Heart Healthy Recipees

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups California walnuts
• 1 1/4 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 medium size ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped California walnuts (topping)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 135°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place walnuts, oats, raisins, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop all ingredients, stirring once or twice.
3. Add pear and pulse again until pear is in small pieces. (Mixture should stick together when gently pinched.) Shape into 24 equal balls. Lightly roll in chopped walnuts and roll to slightly smooth surface; place on prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until dry and firm to the touch. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
• ¾ cup chopped California walnuts
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold water

For the Filling:

• 9 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
• 1 tablespoon stone-ground Dijon mustard
• 1 cup baby spinach, coarsely chopped
• 1 small red bell pepper, diced
• ¾ cup extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and generously grease 12-cup muffin pan with oil.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the oats until fine and flour-like. Add the walnuts and pulse until blended with oat flour. Pulse in the olive oil, salt and water until the mixture comes together.
3. Spoon walnut-oat crust mixture evenly (about 1 ¼ tablespoons each) into each muffin cup and press it into the bottom and part way up the sides. Bake 25 minutes, until crust begins to brown. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, garlic powder, oregano and mustard thoroughly until well combined. Stir in spinach, bell pepper and cheese.
5. Fill each muffin cup evenly with egg-veggie mixture and bake 20 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Cool slightly on a wire rack before removing the egg cups by carefully inserting a sharp knife between the crust and the muffin pan.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups California walnuts, plus 1/4 cup for coating
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup Medjool dates, pitted (about 7 dates)
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

1. Add 2 cups of walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth and the dough forms together into cohesive balls, about 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Finely dice the remaining 1/4 cup walnuts and add to a plate.
3. Form the dough into 16 balls and roll each ball in the diced walnuts to coat.
4. Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to three months.