Lockdown recipes

Here are some easy to cook recipes while you work from home

While you’re working remotely, make sure you stick to your regular eating schedule and keep yourself nourished — not just your stomach, but also your mind and heart. Eating a varied and healthy diet that includes ingredients such as walnuts that are rich in essential plant-based Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fibre may go a long way in helping you stay healthy.

Walnuts add a beneficial mix of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to any dish that may reduce risk of heart diseases, lower the prevalence and frequency of depression and boost cognitive health.

Here are some simple, yet delicious and healthy recipes you can make with walnuts and a few staples you have on hand.

Curried walnut hummus

Ingredients:

425g chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 garlic clove, peeled

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 cup walnuts, divided in half

Optional: Whole wheat/seed crackers, Variety of vegetables for serving (celery, snap peas, tomatoes, rainbow carrots)

Method:

Add chickpeas, salt, garlic, 2 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, curry powder and ½ cup walnuts
to a food processor and blend until smooth. Roughly chop the remaining ½ cup of walnuts. To serve, drizzle hummus with 2 teaspoon olive oil and top with chopped walnuts. Spread on whole-wheat crackers, or dip with raw vegetables. The hummus will keep for up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge.

Walnut & fruit energy bites

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
3/4 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut, plus additional for
coating if desired
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown or traditional crispy rice cereal

Method

Place walnuts, dates, cranberries, coconut and flax seeds in a food processor. Process until coarsely chopped. Add honey and vanilla and pulse until ingredients are fairly finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl and add cereal. Mix with your hands until its fully incorporated. Roll into 14 equal balls, pressing firmly when shaping. Roll all or half in additional coconut, if desired.

Rice & walnuts shake

Ingredients

60 g of walnuts
80 g of brown rice (already cooked)
800 ml of water
Pinch of cinnamon or vanilla

Method

Blend together all the ingredients and filter them in a fine strainer. It can be kept between 5 days and a week, in a refrigerated glass bottle.

(Courtesy California Walnuts, curated by celebrity chef Sabyasachi Gorai)

Apple Crumb Pie

Crumble in the mouth

The apples for this recipe need to be sweet, not tart and not too soft and it’s best served still warm from the oven so that the vanilla ice cream will melt and drip throughout the crumbs. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Ingredients

9-inch pie shell – par-baked and cooled; 8 apples, peeled & cut into ½ inch chunks; 2 tbs all-purpose flour; 1/8 tsp nutmeg; 1 tsp cinnamon; ¾ cup sugar; ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 ½ cups cinnamon crumb topping

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place the oven rack on the middle shelf. Line a baking sheet with foil. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cinnamon and nutmeg. Peel, core and cube the apples into ½ - 1” pieces and place in a large bowl. You should end up with about 8 cups of cut apples (1000 grams or 2 pounds). Toss the apple with the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. Place in the prepared pie pan. Cover the apples with large clumps of the crumb mixture by pinching the crumb topping with your fingers. Place the pie on the foil-lined pan. Bake on the middle rack for 45-55 until the apples are al dente and the crumbs are toasted. At 45 minutes keep a close eye on your pie. You may need to cover it with a pie shield if it starts to brown too quickly. Place on a cooling rack for at least an hour. This pie is great served warm. To reheat, place in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.

(Courtesy Chief Baking Officer, Bobbie Lloyd, Magnolia Bakery)