Healthy Highlight: Brazil Nuts

To keep along with my recent "charcuterie" theme, let's talk about those things on the board that are NOT cheese and meats. We have seen many different foods to give the board a pop of color, strawberries and grapes and such, but there are also foods to cleanse the pallet and give another texture: nuts. Those big ones are the Brazil nuts! Take a look

  • 1 ounce serving of Brazil nuts have 187 calories, 4.1 grams of Protein, 988% of the RDI of Selenium (that is not a typo), and 55% of the RDI of Copper
  • Brazilian nuts are great for supporting thyroid function. Your thyroid secretes several hormones that are essential for growth, metabolism, and body temperature regulation.
  • These nuts are rich in antioxidants which helps keep cells healthy and reduces inflammation. 
  • Brazilian nuts contain heart-healthy fatty acids which can lower your risk of heart disease

Recipes:

Roasted Broccoli with Brazil-Nut (Foodandwine.com)

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup Brazil nuts, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped Tarragon
  • 1 large Garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon Finely grated Lemon Zest
  • 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 2 1/2 pounds Broccoli, large stems discarded, cut into 4-inch-long florets
  1. Preheat the oven to 500°. In a mini food processor, combine the parsley with the Brazil nuts, water, tarragon, garlic and lemon zest and pulse to a coarse paste. Add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the Parmesan and process to a slightly smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. On 2 large, rimmed baking sheets, toss the broccoli florets with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and spread in an even layer. Season with salt and pepper. Roast the broccoli in the center of the oven for 8 minutes. Switch the baking sheets and continue to roast for about 8 minutes longer, or until the broccoli is browned and crisp-tender. Transfer the broccoli to a platter, drizzle the pesto on top and serve.

Brazil Nut Loaf (Goodto.com)

  • 10 1/2 ounces Brazil Nuts, chopped
  • 1 ounce Butter
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 stick Celery, finely chopped
  • 1 Green Chili, deseeded and chopped
  • 3 1/2 ounces Mature Cheddar Cheese
  • 2 medium Eggs
  • 1 1/2 ounces fresh White Breadcrumbs
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Thyme
  • finely grated rind of 1 Lemon
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Vegetable gravy to serve, optional
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Reserve about 2 tablespoons nuts and spread rest out on a baking sheet. Roast them in the oven for 5-10 minutes until they start to turn golden, then remove from oven.
  3. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat until it starts to soften, then add the carrot, celery and chilli to the pan and cook for a further 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften. Tip them into a bowl.
  4. Reserve about 2-3 tablespoons of the cheese. Add the rest to the vegetables, along with the nuts, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme and lemon rind. Season well.
  5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the reserved nuts and cheese.  Bake in the centre of the oven for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and just firm to the touch in the centre.
  6. Remove loaf from oven and leave it to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before turning it out and slicing to serve with gravy, if you like.

Apricot Brazil Nut Energy Balls (Thehealthfullideas.com)

  • 1 1/2 cup Brazil Nuts
  • 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon (Optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 1/2 cup packed dried pitted Apricots
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Medjool Dates, divided
  1. Add the brazil nuts, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times until you get coarse crumble (process them less to keep the energy balls crunchier with visible pieces of nuts or more to make them softer).
  2. Add the dried apricots, 2 Medjool dates, and vanilla extract and process until it starts forming a dough. It should easily stick together when you try to form a ball. If not, add 1 more date.
  3. Scoop the dough out to form small balls, I did about 1-2 teaspoon each.
  4. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. They might get very soft from all the processing and rolling out but they will harden up in the fridge. They should keep for 1-2 weeks.