photo credit: roygbivibgyor

Picnics, parties, school lunch break and any time snack; muffins are an all time favorite for most of us! Plain sponge, coffee, chocolate there are so many way one can bake muffins! This one is with Chocolate and Walnut. The last recipe for the walnut week. That definitely doesn’t mean no more walnuts! If I come across an interesting recipe, would definitely share!

Eggs – 2 nos
Sugar powder – 200 gms
All purpose flour (maida) – 130 gms
Cocoa powder – 4 tbsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1 tsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Butter – 160 gms
Milk – 2/3 cups
Chopped walnuts – 150 gms

1. Sieve the flour with cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and keep it aside
2. Melt the butter with milk but do not boil
3. Beat the eggs lightly till frithy and then add sugar powder, vanilla essence and mix
4. Gradually add the flour mixture prepared earlier and the butter with milk mixture. Beat lightly
5. Finally fold in the walnuts
6. Mix gently and pour it into paper lined muffin tray
7. Top with whole walnut and bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes at 180 degree C

Till next time…happy cooking!

photo credit: avlxyz

Cakes are my weakness. More than having them, I love baking it for my friends and family . Cappuccino Walnut Gateaux is an absolute delight and sinfully delicious.

All purpose flour (Maida)– 150 gms
Sugar powder – 200 gms
Eggs – 2 nos.
Butter – 150 gms
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Coffee liquor / Kahlua* – 1 Tbsp
Coffee powder cappuccino flavor – 1 tsp
Praline – 1 Tbsp (for caramelized nuts)

1. In a pan dry heat 2 Tbsp of sugar, 3 tbsp of walnuts (broken). Add the walnuts while the sugar melts into honey color
2. Keep stirring after adding the walnuts on a low flame
3. Grease a tray and pour the caramelized walnut and let it cool before powdering it (Praline)
4. Beat the butter in a bowl using an electric beater. Beat only in one direction till fluffy
5. Add sugar powder and continue beating in one direction till nice and fluffy
6. Add the eggs one at a time and blend in one direction
7. Add vanilla essence and beat
8. Add coffee liquor / Kahlua and coffee powder. Continue beating in one direction
9. Sieve maida or all purpose flour along with baking powder
10. Add all purpose flour to the prepared butter mixture little by little (about 2 Tbsp) and keep beating with an electric beater
11. Now add remaining flour with a spoon and mix lightly in cut and fold method with a spatula till you get a semi thick consistency
12. Grease the mould and spread the butter paper and re grease
13. Pour half of the batter in the center of the mould and sprinkle around 2 Tbsp of praline on top of it
14. Pour remaining of the batter and mix it with a spatula. This process is called spanning
15. Push the batter up on the sides so that it forms a dip in the centre. This is done to have uniformity else cakes tend to rise higher towards the center
16. Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes at 180 degree C or 350 degree F or adjust according to your oven; since the timings vary from oven to oven

*If you do not have coffee liquor you can use 1-2 tbsp rum mixed with 1 tsp of instant coffee powder

Either you can serve as it or proceed with icing

Icing

1. Split the cake (after cooling) in to 2 halves
2. Add 1 to 1.5 tsp of instant coffee powder o butter icing
3. You can also add rum / coffee liquor to the butter icing
4. Spread icing on 1st half
5. Place the 2nd half of the cake and spread the butter cream / icing on top and all sides
6. Saute walnuts in butter
7. Decorate your cake with your imagination with sauted walnuts and praline

photo credit: rore

Well, am always impressed with men who can cook and moreso when it comes to something as exotic as Honey Walnut Chicken. Rishi who is based out of USA sent me over this recipe for my Walnut week. Check it out…
Boneless Skinless Chicken breasts – 1 kg
Walnut – 1 cup (halved)
Honey – 1 tsp
Ginger – 1 tsp (finely chopped)
Rice Wine – 2 tsp
Cornstarch – 1 tsp
Brown Sugar – 1 tsp
Dark Soy Sauce – 2 tsp
Garlic – 2 tsp  (coarsely chopped)
Green onions – ½ cup (Cut 2” long. Slit in half)
Green bell pepper – ½ cup (Cut 2” long thin.)
Chopped white onions – ½ cup
Chinese 5 spice powder – 1 tsp*
Mix fruit jelly – 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Butter – ½ tsp
Sesame oil – 1 tsp

• Marinate chicken in ginger, rice wine, salt, cornstarch and Chinese 5 spice powder for atleast1 hr
• Roast walnuts with a bit of butter.  Add honey and mix till dry
• Prepare a mix of dark soy sauce, brown sugar and mix fruit jelly
• In a pan, heat oil. Stir-fry chicken and keep separate
• Add garlic and stir-fry
• Add green onions, green bell pepper and white onions and stir-fry
• Add cooked chicken and mix
• Garnish with roasted sesame
• Serve with fried rice or noodles

*The 5 spices if not available can be prepared at home. Combine schezwan pepper corns (if not available use normal pepper corns), star anise, cloves, cinnamon & fennel seeds and grind them to fine powder.

Thanks Rishi for sharing this fab recipe with us.

Meet Rishi…

Rishi Menon is a software consultant. He dabbles in cooking and photography in his spare time. You can check out his portfolio here

Walnut Hummus

Things are pretty easy in the east I must say. Boiled beans, boiled chickpeas, washed and packed salad leaves, cut vegetables you name it and its available in the super markets to make life faster and easier in the kitchen. Even hummus can be picked up off the shelf… For those who do want to make it at home. Here’s  a recipe with a twist that is hummus made using Walnuts…after all we are in the walnut week aren’t we? Btw to make it even more healthy you can use sprouted boiled chickpeas in place of normal chickpea!

Walnuts – 1/2 cup

Chickpea (chana) – 250 gms (boiled and drained)

Lemon juice – of 1 number

Garlic cloves – 2 nos

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil – 2 tbsp

Parsley – 1 tbsp finely chopped

Chili powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)

1. Mix all the ingredients except Parsley and chili powder and blend it to a smooth consistency.
2. Add water if required
3. Garnish with a sprinkle of chili powder, 1/2 tsp oil and few boiled chickpeas.
4. Serve with bread / pita / vegetable cuts

Till tomorrow…happy cooking!

Walnut Sauce

Sauce or chutney goes well with appetizers as well as with the main course. I tried this one with as an accompaniment to a full course meal and results were quite satisfactory

Walnuts – 1 cups
Onion – 1 no. (big)
Mint Leaves – ½ cup
Green chili – 1-2 nos
Yogurt – 1 Tbsp
Salt to taste

• In a pan boil water and immerse the walnuts in it. Leave it aside
• Meanwhile roughly chop onions, mint leaves and green chili and put them in a grinder along with yogurt
• Drain the walnuts and add it to the grinder
• Add a bit of water and coarsely grind for approximately 15-20 seconds
• Serve with any snacks, as a dip with vegetables or a side dish to go with your biryani!

Till tomorrow….happy cooking!

photo credit: Mac.Else von Berlin

During my visit to innumerable super markets across Europe I thing that really impressed me was the convenience, the variety and the quality of salad leaves all packed neatly all ready to be consumed. Well what better way to start your meal than having generous helpings of salads? yeh?.. so as promised here’s the first recipe of the week for you- a healthy salad with nutritious walnuts Enjoy!

Chopped toasted walnuts – 3 Tbsps

Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Dried Herb – 1 tsp

Balsamic vinegar – 4 Tbsp

Olive oil – 1/2 cup

Cheese of your choice – 2-3 tbsps

1. Grind all ingredients together in a mortar
2. Serve the balsamic salad dressing with walnuts with your favorite mix of  salad..

Till tomorrow… happy cooking!

Walnuts

Walnuts are extremely nutritious. There are various benefits of walnuts. Not only are they rich in protein but also vitamins B and E. They serve as good snack however, check how much you eat lest you want to put on some extra pounds / kilos. Walnuts if taken in moderate quantities are extremely good for health.

Week of March 15- 19, 2010, I would like to bring to you few walnut recipes. Hope you enjoy cooking, serving & eating them!

Do you have a walnut recipe on you? Send it across with a brief about yourself! Looking forward to your contributions!

Check out…Meals that heal inflammation by Julie Daniluk!

What does Sarah Merson say about benefits of walnut?

Walnuts and walnut oil contain protein, vitamin B6 and E, potassium, magnesium, copper & zinc, all of which help to keep us youthful. Vitamin B6 helps to prevent memory loss and protect the heart, while vitamin E maintains skin and hair. Both potassium and magnesium are good for the heart, and copper helps to prevent varicose veins. Zinc has a miraculous ability to rejuvenate the thymus gland and to boost immunity Walnut is a good source of fatty acids, central to skin and heart health.

Sarah Merson is a freelance writer specializing in alternative health & nutrition. She works for the college of Naturopathic Medicine in the UK and is the author of The Top Traditional Remedies (DBP)