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:
- Wash the pumpkin, remove the seeds, chop it roughly and boil in salted water for about 15 minutes until soft.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Blanch the green beans in simmering water for 3 minutes, drain and refresh under cold water.
- 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.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same pan and fry the bread cubes for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp.
- 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:
- Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7.
- 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.
- Toss in the chickpeas, sweetcorn and tomatoes, then scatter with cheddar and walnuts. Bake for further 15 minutes until golden.
- 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:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
- 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.
- 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:
- 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.
- Form 12 dumplings weighing approx. 50g each from the mixture and cook in hot vegetable stock for 12-15 minutes.
- 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.
- 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.
Vegan Meatballs, Fruity Tomato Sauce and Salad with California Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 17g smoked tofu
- 150g cooked green or brown lentils (tin, drained)
- 120g California walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, crushed
- 50g onion, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 3 tablespoons oat bran or breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon mild paprika powder
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- For the tomato sauce:
- 100g onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 400g large tomatoes, diced
- If you wish: fresh herbs (e.g. oregano, basil)
- For the salad mix:
- 100g leaf salad mix
- 100g finely sliced mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon medium hot mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, coarse ground pepper
Preparation:
- Finely crumble the smoked tofu with your hands and place in a large bowl. Add the lentils and mash thoroughly or process in a food processor until smooth. Stir in the California walnuts, garlic, onions, soy sauce, tomato puree, oat bran (or breadcrumbs), mustard, and spices and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the mixture and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
- Form small balls of approx. 25g from the mixture and fry lightly on all sides in hot olive oil.
- For the tomato sauce, sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Stir in the tomato puree, bring to the boil briefly and then add 2/3 of the diced tomatoes. Simmer over a low heat until they have broken down. Mix in the remaining diced tomatoes, cook briefly, and season to taste.
- Serve the vegan meatballs with the sauce. Mix the washed lettuce with the sliced mushrooms and plate up.
- Mix the mustard, maple syrup, and white wine vinegar with 2 tablespoons of water, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the oil. Drizzle the dressing over the salads.
Oven-Roasted Chickpeas, Broccoli and Cauliflower with California Walnuts
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, whole
- 400g chickpeas (can, drained and rinsed well)
- 200g broccoli, in small florets (and/or halved)
- 200g cauliflower, cut into small florets (and/or halved)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic, sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- A little cayenne pepper
- Salt, coarse ground pepper
- 120g California walnuts
- For the yogurt sauce:
- 250g low-fat yogurt
- 1/2 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated zest of an organic lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
Preparation:
- Heat the oven to 200 °C (180 °C fan). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Briefly dry roast the coriander in a hot pan, leave to cool and crush roughly. Mix the chickpeas, broccoli, and cauliflower in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with the oil, garlic, and spices and season with salt and pepper.
- Spread the vegetables on the tray and bake in the middle of the oven for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then sprinkle over the walnuts and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Mix the yogurt with the garlic, lemon zest, and spices. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the oven-roasted vegetables with crushed coriander and serve with the yoghurt sauce.
Cabbage Pasta with Herby California Walnuts
Ingredients
- Ingredients to serve 4:
- 500g white cabbage
- 2 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 300g wide, short pasta (e.g. welloni, pappardelle, farfalle)
- 100ml vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Salt, coarse ground pepper, mixed with caraway seeds
- 120g California walnuts
- 2 tablespoons yeast flakes
- 4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Preparation:
- Chop the white cabbage into pieces approx. 3-4 cm in size. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and fry the white cabbage over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, turning constantly, until the cabbage is soft and lightly browned. Deglaze with vegetable stock and reduce.
- Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions until al dente. Season the cabbage with the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, and caraway seeds. Drain the pasta, mix into the cabbage, and stir-fry briefly.
- Roughly chop the walnuts, dry roast in a pan, then mix with the remaining oil, yeast flakes, and parsley. Serve the cabbage pasta sprinkled with the herby walnuts.
Parmesan California Walnut Chicken with Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breast fillets
- 25g parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- 25g California walnuts, finely chopped + 1 tablespoon
- 1 medium egg, beaten
- 227g can chopped tomatoes
- 6 mini mozzarella balls
- 1 medium sweet potato, skin on and cut into 1cm chips
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Basil leaves to garnish
- Salad to serve
Preparation:
- Beat the chicken breasts between 2 sheets baking parchment to give an even 1cm thickness.
- Mix together the Parmesan and 25g finely chopped walnuts on a plate.
- Dip the chicken in the egg then coat in the walnut mixture.
- Line the tray of an air fryer with baking parchment and add the chicken.
- Air fry at 200°C for 15-20 minutes until golden and cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cook the chopped tomatoes in a small saucepan for 4-5 minutes, stirring until thickened and reduced, season.
- Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken and top with mozzarella balls.
- Roughly chop the remaining walnuts and sprinkle over the chicken. Air fry for 5-8 minutes until golden
- Toss the sweet potato chips with oil, season and place in the air fryer tray. Air fry for 10-15 minutes until golden and tender, turning halfway through.
- Serve with the Parmesan chicken scattered with basil leaves and some salad.
Cooks tip:- Shop bought pasta sauce work well instead of the chopped tomatoes and try using frozen sweet potato chips. Cook the chips at the same time as the chicken if the air fryer has 2 trays