Toasted pine nuts are often used to top salads and soups.
Pine nuts are a common tree nut used in many dishes and recipes, often as a topping or ground with other ingredients for sauces as a thickener. There are many different uses for pine nuts, some traditional and some less so. For the best taste, use high-quality pine nuts that have been packaged in a closed container instead of sitting out in a large container, uncovered.
Instructions
1. Heat a small saut pan on low heat until warm but not smoking. Add the pine nuts to the saut pan and heat for one minute, tossing or stirring the pine nuts constantly. Add the pine nuts to a salad after tossing it with dressing in place of croutons to add texture and a unique flavor.
2. Combine 2 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1/8 cup pine nuts and sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste in a food processor or blender to make homemade pesto sauce for pasta or meat marinades. Once the mixture is fully pureed, add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
3. Fill small plastic bags or containers with individual servings of pine nuts and keep them available as snacks at work or in the car. A single 1 oz. serving of pine nuts, which is approximately 167 kernels, contains 190 calories and 4 grams of protein. Pine nuts are fairly high in fat at 19 grams per serving, so avoid eating more than one serving.
4. Toss pine nuts with pitted, oil-cured Kalamata or Nicoise olives and goat cheese, and serve with freshly baked bread or crackers before a meal or at a cocktail party. Top the pine nut and olive mixture with freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley for a bit of color.
Tags: pine nuts, Pine nuts, pine nuts, saut heat, with freshly