Snacking made healthier and tastier by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai

GOWRI MANICKAVASAGAM

In the midst of working from home and diligently finishing off those endless household chores, what keeps us all going is a wholesome snack. Between doing the dishes and meeting deadlines, a tasty snack is something that can both power you up and lift your spirits. But then again, are you snacking, right?

When it comes to snacking, it’s exceptionally easy to fall back on unhealthy options. Snacking on easily accessible processed food and other such food items is definitely bad news for the body in the long run. Moreover, since our lifestyles have undergone a massive change over the past few months, it’s now more important than ever to focus on your health.

This is where walnuts come in. Filled with nutrients that support the brain, heart, and gut, walnuts are a very healthy food choice. Moreover, they’re incredibly versatile, allowing you to use them in many different ways to whip up the most scrumptious snacks to get you through the day. From using them to make a trail mix to turning them into delicious spreads, here are a few ways in which you can use California walnuts to help you snack healthy without compromising on taste!

So, try out these healthy snack recipes curated by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai.

Greek Cucumber Walnut Bites

Ingredients

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 English cucumber, ends trimmed

1/2 cup roasted red pepper hummus

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

5 cherry tomatoes, quartered

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and arrange walnuts evenly on a small baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes, checking frequently, until toasted.
2. Slice cucumber crosswise into 18, ~3/4-inch thick slices. Using a small spoon, gently scoop out and discard the centre of each cucumber slice, leaving bottom and sides intact.
3. In a small bowl, stir 6 tablespoons chopped walnuts and hummus. Spoon walnut-hummus mixture into each cucumber slice and top with 2 reserved tablespoons of chopped walnuts, feta cheese and quartered tomatoes.

Cottage Cheese-Walnut Caprese Toast

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

4 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

1 1/3 cups cottage cheese

1 cup multi-colored cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh basil

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon balsamic syrup

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and arrange walnuts evenly on a small baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, checking frequently, until toasted.
2. Spread cottage cheese evenly over each slice of toasted bread—layer with tomatoes, toasted walnuts, fresh basil, black pepper, and a drizzle of balsamic syrup.

Sweet Potato Chips With California Walnuts And Beetroot Pâté

Ingredients    

Sweet Potato Chips:

1 kg sweet potatoes

Salt to taste

California Walnuts and Beet Pâté

2 medium beetroots, boiled

50 g California walnut halves

1 garlic clove

20 ml lemon juice

20 ml extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Peel the sweet potatoes and using a mandolin slicer cut them into thin slices. Place them in an oven tray, sprinkle salt over them and bake for 10 minutes at 200°C.
2. Take the tray out, turn the chips upside down and bake for another 10 minutes. Let them cool.
3. Before baking the chips, soak California walnuts in water for an hour and then drain the water.
4. Cut the boiled beetroots in quarters.
5. In a blender, put the beetroots, California walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the extra virgin olive oil, and blend it until smooth.
6. Take out in a bowl and serve the California walnuts and beetroot pâté with sweet potato chips.