There’s just something about the flavour of pistachios that people find appealing, and if you’re one of them, then you’re in good company. This slightly nutty, salty, and sweet tree nut is a healthful snack, so there’s nothing wrong with nibbling away at a bowlful of them.
However, there’s more to pistachios than snacking, topping or flavouring ice cream, or decorating cakes. You can create savoury main dishes and delectable desserts with pistachios, too. Here are several ideas.
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Chicken and Pistachio Salad
Toss together sliced chicken breast, boiled eggs, sun-dried tomatoes, and toasted pistachios in a bowl and add your dressing of choice. You can chop the pistachios before toasting them, or use slivered and toasted pistachios if you want a slightly less crunchy texture. Either way, this salad is rich in iron, folate, and calcium, and there’s nothing to be guilty about.
Hummus with Lamb Meatballs and Pistachios
Make hummus and lamb meatballs like you normally would, or use store-bought hummus to cut down on preparation and cooking time. Once the lamb meatballs are thoroughly cooked, add them on top of the hummus and then sprinkle slivered pistachios on top, plus some mint leaves if you desire. Not only is this dish healthy, but it makes for a quick dinner that’s delectably creamy and flavourful.
Broccoli-Quinoa Salad with Buttermilk Dressing
Fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, buttermilk, freshly ground black pepper, fine sea salt, chopped parsley and tarragon. That’s all you need to turn a bowl of whole grains and vegetables – in this case, boiled broccoli and quinoa – into a hearty meal. The handful of herbs and buttermilk-based dressing will make a world of difference without adding too much salt, fat, or sugar. Top with slivered pistachios for some added nuttiness and more texture.
Salted Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake
A sheet cake is somewhat similar to brownies since it’s baked in a baking dish rather than a pan, so it’s wider than it is thick. This chocolate sheet cake has chocolate frosting that’s been topped with flaky sea salt to add an extra kick to its flavour. Adding slivered pistachios to the sea salt enhances the flaky texture without the topping being too crunchy.
Miso Caramel Apples
This is an upgrade on the usual caramel apple recipe, with a chewy sort of caramel that will stick to the apples but won’t form a hard shell when cooled. The additional topping is made from chopped or slivered pistachios combined with a little salt and about a tablespoon of miso, then baked until lightly browned. Make caramel apples by pushing ice-pop sticks into the centre of the apples, then covering the sides and bottom with the caramel before rolling in the prepared pistachio topping. Afterwards, leave the caramel to cool for about 30 minutes.
As you can see, there are a variety of dishes you can add pistachios to, whether chopped, grated, or slivered – although this last option will mean a less crunchy texture for whatever dish you’re adding it to. The good news is you can buy slivered pistachios online if you don’t want to go through the trouble of doing it yourself. Visit this page for more information.