Author Archives: Home Cooked Heston

Crystallised Omega Walnuts


CRYSTALLISED OMEGA WALNUTS

The second recipe I made for the guys at Omega Walnuts, Crystallised Walnuts. A friend put me onto this recipe and what’s nicer than having a sugary coating on any kind of nut. It does take a while for the sugar mixture to get to the correct temperature, but when it does and you add the Walnuts it was crazy to see it transform from this clear sticky syrup into the opaque sugary goodness. You can enjoy these by them selves or as a garnish for ice cream Sunday’s, puddings or even mixed (in my next recipe) with dry ice, ice cream!

INGREDIENTS

– 200g Omega Walnuts

– 200g White Caster Sugar

– 150g Water

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C, place the walnuts on a baking paper lined tray and toast them in the oven for 12 minutes

2. While thats happening, put the water and sugar into a small saucepan. On a medium-high heat bring to the boil. When the temperature of the liquid hits 135C or the syrup begins to colour at the edge of the pan, add the Walnuts and whisk until the syrup has completely crystallised and coated the nuts.

3. Pour the coated walnuts onto a tray lined with baking paper and allow to cool. The walnuts can be kept in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Gnocchi with Mushrooms, Rocket and Omega Walnut Pesto


I was very lucky to be given not one but 2 bags of Omega Manjimup Walnuts to experiment with and come up with some recipes 😀 it got me thinking straight away and I have 3 recipes in mind. The first I decided would be a savoury dish, when I think of walnuts and savoury I think of gnocchi! So here it is and I hope you enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PESTO

  • 1 Cup of Roasted Omega Walnuts
  • 1/2 Cup of Good Quality Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 Cup Good Quality Olive Oil
  • The Rind & Juice of 1 Small Lemon
  • 2 cloves of Garlic
  • Salt and pepper to your liking

FOR THE GNOCCHI

  • 1 Tbsp of Good Quality Butter
  • 400g Sliced Button Mushrooms
  • 1 Pkt Gnocchi (if I had more time I would have made my own but that’s a recipe for another day!)
  • 3 Handfuls of Rocket
  • 1 Small Bunch of Basil Finely Chopped

METHOD

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Once boiled, place the gnocchi in and once it has floated to the top cook for a further 5 minutes. Then drain and set aside.

2. Combine all the Pesto ingredients into a food processor, blitz to a fine paste and set aside.

3. Place a large frypan on high heat and add the mushrooms. Cook these for a few minutes until they start to soften then add the butter and sauté for a few minutes.

4. Next you want to add the gnocchi, and cook for a few minutes until the gnocchi starts to brown.

5. Once the gnocchi has browned add about 3/4 of the Pesto and stir. It might look a bit clumpy at the start but once it heats up it will begin to go nice and creamy. Then add the basil.

6. Lastly, remove the pan from the heat and to add the Rocket. You don’t want the Rocket to wilt too much, you want it to keep its vibrant green colour. Garnish with some small fresh Rocket leaves and enjoy 🙂