Five Little Words

I recently attended a Culinary Experience with Momtrends and Wonderful Pistachios at My Cooking Party in Chelsea, NYC. Walking into My Cooking Party’s loft was like attending a beautiful wedding reception or fancy Thanksgiving dinner. Everything decorated in white and just looked gorgeous. Our name tags showed us where to sit were placed on the table with Pistachios attached as a souvenir to take home.  

    
    
 The kitchen was so big I wanted to sign a lease to move in. My dream loft, kitchen and appliances all in one. There was also a window that you look directly at the Empire State Building. What a sight to see everyday.  

    
    
  
   
   
   
Cooking is in my blood. I am very passionate about food, recipes, and teaching my kids how to be great cooks/chefs. 

I am a pistachios lover along with other nuts and I was very excited to see how to use pistachios in recipes. Sure, I’ve had other type of nuts in food but never pistachios. I like eating pistachios right out the bag with or without the shells. 

After we were told what we were cooking we washed our hands and headed to our stations. Chefs demonstrated how to use the sharp knives and be careful not to lose any fingers. Picking stations was next. I picked the Spicy Roasted Squash with Wonderful Pistachios. It was very, very delicious. Here is the recipe: 

 *Spicy Roasted Squash with Wonderful Pistachios

Delicata and butternut squash are roasted together with warm spices and a bit of cayenne to heat things up. Crunchy Wonderful Pistachios and maple syrup are just the right additions for texture and sweetness. Garnished with pomegranate arils this dish is a celebration of flavors.

Prep: 18 minutes / Time to Table: 38 minutes / Serves: 8 (about 10 pieces of squash/person; about a cup/person)

1 ½ pounds butternut squash (4 ½ cups prepped)

2 ½ pounds delicata squash

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios Roasted & Salted, chopped

2 tablespoons maple syrup

¼ cup POM Wonderful pomegranate arils

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil.

2. Peel and seed butternut squash. Cut in half lengthwise and slice into ½ inch thick pieces. Cut in half again for quarters.

3. Cut delicata in half lengthwise and seed. Cut into ½ inch thick slices. Combine all the squash in a large mixing bowl.

4. Sprinkle the cinnamon, allspice, cayenne and salt over the squash. Mix thoroughly.

5. Melt the butter and stir into the olive oil. Drizzle over the spiced squash and mix thoroughly.

6. Transfer the squash to the baking sheets, arranging in a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes.

7. Stir and flip squash. Sprinkle with Wonderful Pistachios and drizzle with maple syrup. Bake another 5 to 7 minutes until pistachios are just toasted. Remove from the oven.

8. Arrange on a serving platter and sprinkle pomegranate arils over the squash. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Other Wonderful Pistachios meals on the menu that night included: 

1. Wonderful Pistachios, Peach and Barley Salad

2. Turkey Roulade with Wonderful Pistachio Pesto

3. Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges with Wonderful Pistachios, Goat Cheese and Pomegranate Glaze

4. Wonderful Pistachio and Cherry Popcorn Balls

5. Wonderful Pistachio Chocolate Brownie Cookies

6. Wonderful Pistachio Holiday Palettes

Here is one more recipe: 

Turkey Roulade with Wonderful Pistachio Pesto
Pistachios, apples and onions are stuffed in this impressive, but easy main course. A nutty Wonderful Pistachio pesto is the perfect accompaniment.

Prep: 1 hour 15 minutes / Time to Table: 2 hours 30 minutes / Serves: 6 to 8

Wonderful Pistachio Pesto:    

1½ cups baby spinach (about 2½ ounces)

1 cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios

2 large cloves garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¾ cup olive oil

Turkey Roulade:

½ cup dried cranberries

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)

1 granny smith apple, cored, and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 2/3 cups)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 teaspoons fresh thyme

5 teaspoons fresh rosemary

¾ teaspoon salt, divided

½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided

3 ounces day- old french bread, cut or torn into 1-inch pieces (about 1¾ cups)

¾ cup shelled Wonderful Pistachios, toasted, and roughly chopped

1 skinless, boneless, turkey breast half, butterflied (about 2½ lbs)

3 small red onions, cut into wedges

1. To make the pesto, place spinach, pistachios, garlic, salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Slowly pour in oil, while machine is running, about 20 seconds. Pulse to completely combine. Set aside in the refrigerator, up to one day ahead.

2. To make turkey roulade, position oven rack in the center and heat oven to 375°F. Place cranberries in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for 5 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add apple; continue to cook, 5 to 7 minutes, until onion and apples are golden. Add ½ cup chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoons pepper, and simmer. Stirring occasionally and scraping up any bits that stick to the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes, until broth is absorbed and apples are softened. Transfer to a large bowl.

4. Add bread and cranberries to apples and stir to combine. Pour in ⅓ cup chicken broth and stir to combine. Add additional 2 tablespoons chicken broth, as needed, until bread is moist, but not wet. Stir in pistachios and set aside to cool.

5. Place turkey between sheets of plastic wrap, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin, to about ½-inch thick. Season each side with remaining ¼ teaspoons salt and ¼ teaspoons pepper. Place turkey, skinned side down on working surface. Spread stuffing over turkey leaving a border uncovered, about 1½-inches all around. Roll up and secure tightly with kitchen twine.

6. Heat a roasting pan (or large skillet), with 2 tablespoons olive oil, on medium to medium-high heat. Brown turkey roulade on all sides, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Add wire rack to roasting pan and place turkey on rack. Combine onion wedges in a bowl with 1 tablespoons oil and place in roasting pan alongside turkey. Add ½ cup chicken broth to roasting pan and place in oven.

7. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until turkey temperature reaches 165°F. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes, until juices have had time to absorb, before cutting into 6 to 8 slices.

8. Meanwhile, add remaining chicken broth (about ½ cup) to roasting pan, and scrape up any bits with a wooden spoon. Serve pan drippings alongside turkey with pistachio pesto.

 If you would like the recipes to any of the meals mentioned above just leave a comment below and I will get them to you. 

Check out @getcrackin on Twitter and Instagram. Also, http://www.getcrackin.com

I enjoyed the beautiful night with friends cooking, eating and everyone going around the table saying what we were thankful for. Everything was delicious and I’d like to thank Momtrends and staff for all the great events and opportunities they give. Can’t wait to see what 2016 brings.  

    
    
    
    
    
    
  Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was compensated. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Some pictures courtesy of Momtrends.