Carrot and Walnut Barfi

Ingredients

  • 500g carrots
  • 2 tablespoon ghee, plus 1 tablespoon extra
  • 3-4 whole cardamoms
  • 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut (optional)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup California walnuts
  • 1/4 cup milk powder
  • Few strands of saffron
  • 1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Peel the carrots, and roughly chop them. Put in a food processor. Pulse the carrots with 1-2 tablespoon milk (do not add more than that- only enough milk to pulse it into a coarse paste). Pulse till the carrots are very small pieces- almost like a coarse paste. You can also grate them finely.
  2. Line an 8 by 8 cake tin with parchment paper and oil it well.
  3. In a thick bottom kadhai/pan, heat 2 tablespoon ghee. Add the carrots and mix well to coat it with ghee. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 5 – 8 minutes, till the carrots lose their moisture.
  4. Add milk and saffron strands and mix well. Cover and cook on low flame till all the milk dries up. Keep stirring occasionally and make sure to cook on low flame.
  5. While the carrots are cooking, pulse the walnuts with the milk powder, cardamom seeds and coconut powder to make a fine powder.
  6. Once all the milk has dried and the carrots are no longer leaving any water, add the sugar and mix. Cook on low medium flame till the sugar water dries up.
  7. Now add the walnut powder mix and mix well. Add 1 tablespoon ghee and cook till the mixture comes together and is thick- another 5 minutes. Add the chopped walnuts.
  8. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and pat it to make an even layer of preferred barfi thickness.
  9. Let set for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.
  10. Once set cut into barfi sized pieces and enjoy.


Walnut Lauki Halwa

Ingredients

  • 1 Lauki/Bottle Gourd
  • 400ml milk
  • 3 tablespoon ghee
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 1/2 cup, crushed California walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon keora water

Preparation:

  1. In a pan, heat 3 tablespoons ghee and add grated lauki and cook till it just starts to change colour, approx. 15 mins
  2. Add equal parts of milk and cook it together till it reduces and mixes with the lauki completely.
  3. Add sugar and cardamom powder. Cook till the sugar dissolves completely.
  4. Add crushed California walnuts and cook for 2-3 mins.
  5. Add keora water and give it a final mix. Serve Hot.


Frozen Walnut and Raspberry Ripple Yoghurt

Ingredients

  • 800g natural yogurt
  • 4 tablespoon honey
  • 150g California walnuts, chopped
  • ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 250g raspberries

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Mix together the yogurt and 2 tablespoons of honey and transfer them to a freezer-proof container, place them in the freezer for 2 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, mix together the walnuts, remaining honey, and oil and spread out onto a parchment-lined baking tray, bake for 7-8 minutes until golden, and allow to cool completely. Reserve some clusters for garnish.
  4. Place the raspberries in a small saucepan with 1 tablespoon of water and cook gently for 4-5 minutes until a pulp is formed, allow to cool completely, then press through a sieve and discard the pulp.
  5. Stir the yogurt and freeze for a further 2 hours. Stir again with a fork to mash down any large ice crystals and stir in the chopped caramelized walnuts. Gently stir in ¾ of the raspberry sauce to create a marbled effect and freeze again for 2 hours or until needed.
  6. Remove from the freezer 20-30 minutes before required. Serve sprinkled with reserved walnut clusters.

*For California Walnut Milk:

Soak a cup of untoasted California walnuts for 2 hours in 2 cups of water. Strain and rinse California walnuts well. Transfer to a blender with one cup of cold water. Blend on high for a minute. Strain through a muslin cloth till you get an almost dry powdery mass in the muslin cloth after pressing the milk. Transfer in a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. This gives you 2 cups of homemade pressed California walnut milk.


Classic Walnut Brownies

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup California Walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C.and grease an 8”x 8” square baking pan.
  2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat then add chocolate chips, stirring until melted.
  3. Stir together flour, cacao powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. In a stand mixer with whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) beat together sugar and eggs until pale and creamy.
  5. Gradually add butter and chocolate mixture in two stages and mix until just combined. Add flour mixture in two batches and mix until just combined.
  6. Fold in walnuts and spread evenly into the prepared baking pan.
  7. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out lightly fudgy or clean. Let cool completely before cutting into 10 pieces.


Walnut Chocolate Pie with Spiced Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped California walnuts
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, chilled
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 pinch of ground nutmeg

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175˚C. Stir together brown sugar, flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. Add eggs, and stir until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into baked pie crust.
  2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned and set. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature with spiced cream.
  3. To Make Spiced Cream, mix whipping cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg.


Cauliflower, Walnuts and Blue Cheese Rice

Ingredients

  • 1 cauliflower
  • A handful of California walnuts
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 20ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 piece of blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese
  • A pinch of salt and pepper

Preparation:

  1. Chop the cauliflower, finely, as if it was rice.
  2. In a frying pan over medium heat, sauté two chopped garlic with olive oil. When the garlic is lightly browned, add the chopped walnuts and the cauliflower rice.
  3. Leave for a few minutes until the cauliflower is cooked and sautéed.
  4. Remove from the heat, add a few cubes of blue cheese. Season with salt and pepper and serve.


Walnut Potatoes with Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients

Potatoes

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 pound fingerling potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
    Salt and pepper to taste

Mustard cream sauce

  • 1/2 cup California walnuts
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Garnish

  • 2 tablespoons chopped California walnuts
  • Sliced green onion tops

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Drizzle oil over potatoes and toss well to coat; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Transfer to a small sheet pan lined with a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft and lightly browned, stirring once halfway through cooking.
  3. To prepare Mustard Cream Sauce, puree walnuts, water, Dijon, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic in a small blender until smooth and creamy. Add herbs and pulse to chop.
  4. Toss warm potatoes with sauce and cook for a minute or 2 more to heat through. Garnish with chopped walnuts and green onion tops.


Berries and Walnuts Cheesecake Smoothie Bowl

Ingredients

For the Cheesecake:

  • 1kg fat-free whipped cream cheese
  • 100g frozen strawberries
  • 100g frozen raspberries
  • 100g frozen cherries (pitted)
  • 10 teaspoons sugar
  • 8-10 California walnuts

For the Cheesecake:

  • California walnuts
  • Chocolate chips
  • Fresh fruits: strawberries, raspberries, cherries

Preparation:

  1. Grind the walnuts.
  2. In the blender, mix cream cheese together with 8 teaspoons of sugar and half of the ground walnuts, and blend.
  3. Then add the frozen strawberries, raspberries, and cherries, blending until smooth.
  4. Pour in the bowls and garnish with walnuts, fresh fruits, and chocolate chips.


Egg Hash with Basil Walnut Pesto

Ingredients

For the Basil Walnut Pesto

  • 1/4 cup peas
  • 2 cups packed basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • ¼ cup walnut halves

For the Egg Potato Hash

  • 2 medium potatoes, cubed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoons cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon of salt
  • 4 eggs, sunny side up

Preparation:

For the basil walnut pesto:

  1. Combine in a food processor. Pulse until thick and smooth. Set aside to add to potato hash later.
    For egg potato hash –
  2. Scrub potatoes and cut into small, even cubes. Add butter and olive oil to a cast-iron skillet and heat. Add potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. Turn potatoes with a spatula and allow them to crisp on each side, with a total cooking time of about 15 minutes. Season with cumin, cayenne, and salt.
  4. Top with a sunny-side-up egg each and pesto.
    Note – Remaining pesto can be utilized on pasta or other dishes and will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Chia Pudding with Walnuts

Ingredients

  • 15 tablespoons coconut water
  • 3 tablespoons chia seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon spirulina
  • 30g California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. Mix the coconut water with the chia seeds. Mix from time to time for 5 minutes so that they do not clump together, and they do not settle to the bottom, because until they begin to hydrate, they tend to do so.
  2. Add the spirulina and mix. Sweeten to taste and mix again.
  3. Let stand for at least one hour or best overnight.
  4. Add berries and walnuts and enjoy!