When it comes to cooking, there are some ingredients that are always in our pantry, like salt, pepper, oil, and butter. And then there are the ingredients that are sometimes forgotten, despite their versatility and ability to add depth of flavor and texture to our dishes. One of those ingredients is nutz.

Nutz are a diverse group of ingredients that can range from almonds, walnuts, pecans, and cashews to hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, and pistachios. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, and when ground into flours, they become excellent gluten-free substitutes for traditional flours.

Whether you're looking to add crunch and flavor to a salad or dessert, or to elevate the heartiness and richness of a sauce or stew, nutz may just be the secret ingredient you've been missing. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Nuts Add Nutrition and Texture

One of the most obvious benefits of nutz is their nutritional value. They are a good source of protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Adding nuts to your meals and snacks can help keep you feeling full and satisfied, while also providing a hearty crunch and texture that can enhance your eating experience.

2. Nuts Add Flavor and Depth

Beyond their nutritional value, nutz also add flavor and depth to your dishes. Roasting or toasting nutz in a dry pan or oven can help bring out their natural oils and intensify their flavor. You can also experiment with different types of nutz to add unique notes of sweetness, bitterness, or nuttiness to your dishes.

3. Nuts Can Be Used in Both Sweet and Savory Dishes

One of the best things about nutz is their versatility. They can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, and can be either a star ingredient or a supporting player. Some classic uses of nutz in sweet dishes include almond flour in macarons, pecans in pie, and hazelnuts in chocolate spread. In savory dishes, nutz can be used to thicken sauces and stews, add crunch to salads, or even make a nut-based cheese.

Here are a few recipes that showcase nutz:

Almond-Crusted Salmon with Pesto

Ingredients:

- 4 salmon fillets

- 1 cup of almonds, crushed

- Salt and pepper

- Olive oil for cooking

- For the pesto: 2 cups of basil leaves, 1/4 cup of pine nuts, 1 clove of garlic, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

2. Coat the salmon fillets with crushed almonds and season with salt and pepper.

3. In a pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the salmon fillets for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.

4. To make the pesto, add basil leaves, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper to a food processor, and pulse until smooth.

5. Serve the salmon fillets with a dollop of pesto on top.

Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

- 4 chicken breasts

- 1 cup of pecans, crushed

- Salt and pepper

- Olive oil for cooking

- For the sauce: 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

2. Coat the chicken breasts with crushed pecans and season with salt and pepper.

3. In a pan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.

4. To make the sauce, whisk together honey, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well combined.

5. Serve the pecan-crusted chicken breasts with a drizzle of honey mustard sauce on top.

Hazelnut and Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

- 1 onion, diced

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 cup of arborio rice

- 3 cups of vegetable or chicken broth

- 1/2 cup of white wine

- 1/2 cup of hazelnuts, chopped

- 1 cup of mushrooms, sliced

- 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese

- Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a pot over medium heat, saute onion and garlic until softened.

2. Add arborio rice and stir until coated with onion and garlic.

3. Add white wine and stir until it evaporates.

4. Add broth to the pot, one cup at a time, and stir constantly until each cup is absorbed by the rice.

5. In a separate pan over medium-high heat, saute hazelnuts and mushrooms until golden brown and cooked through.

6. Add the hazelnuts and mushrooms to the rice mixture and stir.

7. Stir in grated parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.

So, next time you're cooking up a storm, consider adding some nutz to the mix. They may just become your new secret ingredient and elevate your cooking game.