Consider breakfast, lunch and dinner cracked with these heart-healthy recipes to suit the whole family from our brand of the month California Walnuts.
Why is omega 3 important?
Omega 3 fats are a group of unsaturated fats that we need to stay healthy and are especially beneficial for heart health. Eating foods high in omega 3 could help to prevent heart attacks and strokes, so it’s important to include them in your diet.
California Walnuts are the only nut to contain a significant amount of the plant-based omega 3, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), 2.7g/ 30g that the body needs, but can only get from food. It also helps maintain normal blood cholesterol levels1.
Scientific research suggests California Walnuts may offer benefits to your heart, for example a handful of walnuts a day (around 30g) can have a positive effect on the elasticity of your blood vessels, helping to keep your cardiovascular system healthy2.
The mild and creamy flavour of California Walnuts means they can be used to add extra taste and texture to a variety of dishes, so why not try them in one of the heart healthy recipes below?
Aubergine and California Walnut parmigiano
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 |
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| Ingredients: |
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• 2 aubergines, thinly sliced lengthways
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red pepper, finely diced
• 100g broccoli florets, finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 50g California Walnuts, finely chopped, plus 15 whole walnuts
• 125g pack reduced fat mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 400g passata
• 1 tbsp Parmesan, finely grated |
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| 1. |
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Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. |
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| 2. |
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Brush the aubergine slices with a little oil and griddle or fry for 1-2 minutes on each side. |
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| 3. |
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Add the remaining oil to a large frying pan and fry the pepper, broccoli, tomatoes and chopped walnuts for 4-5 minutes until softened. Season well. |
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| 4. |
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Select the 12 largest aubergine slices and place half a slice of mozzarella in the centre. Divide the filling between the slices and roll up, placing them seal side down in a greased ovenproof serving dish. |
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| 5. |
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Finely chop any remaining aubergine slices and stir into the passata, pour this over the aubergine rolls and scatter over the remaining mozzarella and whole walnuts. |
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| 6. |
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Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for 30 minutes until golden and tender. |
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| Cook’s tip |
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| This is great served with a salad and crusty bread. You can also make this dish in advance and simply cook when needed. |
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Miso & California Walnut chicken stir fry
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 |
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| Ingredients: |
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• 2 tsp white miso paste
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 500g chicken breast fillet, sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 75g California Walnuts
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 2 large ripe plums, stoned and cut into wedges
• Coriander leaves to garnish |
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| 1. |
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Mix the miso with 1 tbsp soy sauce and stir in the chicken. |
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| 2. |
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Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the chicken for 3 minutes, then add the walnuts and onion and fry for a further 3 minutes. Stir in the pepper and plums and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened, add in the remaining soy sauce off the heat. |
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| 3. |
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Garnish with chopped coriander. |
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Strawberry, California Walnut and date smoothie
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Serves: 2 |
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| Ingredients: |
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• 200g strawberries, halved
• 50g California Walnuts, plus extra to serve
• 3 pitted dates, roughly chopped
• 100g natural yoghurt
• 100ml milk |
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| 1. |
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Place all the ingredients in a smoothie maker or blender and blitz until smooth. Pour into 2 glasses. |
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| 2. |
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Serve sprinkled with extra chopped walnuts. |
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| Cook’s tip |
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| Try raspberries or blueberries instead of strawberries or try adding pitted dates instead of prunes. |
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1. As part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to alpha linolenic acid and maintenance of normal blood cholesterol concentrations (ID 493) and maintenance of normal blood pressure (ID 625) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 – – 2009 – EFSA Journal – Wiley Online Library.
2. As part of a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to walnuts and maintenance of normal blood LDL‐cholesterol concentrations (ID 1156, 1158) and improvement of endothelium‐dependent vasodilation (ID 1155, 1157) pursuant to Article 13(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 – – 2011 – EFSA Journal – Wiley Online Library. |
