Parmesan polenta with seared scallops, herbs, and toasted sliced almonds

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 12 scallops

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated

  • 3 cups water

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 1 cup dry polenta

  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Sliced Almonds

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Optional: fresh herbs, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and lightly salt them on both sides.

  2. Bring a skillet to medium-high heat.  Add the olive oil, then the scallops.  Sear the scallops for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.

  3. Toast the almonds.  Add the almonds to a skillet over medium heat. Toss over heat for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned.

  4. Add the butter to a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until fragrant.  Add the water and milk and bring to a simmer.  Add the polenta and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until all the water and milk is absorbed.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter, salt, and pepper. 

  5. Spoon the polenta into 3 bowls.  Place the scallops on top.  Sprinkle on the almonds and herbs if using.

Banana walnut layer cake with cream cheese frosting

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INGREDIENTS

For the cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ⅛ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

  • ⅓ cup sugar

  • 1 egg

  • 1 large overripe banana, mashed

  • ⅓ cup buttermilk or sour cream

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Chopped Walnuts

For the Frosting

  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature

  • 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream

  • Optional: extra chopped walnuts, for topping 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease two 6-inch cake pans.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.

  3. In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and mashed banana and mix until combined.  Add the buttermilk and mix until combined. 

  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until they are combined in a smooth batter (it’s okay if there are some small lumps of banana).  Fold in the chopped walnuts.

  5. Divide the batter evenly in the two cake pans.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool completely before frosting.

  6. While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.  Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, mixing after each addition, until all is incorporated.  Mix in the vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream.

  7. Frost the cake and top with additional chopped walnuts.

Salad with spinach, farro, apricots, chopped almonds, herbs

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INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped

  • ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

  • ¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped

  • 1 green onion, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup cooked farro

  • 10 dried apricots, roughly chopped

  • ⅓ cup Mariani whole almonds, roughly chopped

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • Juice of ½ a lemon

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add the spinach, mint, dill, parsley, green onion, farro, apricots, and almonds to a large bowl.  Toss to combine.

  2. Drizzle on the olive oil and lemon juice.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top.  Toss until the salad is evenly coated

Almond Pound Cake with Strawberry Compote

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INGREDIENTS

For the cake

  • 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 3 eggs, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • ¾ cup Mariani Sliced Almonds (plus more for sprinkling on top)

For the dressing

  • 1 pound strawberries

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • Juice of 1 lemon

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12-inch bundt pan.

  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.

  3. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with beater attachments, beat together the butter and sugar until combined.  Add the eggs and vanilla and mix again until combined. Add the sour cream and oil and mix until incorporated.

  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.  Fold in the sliced almonds.

  5. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack.

  6. While the cake is baking, make the strawberry compote.  Add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a saucepan and bring to medium heat.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the strawberries are mushy and there is a thick syrup forming in the pan.

  7. Serve a slice of cake with a dollop of strawberry compote and a sprinkle of sliced almonds on top.

Grilled Halloumi Salad with Almonds, and Tahini Dressing

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INGREDIENTS

For the salad

  • 4 cups arugula

  • ¼ cup pomegranate arils

  • 6 oz. halloumi cheese, cut into ½-inch thick slices

  • ¼ cup Mariani sliced almonds (can be toasted or left as they are)

For the dressing

  • ¼ cup tahini

  • Juice of ½ a lemon

  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

  • 3 tablespoons water

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Grill the halloumi cheese.  Bring a grill or grill pan to medium heat.  Place the cheese slices on the grates.  Cook for 3 minutes on one side, until the cheese starts to get melty.  Cook for 3 minutes on the other side, then remove from heat and set aside

  2. Make the tahini dressing.  Add the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a small bowl.  Mix until all ingredients are evenly combined.  Add the water and mix again until incorporated.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

  3. Add the arugula, pomegranate arils, grilled halloumi cheese, and almonds to a large bowl.  Pour the dressing on top and toss until the salad is completely coated.

Edamame & Walnut Hummus

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup shelled edamame

  • ½ a medium avocado

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 tablespoon tahini

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Walnuts

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons water

  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves

  • Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth.  Taste and adjust salt as needed.

  2. Serve with crackers, pita, or fresh veggies!

Lemon Curd & Almond Crepes

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INGREDIENTS

For the crepes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted (plus 3-4 tablespoons for greasing the pan)

  • 1 ¼ cup water, room temperature

  • 2 large eggs, room temperature

For the filling

  • 1 cup sugar

  • Zest of 3 lemons

  • 6 egg yolks

  • ½ cup lemon juice

  • 6 tablespoons butter

  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Sliced Almonds

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Place all crepe ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.  Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.

  2. While the crepe batter is chilling, prepare the lemon curd.  In a small pot, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, then mix in the lemon juice and lemon zest.  Place over low heat.  Whisk over low heat for 5-10 minutes until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like texture.  Remove from heat and stir in the butter.  Set aside to cool while you cook the crepes.

  3. When the crepe batter is done chilling, place an 8-inch skillet over medium heat.  Grease the skillet, then pour in ¼ cup of crepe batter.  Swirl the pan around so that the batter covers the entire surface.  Cook for 1 minute on each side.  Repeat until you have used all of the batter.

  4. Assemble the crepes.  Place a crepe flat on a large plate.  Spread a thin layer of lemon curd on half of the crepe and sprinkle on the almonds and strawberry slices.  Fold the crepe into quarters to create a triangle shape. 

Preserved Lemon Couscous Salad with Marcona Almonds

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 cup pearl couscous

  • 1 ⅓ cups vegetable broth

  • 2 tablespoons preserved lemon, minced

  • 3 medjool dates, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Marcona Almonds

  • Juice of ½ a lemon

  • Salt and pepper, to taste

  • Optional: pomegranate seeds, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes, until fragrant.

  2. Add the couscous to the saucepan and stir it together with the garlic and oil until coated.

  3. Add the vegetable broth, preserved lemon, and dates.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the broth has all been absorbed and the couscous is al dente.

  4. Remove from heat.  Stir in the parsley, almonds, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired.

Eggplant Walnut Dip

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large eggplant

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • ¼ cup tahini

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • ¼ cup Mariani Walnuts

  • ¼ teaspoon cumin

  • Salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the eggplant lengthwise.  Brush the cut sides with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt.

  2. Place the eggplant halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes before proceeding to the next step.

  3. Scoop out the insides of the eggplant and discard the skin.

  4. Add the eggplant, tahini, garlic, walnuts, and cumin to a food processor and pulse until smooth.  Taste and add salt as needed.

Greek Meatballs with Feta Sauce and Toasted Almonds

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INGREDIENTS

  • 1 lb. ground chicken

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or herbs of choice

  • ½ teaspoon paprika

  • ½ teaspoon cumin

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

  • 8 oz. feta cheese

  • 8 oz. plain Greek Yogurt

  • ⅓ cup Mariani Slivered Almonds

  • Optional: couscous, orzo, or rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Add the chicken, shallot, garlic, parsley, paprika, cumin, and salt to a large bowl.  Use your hands to mix the ingredients until evenly combined.  Roll into small balls, about 2 tablespoons each.

  2. Bring a medium skillet to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Add the meatballs.  Cook for 3-5 minutes on one side, then flip and cook for another 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat.

  3. Make the feta sauce.  Add the feta, yogurt, and remaining ¼ cup of oil to a food processor.  Blend until smooth.

  4. Add the almonds to a small skillet over medium-low heat.  Toss over heat for 3-4 minutes, until lightly toasted.

  5. Assemble.  Spread the feta sauce onto a plate.  Place 3-4 meatballs on top.  Sprinkle on the slivered almonds.