Amazon


26 Jun 2008

The Nut from Brazil

My favorite nuts are Brazil nuts which mainly come from the Amazon Valley. Brazil nuts are tree nuts, of a giant wild tree and grow clumped together in large, round, woody and extremely hard seed pods the size of a coconut.

They are very nutritious and are a complete protein so are excellent for vegetarians and Vegans. Raw Brazil nuts contain the highest natural source of selenium. They are also an excellent source of magnesium and a good source of vitamins B1, B6 and E, dietary fiber, phosphorous, iron , calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, zinc, alpha-linolenic acid and many essential amino acids.

Brazil nuts are +/- 70% fat made up of saturated, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fat, but contain no cholesterol. Just 6 to 8 nuts are +/- 186 calories so if on a weight loss plan they should be eaten sparingly.

Just one nut exceeds your daily selenium requirement but it is suggested that two are eaten daily to give added health benefits from the excellent antioxidents they contain. Selenium is also said to reduce the risk of prostate cancer, osteoarthritis of the knees and heart disease.

Note: Brazil nuts should not be eaten by anyone with even a slight allergy to tree nuts.

If you are able to get them, unshelled nuts are safer to eat, as they are free from contamination. Shelled nuts, due to their high fat levels, go rancid easily so should be kept in the fridge. They can also be frozen. So give raw Brazil nuts a try and enjoy their taste and energy boost.

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Brazil Nut Burgers
From MeatOut

1 cups dry soybeans
2 carrots, peeled
1/2 cup Brazil nuts
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
1/2 Tbs. dried parsley
1/2 Tbs. dried basil
1/2 cups wheat germ

Soak dry soybeans overnight or for 8 hours. Put the soaked beans into a large pot with 3 cups water; bring to a boil, allowing the steam to escape and reduce the heat to simmer; cook the beans for about three hours until tender; drain water after ready. Puree cooked soybeans and carrots in blender; grind Brazil nuts and mix all three together with soy sauce or tamari. Add parsley and basil; mix in wheat germ for dough consistency, adding more if necessary. Form into patties and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 400 F.
(I made them with chick peas and they were great ~ Jackie).


Breakfast Smoothie
From BBC-Food by Merrilees Parker

4 very ripe peaches or nectarines, sliced and stoned
50g/2oz frozen blueberries
50g/2oz strawberries
4 baby bananas or 1 large banana, cut into chunks and frozen
6 tbsp organic soy yoghurt
6 Brazil nuts
1 tsp guarana powder (optional)
maple syrup to taste

Place the peaches or nectarines into a juicer and extract the juice. Pour the juice into a blender with the remaining ingredients except the maple syrup and blend. Taste the smoothie for sweetness, adding a little maple syrup if necessary. Serve immediately in tall glasses. Serves 2.


Brazil Nut Milk
From Raw Pleasure, Australia
Brazil nut milk is the richest and in my opinion the most delicious. ~ Sheryl

1 cup Brazil nuts
2-4 cups of filtered water
dried figs to taste

Blend and refrigerate.


Date, Almond and Brazil Nut Truffles
From Channel4 by Gillian McKeith

8 fresh dates, stoned
100g/4oz ground almonds
2 tsp carob powder
finely grated rind and freshly squeezed juice of ½ lime
8 Brazil nuts
chopped mixed nuts

Place the dates, almonds, carob powder, lime rind and juice in a food processor and blend until the mixture forms a stiff ball - adding more lime juice if necessary to help bring the mixture together. Remove blade and roll date mixture into balls. Place in truffle cases or roll into balls and fill each with a Brazil nut. Cover and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

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21 comments:

eastcoastlife said...

I love brazil nuts! I can't get fresh brazil nuts in Singapore though. I get to eat them in Cadbury's chocolate bars. :)

Prixie said...

hmmm, that burger sounds divine!

Kumudha said...

I have never tasted Brazil nuts. I'm keen to explore brazil nuts as nuts are good for health!

Thanks for sharing so many recipes!

ChocolateCoveredVegan said...

My favorite nuts are almonds, cashews, and walnuts, but after reading your post, I think I ought to go buy some Brasil nuts and give 'em another try (not that I don't like them; I just never think to buy them).

Liz said...

i love nuts! first time i've heard of burgers with nuts, sounds good though.

have a blessed weekend jackie ;)

BlogWriter2u said...

I have to say that there are many benefits eating nuts. Recent studies have shown both the health benefits and the weight-reduction properties of nuts. Nuts are also packed with protein, which is good for you and acts as a natural appetite suppressant because it is digested slowly and is subsequently slowly absorbed into the bloodstream. Almost all of the energy contained in the protein you eat is burned as fuel for your body's metabolic functions; hardly any of the calories contained in dietary protein are converted into fat storage. Therefore, nuts are not only good for you, but they don't put on extra weight, providing you limit the amount you consume.

Consuming four to five servings of nuts per week has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by as much as 50 percent. Nuts have also been shown to decrease total cholesterol by 5 to 10 percent and LDL cholesterol by 15 to 20 percent. This is all thanks to the monounsaturated fats that nuts contain that have heart-protective properties and help to suppress your appetite so that you eat less. The monounsaturated fats block the production and absorption of bad LDL cholesterol; less bad cholesterol in the bloodstream equals less heart disease. These monounsaturated fats can also help to reduce blood pressure by retaining your blood vessels' natural elasticity, which keeps the arteries open.

However, we must know how to choose the best nuts and try to avoid not so good nuts. Below are some guids how to choose best nuts...

http://www.weightlosstopic.com/tips/eat_nuts_for_weight_loss.html

Kristen's Raw said...

I love brazil nuts...I usually eat 3-4 every few days :)

Cheers!

vko said...

Oh thanks for reminding me- I used to love Brazil nuts and great to know that they are as good for you as I had suspected!

Anonymous said...

Brazil nuts are so delicious. We have difficulty finding them here though. I wish they were more popular and widely available.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for pooping by my blogg!

I love nuts. Unfourtunatly I can't get a hold of Brazilian nuts but I love almonds, pistachhios and cashew! Alos I just discovered macadamia nuts and they are great, Wish you the best, take care!

Shakespere said...

Hi. I enjoyed your post on the Brazil nut. Yes, they are delicious.

david santos said...

Hello, Jackie!
that burger and chocolate brazilien is very, very god.
Great menu, Jackie.
Happy day

HEALTH NUT WANNABEE MOM said...

I love Brazil nuts but had no idea about the selenium or the burgers. I am going to try that as I am a vegetarian with veganism as a lifelong goal!

Rural Vegan said...

I absolutely love Brazil nuts, but I never thought of making burgers with them, or knew that they had so much good stuff lurking under that massive shell!

Kate said...

Oh yum, brazil nuts!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for stopping by and commenting on Roxiticus Desperate Housewives. Funny that you picked a non-meat post to comment on, and I picked a non-mushroom post here, as I believe mushrooms are the work of the devil (but I just tell people I'm allergic). Nuts, on the other hand, are a favorite.

Roxy

Waterrose said...

Well another of my favorites. I used to pick them out of the nut mix before anyone else could get to them.

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Jackie said...

Have emailed you Alisha. Yes your widgets are brilliant but unfortunately I don't have room for them.

Other readers, I get many viewing much later via my tags, will take a look I am sure.

Naomi said...

I love Brazil nuts too Jackie. I especially like the fact that they contain lots of Selenium and protect you from cancer.

Naomi said...

I love Brazil nuts too Jackie. I especially like the fact that they contain lots of Selenium and protect you from cancer.