3 recipes with chestnuts to make the most of them

We usually eat roasted chestnuts at specific times. With these chestnut recipes you can get the most out of it throughout the autumn season.

The most popular way to eat chestnuts is roasted. In many towns and cities, we can still let ourselves be guided by the unmistakable aroma that the chestnut stalls give off at this time of year to enjoy a good cone. They are a delicious and healthy food that comforts more than just your hands and stomach on cold days.

Nowadays we can find chestnuts in many forms, not only fresh or roasted. They can also be cooked naturally or peeled in a can, sous vide, for example. Even dried chestnuts, the so-called pilongas, which must be soaked before use.

Although chestnuts are usually considered nuts, they are closer to cereals due to their nutritional contribution, as they are rich in carbohydrates and hardly any fat. It has a low glycemic index, so it does not cause glucose ups and downs, and its richness in prebiotic fibre promotes the good condition of the microbiota. It also provides us with important nutrients, such as manganese and different phenolic compounds with antioxidant action.

There is no excuse, therefore, for not including chestnuts in your menus. You can, for example, use them as a substitute for vegetables such as potatoes or legumes, or mix them with pasta, rice, quinoa or couscous. Take note with these three recipes!

BROWN RICE WITH CHESTNUTS AND ARTICHOKES

In this rice recipe we combine chestnuts with another distinctly autumnal food: the artichoke.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 300 g brown rice (pre-soaked)
• 16 chestnuts
• 6 artichokes (drizzled with lemon or vinegar)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 leek, chopped
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon anise
• Rosemary, chives and salt

Preparation (1h + 20′)

1. Cook the chestnuts in water with the anise and a little salt for 20 minutes. Drain, peel and set aside.
2. Clean the artichokes, reserving their leaves, and leave them in water with lemon or vinegar.
3. Make a broth. To do this, boil the artichoke leaves with the green part of the leek, the onion skin and rosemary in plenty of water for 15 minutes.
4. Sauté the onion and leek in the oil for about 5 minutes.
5. Add the artichokes and, after 2 minutes, the drained rice with 800 ml of the boiling stock. Salt, cover and, when it boils, lower the heat and cook covered for 20 more minutes.
6. Add the chestnuts, let stand for about 5 minutes and garnish with chives before serving.

Nutritional Information

One serving of this recipe provides you with 460 calories, 82 g of carbohydrates, 10 g of protein and 10 g of fat, as well as 35% of the recommended daily vitamin B1.

AUTUMN WOK WITH CHESTNUTS AND PUMPKIN

In this recipe, chestnuts are combined with pumpkin, another typically autumnal food that is very comforting and digestive.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 20 chestnuts
• 400 g orange pumpkin
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 4 tbsp white wine
• 2 cm ginger root
• Thyme, black pepper and salt

Preparation (15′ + 30′ cooking)

1. Cook the chestnuts in water and salt for 20 minutes. Peel them while they are still warm and set them aside.
2. Cut the squash into medium-sized pieces, and the onion, in half and then into strips.
3. Peel the garlic and chop it coarsely.
4. Grate the ginger, squeeze its pulp and mix its juice with the wine.
5. Heat the wok and sauté the pumpkin, onion and garlic with the oil. Season.
6. After 5 minutes, add the chestnuts, thyme and wine with the ginger.
7. Remove after 5 minutes, garnish with black pepper and serve.

Nutritional Information

One serving of this wok covers the daily vitamin E. This recipe provides: 236 calories, 29 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of protein and 11 g of fat.

CHESTNUT TART WITH PINE NUTS IN SWEET WINE

This gluten-free cake is made with chestnut flour and is egg-free and dairy-free. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6-8 people:

• 300 g chestnut flour
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 30 g pine nuts, peeled
• 4 sprigs of rosemary
• 1 pinch of salt
• 40 g sultana raisins
• 1/2 glass of sweet wine
• 40 g brown sugar

Preparation (1h):

1. Let the raisins soak in the wine for 30 minutes. Wash the rosemary, dry it and chop half of the needles very finely with a knife.
2. Mix the chestnut flour, brown sugar and salt. Add 250 to 270 ml of water, and stir well; A fairly liquid mass should be obtained.
3. Preheat the oven to 200 ºC. Grease a 1 centimeter-high tarter tin with 6 tablespoons of oil.
4. Pour the previous dough into it; It should not exceed half the height of the mold. Brush it with the rest of the oil and cook it for about 15 minutes.
5. Drain the raisins well.
6. Spread the raisins over the cake, and also add the pine nuts and chopped rosemary. Continue baking for about 15 more minutes, until the cake turns a dark color. Remove from the oven and let cool to unmold.
7. Serve at room temperature, garnished with the rest of the rosemary.

An exquisite sweet with nuts, which anticipates the color and flavors of autumn.