A long time ago, before I had gray in my hair or a titanium hinge in my knee, cooking with pistachios required the laborious task of removing their stubborn shells. A hazard to tight schedules, using pistachios involved the challenge of freeing those apple-green nuggets. A recipe that called for a cup of shelled pistachios might add an extra 20 minutes’ preparation time.
In the ’80s, the domestic pistachio industry was taking off. Fortunately, Trader Joes started selling shelled pistachios in 1-pound cellophane bags, either raw or roasted, salted or unsalted. At some supermarkets, they were sold salted and roasted and packaged like peanuts in 10-ounce cans.
Now, they are having their day. At my local supermarket, a wide endcap in the produce section displays shelled pistachios in a variety of flavors: sea salt and vinegar, sea salt and pepper, chili roasted, as well as honey roasted and barbecue.
Roasted and lightly salted is often my choice. The savory taste, edged in buttery earthiness, is an alluring addition to both sweet and savory baking and cooking. The flavored beauties are great for snacking or used as a garnish on salads or grains. They are also delicious included in mixed nuts for a cocktail snack or used to make an irresistible pesto.
Here are three of my favorite recipes that showcase these scrumptious, shelled pistachios.
Pan-Fried Cauliflower with Spices, Lime, and Pistachios
Beautifully browned and coated with flavorful spices, these florets can be turned into a irresistible vegetarian meal by serving them over a bed of cooked farro or pasta. America’s Test Kitchen explains that cutting the cauliflower into top-to-bottom planks and then into flat-sided florets, maximizes the surface area for plenty of flavorful browning. The cooking process starts in a covered cold skillet with a little olive oil; using medium-high heat the contents are allowed to steam in their own moisture for 5 minutes before removing the lid and starting the browning process.
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 medium-large cauliflower, about 2 pounds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 teaspoon ground paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon minced lime zest
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/3 cup roasted and lightly salted shelled pistachios
1 lime, cut into wedges
Optional on the side: plain Greek yogurt
DIRECTIONS
1. Trim off outer leaves of cauliflower. Cut bottom flush with the head of the cauliflower. Place cut-side down on cutting board. Cut into 3/4-inch wide slices, top to bottom. Cut around core and remove (save for stock or soup if you wish). Cut large florets into smaller, 1 1/2-inch pieces.
2. Heat cumin seeds and coriander seeds in a 12-inch dry nonstick skillet over medium heat, shaking handle frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to spice grinder or mortar and pestle and coarsely grind. I often grind the spices by placing them in a small zipper-style bag and pounding them with a rolling pin or the bottom of a saucepan. Your choice.
3. Wipe out the skillet. Combine 2 tablespoons oil and cauliflower in skillet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and cook on medium-high heat until florets start to brown and edges start to become translucent (do not lift lid), about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook until florets are golden brown in many spots, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Push cauliflower to the side of skillet. Add 2 tablespoons oil, paprika, cayenne, cumin-coriander mixture, and lime zest and cook, stirring with rubber spatula for about 30 seconds. Toss together. Cook until the cauliflower is tender but still firm. Remove from heat and stir in mint and pistachios. Taste and adjust salt and/or pepper if needed. Serve with lime wedges (I like to squeeze one wedge on top of the mixture. If desired, add a dollop of Greek yogurt to each serving.
Source: Adapted from Cook’s Country magazine
Salad of Bibb lettuce, Radicchio, Endive, and Pecorino with Cheese Toasts
I found this salad recipe from PBS television star Lidia Bastianich’s newsletter. Bastianich, restauranteur, and cookbook author, pairs a salad of radicchio, endive, apple, and pecorino cheese with skillet-toasted cheese toasts. I’ve modified her recipe to add Bibb lettuce to the mix and reduce the amount of radicchio and endive. Instead of Granny Smith apples, I use unpeeled Fuji apples. She uses walnuts in her salad. Me? Pistachios, of course. Often, I grate a little extra Fontina and add that to the salad. And a warning; the cheese toasts are so scrumptious; they are very hard to resist. And they pair deliciously with the salad. A must have.
Yield: 4 large servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup finely grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese or Pecorino Romano cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted and salted pistachios
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing skillet
4 long slices country bread, such as La Brea Tuscan bread, about 4-by-6 inches
Freshly ground black pepper
Dressing: 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste
1 small head of Bibb lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 medium head radicchio, torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
2 heads Belgian endive, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 Fuji apples, unpeeled, cored, cut into thick matchsticks, about 1/2-inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long
1/2 cup roasted and lightly salted shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
1/4 cup coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
DIRECTIONS
1. Prepare cheese toast: Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium-low heat. Place Fontina, Pecorino and 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios in small bowl; toss with your fingers. Brush preheated skillet lightly with olive oil. Add bread slices in single layer and let them sit until toasted and golden on the underside, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip, and toast the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with pepper and sprinkle on cheese mixture. Let it melt for a minute; then gently flip. Press with a spatula to weigh bread down toast and compress it slightly. Cook until cheese is crisp and toasted and no longer sticks to the bottom of the pan, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
2. For the salad: Whisk the vinegar and oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add Bibb lettuce, radicchio, endive, apples, and pistachios. Sprinkle with grated Pecorino, parsley, and chives; toss. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve with cheese toast.
Zucchini Bread with Pistachios and Orange
I love this moist, sweet quick bread. I make short work of grating the zucchini by using the shredding disk on my food processor. Just to make sure the trimmed zukes pass through easily, cut them in half lengthwise before feeding them into the processor’s feed-tube. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use the large holes on a box grater. To remove excess watery liquid, the grated zucchini is wrung out in a clean dish towel. The results are perfect. A loaf pan that measures 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 works best, but if you use a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan, start checking for doneness 5 minutes early.
Yield: 8 slices
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, about 3 1/2 medium zucchini, trimmed, shredded
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (reduce to 3/4 teaspoon if using lightly salted pistachios)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup roasted shelled pistachios, chopped
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
DIRECTIONS
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan.
2. Place grated zucchini in center of a clean dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, discarding liquid (you should have 1/2 to 2/3 cup liquid). Whisk brown sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and zest together in medium bowl. Fold in zucchini.
3. Whisk all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and cardamom together in large bowl. Fold in zucchini mixture until just incorporated. Fold in pistachios. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Bake until the top bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes. Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove bread from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Source: Cook’s Illustrated magazine
Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.
