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Monday, December 7, 2009

Nuts for Pasta!

Last night, I tried another delicious recipe from the Nut Gourmet by Zel Allen — Almond, Mushroom, and Spinach Over Pasta with Savory Cashew Cream Sauce:

It's whole wheat penne pasta topped with a creamy cashew "cheeze" sauce, sauteed spinach, almond pieces, mushrooms, carrots, and diced red bell pepper. Delicious! I love this sort of pasta dish that includes all my food groups in one plate!

Zel Allen's Nut Gourmet book (published by the Book Publishing Company in Summertown, Tennessee) is really awesome. Though I am calorie-conscious, I know that nuts contain good fats and are super-healthy in moderation. Her book includes tons of delicious and nutty dinner, breakfast, special occasion, and dessert recipes.

Allen also goes over the health benefits of individual nuts — like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts — in the book's intro. And she provides tips for cracking, blanching, and sprouting. The book is really worth checking out for loads of delicious recipes made with a great alternative protein source.

12 comments:

  1. What a great cookbook, I'll have to check it out one day. I, too, really like the richness and appreciate the great protein of the nut meats - very good for us. I know avocados are "fattie", too, but it's the "good fat", so I don't feel once ounce of guilt with nuts & avocados.
    Great post - thanks!

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  2. I made a rice dish this evening and I threw in some walnuts. It was a great add of texture and flavor, also I put it in towards the end of stir frying my peppers so the oil of the walnut made the juice and olive oil more of a sauce consistency.

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  3. ooh that cookbook sounds great!!

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  4. Oooh, cashew-cream sauce makes me drool. Sounds like a great addition to the collection. Everytime nuts are in a recipe it sort of takes it over the top...

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  5. Ohhhh YUM! I love the way that looks and sounds - delicious! Ahhh good fats are my FAVORITE thing, I don't feel right unless I have a lot of good fats in my diet, like nuts, olives and avocados. Great post, Bianca!

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  6. That meal looks so colorful and delicious! I have never made a cashew cream, though I loved the one I tried at Gratitude in Berkeley. You make calorie conscious look yummy.

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  7. THat looks yummy to the max... I'll have to keep my eye out for that cookbook!

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  8. wow that sounds so yummy! i haven't seen that book before, but def gonna check it out!

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  9. hooray for one tasty pasta from the yummy nut gourmet book. we always have nuts on hand for pesto, cheeze sauces, and snacking, but i feel like i've gotta get this cookbook because i know i can do more with nuts. they're just so delicious. mmmmm!

    i was reading back on your previous posts, Bianca.... yay! i totally had soup tonight for dinner. it was split pea, and while it was yummy - it didn't look nearly as delicious as the spicy pumpkin soup. i'm digging the coconut almond butter smoothie, raw babies (which sound amazing & look picture perfect), peanut noodles, and carrot miso dressing. it looks & sounds like you had one tasty raw day, fo 'sho!

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  10. The book sounds really interesting, and I love that recipe - so colorful, and I bet it tastes great.

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  11. That pasta looks so fresh and delicious!
    http://whatyourmommadidntknow.blogspot.com/

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