Nuts can be good for you, containing all the right oils and packed with protein, nuts work so well in many sweet and savoury recipes. Kent cobnuts are of course delicious (and see kentishcobnutsassociation.org.uk for some great recipes), but here are three of my favourite ideas from further afield
Cashew-nut Dukkah
Dukkah is a versatile middle Eastern spice mix that can be used in many different ways. Often made with almonds, I like the intensity of flavour that cashews give it. Dip bread into oil and then dukkah to serve as a snack with drinks, sprinkle it on roast vegetables or cheese such as halloumi or goat’s cheese and enhance hummus or tzatziki with a spoonful on top.
Ingredients
• 90g roasted cashews (the salted ones in the snack section are fine)
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• ½ tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds
• ½ tsp good quality flaked salt such as Maldon
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Method
In a dry frying pan place the cashews, coriander and cumin seeds onto a low/medium heat and start to warm for a minute or so. You're trying to very lightly toast and bring out the oils from the seeds, but the mix will be ruined if they are burnt, so do go slowly.
Keep on the heat and gently swirl the pan until you can see that the nuts and spices are toasting and can smell the pungent aromas. For the last few seconds add the sesame and nigella seeds. Caution: sesame seeds tend to pop and fly all over the place, so keep their time in the pan brief!
Tip the contents of the pan along with the salt and pepper into a small blender or grinder and pulse until all the seeds and nuts have broken up but still have texture (almost like very gritty sand). You can do this in a pestle and mortar with a strong arm.
Keeps in an airtight jar or tin for a couple of weeks but it is at its best when enjoyed quite fresh.
Pasta with prawns and pistachios
Serves 2
On the Island of Sicily there is a dedicated pistachio festival that takes place in October, with some of the very best of these vivid green gems growing in the shadows of Mount Etna. The volcano has been rather active over the past couple of months, so hopefully those precious trees and their bounty have not been adversely affected. When I was last there, I ordered spaghetti with clams in a wonderful local fish restaurant, but my friend Anna chose this dish, and I must admit I almost wish I had too. I’ll just have to go back. For now, this is my version.
Ingredients
• Around 100g dried pasta per person (works best with spaghetti or linguine - look for bronze-cut pasta as it has a rougher surface, so the sauce will cling better)
• 75g shelled, salted pistachios (I shell those in packs from the supermarket and rub a little of the papery outer skin off with my fingers)
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 120ml olive oil (plus a couple of tbsp for the prawns)
• Zest of one lemon and 2 tbsp juice
• About 10 basil leaves
• 3 heaped tablespoons of grated Parmesan
• 200g raw, shelled prawns
• Sea salt and black pepper
Method
Prepare your pistachio sauce by placing the nuts, garlic, oil, lemon zest and juice, basil and Parmesan into a processor (you could alternatively use a stick blender - or even a pestle and mortar, though the resulting texture may be a little chunkier). Bitz until all is combined and the nuts are finely ground (it should be double-cream consistency). Add a good pinch of salt and stir.
Fill a pan with well-salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Then add your pasta.
Heat the two tbsps oil in a large frying pan and cook the prawns until just pink. Add the pistachio sauce to the pan and take a ladle of the pasta water and add that, too. As you stir you will see it turn almost creamy.
Drain your pasta and add straight into the frying pan. Toss everything together so the pasta is well coated and glossy.
Serve with a good crack of black pepper and an extra wedge of lemon.
Fig and walnut muffins
Makes 12
The rules with muffins are not to overbake nor overmix. The texture needs to be moist and fluffy (although it will be a bit heavier than a sponge) - overworking the mixture can result in a tight, rubbery consistency, which you don’t want. These are great for a quick breakfast.
Ingredients
• 240g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 heaped tablespoon mixed spice
• ½ tsp fine salt
• 150g golden or regular caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 120g salted butter, melted
• 170g whole milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 fresh figs
• 50g walnuts, chopped
Method
Turn on the oven to 180C.
Put the flour, baking powder, spice and salt into a bowl and mix.
In another bowl mix the sugar, beaten eggs, melted butter, milk and vanilla. Then add the wet ingredients into the dry and loosely combine.
Add half of the walnuts and 4 of the figs chopped into small pieces.
Stir together gently.
Spoon the mixture, divided equally, into a 12-hole muffin tin lined with muffin cases.
Slice the remaining 2 figs each into 6 and pop a piece on top of each filled case.
Sprinkle with the rest of the walnuts.
Bake for around 18-20 minutes at 180C until the middles have puffed up well and the tops spring back when you touch them.
Remove muffins from tin and allow to cool on a rack. Devour.
