Express Gratitude To Your Loved Ones This Thanksgiving With Festive Walnut Recipes

It’s that time of the year again! A time to give thanks, be grateful, and celebrate the joy of togetherness and the advent of good times.

The festival sees family celebrating under one roof to thank each other for being a part of their lives and to remember to never take anything for granted. It’s no surprise then, that a festival as lovely as this one calls for some really special food. This is where California Walnuts comes in. A handful of walnuts (28g) is packed with the essential fatty acid omega-3 ALA (2.5g) and has protein (4g) and fiber (2g). These super nuts elevate the nutrition value and give a flavorful twist to every meal.  

Both healthy and scrumptious, the following recipes can be whipped up with a generous dash of California Walnuts that’ll add flavour, texture, and goodness to your meals. So, are you ready for a truly special Thanksgiving dinner?

Roasted Turkey Stuffed With California walnuts And Glazed Fruit And Honey

Ingredients

1 turkey (about 6kg), clean 
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 onions
5 carrots
A bit of soft butter

Stuffing

12 whole plums without a bone cut in half
12 dried apricots cut in half
60g cup of currants
60ml of brandy
60g of unsalted butter
2 apples without peeled skin
2 large onions cut into pieces
2 celery sticks cut into pieces
100g of blueberries
200g of California walnuts
4 slices of brioche bread of thick slices cut into cubes
250ml chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh parsley
3 large eggs
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

 Glazed

375g flower honey
125g unsalted butter
2 chopped cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons fresh chopped sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preparations:

1. The night before, place the prunes, apricots, and currants in a medium bowl; add a trickle of brandy and cover with plastic wrap and marinate overnight.

2. The next morning, wash and dry the turkey, season it inside and out and let it stand for an hour.

3. Place a roast pan in the oven and preheat to 180°C.

4. For the filling of California walnuts and fruit, melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat, add the apples, onions, and celery, cook them, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the celery is tender for about 10 minutes and put them in a large bowl and reserve, add the bread cut into cubes and the broth.

5. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat and toast the California walnuts stirring constantly until golden brown, add the California walnuts to the apple mixture and mix well.

6. Then, add the macerated fruit, blueberries, ground cloves, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, parsley, and eggs, season it. Using 2 large spoons or your hands, mix the filling until it is blended well. Fill the cavities of the turkey with the California walnut stuffing.

7. Tie the turkey with kitchen rope and close cavities with toothpicks.

8. Rub the turkey with the softened butter and season it with salt and pepper.

9. Place the turkey on a baking dish, roughly chop the carrots and onions and place them with the turkey and bake at 180⁰C.

10. Meanwhile, make the glaze: in a small saucepan over medium heat, put the butter with the garlic stirring occasionally until it melts and the garlic browned lightly, add the honey and sage, and season with salt and pepper until the honey is liquid and all is incorporated.

11. After 1 hour of roasting, with the help of a kitchen brush, remove the turkey and paint it with the honey mixture, return it to the oven and repeat the operation every 20 minutes for an hour and a half.

12. TIP: The turkey will be ready when you put a thermometer in the thickest part of the breast mark 80°C, and in the thickest part of the thigh, dial 80°C, if in the course of the baking the turkey began to brown in excess, cover it with aluminum foil to avoid burning.When the turkey is ready, let it rest covered with silver foil for half an hour,after this time, move the turkey to a dish and the sauce to a gravy boat, serve it with vegetables. 

Pumpkin stuffed with couscous and walnuts

Ingredients:

2 pumpkins
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 glass and a half of vegetable broth
1 glass of precooked couscous
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
A pinch of ground ginger
80g chopped California walnuts
2 tablespoons raisins
2 finely chopped chives (the green part of the stem too)
1/2 chopped apple
A handful of raw mushrooms finely chopped
A sprig of fresh mint

Preparation:

1. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and add some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Line a baking tray with silver foil and place the pumpkin halves face down on it. Roast them for about 20 minutes at 200°C.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, add and boil the broth. In another bowl, put the couscous, the cinnamon, ginger, a little salt, and black pepper.
3. Pour the boiled broth over the couscous, cover with a lid, and set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix the chopped walnuts, raisins, chives, apple, and finely chopped mushrooms. Add the couscous and dress with a little olive oil. Add more salt if necessary.
5. Fill the pumpkins with the couscous mix and sprinkle with some fresh mint.

Walnut, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Tart

Ingredients:

Sweet Tart Crust
1-1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup California walnuts, finely chopped
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup salted butter, softened
1 large egg
Filling
1 (425g) canned pumpkin
100glow-fat cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup California walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preparation:

Sweet Tart Crust
1. Stir together flour, walnuts, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in butter and egg. Stir well with a fork until a soft dough form. Gather into a ball and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C and coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Lay pastry dough on a lightly floured board and roll into an 11-inch circle. Press onto the bottom and sides of prepared pan and poke with a fork on the bottom and sides. Bake for 20 minutes.
Filling

1. While the crust is baking, whisk together pumpkin and cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, egg, and egg yolk, beating just until incorporated.
2. Pour into prepared crust and top with walnuts. Bake for 40 minutes or until the filling is set when the pan is gently tapped.
3. Remove from oven and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Optional: When ready to serve, top each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.