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Unique Recipes Using Nuts

As delicious as nuts are to eat on their own, they can also be used to create a variety of tasty and unique recipes. Since nuts are chock full of fiber, healthy fats and nutrients, they are consistently recommended as a welcome addition to our diets. Whether they are used as the main component or simply as a garnish, they can add to the flavor of any recipe.

Although they are typically seen as the perfect snack food, nuts are incredibly versatile and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. From butters to cheeses to sauces – nuts can be transformed into almost anything. Their abundant range of flavors – from nutty to sweet to earthy – make them the perfect ingredient for appetizing, yet healthy dishes.

We asked around the CJ Dannemiller headquarters for our staff’s favorite nut recipes – great for everyday cooking:

Vegan Cashew Sour Cream

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups (225 g) raw cashews – soaked overnight and drained
  • ¾ cup (190 mL) water
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

Blend all ingredients and enjoy! CJ Dannemiller Nut Pro Tip: Add dill then use on tacos, baked potatoes or for chip dip – wherever you would use regular sour cream!

Vegan Cashew Cream Cheese

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews – soaked overnight
  • 1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dried chives – add to your taste with or without herbs
  • Pinch of sea salt

Directions

  1. Drain and rinse cashews
  2. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix for several minutes until they reach a creamy, combined consistency.
  3. Add drops of water to reach desired consistency, if not creamy enough from blending.
  4. Store in refrigerator up to one week

Vegan Keto Pasta Alfredo

Ingredients

  • 1 bag Mann’s Cauliflower Rice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 ½ cups plain, unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 ½ cups cashews – soaked overnight
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 bag Mann’s Kohlrabi Linguine (or your favorite pasta)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Parsley minced

Directions

  1. Microwave the bag of Mann’s Cauliflower Rice according to the bag’s directions. Set aside.
  2. In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic. Sauté until golden.
  3. Transfer the oil mixture to a blender with the cauliflower rice, almond milk, cashews, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Return the empty pan to the heat and add the bag of Mann’s Kohlrabi Linguine. Sauté until softened – about 7 minutes – then add in the sauce. Toss until fully coated and sprinkle with parsley for garnish.

Spicy Cashew Chicken

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 dried hot red peppers, sliced with seeds (or about 1 – 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes to taste)
  • 1 bunch, or about 10 green onions, sliced both white and green parts
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
  • ½ cup water
  • Several dashes sesame oil
  • ¾ cup raw cashews that have been lightly toasted (2.5lb bag only $16.25)
  • Snipped chives for garnish
  • Cooked white or brown rice

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the cornstarch, making sure to get all the chicken coated.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the chicken on all sides. Do this in batches so you don’t crowd the chicken, as the chicken needs space in the pan to brown well. Set the browned chicken aside on a plate.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger and hot pepper to the pan and stir fry for a few minutes. Add most of the scallions (reserve a handful for garnish) and the chicken back into the pan and toss to combine.
  4. Add the vinegar, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar (if using) and the water to the pan. Mix everything well then bring up to a simmer and cook gently for a minute or two until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thick and glossy. Taste to adjust seasonings according to preference.
  5. Add the cashews to the sauce and sprinkle on a few dashes of the sesame oil. Serve over hot rice garnished with the rest of the scallions, snipped chives and a few extra cashews.

Apricot, Date and Cashew Snack Balls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cashews, walnuts or almonds
  • Generous pinch of sea salt
  • 1 ¼ cups pitted Medjool dates
  • ¼ cup dried apricot
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

  1. Process the nuts and sea salt in a food processor until the nuts are coarsely ground.
  2. Add the dates, apricots, almond butter, sesame seeds and cinnamon.
  3. Keep processing the mixture until it starts to stick together a bit.
  4. When you can squeeze a handful and it sticks together nicely, you’re done processing.
  5. Roll the mixture into balls that are about 1 inch in diameter.
  6. Store in airtight container for up to two weeks in the fridge or a week outside of the fridge.

Keep an eye on our website for new recipe additions – or send us some of your favorite nut dishes! In the meantime, be sure to shop our online store for a variety of nuts, seeds and dried fruits or contact our customer service representatives for more information on purchasing in bulk.

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