Sweet and nutty! Give your Christmas party a wholesome twist with recipes

If you’re still scrambling for special recipes for sweets or sides, HealthShots can save you some time and can serve you with the best recipes for Christmas and New Year. The fact that they are made with nuts makes them strike a balance between taste and health! Plus, these are all so festive and delicious!

1. Walnut Tea Loaf (Healthy Cake)

Chef Sabyasachi Gorai suggested this walnut tea loaf recipe to HealthShots. Antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids rich walnuts make this walnut tea loaf a super healthy dish. 

Ingredients 

100g dried apricots, roughly chopped

75g dried figs, quartered

75g pitted dates, roughly chopped

2 earl grey tea bags

2 medium eggs

250g self-raising flour

200g light brown soft sugar

75g walnuts, roughly chopped, plus 12 whole walnuts 

Preparations

• Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 1kg loaf tin.
• Mix together the fruit in a bowl and add the tea bags, pour over 300ml boiling water and leave to soak for 20 minutes, then discard the tea bags.
• Whisk together the eggs, flour and sugar in a large bowl and stir in the dried fruits plus all the liquid and the chopped walnuts. Pour into the prepared tin, arrange the whole walnuts on top and bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean, cover with foil if the top begins to get too dark.
• Allow to cool before removing from the tin and then enjoy. 

2. Matcha Avocado Walnut Smoothie (For Hangover)

As the name suggests, this recipe is going to be a powerhouse of nutrition as it contains avocado plus walnuts. So, indulge in the goodness of matcha, avocado, bananas and walnuts with this quick and easy smoothie recipe!

Ingredients 

1 cup low fat milk (or substitute non-dairy milk of choice)

2 tablespoons walnuts

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon matcha powder

12 fresh mint leaves

2 ice cubes

1 frozen banana

1/4 avocado 

Also, read: Winter wonder: Binge on these nutritious Aliv seed laddoos approved by Rujuta Diwekar

Preparations

• Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
• Serve chilled.

3. Walnut Horchata (Mocktail)

A unique twist on the traditional Mexican Horchata, this version features toasted walnuts as well as rice to create the refreshing, milky drink. This recipe is also suggested by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai. 

Ingredients 

8 tablespoons white rice

1 cup walnuts, toasted

½ teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Zest of half a lime

3 cups hot water

3 cups cold water, divided 

1 ¼ cups sugar, or to taste 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Also, read: These healthy walnut maple cookies will make you forget about choco chips!

Preparations

• Place the rice in a blender or spice grinder and process until thoroughly pulverized. Transfer to a large bowl or pitcher and add walnuts, cinnamon, and lime zest. 
• Add hot water. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Transfer mixture to a blender and blend as smoothly as possible. Add 2 cups cold water and blend again until thoroughly combined. 
• Line a strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a large bowl. Slowly pour rice mixture into the strainer and let liquid drain into the bowl. Slowly press as much of the solids through the strainer as possible. (The more slowly you strain the mixture, the smoother the horchata will be).
• Transfer to a pitcher and stir in remaining 2 cups of cold water. Then add sugar and vanilla extract and stir well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

4. Almond cinnamon tart (serves: 3-4)

A perfect combination of salted biscuit crumble with crunchy almond flakes and decadent toffee sauce, this dessert is sure to please all your senses. The credit for this recipe goes to Chef Manish Mehrotra.

Ingredients

1 cup almond flake 

150 gm monaco biscuit

2 gm cinnamon powder

200 gm fine sugar

200 ml fresh cream 

60 gm unsalted butter 

Also, read: Festive Alert: Healthy fusion recipes you MUST try!

Method

• Roast the almond flakes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 4 minutes or till golden in colour.
• For toffee sauce, caramelize sugar, add 40 gms of butter followed by cream and thoroughly mix it 
• For monaco crumble, crush biscuits and mix 20 gm of butter with it. spread this mixture in a 6inch mould and bake at 160 degree celsius for 10 min.
• In a bowl mix roasted almond slivers and toffee sauce and pour this mix over biscuit crumble in the mould.
• Bake the mix set in a mould in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 15 min.
• Serve once done and demould the tart. serve with vanilla bean ice-cream.

5. Almond pesto and paneer tikka

This almond pesto and paneer tikka recipe by Chef Manish Mehrotra, bursts with flavour and nutrients. It’s worth a try for Christmas.

Ingredients 

Cottage cheese 250 gms

Almond flakes ¼ cup 

Fresh coriander leaves ¼ cup

Basil 8-10 leaves

Chopped ginger 2 tsp

Chopped green chilli 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Grated parmesan cheese 2 tbsp

Chaat masala ½ tsp

For marination:

Fresh cream ½ cup

Chopped fresh coriander roots ½ tsp

Green cardamom powder a pinch

Turmeric powder a pinch

Salt to taste

Refined oil 1 tbsp.

Method

• Roast the almond flakes in a preheated oven at 180 degree celsius for 4 minutes and crush it to powder form once cooled.
• Blend fresh basil, coriander leaves, chopped ginger, chopped green chilli, chaat masala and salt to coarse paste.
• In a bowl; take out the blended mix and add grated parmesan cheese, crushed almonds and mix it well. 
• In a bowl, mix fresh cream, chopped fresh coriander roots, green cardamom powder and a pinch of turmeric powder to get a pale yellow colour marinate. adjust the seasoning with salt.
• Cut the paneer in 2’x2′ size with 1′ of thickness. slit paneer pieces from the centre to fill it with pesto.
• Fill in the pesto mix inside the slit. coat the paneer with yellow marinate.
• Heat refined oil in pan, sear marinated paneer evenly on both sides to get golden brown colour.
• Once done, take the paneer from the pan and serve hot with chutney.

6. Honey Pistachio Cake

Honey and pistachio…. Yummm! Check out the recipe by Mansi Vyas, Co-founder and Director, Azafran Premium Tastes. 

Ingredients

120 Gm Jowar Flour

40 Gm Corn Flour

40 Gm Rice Flour

120 Gm Ground Pistachios

15 Gm Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg

240 Gm Organic Honey

140 Gm Coconut Sugar

60 Gm Espresso

100 Gm Almond Milk

140 Gm Organic Coconut Oil

1 Tsp vanilla extract

Steps

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees c
• Prep by sifting together all the dry ingredients in one bowl, and all the wet ingredients in the other
• Combine the dry and wet ingredients, and let sit. Meanwhile, grease a pan.
• Transfer the mixture into the greased pan and cook for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean
• Cool completely before frosting with dairy free whipped cream. Garnish with fresh figs and blueberries and drizzle with honey, if desired

Hope these delights add to the festivities! Here’s wishing you all a Merry Christmas.