Travel around the world with Nutnut – Part 2

We continue sharing recipes inspired by different countries that you can prepare with our delicious nuts. Today's menu features three dishes, from Turkey, France, and Georgia. Green beans with tarator are a light main course. Tarator is a delicious creamy hazelnut sauce traditionally made in Turkey and served with various vegetables. As a main course, we have spinach and goat cheese quiche, a French-inspired recipe with our secret ingredient: we add nuts to the crust to enhance its flavor. And for dessert, Georgian gozinaki, a very easy recipe, but if you don't have the energy to prepare dessert, you can always buy Lebanese sweets in our store. Enjoy your meal!

Green beans with tarator (Turkish sauce)

30 g rustic bread without crust

3 tablespoons plain yogurt

45 g peeled hazelnuts, plus a little more for serving

1 peeled and crushed garlic clove

5 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 lemon (juice only)

salt and optionally pepper

500 g green beans

 

Preparation

Blend the bread, yogurt, hazelnuts, and garlic in a blender until a paste forms. Incorporate the oil in a thin stream. Finally, add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and mix once more. Boil the green beans until tender. Drain the beans and drizzle with the tarator and a little more olive oil. Serve with lightly crushed hazelnuts.

Spinach and goat cheese quiche with nut crust

For the crust

175 g all-purpose/whole wheat flour

85 g butter

35 g ground walnuts

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 egg yolk

 

For the filling

3 eggs

150 g goat cheese

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 finely chopped shallots

200 g fresh spinach

50 g pine nuts

 

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Mix the flour, ground walnuts, and sea salt in a bowl. Add the butter and egg yolk. Using your hands, work the ingredients until a dough forms; if necessary, add a little water. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and then let it chill for about 30 minutes. Press the dough evenly into a 20 cm tart pan. Prick the bottom with a fork and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Lower the oven to 170ºC. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl, beat for 30 seconds, then add the goat cheese, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

To set aside

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Chop the shallots and fry for about 3 minutes until golden. Add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Stir the spinach gently until wilted. Remove from heat and pour into the bowl containing the egg and cheese mixture. Mix well. Pour the filling into the crust and spread evenly with a spoon. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling is firm and golden. Let cool for a while before serving.

Georgian Gozinaki (traditional dessert)

Ingredients

100 g brown sugar

50 ml honey

100 g lightly crushed or ground walnuts, as preferred

100 g toasted sesame seeds

20 g butter

1/3 teaspoon baking soda

 

Preparation

Heat sugar, honey, and water over medium heat and stir until smooth.

Add sesame seeds and walnuts. Cook the mixture, stirring frequently until the mixture turns caramel colored, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the butter. When the butter melts, add the baking soda. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet.

Once completely cooled, break into pieces.