Lunch

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs, hard-boiled, large
• 2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise (can be reduced fat)
• 1-2 teaspoons mustard, prepared, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 1-2 tablespoons chives, very finely minced
• For Cajun-Style Walnut “Crumb” Topping
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika, smoked
• 1 heaping cup California walnuts, finely minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (scant measure)
• Few dashes cayenne (optional)

Preparation:

1. Peel the eggs, and halve them lengthwise. Pop out the yolks, and transfer to a large dinner plate. Add 2 teaspoons water, and begin to mash with a fork. As you mash, add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Continue to mash until very smooth. Alternatively, use a food processor.
2. Carefully and slowly, use 2 teaspoons to fill each egg white cavity with the filling, distributed evenly among them. Lavishly sprinkle the topping all over the filled eggs, and serve cold or cool – plain, on toast, or on a salad.

For Cajun-Style Walnut “Crumb” Topping

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. When it is warm, add the spices and stir until they are completely coated.
2. Add the walnuts and salt, and keep stirring until everything is evenly distributed.

Stir and cook over medium-low heat for another 5 to 8 minutes or so (until the walnuts are toasty). Be careful not to burn them!

3. Stir in cayenne to taste, if desired, and remove from heat. When cool, store in a tightly closed jar in the refrigerator until use.

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 100 g gorgonzola cheese
• 1 handful of California Walnuts
• 1 large red onion
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 60 ml of extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Cut the eggplants in half and make several diagonal cuts on their surface. Smear the eggplants with olive oil and a pinch of salt and wrap them in foil.
2. Bake the eggplants at 180°C for 40 minutes.
3. Cut the onion, put it in a frying pan with a little olive oil and let it cook at medium heat. Add a glass of water and let the water evaporate. Add a little more oil and let the onion brown.
4. Take the eggplants out of the oven and remove the pulp with a spoon (reserve the skin). Mix the pulp with the onion. Toast the walnuts in a separate pan with a little olive oil, and add them to the eggplants and onion.
5. Add the gorgonzola cheese, mix everything well and season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill the eggplants with this mixture. Add a little more cheese and walnuts on top and bake at 160° for 10 minutes.

Ingredients:

• ½ broccoli
• 1 handful of California walnuts
• 1 ripe avocado
• Pinch of oregano
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of pepper
• 150g feta cheese
• 5 figs
• 1 handful of fresh basil
• 40g extra virgin olive oil

Preparation:

1. Crush the raw broccoli with the mixer or grate with a grater until small rice-sized pieces are formed.
2. Toast the walnuts in a pan with a little olive oil. Coarsely chop the walnuts and add them to the broccoli.
3. Add the avocado with a spoon and mix it well. Add oregano, feta cheese, figs cut into four pieces, basil and olive oil.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup corn
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 medium sized potato, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup California Walnut Cream
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Chopped chives for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large sauce pot. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. Add celery and cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Add vegetable broth, corn, vinegar, celery salt, smoked paprika, potato and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
3. Stir in walnut cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and reserved corn and red pepper.
4. For Walnut Cream – Puree 2 cup walnuts and 1 cup water in a blender or food processor until very smooth and light and fluffy, cover and store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Ingredients:

• 2 large pinches of saffron
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 250g paella rice
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 400g canned tomatoes, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 100g California walnuts
• 150g fine green beans, trimmed and cut into 3
• 400g canned butter beans, drained and rinsed
• 800ml vegetable stock
• ½ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley

Preparation:

1. Soak the saffron in 1 tablespoon boiling water and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan with a lid and fry the onion for 5 minutes, add the garlic and fry for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the rice and paprika.
3. Stir in the chopped tomatoes, pepper, walnuts, saffron liquid, green beans and butter beans and add half the stock, cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, gradually adding the remaining stock until the rice is just tender, season and stir in the parsley.

Ingredients

For the paste:

• 1 teaspoon jeera
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 10 – 12 California walnuts
• 1 – 2 Kashmiri red chillies
• 5 – 6 garlic cloves
• 1/2-inch ginger
• 1 onion
• 4 to 5 tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup water

or Paneer Makhani:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon jeera
• 1 teaspoon ginger (julienned)
• 2 green chillies (slit)
• 250g paneer
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon toasted kasuri methi leaves
• 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh cream
• Prepared Tomato paste
• Butter and coriander leaves to garnish
• Coal to give the smoky flavor (optional)

Prepping the paste:

1. Add all the ingredients for the paste into a pan and cook it over medium heat. Stir it in intervals to prevent it from sticking. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes till all the tomato and onion are cooked well.
2. Let it cool completely and then grind it to a smooth paste. Keep it aside to use later.

Preparation:

1. Heat butter and oil together in a heavy bottom pan. Add jeera to this and let it splatter.
2. Add the tomato paste to this along with a cup of water. Add green chillies, salt and julienned ginger to this. Let it come to a boil.
3. Add Kasturi methi, red chilli powder and tomato ketchup and boil further.
4. Once the gravy reaches a creamy consistency, add honey, and cream and give it a good mix. Add fresh paneer to this and let it boil just for a minute.
5. Garnish it with butter and coriander powder.
6. Place the coal on the flame directly and let it turn red hot. Place this coal in a plate and place it on the curry.
7. Add a spoon of ghee on top and cover the pan immediately. Let the smoke flavor the curry for 5 mins. Remove the lid and give the curry a good mix.

Tip: *Do not boil for a long time after adding the paneer. It makes it rubbery and chewy. Make the gravy in advance and add paneer just before serving.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh Fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon ginger, garlic and green chilli paste
• 1 cup boiled onion paste
• 1 tablespoon roasted besan
• 1 cup boiled California walnut paste
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Boil water in a vessel. Add fenugreek leaves to it and give it a stir. Drain the water and add the leaves into ice cold water to retain the colour. Set it aside.
2. Boil peas in water for a minute, drain the water and set aside.
3. Heat oil and butter in a heavy bottom pan.
4. Add jeera and let it crackle. Add bay leaf, ginger garlic chili paste and sauté till they turn brown.
5. Add boiled onion paste, gram flour and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, till the oil separates.
6. Add boiled walnut paste and cook on medium flame till the oil separates.
7. Add water and mix it well using a whisk.
8. Add garam masala, salt to taste, boiled green peas and fenugreek leaves and bring it to a boil.
9. Finish it by adding sugar and cream and give it a good mix. Do not boil.

For tempering: Heat butter in a small tempering pan. Add jeera and let it crackle. Add a teaspoon of kasuri methi and a pinch of red chili powder. Give it a quick swirl and pour it over methi malai matar.