raisins. Mix in 2 tablespoons yogurt and set aside. - Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pears, cut side down for 3-4 minutes until golden and caramelised, transfer to a medium roasting tin, cut side up so that they fit in snuggly. Press on the Walnut crumble mixture. Add 3 tablespoons boiling water to the tin and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden and the pears are tender.
- Serve with extra yogurt and Walnuts sprinkled over.
Mediterranean Cod & Rice
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 peppers, 1 red, 1 yellow, diced
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 175g wholegrain rice
- 600ml chicken stock
- 250g cherry tomatoes
- 100g spinach
- 50g California walnuts, chopped
- ½ x 25g pack basil, shredded
- 4 x 120g cod fillets
Preparation:
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the peppers and onion for 5 minutes, add the garlic and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and stock, cover with a lid and cook for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Season.
- Stir in the spinach, Walnuts and basil and nestle in the cod, recover and cook for 5-7 minutes until the fish is cooked and the rice is tender.
Cooks tip: Try with salmon or hake fillets too.
Date and California Walnut Protein Bars
Ingredients:
- 100ml milk
- 1 teaspoon chocolate flavour protein powder
- 200g dried pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 3 high protein wheat biscuits
- 100g California walnuts + 15g for sprinkling
- 1 medium egg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 50g mixed seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment.
- Heat the milk and protein powder in a small saucepan to just below boiling, remove from the heat and add the dates, leave to soak for 5 minutes.
- Place the dates and any liquid a food processor and pulse to give a coarse paste. Crumble in the wheat biscuits and add the walnuts, egg and cinnamon and pulse again to give a coarse texture. Stir in the seeds and press into the prepared tin, smooth out the surface and sprinkle with the remaining Walnuts, pressing them in slightly.
- Bake for 20 minutes and allow to cool, brush with male syrup, if using, then cut into 12 bars.
Cooks tip: Try other flavours of protein powders or use plain whey powder.
Griddled Vegetables with Chickpeas & California Walnut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 aubergine, cut into 0.5cm long slices
- 2 courgettes, cut into 0.5cm long slices
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 tomatoes, chopped
- 50g California walnuts, chopped
- 150g Greek yogurt
- 50g pomegranate seeds
Preparation:
- Brush the vegetable slices with a little oil and griddle or fry in batches for 2 minutes each side to give golden bar marks, set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a separate frying pan and fry the onion and 2 cloves garlic for 3-4 minutes, add the chickpeas and cumin then add the tomatoes and half the walnuts and fry for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste.
- Mix together the yogurt, remaining garlic and Walnuts.
- Lay the vegetables on a large serving platter, top with the chickpea mixture. Spoon over the yogurt mixture and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds to serve.
Cooks tip: Swap the chickpeas for cannellini or kidney beans and add some fresh chilli for a little kick.
Green Shakshuka with California Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 spring onions, sliced
- 150g frozen peas, defrosted
- 150g frozen edamame beans, defrosted
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 50g California walnuts, roughly chopped
- 400g can lentils
- ½ x 25g pack coriander, chopped
- 4 medium eggs
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan and fry the spring onions, peas and beans for 3 minutes, add the cumin, chilli, walnuts and the lentils with the juice from the can, cook for a further 3 minutes. Stir in half the coriander and season.
- Make 4 hollows in the vegetables and crack an egg into each, place the pan in the oven for 7-8 minutes or until the egg white has just set. Seve sprinkled with remaining coriander and extra chopped walnuts, if liked.
Cooks tip:
When in season, try replacing 50g each of the peas and beans with 100g asparagus tip, cut into 3cm pieces. Serve with a drizzle of chilli sauce and crusty bread.
California Walnutty Veggie Meatballs
Ingredients:
- 425g Cannellini beans, canned, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup red peppers, roasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup California walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup red onion, minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup Italian seasoned dry breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons smoked sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning blend
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 egg
- Olive oil cooking spray
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 200°C and line a baking sheet with foil. Put beans and red peppers between paper towels and pat dry.
- Place in a food processor with all remaining ingredients except cooking spray.
- Pulse on and off until all ingredients are finely chopped. Do not over mix or meatballs will be mushy.
- Shape into balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Coat liberally with olive oil spray and cook for 10 more minutes. Spray again and cook for 10 minutes more.
- Serve with marinara over whole grain pasta or in whole grain rolls as a meatball sub.
Tip: Mixture will be easier to shape if refrigerated for several hours.
Italian BBQ California Walnuts 'Meat' Pizza
Ingredients:
- 420g strong white bread flour
- 7g sachet dried fast action yeast
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 140g pizza sauce
- 200g grated mozzarella or vegan alternative
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 150g California walnuts
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- Fresh basil leaves to garnish
Preparation:
- Place the flour, yeast and 1 teaspoon salt into the bowl of a kitchen mixer fitted with a dough hook. Stir to combine and mix in the oil and 250ml warm water to make dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Transfer to a large, oiled bowl, cover and prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C.
- Lightly knead the dough to knock out the air and divide into 2 balls. Roll out each ball to 26cm circle on a floured surface, spread with the pizza sauce leaving a 2cm border round the edges. Sprinkle with cheese followed by the pepper and onion. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, place the California walnuts and BBQ sauce in a food processor and blend to a mince-like consistency. Scatter over the pizzas and cook for a further 3-4 minutes.
- Scatter over fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of oil to serve.
Cooks tip:
Try adding a pinch of dried chilli flakes.
Meatless California Walnuts and Mushroom Sloppy Joes
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup California walnuts
- 1-pound Portobello mushrooms, gills and stems removed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-1/2 cups ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or vegan Worcestershire)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 8 potato buns, toasted
Preparation:
- Pulse the California walnuts and mushrooms in a food processor in batches until it breaks down and resembles a ground beef texture.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper and minced garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until the veggies soften.
- Add the California walnuts/mushroom mixture to the skillet; stir so everything is well combined and let cook for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, cayenne pepper, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and apple cider vinegar, then add to the skillet. Stir everything together and let simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust with salt to taste.
- Serve the prepared sloppy joe mix on top of toasted buns. Serve immediately while still warm.