Almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts or cashew nuts are concentrated packs of nutrients.
You can tell a good almond by its brown, shiny surface. It smells fresh, almost oriental. No wonder, then, that almonds work well with winter spices such as cinnamon or aniseed. They have lots of protein and are rich in fibre, so they also make for the perfect snack when your stomach’s rumbling between meals.
Walnuts are also a good all-rounder. They contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that we can’t form in our own bodies, but which are important for the development of the brain as well as nerve cells. Hazelnuts are also great nutrition for the nervous system. Their high lecithin content produces strong nerves and keeps the brain working!
Cashew nuts have lots of unsaturated fatty acids and are full of vitamins, from A and B to D and E. Nuts are worth their weight in gold!
The good thing about nuts is that you can eat them as part of your diet as more than just a crunchy snack. If you roast hazelnuts of walnuts for your own cooking yourself then leave them to cool before either chopping them finely or even grounding them, you’re making your baked goods doubly tasty. Chopped almonds roasted in some olive oil then sprinkled over a lovely meat dish, fried fish or even a risotto or potato stock boosts the dish’s flavour on the one hand, and makes the experience of having food in the mouth all the more exciting on the other. In the autumn, you can turn the simplest cabbage or carrot salad into a delicious mealtime event just by using nuts as garnish. And if you want to add the final touch to your fried chicken or pork fillet dish, mix 50g each of chopped walnuts and hazelnuts with a handful off chopped herbs (sage, rosemary, estragon, thyme). Brush the pieces of meat with hazelnut oil, turn in the nut mix and cook on a circulating air setting for 15 minutes at 180°C. So nuts can also be used in meat dishes. Healthy, crunchy fun!