Braised Peas with Pancetta and California Walnuts

Ingredients:

  • ½ tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • 150g smoked diced pancetta
  • 5 spring onions, sliced
  • 300g frozen peas
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 50g California walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 2 sprigs mint, leaves only
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Preparation:

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the pancetta for 3 minutes until crispy, drain off most of the excess oil. Add the spring onions, peas and garlic and fry for a further 3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the walnuts, stock, mint and Dijon and cook for 2-3 minutes.


BBQ Corn on the Cob with California Walnut Chilli Butter

Ingredients:

  • 4 corns on the cob
  • 1-2 teaspoon olive oil
  • 50g butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 25g California walnuts, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Preparation:

  1. Rub the corn with a little oil and place on a BBQ or griddle pan, cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally until slightly charred.
  2. Meanwhile, mix the butter, paprika, chilli and walnuts together in a bowl and season.
  3. Place the corn on a large sheet of foil, spread over the butter and wrap up the foil to seal. Place back on the BBQ or griddle pan for 5 minutes until the butter has melted.
  4. Serve sprinkled with the coriander.


Walnut and Rajma Kebabs

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup California walnuts
  • ½ cup black eyed beans, cooked (Rajma)
  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 1 green chilli, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon red chilli sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon oregano
  • 1 tablespoon coriander, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Peri peri seasoning (optional)

For topping:

  • Cheese slices, Mango salsa, walnut, mint leaves

Preparation:

  1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Add in the onions, garlic, green chilli and sauté well for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame.
  2. Add in the ketchup, chilli flakes, chilli sauce, chilli powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook for half a minute.
  3. Mix in the cooked beans, walnuts and cook for another few minutes. You can put some peri peri seasoning at this step to enhance the flavour.
  4. Add the chopped coriander leaves, mix well and remove from flame. Cool the mixture and then blend into a paste. If required, cook the blended mixture a bit to dry it.
  5. Now, divide the mixture into equal portions, make kebabs and cook on a tawa till nice and golden brown from both sides. Keep the flame on medium.
  6. Remove and top with cheese slice, some mango salsa, walnut and mint leaf. Serve hot with green chutney and enjoy!


California walnut and Chocolate S’mores

Ingredients:

California Walnut Butter:

  • 4 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 85g dark chocolate
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1 cup California walnuts

Graham Cracker Walnut Crumb:

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped California walnuts
  • 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs

Topping:

  • 72 mini marshmallows or 9 tablespoons marshmallow creme
  • 2 tablespoons glazed walnuts

Preparation:

  1. To prepare walnut butter, melt chocolate and coconut oil in a small saucepan. Stir in vanilla and salt. Place walnuts in a food processor and process for 2 to 3 minutes or until walnuts start to become a paste. Add melted chocolate mixture to walnuts and process until well mixed.
  2. Pulse together walnuts and graham cracker crumbs in a small food processor to create a fine crumb.
  3. To assemble, place 1 tablespoon of walnut graham mixture into 6 very small oven-safe ramekins. Top with equal amounts of walnut butter and place 12 mini marshmallows or 1 1/2 tablespoons marshmallow crème on top of each. Place under the broiler about 8-inches from heat and cook until tops are golden brown. Garnish with glazed walnuts.


Sweet and Salty Chocolate Walnut Bar

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups California walnuts
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils, fresh
  • 340g dark or milk chocolate chips, divided
  • 340g white chocolate chips, divided
  • 2 tablespoons shortening, divided

Preparation:

  1. Coarsely break walnuts into a bowl. Carefully lift out the nuts leaving behind any skins that have broken off.
  2. Place 2/3 of the dark or milk chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl with 1 tablespoon shortening. Microwave on 50% power stirring every 30 seconds. When the chips are mostly melted, slowly add the remaining dark chocolate chips, stirring vigorously. If chips aren’t fully melting, place back in the microwave for 5 seconds intervals. Stir again to help cool chocolate quickly.
  3. Repeat melting steps with white chocolate chips and remaining shortening.
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a spatula to make 1/4-inch thick layer. Option to make marbled bark by dropping spoonfuls of dark and white chocolate alternately onto baking sheet.
  5. Sprinkle with walnuts, pomegranate arils and sea salt and lightly press into the surface. Refrigerate until firm.
  6. Carefully break into pieces and store between pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Store in the refrigerator.

Tips:

  1. Make sure to melt chocolate slowly at a lower power, stirring frequently. Melting too fast may cause the chocolate to discolour.
  2. Melting 2/3 of the chocolate, then add the remaining chips will give you the best bark texture.
  3. Stirring well to cool the melted chocolate will also help give the bark the best texture.
  4. Don’t overmix when swirling or you’ll lose the pretty marbled look. Swirl back and forth, or swirl in circles to get the look you prefer.
  5. Don’t spread too thin or the toppings may fall off.
  6. Store and serve from the refrigerator or the bark may become soft.


California Walnut and Chocolate Berry Cups

Ingredients:

For the base and filling:

  • 40g California walnuts
  • 10g extra virgin olive oil
  • 120ml walnut milk
  • 60g dark chocolate-85%
  • 3g agar-agar
  • 100g raspberries

For the topping:

  • California walnuts
  • Agave syrup
  • Mint leaves
  • Red fruits

Preparation:

  1. For the base, crush the walnuts with the oil. Pour over the base of the glass, squeeze and set aside in the refrigerator.
  2. For the chocolate layer, heat the walnut milk over medium heat without boiling. Once hot, add the chopped chocolate and stir until it melts. Add 2g of agar-agar, boil, and wait for it to melt.
  3. Remove from the heat, strain if necessary, and pour half of the mixture into the glass. Refrigerate until it sets. The other half will be saved for the top layer.
  4. For the berries layer, boil the berries and strain. Discard the pulp and boil the remaining liquid with a gram of agar-agar. Stir and pour over the first layer of dark chocolate. Wait for it to gel.
  5. When it has been set, add the remaining cocoa mixture on top of the red fruit mixture and leave it in the refrigerator.
  6. Caramelize walnuts with a dash of agave syrup. Add the caramelized walnuts, fresh berries, and some mint leaves.


California Walnut Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups California walnuts
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • Pinch of salt

Preparation:

  1. In a blender, combine 2 cups of California walnuts and 1 cup of water.
    Puree the mixture for approximately 2 minutes until it reaches a smooth consistency.
    Add powdered sugar, vanilla essence, honey, and a pinch of salt to the walnut puree.
  2. Continue blending the mixture until it transforms into a light and fluffy walnut puree. This should take a few additional minutes.
  3. Transfer the walnut cream puree to a bowl or container of your choice.


Vegetarian Hummus Wraps

Ingredients:

For the hummus:

  • 80g California walnuts
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 240g boiled chickpeas
  • 1 lemon
  • 1/2 orange juice
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt pepper

For the wrap:

  • 1 handful of fine lettuce leaves or young spinach leaves
  • 1 small pepper
  • 1 small carrot
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 4 wheat tortillas (25 cm diameter)
  • 20g chopped California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. For the hummus, briefly roast the walnuts in a pan, allow to cool and roughly chop. Peel and chop the garlic. Rinse the lemon, grate half the zest and squeeze out the juice. Finely puree the prepared ingredients with boiled chickpeas and the olive oil in the food processor. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. For the wraps, rinse and spin the dry lettuce or spinach leaves. Clean, rinse and finely dice the peppers. Peel and coarsely grate the carrot, peel the cucumber and cut into thin slices.
  3. Spread out the wraps and spread hummus on two thirds of each wrap, avoiding the top part of the wrap. Top the wraps evenly with lettuce leaves, vegetables and walnuts. Carefully roll up the wraps tightly from the bottom and wrap in some butter paper or aluminium foil. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Tip: If you like, you can put a few strips of cooked chicken on the wraps.


Walnut & Prosciutto Sushi Rolls

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup California walnut pieces, coarsely chopped
  • 140g goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
  • 8 sliced prosciutto
  • 10 to 16 spears of asparagus, blanched and cooled
  • 18 roasted red pepper strips

Preparation:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, goat cheese and parsley.
  2. Lay 4 slices of prosciutto on a cutting board, slightly overlapping each slice, to form a square shaped layer.
  3. Spread half of the walnut mixture evenly across the centre of prosciutto square. Lay 5 to 8 asparagus spears (horizontally) over the mixture and top with 9 strips of red pepper. Carefully pick up the prosciutto ends closest to you and roll firmly into a sushi shaped roll. Repeat these steps with the remaining ingredients.
  4. To serve, slice each roll evenly into 8 pieces.

Tip: Goat cheese can be substituted with cream cheese.


Thai Salad Rolls

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1/4 cup mango chutney
  • 4 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce, divided
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 cup toasted and finely chopped California walnuts
  • 1 cup rice noodles
  • 8 rice paper wraps
  • 1 cup bean sprouts, divided
  • 1 cup shredded carrot, divided
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced lengthwise, divided
  • 8 cilantro sprigs
  • 16 mint leaves

Tip: For a heartier roll, add cooked shrimp, shredded chicken or pork.

Preparation:

Toasting walnuts:

  1. In large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown for about 1 to 2 minutes and set aside.

Toasting walnuts:

  1. In large, dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts, stirring occasionally, until lightly brown for about 1 to 2 minutes and set aside.

Walnut/onion paste:

  1. In a large heavy-bottomed pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until caramelized for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add mango chutney, 1 tablespoon chilli sauce, fish sauce and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add walnuts; set aside.
  3. In a small sauce pan, bring 3 cups water to a boil and cook rice noodles for 5 to 7 minutes or until al dente.
  4. Rinse noodles with cold water and drain. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining chili sauce, stirring to coat noodles.

To assemble the rolls:

  1. Fill a medium mixing bowl with 3 to 4 cups hot water. Submerge one sheet of rice paper in hot water until it has softened for about 15 to 30 seconds.
  2. Remove and place on a cutting board lined with kitchen towel or damp paper towel. Stretch out rice paper so that there are no folds.
  3. Place 1 tablespoon of the noodles in the centre of rice paper and stretch out to form a small rectangle. Top with 2 tablespoon of walnut/onion paste and 1 tablespoon each of bean sprouts, carrots, snap peas, 1 cilantro sprig and 2 mint leaves.
  4. Fold bottom end of wrap over the filling and tuck to form a compact log. Fold the ends in and continue to roll into a tight cylinder.
  5. Arrange seam side down on platter. Repeat steps to make 8 rolls.
  6. Serve immediately.