Hazelnut Pesto

• 4 ounces hazelnuts
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large handfuls fresh parsley, washed and dried
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pound thin, flat pasta

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the hazelnuts with garlic, salt, and parsley, adding a few drops of oil. (The pesto can also be made in a food processor, but the consistency should not be too smooth). Pound ingredients into a paste, transfer to a larger container, and then slowly stir in the remaining oil. Cook the pasta al dente and coat with pesto sauce. Serves 6

Spicy Chicken & Hazelnut Enchiladas

• 12 ounce can tomatillos, drained
• 2 cloves peeled garlic; 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded (2-3 tsp); 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon honey; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons onion
• 8 corn tortillas; 1/3 cup canned diced drained green chiles
• 1 ½ cups cooked shredded chicken; 2 cups grated cheddar or jack cheese
• 2 - 3 cups coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts

Sauce: Mince garlic, jalapenos, cilantro & onion in blender. Add drained tomatillos, sour cream, honey & salt; puree. Mix in green chilies and set aside. Soften tortillas either by placing foil wrapped in hot oven or by covering loosely with dish towel in microwave. Divide chicken among tortillas, add about 2 Tablespoons each of sauce and cheese, sprinkle 2 teaspoons hazelnuts and roll tortilla around filling.

Pour 1/4 of remaining sauce in bottom of greased 9 x 12 baking dish. Place enchiladas seam side down, pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and hazelnuts. Bake in 350° oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Almond Pea Salad

• 1 pound package tiny frozen peas (uncooked)
• 1 cup hickory smoked almonds
• 1 small can crushed pineapple, drained Mayonnaise to moisten

Mix all ingredients together and ready to serve. Let peas thaw a bit before serving salad.

Smoked Almond Toffee Brittle

• Smoked Almond Toffee Brittle
• ½ cup sugar     2¼ teaspoon corn syrup    1 teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 ounces milk chocolate
• ¾ bag smoked almonds

Line two rimmed baking sheets with a nonstick baking mat. Spray baking mat and baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. Melt butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add sugar, corn syrup, salt, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water; stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes amber in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour onto one of the prepared baking sheets and let set. Chop half of the almonds; set aside. Melt chocolate in a large, heat-proof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water. Remove from heat. Remove toffee from baking sheet and chop. Add to bowl with melted chocolate along with chopped almonds; stir to combine. Evenly spread mixture onto second prepared baking sheet. Chop remaining almonds and any bits of salt remaining in can; sprinkle over brittle. Transfer to refrigerator and chill until set, about 1 hour and up to overnight. Serves 12.

Baked Peanut and Rice Pilaf

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup rice (brown, wild or long-grain white) rinsed and drained
• 2 cups water
• 1 onion chopped
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt(if peanuts unsalted)
• ½ cup peanuts (roasted, salted or unsalted, skinned or unskinned)
• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

Heat oil in large ovenproof skillet. Add onion-cook 2 minutes. Add rice, Hoisin and soy sauce and red pepper. Stir till combined. Add water and salt and bring to boil. Cover and Bake in preheated 350° oven. Stir in peas and peanuts 10 minutes before rice is done, continue to bake, covered until rice is tender and liquid absorbed (20 to 40 minutes total). Serves 4.

Thai Beef Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Dressing:

• ½ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar;     ; 1/3 cup Peanut Oil;     1 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp crushed Red Pepper flakes;     ; 1½ tsp each soy sauce and hot sauce
• 1½ tsp fresh minced ginger;     ; ; 1 tsp minced garlic;     2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice

Salad:

• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salted (or unsalted) peanuts
• 1½ lbs cooked roast beef sirloin cut into 1½ x ¼-inch strips (about 4 cups)
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced ¼-inch thick; ¼ lb blanched (30 seconds) snow peas
• ½ lb bean sprouts; 1¾ cups julienned red peppers; 2 cups finely sliced red cabbage

Whisk together above dressing ingredients. Combine salad ingredients with dressing. Garnish with additional chopped (½ cup) peanuts. Arrange on lettuce leaves. Serves 6.

Brazil Nut-Mushroom Stuffing

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk with leaves, chopped
• ½ cup Brazil nuts, chopped
• ½ pound mushrooms, sliced
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 - 2 teaspoons sage, marjoram, and thyme to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 5 cups stale bread cubes or crumbs
• Water, milk or giblet stock (optional)

Sauté the onions, celery, sliced mushrooms and chopped Brazil nuts in the butter until tender, but not brown. Combine the seasoning and the crumbs, toss together with the onion-nut mixture in the pan and cook until bread crumbs are lightly browned and butter is absorbed. If a moist dressing is desired, add just enough liquid to moisten crumbs.

Mixed Greens with Brazil Nuts

• ¾ cup sliced Brazil nuts
• 1 egg; 2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• 1 clove garlic, crushed; freshly ground pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon dry mustard; ½ teaspoon soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice; ½ cup virgin olive oil
• 1 pound mixed greens, torn in bite-size pieces

Slice the Brazil nuts. In a saucepan, cover the nuts with cold water and slowly bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove nuts with a slotted spoon, and when cool enough to work, slice with a sharp knife. This method allows cutting the nuts without breaking. Set aside 2 tablespoons of nuts as a garnish. Cook egg 1 minute in boiling water; remove and set aside. In a salad bowl, mash garlic clove and salt together with a fork. Add lemon juice, mustard, soy sauce, Romano cheese, pepper, and egg. Whisk thoroughly. Sauté sliced Brazil nuts in skillet with olive oil heated medium-high until golden brown (2-3) minutes. Remove nuts with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While whisking dressing, add the hot oil in a slow stream. Add the greens to the bowl and toss thoroughly. Sprinkle with reserved nuts and serve.

Oriental Stir-Fry Chicken and Cashews

• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 egg white; pinch of salt
• 1 pound chicken breast, cubed
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce;  1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil ;  2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 green peppers, seeded and cubed
• 1 cup mushrooms, cut in quarters
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• quarter-size piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cashews

Make marinade by combining sherry with the egg white and salt; marinate chicken for 2 hours. Combine hoisin and soy sauce with sesame oil and set aside. Coat wok with canola oil and heat. When the oil is very hot, lower the heat slightly and stir-fry peppers for one (1) minute. Add mushrooms, garlic, ginger and scallions, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Increase the heat, add chicken, and toss well. Pour in the sauce and cook for 1 minute or more to coat and cook chicken thoroughly. Stir in nuts for the last 30 seconds and serve immediately over sticky rice.

Chow Mein with Tofu and Cashew

• 1 package Soba noodles
• 6 oz (180g) firm tofu – cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce;  2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil;  2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
• 1 carrot - julienned
• 2 cups small broccoli florets
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 cloves garlic – minced (crushed)
• 2 teaspoons finely grated ginger
• 1/2 cup cashews

Cook Soba noodles as per package instructions. Drain and set aside. Mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water in a bowl. Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add th peanut oil and stir-fry the carrot and broccoli for 2 minutes. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry a further 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one additional minute. Stir into the noodles, add the sauce mixture and cashews and mix until thoroughly combined and heated through.

Orange Pecan Asparagus

• 2 ½ lb. fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1/3 cup Pecan halves
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tsp grated orange peel
• 1 tsp orange juice

Place asparagus in 10” skillet. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until asparagus is tender but firm (5 to 7 minutes). Drain and set aside. Melt butter in same skillet. Add Pecans. Cook over medium heat until Pecans are toasted (1 to 2 minutes). Stir in remaining ingredients (except asparagus). Spoon over cooked asparagus.

Pecan Pie

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup corn syrup (light or dark)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of ground cinnamon
• 2-3 cups pecan halves
• 1 9-inch unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream the butter and brown sugar together until mixed. Add the salt and corn syrup and beat until smooth and blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg. Add vanilla and cinnamon and beat until frothy and well combined. Add the pecans and mix well by hand. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 40 minutes or until set. Serve warm or cooled with vanilla ice cream.

Mixed-up Party Mix

• 6 cups Crispix™ cereal
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup miniature pretzels
• 3 tablespoons margarine, melted
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ¼ teaspoon onion salt
• 4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Combine cereal, nuts and pretzels in a 13-inch baking pan and set aside. Mix together remaining ingredients, and gently stir into cereal mixture until evenly coated. Bake at 250° F for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool; store in an airtight container.

Macadamia Salted Halibut

• 2 Halibut fillets 6-oz each
• 1-2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup flour
• ½ cup Macadamia nuts, crushed
• ½ cup breadcrumbs

Sauce

• 2 ounces Dark Rum
• 2 ounces vegetable stock
• 2 ounces orange juice/li>
• 1½-2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 ounce butter
• 2 Tablespoons raisins
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chopped chives

Mix bread crumbs and macadamia nuts together. Dip halibut in flour, then in beaten eggs and finally in breadcrumb-nut mixture. Sauté in melted butter until brown on both sides - about 2 minutes. Bake in pie pan in 350° oven for about 6 minutes. Sauce: Deglaze small sauté pan with rum, add stock, orange juice and honey. Reduce by 3/4, remove from heat. Add raisins and wisk in butter. Ladle sauce over fish and garnish with chives.

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless smoked chicken breasts
• 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced celery
• 1 medium pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• tablespoons raspberry vinegar
• 1 cup coarsely chopped roasted and salted Macadamia nutscelery leaves for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

Grill whole chicken breasts and dice into 1/2-inch pieces*. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients except for the macadamia nuts and celery leaves. Toss with ingredients in larger bowl and refrigerate until serving time. Serve salad on a bed of Back to Roasted Ralted Macadamias page...

Honey Nut Banana Delight

• 1 banana
• ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• ¼ cup Nut of the Month Club™ Honey Roasted Peanuts

Crush peanuts by putting them in a small bag and rolling over them with a rolling pin. Peel the banana and cut it in half. Stick each half of the banana on a wooden skewer or plastic fork. Cover the banana halves with yogurt. Spread the crushed peanuts on waxed paper. Roll the yogurt-covered banana pieces in the peanuts. Serves 2

Fiesta Almond Rice and Beans

• 2/3 cup whole natural almonds
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 cup instant rice
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (4 ounces) diced green chiles
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• Hot pepper sauce and salt to taste

Heat oil over medium heat in large nonstick skillet. Add almonds. Cook and toss until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Remove almonds with slotted spoon and set aside. Add tomatoes, rice and water to skillet. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed (about 5 minutes). Mix in beans and chiles. Continue to cook until most of the liquid is absorbed but mixture is not dry. Stir in almonds. Garnish with cilantro. Season with pepper sauce and salt to taste. Serves 4.

Almond Divinity

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups light corn syrup
• 2 cups water
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 2 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 cup toasted slivered almonds
• 2 squares semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Cook the sugar, corn syrup, water and salt to 265° F on a candy thermometer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Syrup should form a hard ball when dropped in cold water. Just before the syrup is ready, beat egg whites in an electric mixer until stiff. Add the syrup to the egg whites in a slow, fine stream, beating constantly. When the mixture becomes heavy, replace the electric beater with a wooden spoon. Add the extract and continue beating until the mixture just holds its shape when dropped from a spoon. Add the nuts, mixing quickly.

Spread mixture into a greased 8x8-inch pan, top with a coating of melted semi-sweet chocolate and allow candy to cool. Cut into squares and serve.

Mediterranean Pasta with Pistachios

• 2 cups onion, cut into narrow wedges
• 4 tablespoons olive oil (may use oil from tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)
• 1 cup roasted pistachios, shelled
• 1 tablespoon dried basil;   1 tablespoon dried oregano;   1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 8 oz. Angel hair pasta (capellini), broken up

In 12-inch skillet, sauté onions in oil until cooked through (5-10 minutes). Add garlic and sauté 1 more minute Stir in flour; add wine and cook, stirring until mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Add pistachios, tomatoes, basil, oregano and parsley and heat through. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until tender (3-5 minutes). Drain. Combine pasta with warm sauce, garnished with cheese and extra parsley. Serves 4.

Sauteed Scallops with Pistachios

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped shallot
• 1 ½ pounds scallops*
• ¼ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup roasted pistachios, shelled and peeled **
• salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large skillet. Add garlic, shallots and scallops, and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until scallops are opaque. Add the lemon juice and pistachios, and toss to mix well. Heat through and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with lemon slices. Serves 4 to 6.

*Bay scallops can be left whole; sea scallops should be cut in half. **To shell and peel pistachios, drop the shelled nuts into boiling water 3 to 5 minutes. Drain, remove shells and skins, and allow the nuts to dry.

Walnut Pasta Primavera

• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 2/3 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1/3 cup toasted Walnuts
• 2 tablespoons dried basil leaves
• 8 ounces penne pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained and kept warm
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Sauté mushrooms and garlic for 1 minute over medium heat in large non-stick skillet coated with vegetable spray. Cover skillet and simmer 5 minutes, being careful not to overcook. Add carrots and wine (or vegetable broth). Bring to boil, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in broccoli and peas. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in tomato, walnuts and basil and warm through. In a bowl, toss pasta with sauce. Season with salt and pepper and toss with cheese. Serves 4.

Granny Gilbertson’s Wonderful Walnut Pound Cake

• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1/2 cup butter-flavored Crisco
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons black walnut flavoring
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup walnuts

Cream butter and Crisco together with the sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Add the walnut flavoring to the cup of milk. In a baggie, coat the walnuts in 2 tablespoons of flour and set aside. Alternatively mix together the flour, milk, and creamed butter and sugar. When batter is well mixed, fold in the walnuts. Pour the batter into a greased and floured tube pan, and bake for 1 1/2 hours at 325ºF