Pistachio, the well-known green nut. We see it more and more often in flavor combinations. And this weekend we too will get cooking, as we celebrate Pistachio Day on the 26th of February. Do you also love the taste of pistachio? Then get started quickly with these three easy recipes.
Some Pistachios threw a party. It was nuts!
Pistachio Smoothie Bowl
Starting the day right is done with a healthy breakfast. And today we inspire you with a delicious combination: kiwi and pistachios. This fresh mix will ensure you have energy all day long.
What ingredients do you need?
– 250g pineapple, papaya and mango
If papaya and mango are not available, you can also go for passion fruit. Or a combination with raspberry.
– Almond milk
– 2 bananas
– 250g yogurt (can also be low-fat or Greek)
– 15g peeled pistachios
– 1 kiwi
How to make this smoothie bowl?
Cut up your pineapple, papaya and mango (or other chosen fruit), so that they are small enough to add to the blender. Afterwards, add a banana and the yogurt. To keep the whole thing from getting mushy, you can add another small cup of almond milk so it’s a little less of a mash and becomes more smooth.
Once everything is in the blender, we start preparing the toppings. You slice the other banana, also the kiwi and if you like you can add Chia seeds as well. Do you prefer cubes? Then you choose cubes instead of slices. You choose your finish!
Then pour the smoothie into a nice bowl, top it off with your sliced fruit and as a topping, sprinkle the crushed pistachios over your bowl!
Pistachio Chicken Salad
A healthy and surprising salad, it always tastes good! So you can eat this recipe during your lunch or as dinner. And nice to know: it’s really super easy to make!
What ingredients do you need?
– 2 Chicken breasts or Chicken strips
– Avocado oil or olive oil (whichever you prefer)
– Dried, salted and roasted pistachios (Can’t find these? Then you can choose to roast your own pistachios and add extra salt when baking)
How to make this salad:
First, we are going to provide the crust for the chicken. We do this by blending the pistachios in a blender until they are cut up. Don’t do it too long, you want to avoid the whole thing becoming buttery! Afterwards, take a bowl, put in the shredded chicken breast and add your chosen oil until the chicken is slightly soaked in it. Add spices to your own taste. Finally, place your chicken in the bowl of pistachio nuts and make sure it is completely covered with the nuts.
To bake these chicken strips, you have two options: either deep fry them, or bake them in the oven at 160 degrees for 15 minutes. The baking time depends on the thickness of your chicken. So keep a close eye on it!
While they bake, you prepare your salad mix. Choose your favorite greens, opt for arugula salad for the strong flavor and finish with parmesan shavings. Once your chicken is ready, put this on your plate with it and done!
Personal tip from Cindy: Do you like a fun flavor combination? Then add a mango sauce to your salad! Surprising and refreshing with your chicken!
Pistachio snacks
Not every recipe has to be difficult, and we know that Pistachio Day falls on the weekend: so it’s the perfect time to provide a snack during a movie night. That’s why we are sharing with you a recipe to make spicy pistachio nuts. It’s guaranteed to be tastier than popcorn!
What ingredients do you need?
– A bowl of pistachio nuts (shelled and preferably already toasted)
– 3/4 cup granulated sugar
– 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
– 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you don’t like spicy, you can leave it out)
– 1/4 teaspoon paprika powder
How to make this delicious snack?
Didn’t find any roasted nuts? Then let’s first roast the nuts ourselves. So the first step is the easiest: preheat the oven to 225 degrees and spread the nuts on baking paper, on a baking sheet. Then put them in the oven for about 10 minutes.
While these nuts are toasting, let’s get to work on the mixture. Mix your sugar, salt and spices together in a saucepan. Then add 1/4 cup of water to the edges so you can mix everything more easily afterwards. Stir this mixture until everything is well mixed.
And now we get to the hardest part: caramelizing the sugar. Heat your saucepan over medium-high heat, keeping stirring occasionally, until the sugar comes to a boil. You’ll see: the volume will almost double. Don’t panic! This is normal. Keep cooking until the sugar reaches 100 degrees. You will see, the foam has gone away and the mixture has thickened. Then remove the pan from the feed, add your toasted pistachios, and mix everything together until the nuts are well coated with the sugar.
Once everything is well stirred sprinkle the nuts on a new plate and let them cool in the refrigerator for about an hour. This way they will get crunchy! Afterwards you can enjoy them during the movie. Enjoy!
Will you be making any of these dishes this weekend? Be sure to let us know via Social Media. Tag us @blogzine.be and use the hashtag #BlogzineLovesPistachios. We are already curious to see how you will celebrate Pistachios Day!
