Debbie Harding - Go Nuts: Recipes that Really Shell Out

My favourite cookbooks are the ones that are stained and falling apart. The coffee-table books that I own sit on the shelf and are glanced at about once per year; they have pretty pictures but are not handy to use nor do they have any appropriate recipes for everyday meals or for entertaining family and friends. I wanted Go Nuts to be different. Because nuts are so versatile, Im confident this cookbook will become one you use often. I encourage you to spill on it, flag the pages, and wear it out well. Like my favourite cookbooks, I hope your copy of Go Nuts is one day held together with an elastic band.

While researching nuts for this cookbook, I realized that many nuts are not actually nuts at all. Most people know that peanuts are not nuts but actually pods from a legume, which is why some people refer to them as groundnuts or earthnuts to differentiate them from nuts grown on trees. (Although, if you ask someone what is the most common nut allergy, most people would answer peanuts!) A true nut is the edible, single-seed kernel of a fruit surrounded by a hard shell. Hazelnuts, pecans, chestnuts, and macadamias match that description but other nuts do not. For instance, walnuts have two kernels so they are not technically nuts. An almond is actually a drupe and Brazil nuts, cashews, and pine nuts are technically seeds. But for most recipes, including the ones included in this book, a nut is any fruit or seed with an edible kernel surrounded by a hard shell. As a result, coconut teeters on the is it a nut? border for me, which is why I have included several recipes with coconut in them but, because many people do not think of it as a nut, I do not focus on it as a feature ingredient or flavour. For practical reasons, Go Nuts uses only familiar nuts, not the unusual ones. It was difficult to decide on the recipes for this cookbook because there are so many great ideas for nuts, and I could easily write one or two books just on desserts made with nuts. In the end, I decided to focus on the most common nuts that are readily available: almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts.

Go Nuts includes new and unique recipes as well as some classics. For example, is a variation of the classic sauce made using an easy food processor method. With so many options for incorporating different types of nuts into your diet, youll soon go nuts for nuts.

Enjoy!

Debbie Harding

Acknowledgements

Thank you to the following people who helped make this book happen:

Ruth Linka for reading my initial proposal and being as excited about this book as I am. Her faith in this project started me down a path that I have wanted to take for many years. Her ongoing encouragement, knowledge, and patience have helped me through this new challenge.

Holland Gidney for her guidance through the editing process and teaching me better ways to express my thoughts and ideas on paper.

Pete Kohut, designer, for helping my illustrations come to life.

Everyone at TouchWood who helped to make my first book-writing experience positive, rewarding, and relatively painless.

Juanita Stein, Allan Mandell, and Rene Pelequin for being both friends and advisers to me. I treasure your professional advice and endless encouragement along the way.

Dad and Irene for always having faith in me, my projects, and my dreams.

Special thanks to Scott, Dale, Brenda, Wayne, Laura, Joel, Logan, Ashley, and Jon for being my test kitchen audience and official tasters.

And to all my friends and relatives who have donated various food products to the cause. I have received freshly harvested fruits and vegetables from many of you as well as gourmet gifts from afar. I also appreciate your culinary inquiries that keep me on my toes.

This cereal is great sprinkled on some fruit for breakfast or as a healthy snack.

• 4 cups (1125 mL) large-flake oats, preferably Robin Hood or Quaker
• 2 cups (560 mL) whole almonds, raw or blanched
• tsp (4 mL) cinnamon
• 2/3 cup (160mL) honey, preferably in a glass measuring cup
• cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• cup (185 mL) dried cranberries, added after baking and cooling

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line two baking sheets with foil and oil them well (or use parchment paper, which doesnt need to be oiled).

Mix the oats, almonds, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Heat the honey in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds on low to liquefy it. Mix the oil and the vanilla with the honey; pour it into the oat mixture and stir to coat thoroughly. Spoon the mixture onto the two baking sheets and spread it out evenly.

Bake for 10 minutes; stir well and spread out the mixture evenly again. The stirring is essential because the edges will brown quicker than the middle. Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until completely golden.

Cool the granola before adding the cranberries. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes 8 cups (2 L).

Per cup (125 mL): 403 calories, 17.1 g fat, 1.7 g sat. fat, 4 mg sodium, 50.4 g carbs, 11.8 g protein

Makes a hearty, comforting lunch for a rainy day (or any day).

• 1 large leek (white and light green parts only), diced and washed
• 1 recipe , (substituting diced leek for the onion), at room temperature
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) almond butter
• 2 cups (500 mL) cooked chicken (about 14 oz [435 g]), cut into bite-sized cubes
• 1 cups (375 mL) cooked long-grain white rice (or use peeled and cubed cooked potatoes)
• cup (125 mL) toasted sliced, blanched almonds

In a large saucepan, heat the soup base on medium-low, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken and rice; cook for 5 to 10 minutes until heated through.

In a small bowl, whisk the nut butter with cup (125 mL) of warm soup base, taken from the pot, until smooth. Add this mixture to the soup and stir well to combine.

Ladle the soup into bowls, garnishing each one with 2 to 3 teaspoons (10 to 15 mL) of the toasted almonds.

Serves 8.

Per 1 1/8 cups (280 mL): 362 cals, 20.9 g fat, 8 g sat. fat, 68 mg cholesterol, 481 mg sodium, 27.4 g carbs, 16.3 g protein

Very addictive. Makes a fun gift if you can bear to part with it!

• cup (60 mL) butter
• cup (60 mL) corn syrup
• 11/3 cups (330 mL) sugar
• 2 cups (500 mL) whole blanched almonds
• tsp (1 mL) salt

  Cover a medium baking sheet with parchment paper or oiled foil.

In a large, heavy, non-stick skillet on medium heat, combine the butter, corn syrup, and sugar. Cook until melted and bubbling, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the almonds and continue cooking for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the nuts are browned and the sugar is completely caramelized to a deep golden-coloured liquid. Stir frequently for even browning.

Spread the mixture over the pan and sprinkle with the salt. Cool on a rack until hard, and then break into chunks.

Makes 3 cups (750 mL).

Per cup (60 mL): 296 cals, 16.5 g fat, 3.6 g sat. fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 31.9 g carbs, 4.9 g protein