The pistachio is an addicting little nut that originated in western Asia and Asia Minor and made its way around the world via the Mediterranean. America is now the top pistachio producer, with approximately 469 million pounds of pistachios having been grown in California in 2013, and harvest usually take place between late August and early October. If you have a bag of these that you’re saving for something special, you might want to hide them in the back of your snack drawer because these nuts will disappear fast. Don’t feel bad about sneaking a handful when you’re craving a snack, though. Experts recommend eating 1.5 ounces of nuts (about 42 pistachios) daily as part of a healthy diet and pistachios are a good source of antioxidants like Vitamin E and carotenoids.

Pistachio Growing And Harvesting

Chicken Tenders with Asparagus & Pistachios

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size pieces
• 4 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce (usually found in the Asian section of most supermarkets)
• 1/4 cup shelled salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Heat oil in a skillet over high heat or a wok. Stir-fry asparagus for about 2 minutes. Add chicken and stir-fry for about 4 minutes. Stir in scallions, ginger, oyster sauce and chile-garlic sauce and stir-fry into chicken is cooked through but still juicy. Stir in pistachios and serve hot.

Orange Pistachio “Greenies”

Pistachio-Crusted Cod Fillets

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped into medium sized pieces
• 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs (Panko crumbs work well too)
• 2 Tbs. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. coarse salt; more to taste
• 1/8 tsp. finely ground black pepper; more to taste
• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 4 cod fillets, preferably loin pieces (4 to 6 oz. each)
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease or spray the foil. Combine pistachios, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, coarse salt, and pepper in a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over bread crumb mix and toss with fork until bread crumbs are evenly moistened. If cod fillets are tapered at the ends, tuck the thin parts under to make the thickness more even. Spread mustard evenly over the top of each fillet. Press the mustard-coated side of the fillets into the bread crumb mixture so that fillets are generously coated. Set the fillets, coating side up, on the baking sheet. Sprinkle remaining bread crumb mix evenly over the top of the fillets. Bake until the cod is cooked through and bread crumbs are browned, 10-12 minutes. Serve hot.

Pistachio Cake with Honey Vanilla Buttercream

Salad with Pistachio-Crusted Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 6 cups torn mixed salad greens
• 2 medium oranges, peeled and segmented
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 6 tablespoons walnut or olive oil, divided
• 1/3 cup pistachios
• 4-1/2 teaspoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 log (4 ounces) fresh goat cheese, cut into four even slices

Directions:

Combine salad greens, oranges, tomatoes, walnuts and onion in a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine orange juice, vinegar, orange peel, honey, salt, cumin and 5 tablespoons walnut oil. Pour the liquid mix over the salad and toss to coat. Split the salad evenly between four salad bowls. Grind pistachios in a food processor and transfer to a small bowl. Toss in bread crumbs. Coat goat cheese slices evenly with the bread crumb mixture. Coat a skillet lightly with olive oil or cooking spray. Cook goat cheese slices in skillet until the bread crumb mix is lightly browned, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Place cheese slices on salads. Serve fresh.

Pear Pistachio Crisp

Pistachio Cookbooks

Pistachios on eBay

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