There is no doubt that walnuts and honey are a healthy and delicious addition to your diet; to say that walnuts are a nutritious food is a bit of an understatement. Walnuts provide healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals — and that’s just the beginning of how they may support your health. One ounce (about a quarter cup, or 14 walnut halves) provides 18 grams of good fat, 4 grams of protein, and almost 2 grams of fiber, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s bulletin Nutritive Value of Foods. The same amount of walnuts also gives you nearly 50% of the daily target for manganese and also gives you other nutrients, including magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, sodium, and B vitamins.
Previous studies have found that people with higher nut consumption have improved cardiovascular risk factors and lower rates of cardiovascular disease. For example, several trials have linked nut consumption with lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. A new study suggests that walnuts may be a particularly good choice. And this isn’t the first time researchers have come to this conclusion. A previous analysis by the same researchers (including 365 study participants in 13 trials) found that diets enriched with walnuts led to lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol when compared with other diets. Since then, more studies with far more study participants and longer follow-ups have been published.
Studies suggest that honey might offer antidepressant, anticonvulsant and anti-anxiety benefits. In some studies, honey has been shown to help prevent memory disorders. Wound care. Topical use of medical-grade honey has been shown to promote wound healing, particularly in burns.
If you like taking your dishes to the next level easily and conveniently, this is a recipe for you. Easily turn some ordinary walnuts into something bolder. These walnuts are delicious as a snack on salads, as a topping for casseroles, pasta, desserts, soups, you name it! You can play with the recipe and the spices you add to it; instead of honey, you can use maple syrup; instead of cardamom, you can use mace; instead of walnuts, use pecans, and so on.
Ingredients:
1 pound of whole walnuts (shelled)
1/4 cup of honey
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp of salt
1/4 cup of water
Pinch of mace
Method:
Mix water, honey, and spices.
Heat pan, add the liquid with spices, then add the walnuts.
Mix everything evenly, and cook while stirring until no liquid residue is left in the pan.
Lay the walnuts evenly on a baking sheet with a pan liner (parchment paper, silicone pad…)
Bake at 350F for 15 minutes tossing halfway through.
Let them cool completely, and separate them if you get some clumps.
Store in an airtight container, and do NOT refrigerate.
Enjoy as a snack, on salads, ice cream, pasta, casseroles, etc.
