I thought I would do a little bit different of a post today. I wanted to feature a couple of recipes and ideas with a common theme. If you like this sort of post - let me know - and I will try and do it more often. In this post I will be featuring the mighty WALNUT. Here are 4 Dips/Spreads/Dressings I have made using Walnuts as the base. First up is this "Cheesy" Walnut Tomato Dip! All in a blender I put:
1 Cup of Walnuts
3 Sun Dried Tomatoes
1/2 Cup Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
Did you know that Walnuts have a higher antioxidant level than any other nut? They also promote a healthy gut, support good brain function, are great for heart health, may decrease inflammation, and are a super plant source of Omega-3's. They're also high in Melatonin, Copper, Vitamin B6 and B9 (Folic Acid), Phosphorus, and Manganese.
This 2nd photo shows an Apple Walnut Dressing I made awhile back. Again - all in a blender I added:
1 Cut Apple
1 Tablespoon Grapeseed Oil
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Date
1/2 teaspoon Mustard
Many of these recipes came from the days I tried focusing more on Raw Vegan Foods and I have to say I LOVED it and will be incorporating more into my diet again soon. This next one is more of a sauce. I had them on Zoodles. It's a Creamy Walnut Dijon Sauce. I don't see why you couldn't use them interchangably and just add more water if you would like it as a dressing. All in a blender - because that's the way I "roll":
1 Avocado
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1 Cup Water (or more)
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 Cloves Garlic
Turmeric for color - as needed
Cayenne for color and a kick - as needed
And finally, here is my Mardarin Walnut Dressing! I really like this one! I'm sure you could use any type of orange that you can find if you aren't able to find Mandarins. At the time of this recipe testing it was what I had on hand. Here is what I used - again - all in a blender:
4 Mandarin Oranges
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1 Date
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
Water as needed
What do you think? Which one do you like best? Which one do you think you might use often? Which recipe combo surprised you? Would you add anything to any of the recipes? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
