Bananas with Walnut Oil & Cinnamon
Driven by the craze for polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, we’re so busy making a mad dash for the flaxseed oil that we’re ignoring another oil that’s a great source of omega-3s and compliments everything from pancakes to salads: walnut oil. Although flaxseed is higher in omega-3s than any other oil, walnut oil isn’t too far behind. (Pecan oil isn’t too shabby, either.) And although the grassy flavor of flaxseed blends well with some dishes, the familiar nutty walnut taste is easier to pair with breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
The main thing to remember about all oils that are primarily polyunsaturated is that you should never heat them and that you should store them in the fridge at all times. That said, feel free to use them on all manner of dishes!
Walnut oil is marvelous in salad dressings — use it in place of olive oil and pair it with sweet-salty salads with ingredients like baby spinach/arugula, orange sections, and blue cheese/goat cheese. Drizzle it on pancakes or waffles. (Walnut + maple = yum!) A drizzle of walnut oil would also pair well with smooth squash soups like pumpkin or butternut. Dunk muffins in walnut oil! Accent roasted chicken with walnut oil once you’ve pulled it out of the oven and plated it.
See what I mean? It’s easy — if you would pair nuts (especially walnuts) with a dish, go ahead and try complementing it with walnut oil. Or pecan oil.
For this quick dessert, I cut up a banana, mixed a bit of walnut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon in a separate bowl, and then drizzled the flavored oil on the banana slices. Easy and delicious!
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Tags: breakfast, omega 3s, pecan oil, polyunsaturated fats, salads, toppings, walnut oil
