There’s nothing quite like the wonderful world of healthy desserts.. and this instalment features the dessert favourite, the pistachio nut. Pistachios are one of the healthier options for the nut-lover as they are filled with essential nutrients and have a number of health benefits, helping you to control your body weight and lowering your risk for heart problems.
Pistachios contain fewer calories and more potassium and vitamin K per serving than other nuts, and snacking on pistachios may help lower your cholesterol – so what’s not to love? See below for two healthy pistachios recipes in the dessert arena.
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Apricots Recipe
Ingredients
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
24 dried apricots
4 tbs. chopped pistachios
Directions
- Melt chocolate chips.
- Dip half of each apricot into the dark chocolate.
- Place the apricot on waxed paper and sprinkle with pistachios.
- Place the apricots in the refrigerator for 60 minutes or until chocolate hardens.
Serving size: 4 apricots
Calories: 140
Kheer – Indian Rice Pudding with Pistachios Recipe
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons Basmati rice
5 cups milk
½ vanilla bean
Flavouring: a pinch of saffron or 1 teaspoon rose water or 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/3 cup slivered pistachios
Directions:
- Soak the rice in warm water for 30 mins. Drain the rice and grind coarsely using a mortar-and-pestle. (You can leave also leave the rice whole or grind using a processor.)
- Pour the milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds with a knife into the milk. Add the vanilla bean too. Bring the milk to a gentle boil. Take it off the heat and let steep for 30 mins. (If you don’t want to use a vanilla bean, you can skip this step entirely.)
- If using the saffron, soak the strands in 1 tablespoon of the warm milk.
- Remove the vanilla bean and bring the milk back to a boil. Add drained rice and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally to ensure no lumps form. Continue until the rice is cooked. and the mixture reduces to one-third of the original volume. (Or reduces to the consistency you prefer. It takes 25-30 mins to reach the consistency I like; also remember, it will continue to thicken as it cools)
- Add the sugar and mix well, cooking just until it dissolves. Stir in the saffron milk/rose water/spices.
- Serve warm or chilled as you prefer garnished with the nuts.
Serves 6
Rescu. Recommends: Wonderful Pistachios Roasted Unsalted available at Coles or Woolworths RRP: $7.99
Recipe and image sources: Dawn Jackson Blatner RD, LDN, yummly.com
