Mediterranean Fish Crumble with California Walnuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon rapeseed oil
  • 2 peppers – 1 red, 1 green, sliced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 400g can chopped tomatoes
  • 240g pack cod fillets, cut into chunks
  • 180g raw king prawns
  • 75g California walnuts, chopped
  • 40g oats
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the peppers and onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for one minute.
  3. Stir in the tomatoes and swill the can out with 100ml water adding this to the pan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish and prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fish is just cooked. Season with black pepper.
  4. Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish. Mix together the walnuts, oats and parsley and sprinkle over the fish, bake for 20 minutes until golden.


California Walnuts Akhroti Seekh Kebab

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups minced mutton
  • 1/4 California walnuts, crushed
  • For the marination
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1½ tablespoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, powdered
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • Skewers to make the kebabs
  • Oil for brushing
  • For serving
  • Chaat masala
  • Lemon halves

Preparation:

  1. In a large bowl, mix minced meat with all the other ingredients and massage the meat for 5 minutes till it starts feeling warm.
  2. Shape the meat mixture into long cylinders and insert a skewer lengthwise through the center.
  3. Brush them with oil and cook for 2 minutes on high flame.
  4. Sear the meat and cook on medium flame for 10 minutes, rolling intermittently.
  5. Sprinkle chaat masala and splash some lemon juice. Serve!


California Walnut Kashmiri Modur Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons ghee
  • A generous pinch of saffron strand
  • 1/3 cup California walnut halves
  • 1/3 cup candied fruits
  • Salt as required
  • 3 cups water
  • A few drops yellow food grade color
  • Dry spice mix
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tablespoon cardamom seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Preparation:

  1. Wash rice thoroughly with water and soak for half an hour. Drain the water and set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add rice and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Ensure that rice is only cooked 3/4th.
  3. Drain water from the rice and set aside.
  4. Grind the dry spice mix and keep aside.
  5. In another pan, add ghee, sugar, remaining 1 cup water, dry spice mix, drops of color, saffron strands, candied fruits and California walnuts. Bring to a boil till the sugar has dissolved completely.
  6. Add the pre-cooked rice. Stir well. Cover and cook on low flame for 12 minutes. Serve hot.


California Walnut Dal Tadka – Chef Varun Inamdar

Ingredients:

  • For the Dal
  • 1 cup split pigeon peas
  • 1/4 cup California walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon green chilies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • For the tempering
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1 spring curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon ghee

Preparation:

  1. Wash the dal 3-4 times and soak them in warm water for 10 minutes.
  2. Drain the water and add the washed dal to a pressure cooker.
  3. Add 3 cups water, salt, California walnuts, onions, tomatoes, green chilies, ginger paste, red chili powder, garam masala and turmeric powder. Stir well. Cook on medium flame under 2 whistles.
  4. Allow the steam to settle, open the lid and roughly mash the mix leaving a bite.
  5. In another pan, heat ghee. Add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
  6. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chilies.
  7. Splash into the prepared dal.
  8. Serve with rice


California Walnuts and Pumpkin Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 350g hokkaido pumpkin
  • salt
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 100g California walnuts
  • 100g feta cheese
  • 175ml olive oil
  • Pepper

Preparation:

  1. Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, chop it roughly and boil in salted water for about 15 minutes until soft.
  2. Peel the garlic and coarsely chop some of the walnuts and set them aside. Drain the cooked pumpkin, allow it to cool briefly, and dice a few pieces. Mix the remaining pumpkin with the other ingredients and puree until smooth.
  3. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, sprinkling with the reserved chopped walnuts and diced pumpkin pieces over the finished dish.

Tip:
The pesto can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a short time.


Fruity Caribbean Chicken Curry with California Walnuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 500g chicken thigh fillets, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 227g can pineapple slices, cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon medium curry powder
  • 400g reduced fat coconut milk
  • 400g can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 75g California walnuts, roughly chopped

Preparation:

  1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion and chicken for 5 minutes, add the pepper and pineapple chunks, reserving the juice, and fry for a further 2-3 minutes.
  2. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute before adding the coconut milk, pineapple juice and kidney beans, simmer for 10 minutes then stir in the walnuts, season.


Vegan Bean & California Walnut Buddha Bowls

Ingredients:

  • 1 lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons
  • 3 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 150g brussels sprouts, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, cut into ribbons
  • 150g frozen green beans
  • 75g California walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon pul biber seasoning, plus extra for serving
  • ½ thick slice whole meal bread, cubed
  • 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Preparation:

  1. Make the dressing by whisking the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil, 2 teaspoons maple syrup and mustard together, season. Mix 1½ tablespoon dressing into the sprouts and carrot ribbons and massage gently with your hands for a minute to soften, set aside.
  2. Blanch the green beans in simmering water for 3 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small frying pan and fry the walnuts with the remaining maple syrup and pul biber for 1-2 minutes to caramelize, set aside.
  4. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same pan and fry the bread cubes for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp.
  5. Place the sprout and carrot ribbons, cannellini beans, green beans and walnuts in piles around 2 shallow bowls, drizzle over the dressing and top with the croutons to serve.


Chickpea, California Walnuts & Potato Traybake

Ingredients:

  • 700g potatoes, cut into wedges
  • 2 peppers, 1 red, 1 green, thickly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100g frozen sweetcorn, defrosted
  • 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 100g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 75g California walnuts
  • Chopped parsley to garnish

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7.
  2. Place the wedges and peppers on a large baking tray and toss in the oil, season well. Bake for 40 minutes until the potatoes are crispy.
  3. Toss in the chickpeas, sweetcorn and tomatoes, then scatter with cheddar and walnuts. Bake for further 15 minutes until golden.
  4. Sprinkle over the parsley to serve.


California Walnuts, Vegetable & Pasta Bake

Ingredients:

  • 250g macaroni
  • 2 x 400g cans minestrone soup
  • 400g can borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 75g California walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 50g mature cheddar cheese, grated

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
  2. Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water for 7 minutes, drain and return to the pan. Mix in the soup with half a can of water, borlotti beans, peas and 50g walnuts, bring to the boil and season.
  3. Transfer to a 2 litre serving dish. Mix together the breadcrumbs, cheddar and remaining walnuts and sprinkle over the pasta. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.


California Walnuts and Spinach Dumplings

Ingredients:

  • For the dumplings:
  • 300g baby spinach, washed
  • 120g California walnuts, finely chopped
  • 100g oat bran
  • 2 eggs
  • 100ml low-fat milk (or plant-based alternative)
  • Salt, pepper
  • 500ml vegetable stock
  • For the sauce:
  • 250g mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 20g butter
  • 20g flour
  • 200ml plant-based cooking cream
  • Salt, pepper
  • 2 spring onions, sliced into rings
  • For the gratin:
  • 50g breadcrumbs
  • 50g finely grated parmesan cheese

Preparation:

    1. Heat the spinach briefly in a hot pan until it wilts. Allow to cool and squeeze out excess liquid thoroughly, then chop finely. In a bowl, mix the spinach, walnuts, oat bran, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until you have a homogeneous mixture. Cover and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
    2. Form 12 dumplings weighing approx. 50g each from the mixture and cook in hot vegetable stock for 12-15 minutes.
    3. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Sauté the mushrooms in hot oil, briefly fry the onion and garlic, remove, and set aside. Lift the dumplings out of the hot vegetable stock with a slotted spoon and place in a large ovenproof dish.
    4. Melt the butter in a pan over a reduced heat, sprinkle in the flour, and stir together to form a smooth paste. Stir in the plant-based cooking fat and 375 ml vegetable dumpling stock until smooth, bring to the boil, and stir in the mushrooms. Mix in the spring onions and season with salt and pepper. Pour the creamy sauce over the dumplings, mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan, sprinkle over the top and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes.