I don’t usually like pine nuts. Truly, I usually hate them, I even make my pesto without them. But, like most rules, there is an exception…
It’s that time of year when pine nuts can be found still in their shells. I will never be able to walk past a big barrel of unshelled pine nuts without thinking about making them with my grandparents. I love making these pine nuts because they remind me of those people I love and miss, but also because they are a delicious and healthy treat. Boiling the nuts makes them soft and mild flavored- it is a completely different taste than the hard dry shelled ones you typically buy.
Boiled Pine Nuts
- Unshelled pine nuts (as much as you want)
- Kosher salt
In a pot, cover the pine nuts with water and add 2-5 tablespoons of salt, depending on how many pine nuts you are cooking. You want the water to be very salty (think ocean water), this helps the pine nuts to have great flavor, but also be moist. (For 1/2 lb of pine nuts, use about 3 tablespoons salt.)
Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 50-70 minutes. After about 40 minutes, taste one of the nuts by breaking it out of the shell. It should be soft and slightly translucent (opposed to hard and white). Check occasionally until desired doneness is reached.
Drain pine nuts and lay out on a towel to dry completely. If the shells have gotten soft and don’t crack open easily, you can lay them out on a single layer and bake them at 350 degrees, just until the shells are hard and completely dry. Be careful not to bake them, though. You do not want the tender nuts to harden and cook more. I did not need to bake mine, the shells were dry and crackable.
I will leave them out to snack on for several hours, but then I continue to store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
Don’t forget to
ENTER TO WIN our Pangea Organics Giveaway.
Congratulations to Rondah (please email me with your address). This giveaway is now closed. Thanks for the participation!
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it is time to start thinking about showing our love… In an attempt to kick off the holiday without falling totally prey to another season full of chocolate indulging (bye bye new years resolutions), we are doing a giveaway your body and health will appreciate.
Pangea Organics is a organic skin care line that I am a fan of. They use organic pure plant botanicals without any of the junk. Everything I have tried smell divinely like a SPA! This would make a perfect valentine’s gift- enter to win one for your lucky lady (or help your man out and win if for him to give to you!)
The winner will recieve 1 Pangea Organics Shower Gel
and 1 Italian Red Mandarin Lip Balm
(I adore the lip balm).
Enter to win by becoming a confirmed email subscriber or if you already are, simply share this somewhere and leave me a comment or an email telling me. Giveaway closes on Saturday 1/28.
Congratulations to Jeff in Houston. He is the lucky winner of Super Immunity
!
Confirmed email subscribers will receive the PDF file of my love tree, just for fun!
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This is the kind of thing I look forward to on a cold winter night- like tonight. This soup is really thick and that’s what makes it so good. Hearty, filling, and comforting.
- 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 carrots, finely diced (it is important to dice small)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced (it is important to dice small)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 tsp herbes de provence
- 1 1/4 cups dried yellow split peas or substitue dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups dried whole grain macaroni or tubetti pasta
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a large heavy bottom pot over medium heat, warm the 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add the carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the peas, water and herbes de provence, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. With a potato masher, gently so you don’t splash hot liquid, smash the soup for a minute or two, until some of the peas have busted up and thickened the soup. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls (my kids really like a sprinkle of parmigiano-reggiano over top). Serve hot. Serves 4 to 6.
Don’t forget to enter this weeks GIVEAWAY.
this giveaway is closed. Congratulations to TEDDY. Teddy, please contact me with your address. Thanks to all!
Don’t miss out on the chance to win a new hardbound copy of Dr. Fuhrman’s new book, Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body’s Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free. I enjoyed reading it, and I appreciated the reminder of the tremendous impact diet has on our health and quality of life. I especially loved it because he advocates eating Green!
To enter to win, email subscribe and “like” on facebook. You’ve got 1 week, giveaway closes on Saturday, 1/21. I will contact the winner by email. Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor… (had to throw that it- can’t wait for the Hunger Games!)
Thanks for a fun show Studio 5!
Veggie and Sweet Potato Lasagna on Studio 5.
Video Courtesy of KSL.com
