Chestnut Hummus dip
Ingredients
  • 500g cooked and peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup hot water*
  • 1/2 tsp salt
Method
Combine chestnuts, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, oil, hot water and salt in a food processor. Process until almost smooth.

To serve, spoon into a serving bowl, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with pepper and serve with lavosh or grilled flatbread and cucumber slices.

*Add extra hot water for a smoother and thinner consistency.

 

Chestnut, Pear and Orange Powerballs
Ingredients
  • 500g fresh chestnuts
  • 1 tbls honey
  • 2 tbls vegetable oil
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 100g dried pear, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbls white sesame seeds
  • Additional black and white sesame seeds to coat
Method

Place chestnuts in a medium saucepan with about 1 litre of water, so the chestnuts are fully submerged. Bring to the boil, and boil for 1 hour, topping up water if required. Drain and cool in cold water. When cool enough to handle, open and scoop out flesh.

Place chestnut flesh in a food processor and process until smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and process until well combined.

Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls, and coat in a combination of black and white sesame seeds.

Refrigerate until firm. Store in airtight container.

Chestnut & chicken meatballs
Ingredients
  • 250g cooked and peeled chestnuts, finely chopped
  • 500g chicken mince
  • 1 small brown raw onion, finely grated
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 2 tblsp Dijon mustard
  • 200ml reduced fat sour cream
  • 50g baby spinach leaves
Serve with pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.
Method

To make the meatballs, combine chestnuts, chicken, onion, garlic, lemon zest, egg and parsley in a large bowl. Mix until well combined. Roll mixture into 18 meatballs. Place onto a tray, cover and chill for 20 minutes.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and cook, turning often, for 5 minutes until evenly browned. Remove meatballs from pan and set aside.

Add wine to pan and cook for 1 minute. Stir in stock, mustard and sour cream until well combined. Add meatballs to pan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-12 minutes until meatballs are cooked through. Toss through spinach. Season to taste. Serve with pasta, mashed potatoes or rice.

 

Chestnut & Pork Noodles
Ingredients
  • 300g fresh chestnuts
  • 1/2 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Zest & juice of 1 lime
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 long red chilli, finely sliced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 400g minced pork
  • 400g thin egg noodles
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 spring onions, chopped
  • 1 bunch bok choy, quartered
  • 125g bean shoots
  • Handful coriander leaves
  • Vegetable oil, for shallow frying
Method

Remove outer hard shell of the chestnuts and place in a medium saucepan. Fill with enough cold water to cover the chestnuts, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain. Finely slice 2/3 of the chestnuts, chop the remaining 1/3 into matchsticks and set aside.

Place soy sauce, brown sugar, lime zest and juice, garlic, chilli and ginger in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add pork mince along with the roughly chopped chestnuts and stir. Set aside for 10 mins to infuse.

To make the crispy chestnut garnish, fill a small saucepan with approx 5cm of vegetable oil. When a piece of bread dropped into the oil sizzles, the oil is ready. Carefully place the chestnut matchsticks into the oil and gently agitate them around the pan until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

Prepare noodles according to packet instructions (they need to be cooked until almost soft) and set aside.

Heat half the oil in a wok over high heat. Strain the pork mince mixture, reserving the marinade in a small bowl for later. Transfer marinated pork to hot wok. Cook pork for about 5 mins, until golden in colour but not fully cooked. Remove pork from wok, and drain any excess marinade or juices into the bowl.

Place into serving bowls, top with remaining bean shoots and coriander, and sprinkle with crispy chestnuts.

Gluten-free chestnut brownies
Ingredients

Standard self-raising flour can be used for a non-gluten free version.

  • 350g cooked and peeled chestnuts
  • 200g good quality dark chocolate, broken into squares
  • 200g unsalted butter, chopped
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
  • 2 tblsp cocoa
  • Pinch salt
Method

Preheat oven to 180°C or 160°C fan-forced. Grease and line a 16cm x 26cm x 2-3cm deep slab pan with baking paper, leaving a 2cm overhang on the sides of the pan.

Set aside 50g cooked and peeled chestnuts. Place remaining chestnuts into a food processor. Process until fine crumbs form (you’ll need 2 cups ground chestnuts). Set aside.

Place chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every minute until melted. Set aside to cool.

Using a metal spoon, stir in sugar, vanilla and eggs into chocolate mixture until well combined. Sift over flour, cocoa and salt. Stir to combine. Gently fold through chestnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Chop reserved chestnuts and sprinkle over mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out with moist crumbs sticking. Cool completely in the pan. Cut into squares. Serve with whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa if liked.

 

 
All recipes courtesy of Chestnuts Australia Inc