Honey Mustard Pistachios for TV time

So I have been going on about the health benifits of Pistas. But thats not all thats great about them, Pistachios rule in the realm of flavor as well! Multifaceted (literally - Pistachios come in colours ranging from blushing pink to bright green), these nuts can enhance any dish to which they are added. Abandon the sports bar peanuts and serve pistachios with drinks. Garnish amuse bouche and hors d’oeuvres with these visually resplendent nuts. Add chrushed pistas or pista paste to sauces, to add depth to your dishes.

Pistachios complement an astounding variety of meats – chicken to rabbit to pigeon to shrimps (tried and tasted). Vegetarians should note Pistachios are an excellent source of vegetable protein. Add them to your salads, stir fries or sauté with vegetables and fruit as they are good source of monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats which reduce blood cholesterol levels when they replace saturated fats in your diet.

Here is a great recipe from the California Pistachio board.

Honey Mustard Pistachios
Preparation Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking time: 20 - 25 minutes

Ingredients
3/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 bag California In Shell Pistachios
1/3 cup raw sugar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, combine honey, mustard and cayenne pepper. Over medium heat, cook mixture for 5 minutes; stirring often. Add pistachios; stir to coat well. In a large bowl, place raw sugar. Add coated pistachios and stir to coat well. Evenly spread pistachios over baking sheets. Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool completely (pistachios will harden as they cool). Store in a loosely covered container for up to two weeks.
Makes 12 servings.

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shares a recipe for California Pista Pasta

Sanjeev Kapoor probably needs little introduction. He is perhaps the most recognised face of Indian cuisine today. Chef Extraordinaire, TV show host, author of best selling cookbooks, restaurant consultant and winner of several culinary awards are just some of the many hats he has worn in the span of his illustrious career. But for me, he will always be the soft spoken smiling gentleman chef that I learnt so much from watching on TV every afternoon growing up. So it was an honour to visit his office and meet him in person recently. Here he suggests a delicious California Pista Pasta that will be ideal to rustle up on days when you are to tired to cook a whole meal during the festive season! The colors certainly make it perfect for a clebration!

As with most chefs, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor is also a big fan of Pistachios "I love pistas for their versatility, and the natural green colour they impart to dishes that specifically need to be green, like the tricolour specials for Independence and Republic Day!" I use Pistachios to garnish sweets and savouries, cook with pistachios to make mithais and meat dishes, and use their healthy goodness as any time snacking treat!"

CALIFORNIA PISTACHIO PASTA SALAD
(Pasta and pista in a colourful cheesy salad)

Ingredients
Pistachios, coarsely chopped ¼ cup
Pasta, blanched 1 cup
Snow peas, blanched and broken 10-12
Tomatoes, chopped 2 medium
Baby spinach 6-8 leaves
Parmesan cheese shavings ½ cup
Salad dressing
Olive oil 3 tablespoons
Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon
Dried oregano a pinch
Salt to taste
Black pepper powder ¼ teaspoon

Method
Mix all the ingredients of the salad dressing together. Add the blanched pasta to the dressing. Add snow peas, tomatoes and mix. Add baby spinach leaves and mix. Add coarsely chopped pistachios and mix well.
Finally add Parmesan cheese shavings and toss. Serve hot or cold.

Pistachios, deliciously whole!

At first when I re-discovered pistachios, I was impressed by all that I could do with them. I planned experimental recipes for everything from amuse bouche, salads, curries, and stir fries to desserts. But when I got down to actually preparing to cooking with them, I ran into a wall.

Pistachios need to be shelled. A slow nail breaking job!

And I concluded that the a reason there aren’t that many traditional recipes for Pistachios around is because harvesting enough shelled Pistas for any dish was probably a losing battle for cooks throughout history! Even if one managed to protect the precious booty from invasive hands ready to swipe a few conveniently shelled nuts, who would have protected them from the cooks themselves!

On a more serious note, though, for many centuries nomadic tribes that inhabit remote inhospitable areas where wild Pistachios grow, have fought over the right to harvest the nuts which were an important component of migratory diet in the winter when food was scarce. Pista in their whole form were probably easy to store or transport and effortless to eat even when one was on the go. Eating them whole is the most common form of consumption for Pistachios in a lot of cultures even today.

To come back to present times in the Ghildiyal home, I stopped fighting the losing battle against protecting my tediously shelled pistachios when I realised that the entire family was opting for Pistachios over less healthy choices.

Having chosen to be a hands-on mother who works from home, I work 9-5 and switch to being mom after 5 most days. ALOT has to be achieved in the 8 hour work window I have so those hours are extremely intense, requiring me to multi-task between writing, cooking and running a company. It often leaves me too fatigued by snack time. Which is a worry because that 5-6 slot is when all of us are at our hungriest and if I am not vigilant with myself, I end up opting for the convenience of opening up a packet of something. That has changed however, ever since I discovered that both, Aman, my 7 year old, always hungry son and Natasha, my almost 2 year old wants-to-eat-everything-herself – but-can’t-quite-manage daughter both took to Pistachios like little stars I began buying serving them Pistachios.

What a Eureka moment! (Moms out there will attest to how tough it is to have our kids eat something healthy over fried or packaged junk food!) So most evenings now, my kids and I (and their dad when he manages to get home in time) dig into a bowl of Pistachios at teatime; Aman loves the excitement of cracking open the shells and it is ADORABLE to watch how sweetly he shells them for his little sister. And Natasha tweeks my heartstrings with her triumphant smiles every time she manages to get a spoon with perfectly balanced pista into her mouth! And inside me, sneaky mom that I have become, I cannot help but rejoice at all the good stuff I have managed to sneak into their tummies! (Being one of the most nutrient dense nuts they provide vitamin B6, copper, manganese, protein, dietary fiber, thiamin, and phosphorus!).

I have even begun to pack small sachets into my husbands tiffin, so he can have them as an evening snack in lieu of the vada paavs, samosas, chaat and other rubbish he was forced to eat at his canteen before. And while we’re on the topic of husbands, ladies, let me tell you, a bowl of pistas makes a great addition to the rare quiet times we get together. Amidst the crazy pace of juggling two careers and bringing up two children in a city like Mumbai, we often have to carve out time late at night or early in the morning when. If the kids are asleep, the simple activity of shelling pistachio nuts for one another while we watch a late night movie, catch up on each other’s lives or listen to great songs on the radio in the morning mellows the pace of things and adds to the intimacy of the moment and can lead to other things.. if you know what I mean J.
One of the best things by far about Pistachios is that they are one of the most fuss free, guilt free snack options, just open up a packet (or two or three), empty into bowls, serve and watch them disappear feeling like the most intelligent woman in the world for sneaking so much goodness into your family’s diet!

Pistas by nature go rancid quickly and I couldn’t find really good stuff anywhere so pernickety as I am, I sourced quality raw pistachios from Crawford Market and roasted them myself, packing individual servings into zip lock bags for use through the week. Then when I began to look around to find out what other stuff was available around town that had pistachio in it, I came across a brand of ready roasted and Salted Pistachios. Called Wonderful Pistachios, they more than live up to their name, coated in just the right degree of salt, and roasted to perfection they make a satisfying salty snack or treat at any time of day.

GYAN and LINKS
Tried and tested – serve pistachios with freshly brewed tea (orange pekoe if you have some) the citrusy notes complement the Pistas beautifully. Surprise him with a chilled bottle of beer instead of tea on his customary cup of tea or coffee, when he gets home, accompanied by a bowl of roasted, salted Pistas and your undivided attention!
Wonderful Pistachios are ready to eat and come in 2 flavours roasted-salted and salt and pepper. They are available in 3 sizes 250g, 100g, and a very convenient 20g sachet that I are ideal tiffin stuffers! Oh and there is a lovely Diwali combo pack on offer at a special price that I highly recommend you add to your Diwali hampers! (Available at Nature’s Basket outlets all over Mumbai.)

Announcing the A Perfect Bite Pistachio Recipe contest!

A Perfect Bite is introducing a new section - Incredible Ingredient. It's pretty normal around our parts to be so enamored of an ingredient that we explore every aspect of it. In the past we have adored anise (star), flirted with figs, and continue to be seduced by citrus so now we are going to blog about specific ingredients. This time around the Incredible Ingredient in focus is The Pistachio!

Off late, my family is gleefully telling the world that I have gone nuts!

And I can’t blame them, because I have!
I have been more that a little obsessed with nuts of late. It is the right time of the year for it, after all, with the festive season on us, there will definitely be a surfeit of nuts and it seemed prudent to plan ahead on using them.

But, I digress, to be accurate it is one nut in particular that has me obsessed. I am passionate about pistachios currently. New research has already established that nuts are beneficial to one’s health. But I recently found out although like most nuts, pistachios are extremely good sources of protein and fiber, they have an advantage over their nutty buddies. At approximately 49 kernels per ounce, pistachios offer the most nuts per 160-calorie serving – comparatively almonds offer only have 23, cashews, 18 and walnuts, 7. Pistas are also the lowest in calories and fat and highest in fibre. One single ounce of pistachio provides 3 grams of fiber, (thats equivalent to approximately as much fibre as 1 serving of oatmeal and twice the fiber of walnuts).

I'd never really given Pistas (as we call them in India) much thought, beyond popping a couple in the mouth when presented or as an opulent garnish over festive dishes. So I was pretty flummoxed to discover a big bag of them had mysteriously snuck into my freezer. I couldn't think of a single thing to do with them (which is probably why they'd snuck to the bottom of the drawer in the first place), so I did what any curious cook does these days, I googled! And it turned out to be an an absolute journey of discovery!

But what really tipped me in favour of Pistachios was discovering that they are my route to having my proverbial cake and eating it too, this Diwali!

Diwali, being the largest festival in India offers one the classic excuse to indulge. How many times have we given in to that urge to indulfe in an extra serving of pulav because the curry is so good, or just one more irrisitible sweet or brushed off our resolution to diet since it is Diwali... Rich feasts of festive delicacies make it easy to be tempted. But Pistas, meet all the criterion of festive food with all their health benefits and their vibrant colours ( I am especially enamored of California Pistachios for their green and purple colour and their quality and taste) and instantly add oomph to any dish. Their health benifits also make them the perfect addition to my festive table for a little guilt free sinning! So enamored have I become of these ‘Skinny nuts’ that not only have I decided to gift Pistchios to my friends and family this festive season, but I am going to blog about them, my discoveries, experiences and favourite recipes, AND host the biggest ever recipe competition for them on A perfect bite throughout October!

So without further ado let me present The 1st A Perfect Bite Recipe Contest.
Send A Perfect Bite an original Pistachio recipe (it could be sweet, savoury, for any course from starters to dessert and even beverages and cocktails (ensure it is your original recipe not copied) with the story of how it was created and an accompanying photograph.
Email recipes with “A Perfect Bite – Pistachio recipe contest’ along with your mailing address and contact details because every entry will get a participation gift! at a.perfect.bite@gmail.com or post them on your blog and send us the link. Email us at a.perfect.bite@gmail.com with any questions you might have. The deadline is 05th November 2009. Winners will be announced by 15th Nov 2009. Three winning entries will get Hampers of Pistachio goodies such as Wonderful Pistachios, Turkish Baklava, Pistachio Mortadella and a few other surprises! (1st prize – Pistachio hamper valued at 2500, 2nd prize – Pistachio Hamper valued at Rs. 1500 and 3rd prize – Hamper valued at Rs. 1000. (All prizes to be picked up from Mumbai.) If winner is not a citizen of Mumbai, we will substitute the prize hamper with a book of the same value.
The rules

The recipes should be your own original recipes. A story of how the recipe was created is mandatory. Please keep in mind that we do need to be able to get the ingredients where we are to test recipes. (Email us at a.perfect.bite@gmail.com to check if you want to double check).

Smoked Salmon and Pistachio 'Ferreros' from the Nature's Basket Amuse Bouche series

I am just back from my demo session at Nature's basket Lokhandwalla. I think the thing that makes me happiest after food, is talking about it. Feeding people good food is also something I thrive on and as always the demos allow me to eat, teach and talk food. I couldn't as for more. What a lovely session. Thank you to all of you who resisted the temptation of the Bandra fair last week at the Bandra store and Durga Puja yesterday, i really value your time!

Here is one of the recipes for those who could not make it...

Smoked Salmon and Pistachio 'Ferreros'

A recipe inspired by Mediterranean cuisine, these ricotta balls were inspired by one of my favourite Mediterranean dishes Labneh Makbus.
I have been fascintaed with vibrantly green California Pistachios of late. When I was testing recipes for the Amuse bouche series at Nature's Basket, I remembered the Pistachio Kehwa recipe I created last year. Pink and green being my favourite colour combination, I decided to capture it in an Amuse. It turned out fabulously as you can see...


Time taken: 20 minutes, Makes about 14 - 16 Ferreros
Ingredients
1 box ricotta
250 gms smoked salmon, flaked
1 clove garlic crushed to a paste
1/2 cup pistachio paste
Salt to taste 1/2 cup
Pistachio flakes

Method
Place Ricotta in a large bowl, add the smoked salmon, salt, crushed garlic and pistachio paste and mix well. What you should aim for is the consistency of cottage cheese. When you have this cover and refridgerate until required. Place pistachio flakes in a small saucer and flatten into a thin layer. Remove Ricotta mix from refrigerator, take about one tablespoon on the palm of your hand and shape into smooth, round balls, roll in the Pistachio flakes and arrange on a tray. Return to fridge and chill until firm.

Wonderful California Pistachios!

Rolling Ricotta Mixture into a ball.

Covering Ricotta balls with vibrant green Pistachio flakes.