Ideas for using Macadamias in everyday and special occasion recipes

Here in Australia where macadamias are a native tree and are now grown commercially in abundance I think we should be using macadamia nuts and oil often as a part of our everyday life, and celebrating them in special occasion cooking.

For the last year I have been using macadamias in a wide variety of ways. Since I’ve been experimenting with macadamias I’ve really enjoyed cooking and look forward to each new recipe.

Here are some of the ways that I’ve used them:

 

BREAKFAST

Add macadamias to your muesli or oat meal porridge for breakfast, and muffins. Sprinkle toasted macadamias over pancakes.

SNACKS

Eat them for snacks (raw, salted, dry roasted, honey roasted or spiced) and add them to nibble mix with seeds such as pepitas and sunflower seeds and dried fruit.

SALADS

Raw or roasted nuts can be sprinkled over salads to add texture, flavor and nutrition. Vegetarian salads, chicken, seafood and Thai salads, the possibilities are almost endless.

 

ROAST VEGETABLES

Use macadamia nut oil when roasting vegetables and add a handful of nuts 20 minutes or so before cooking time is finished. Particularly good with sweet potato.

SAVORIES

Use when making pesto, dips, and dukkah. Add them to cheese platters and to pizzas.

MEAT

Use in toppings and crusts for chicken, meat and fish dishes. Macadamias work well in Thai dishes, use them in place of other nuts.

DESSERTS AND CAKES

Macadamias combine beautifully with fruit in desserts and cakes. Use them in tarts, slices (tray bakes), cookies and muffins too. Macadamia nut meal can replace all or some of the flour in cakes making them gluten free or gluten friendly.

CHOCOLATE

Macadamias are wonderful with chocolate. Use chocolate and macadamias in cakes, slices, cookies, truffles, chocolate slabs and rocky road.

CHRISTMAS

Macadamias can be used in your fruit cakes, fruit mince pies, panforte, trifles, ice cream desserts and to sprinkle over cheesecakes topped with cherries or berries. Also as buttons on gingerbread men. And add them to turkey stuffing.

Whichever way you use them they will add delicious flavor, nutrition and interest to your food. Happy cooking!