Dan's Papers - October 26, 2007 -

Pistachios are both sweet and savory, and their taste can be found in so much more than artificially flavored ice cream, pudding and other desserts. They can actually enhance the flavor in poultry, pasta and seafood dishes as well, and are a great source of fiber and vegetable protein.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg

Topping
1/4 cup chopped pistachios and 2 tablespoons brown sugar mixed together.

Directions
Mix flour, sugar, oats, pistachios, baking powder and salt in bowl, stirring with a spoon. Add milk, applesauce, oil and egg, stirring lightly. Spoon into 12 greased, paper-lined muffin cups, and spoon topping over batter. Bake at 400 F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on wire rack.

Ingredients
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3/4 cup slaw dressing

Directions Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Serve on lettuce bed with slicked cucumbers and crackers.

Ingredients
3-pound side of salmon with skin removed
1 cup pistachios
1/2 cup pesto

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove bones from salmon and place on baking sheet. Coarsely ground pistachios in food processor but do not over process to powder. Spread 1/2 cup pesto thickly on top of salmon, draining off most of the oil from the pesto. Pack the ground pistachios on pesto to cover the salmon evenly. Bake for 22-24 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 minutes. Serves 8.

Ingredients
1/3 cup pistachio nuts
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 250 F. Grease and flour two cookie sheets. Combine pistachios and chocolate in blender or food processor until finely chopped. Beat together egg whites and cream of tartar in a small bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until very stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Drop small mounds onto cookie sheets, leaving about one inch between mounds. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until firm but not browned. Let stand for several minutes. Then transfer the meringues to a wire rack to cool.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice
4 oz. plain low-fat yogurt
1 banana
1 tablespoon wheat germ
1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Directions
Blend juice, yogurt, banana and wheat germ in blender. Pour into four glasses and sprinkle with pistachios.

When choosing pistachio nuts for cooking purposes, make sure the end of the shell is split open, as unopened shells indicate that the nut is not fully formed. These tasty nuts come in many forms including roasted, raw, shelled, unshelled, salted and unsalted, but when cooking stay away from the ones in pink shells, as those have been dyed.

- Janine Cheviot