It’s that time of the year again! A time to give thanks, be grateful, and celebrate the joy of togetherness and the advent of good times.
The festival sees family celebrating under one roof to thank each other for being a part of their lives and to remember to never take anything for granted. It’s no surprise then, that a festival as lovely as this one calls for some really special food. This is where California Walnuts comes in. A handful of walnuts (28g) is packed with the essential fatty acid omega-3 ALA (2.5g) and has protein (4g) and fiber (2g). These super nuts elevate the nutrition value and give a flavorful twist to every meal.
Both healthy and scrumptious, the following recipes can be whipped up with a generous dash of California Walnuts that’ll add flavour, texture, and goodness to your meals. So, are you ready for a truly special Thanksgiving dinner? (All recipes curated by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai)
Turkey breast stuffed with California Walnuts
Turkey-breast-stuffed-with-California-Walnuts-
Ingredients : 1 turkey breast, 2 golden apples, 50g California walnuts, 1kg potatoes, 4 spoons virgin olive oil, 1 glass white wine, 1 thyme sprig, 1 rosemary sprig, Salt and pepper to taste
Preparations : Peel apples and bone them, chop coarsely. Chop walnuts. Wash, dry and chop the rosemary, thyme and parsley. Heat a pan with a spoon of olive oil; add the apples and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes add half of the chopped herbs, walnuts, salt and pepper and sauté 2 minutes more. Open the breast in cross-section without dividing into complete halves, fill with sautéed apples, walnuts and herbs, close and tie with cooking string. Meanwhile, wash and boil potatoes without peeling for 20 minutes. Heat a pan with a spoon of oil and brown the breast for 5 minutes over high heat and turning the piece to be sealed. Grill in an oven preheated to 180°C for 30 minutes, spilling with white wine halfway through. Peel and mash potatoes with a fork adding salt, pepper, 2 spoons of olive oil and the remaining chopped herbs. Cut the breast into slices and serve hot with mashed and roast juices.
Walnut-and-Cranberry-Stuffed-Sweet-Potatoes
Ingredients : 6 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed, 1 cup California walnuts, chopped, 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries, 1/4 cup salted butter, softened, 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 4 tablespoons maple syrup
Preparations : Preheat oven to 180°C and line a baking sheet with foil. Pierce sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and place onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or sharp knife. Let sweet potatoes cool slightly then slice open lengthwise and spread open slightly. Mash pulp of each sweet potato with a fork. Combine chopped walnuts, cranberries, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl; mix well. Mound each sweet potato with 1/3 cup cranberry walnut mixture. Place sweet potatoes back in oven and bake an additional 15 minutes, until topping is warm and fragrant. Remove sweet potatoes from oven. Drizzle sweet potatoes with maple syrup and serve warm.
Pumpkin Walnut Mousse Cake
Ingredients : 32 graham crackers, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, 1/2 cup butter, melted, 2 tablespoons gelatine powder
1 cup water, divided, 500g can pumpkin pie filling, 1 cup California walnuts, 1 cup mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup honey, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 cup whipping cream
Preparations : Preheat oven to 160°C. Combine graham crackers, sugar and butter in a food processor and blend until you achieve the consistency of wet sand. Press crust mix into bottom of a non-stick 9-inch (23 cm) spring form pan. Bake for 10 minutes until crust is fragrant and golden brown. Set aside to cool. Sprinkle gelatine in 1/2 cup water, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Boil remaining water, add to gelatine and stir until dissolved. In a separate bowl, whip the whipping cream until stiff peaks form and set aside. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin pie filling, walnuts, mascarpone, honey, cinnamon and nutmeg, stirring well. Add gelatine. Fold in whipped cream until combined and pour mousse in to spring form pan. Gently shake the cake pan to release any air bubbles and smooth out surface.
