Mushroom & Walnut Orzetto

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 400g butternut squash, cut into 1cm dice
  • 100g California walnuts
  • 200g mushrooms, sliced
  • 250g orzo pasta
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation:

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion, garlic and squash for 5 minutes. Stir in the walnuts and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes.
  2.  Add the orzo and stock, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pasta is tender. Season and stir in the vinegar and parsley to serve.


Smoky Walnut Beans on Toast

Ingredients

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1½ smoked paprika
  • 400g can mixed beans, drained and rinsed
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon caster sugar
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 100g California walnuts, chopped, plus extra to serve
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 4 slices sourdough, toasted

Preparation:

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the spring onions for 1 minute, then add the paprika. Add the beans, tomatoes, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, walnuts and 100ml water. Cover and bring to the boil, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook for a further 3 minutes. Season to taste.
  2. Stir in half the parsley and spoon over the toasted sourdough bread, serve sprinkled with remaining parsley and extra walnuts.

Cooks tip:
Try using hot smoked paprika for an extra kick or add fried diced pancetta or chorizo for extra flavour.


Breakfast Mushroom, Walnut & Tomato Hash with Eggs

Ingredients

  • 100g California walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 300g mushrooms, roughly chopped
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 4 tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon tomato purée
  • 100g baby spinach
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Preparation:

  1. Soak the walnuts in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, drain well.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the mushrooms and spring onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, walnuts and tomato purée, season and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Stir in the spinach until just wilted and make 4 hollows in the mixture. Crack an egg into each hollow, cover and cook for a further 2-3 minutes until the eggs are just set.
  4. Serve sprinkled with parsley and black pepper.


Creamy Egg Cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup egg whites
  • 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
  • 3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (preferably sharp)
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/4 tsp garlic salt
  • 1/3 cup California walnuts, chopped
  • 1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced or chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup real bacon bits
  • Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and place a shallow rectangular baking dish 3/4 full with hot water in preheating oven. Coat 6 small canning jars liberally with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Purée egg whites, cottage cheese, Cheddar, flour and garlic salt in a small blender. Stir in walnuts, bell pepper, green onion and bacon bits, then spoon equal amounts into prepared jars.
  3. Place jars in water and cook for 30 minutes or until eggs are set in the center. Serve immediately or let cool and remove from jars. Eggs may be prepared several days ahead and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator.


Fluffy Banana Walnut Pancakes

Ingredients

Maple Walnut Cream:

  • 1/2 cup California walnut halves
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pancakes:

  • 1 medium-size very ripe banana
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter, plus additional tablespoon for skillet
  • 1/3 cup liquid egg whites
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup chopped California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. To prepare maple walnut cream, place all ingredients in a small food processor and process until light and fluffy.
  2. Mash banana with a fork in a large bowl and stir in milk and melted butter. Stir together dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir into banana mixture, being careful to not over mix. (A few small lumps are ok.)
  3. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form in a medium bowl. Working in 3 batches, lightly fold into batter, folding just until egg whites are incorporated.
  4. Coat a very large skillet with 1/2 tablespoon melted butter or non-stick cooking spray and set over medium-low heat, and scoop about 1/4 cup batter into skillet for each pancake.
  5. Cook until very bubbly on the surface, then turn and cook for 30 seconds more.
  6. Serve immediately with maple walnut cream.


Walnut, Chocolate, and Avocado Mousse

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup California walnut butter
  • 3 tablespoons sweet cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
  • Optional: Honey, fresh raspberries and chopped glazed California walnuts

Preparation:

  1. purée California walnut butter, cocoa powder, honey, vanilla and avocado in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Spoon into small bowls. Drizzle with honey and garnish with raspberries and glazed walnuts, if desired.

For walnut ButterIn a blender or food processor, grind walnuts and a pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes until the mixture becomes a creamy paste. Pour it into a container with a lid, seal, and store in the refrigerator.


Chilled California Walnut and Cucumber Sunshine Soup

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 400g cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 3 spring onions, roughly chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • Small bunch of tarragon
  • Couple of sprigs of mint
  • Small bunch of basil
  • 100g California walnut halves
  • 220g Greek yoghurt
  • 30ml lemon juice (plus a little extra)
  • 70ml extra virgin olive oil
  • A pinch of salt and pepper

For the garnish:

  • 8 ice cubes
  • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
  • 50g California walnuts, toasted
  • Mixed herbs
  • Salad leaves
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

  1. Place all the ingredients for the soup into a blender and blitz until smooth, and then season with the salt and pepper, adding a little more lemon juice if you like.
  2.  Pour the soup into four bowls and garnish with your choice of fresh herbs and leaves, sliced radishes, toasted walnuts and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Pop one or two ice cubes in each bowl to keep the soup super chilled.


Chipotle-Lime Seasoned Walnuts

Ingredients

  • 2 cups walnut halves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon lime zest

Preparation:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and place parchment paper on a rimmed baking sheet.
  2. In a large bowl, toss walnuts with olive oil, honey, and lime juice.
  3. In a small bowl, stir chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin and salt to combine. Sprinkle evenly over walnuts and toss to coat.
  4. Spread mixture in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Let cool completely, then garnish with lime zest and store in an airtight container.


Walnut & Strawberry Pavlova

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons corn flour
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 medium egg whites
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 100g California walnut halves
  • 300ml double cream
  • 300g strawberries, quartered

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 140°C. Draw a 23cm circle onto a sheet of baking paper and place on a large baking tray.
  2. Blend the corn flour with the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks and gradually whisk in the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Whisk in the corn flour mixture and continue to whisk for 2-3 minutes until stiff and glossy.
  3. Chop 75g of the walnuts and stir all but 1 tablespoon of this into the meringue, and spoon onto the paper up to the line with a slight hollow in the centre.
  4. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts and bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and leave the pavlova inside until cooled.
  5. Whisk the cream to soft peaks and spoon over the pavlova leaving a 3cm border round the edges, top with the strawberries and remaining walnuts.


Akhrot Stuffed Shahi Tukda

Ingredients

  • 3-4 bread slices, corners removed

For the filling:

  • 1 cup roasted California walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons Ghee
  • ½ cup khoya
  • ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
  • 2 teaspoons rose water
  • Dried rose petals
  • ¼ – ½ cup sugar (adjust according to taste)

For The Instant Rabri:

  • ½ tin condensed milk
  • 1 cup milk
  • Sugar
  • ½ teaspoon elaichi powder
  • A few saffron strands dissolved in water
  • 2 teaspoons milk powder

For The Garnish:

  • Dried rose petals
  • California Walnuts
  • Silver leaf

Preparation:

  1. To start with, grind the roasted walnuts coarsely. You can crush them too.
  2. Heat ghee in a pan and add the ground walnuts. Roast them lightly on medium flame with constant stirring.
  3. Crumble the mava and mix well with walnuts. Cook until the mixture turns crumbly.
  4. Add the cardamom powder and rose water and cook for another few minutes.
  5. Mix in the dried rose petals, remove from flame and keep aside to cool.
  6. For the instant rabri, heat the condensed milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the milk and keep cooking and stirring on medium flame.
  7. Add the saffron water, cardamom powder and milk powder. Cook for a few minutes and then remove from flame and keep aside.
  8. To make the rolls, flatten and roll out the bread slices using a rolling pin.
  9. Now, mix the sugar into the prepared filling and place the crumbly mixture onto the centre of a slice.
  10. Apply some water onto the edges of the bread, roll tightly and seal them. Repeat with other slices.
  11. Mix the prepared rabri and place it on medium flame to warm it up.
  12. Meanwhile, heat ghee in a pan and slightly toast the rolls from all sides.
  13. Divide each toasted roll into 2.
  14. Now, pour some rabri onto a flat dish and place the rolls. Pour some more rabri over them.
  15. Garnish with walnuts, silver leaf and dried rose petals.
  16. Serve immediately.